Spiraling Down - Confused and Scared
Hi All, I would love to get some feedback. My son is on the Empower protocol and has been for about 4 months. Prior to this he was o Risperdol 1mg. He had started to complain about taking too much vitamins and stopped taking the 15 a day. He was taking about 10 a day. I eventually got him back on track about a week ago. However, he seems to be sprialing down. It as though he is on a placebo. He is manic, angry, irritable, violent ( the silver lining is he is not hitting us just the walls). happy one moment and sad the next. He was not like this before. It seems all of a sudden he got worse. This has been going on for two days. TH told me to give him choline. When I could get something in him he took about 1000 mg of it. On Wednesday he went into the closet and refused to come out. He slept in the closet. Woke up the next morning with the same level of anger. I am scared that his BP could be turning into something else. Or adding additional symptonms. What is going on.
I see a micronutrient pscyh. We do not see him regularly for therapy he only does the micronutrient management. He told me to add amino to the choline. Has anyone else experineced anything like this. On top of it he is OCD (this is my diagnosis) has kicked in He is stuck on one thing and keeps asking for it over and over again. No matter how many times you explain that it is not hear yet. The disease seems to be getting worse. Do I need psych durgs? Is this a natural progression of BP?
--
Willow - Mom as sane as I can be
Hudson, 10 BP on Empower since Oct 2010, Omegabrite, Probiotics, 1000mg calcium,
Daughter 14 - Regular Moody Teenager- Great sibling
Willow,
What would you think about posting a bit more information: the diet, a summary of lab tests, all the supplements and doses, any meds?
In my personal opinion, If he is out of control and unsafe, then psych meds may be needed until you can troubleshoot what is going on. He will need to be stable before anything will work.
Brian
--
Daughter 7 BP/violent rages. Unsuccessful with multiple meds. Now almost 100% stable (Since before Christmas) on 0.5 mg Risperidone and going lower + Restrictive diet + EMPowerPlus + AminoPowerplus + NAC + Q10 + low dose lithium + melatonin + inositol
Son (5) Normal
Wife (CathyK now also on TBMF) BP, on same diet and supplements & reducing meds.
Willow,
If you have read any of my past posts you know that stability on Empower is a process. And as children grow and change their needs change. We would settle on a dosage for our son and then he would grow and WHAM....we would need to adjust his Empower. At age 10 your son is growing quite a bit. Also if he was down on his Empower for over a week, then it will take time to get him back onto a dose that will stabilize him. I have an adult daughter who is on Lithium. There have been times when she has decreased the amount of lithium she takes for a period of time and then becomes unstable. It often takes her and her pdoc at least several weeks to get her back to where her blood levels are within range and she is stable again. It doesn't happen overnight.
In my experience the OCD that you are seeing, which my son had as well, is a symptom of the BP and not real OCD.
FYI Choline made my son very manic. He did not do well on Choline.
It is a process. and remember you still have adolescence to go through. Be patient. You are no more likely to get him stabilized with pharmaceuticals right away then you are with Empower. The same issues exist....but according to our pdoc, with pharmaceuticals and growing children one is almost always chasing growth. It seems a bit easier with the vitamins especially because over time things start to heal.
--
Jistac
Mother of 3 (23,20,17) with a variety of mental health issues. Been involved with using Empower as a treatment since 2003
We have done some lab test. He is not gluten intolerant, his thyroid is ok. I am not sure what else to test for. The diet is definitley bad. He drinks his sugar intake. He drinks a lot of the fruit juices. He does not eat much candy. But, at night he likes to have milk and cookies. My husband gives it to him. We argue about this. His take is if he does not give him the milk and cookies than we are up arguing with him why he should not have it. One night we were out and at 11pm my husband ran to the supermarket to get him his cookies. I try to cook wholesome foods. Probably not enough vegtables in his diet. But, we do not eat out much. He eats a lot of bread, pizza and pasta. He is not willing to eat wheat in exchange for white items. It is a battle that we lose and money down the drain. I feel trapped like a caged animal. He takes aminos 8-10 a day.
My son is extremly stubborn, was diagnosed earlier, age 6 as oppositional defiant. In my world that was early onset of BP.
You may be right about the choline. I am going to try and not give it to him today and see how we go. The last time he was a bit like this I gave him Niacin and that seemed to help. What are your thoughts about Niacin helping to calm down.
Thanks all. I cannot tell you how much this site helps me. It brings me back to sanity when I think I am trapped in some type of a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. I think I live in another dimension
--
Willow - Mom as sane as I can be
Hudson, 10 BP on Empower since Oct 2010, Omegabrite, Probiotics, 1000mg calcium,
Daughter 14 - Regular Moody Teenager- Great sibling
Willow,
I don't know anything about Niacin. But I do know that Fructose (which is in fruit juice) is known to intefere wtih the absorbtion of the vitamins. So your son might need more vitamins if he is drinking fruit juice or he might need to drink less fruit juice. Milk and Cookies sound GREAT to me. I see no harm in pastries. Especially if they are good pastries. Try to get cookies that don't have massive amounts of ingredients in them. If you have a Trader Joes near you they have a lot of GREAT cookies that have the same list of ingredients you would use if you were baking them yourself.
Jistac
Mother of 3 (23,20,17) with a variety of mental health issues. Been involved with using Empower as a treatment since 2003
The high level of sugar can cause systemic yeast overgrowth, which can cause the symptoms you are describing - even for previously-working meds and supplements to not work - "as if taking a placebo." I didn't know it before, but there is actually a blood test for that! My doctor ordered it for me from Quest Laboratory, which my medical insurance paid for.
One way I have for satifying my desire for a sugar fix, is I make myself a hot beverage with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and sweeten it with Stevia. I found I can have a mug 4/5ths full of water and add just a 5th of the Almond Milk, and that satisfies me just as well (it's cheaper that way, which may not be an issue for others).
As for not reacting to gluten and dairy, there are different ways to react. A person can be reacting to casomorphins or gliadorphins, but that requires yet another test to determine (urine test from Great Plains Lab).... sigh.
--Jeanie aka "Naomi"
It's Not Mental-Facebook
Older dd: formerly(?) teen-onset bipolar (morphed into ultradian cycling): "Recovered" after over 13 years - stable off psych meds almost two years. Now fine on just diet changes and higher thyroid levels (after healing - addressing gut issues/Candidal overgrowth while using EMPowerPlus and other supplements). She added a little EMpowerPlus back on as a multivitamin simply because she feels better on it - gets sick less often.
Younger dd: formerly(?) Childhood-onset schizoaffective, TS, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, migraines. After over 15 years, is now "recovered" for almost 5 years after treating endocrine issues, food sensitivities, gut issues, sleep issues, nutritional/mitochondrial needs.
Yes, did he have the full IgG panel testing, not just for wheat? What about the peptid stool test? And also a celiac test. I think you should treat for yeast and cut out the juices, high sugar foods. You can find recipes for sugar free cookies, sweetened with stevia. The yeast will eat the EMP alive. Also, how long as your son been off meds? Could it be possible that you are seeing protrated withdrawal that was escalated by taking more EMP? There is hope. My son, who has been on EMP for 3 months, and off meds for 7 weeks is turning the corner, until he ate something he is IgG allergic to. But the point is, we are getting better. Even my dh who is a little more of a pessimist is seeing the improvement. Stick with it.
--
Kim 34 Co-Mod Military with Katie and Heather
brandonsmom_1996@msn.com
Army wife and BSW student
PLMS, Insomnia, Severe D-IBS, Special diet
Iron and Mirapex for PLMS, Lunesta, Zyrtec, SAMe
Brandon 15, BP 1, ADHD, Schizoaffective?, PDD?, IgG allergic gluten, casein, soy, eggs, peanuts
EMPower Plus 5 caps TID, AminoPowerPlus 4 BID, Vitamin D 10,000 IU/day, Garlic, Choline and protein shakes prn, Synthroid, Melatonin 6-12 mg
8th grade (held back) homeschooled-Meridell Achievement Center 4/28- 9/25
Chris, 34 dh since 9/10, Army
Cheeto the cat: Hyperthyroidism (radioactive iodine 2/8), Separation Anxiety, and Chronic UTIs, rx diet Mystic: The princess of the house and HATES Brandon
Jackson: Lab, DOB 1/13/11, training to be psychiatric service dog eventually
Fort Bragg, NC
FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet.
Willow,
If it were me, I would spend some money for a suite of lab tests. I think there may be cheaper ways to do it, but that is what I would do.
1st and foremost, your son is craving sweets, juices and breads. That sounds like a yeast overgrowth. We had an IGG allergy test that included gastro intestinal markers from Alletess. Other lab tests that could show the same things include a fecal test and/or a urine organic acids test, with gastrointestinal markers.
Even though you indicate he does not react to gluten, it and dairy can harm the body in several ways as Naomi indicated. There is the traditional gluten sensitivity. Another is that it feeds the yeasts in the intestine which are oppose of the beneficial bacteria. It is a well known opioid. It can also directly attack the intestinal lining in a Celiac manner.
With expecting the yeast overgrowth results, I would recommend buying a book by Dr. Campbell-McBride, Gut and Psychology Syndrome. I would also get the cookbook that comes with it. She spells out a very convincing case to eliminate all grain, starchy stuff like potatoes and processed sugars out of the diet. (We have done that, and although our daughter does not like it, she follows it because she does not want to go back to the instability)
In addition to cutting dairy and all grains, I would also cut out all food colorings, food preservatives, any chemical sounding name on the label, and "natural flavorings". That is a hidden name for mono-sodium glutamate, which may be the worst actor in our store bought food supply. When all is settled down and seems to be working better, you can try re-introducing foods. (We are now at a stage where we want to finish getting off the resperidal and lower the lithium a bit before we try re-introducing foods maybe this summer). Don't worry, there are a lot of good foods left to eat and nobody will go hungry.
Next, I would test for methylation. Blood tests are homocysteine and carnitine. Also in the organic acids test, there is methylmalonic acid.
If he has low cholesterol, I would specifically look for low Coenzyme Q-10 with a blood test. But, if he has low Q-10 and low cholesterol, you want to supplement with the smallest dose possible to help prevent driving the cholesterol further lower. No more than 30 mg/day.
I would add NAC (600 mg 3X/day) and inositol (2 teaspoon/day). I would also be hesitant about the fish oil. It has a reputation of sometimes inducing mania, but I'm not sure.
If there are sleep problems, add melatonin for starters. (we use 5 mg of a time release variety). Next for sleep would be to re-read Naomi's blog, and maybe theanine.
Anyway, this is basically the logic and method of where we are today. She went from 3 phospital stays last summer and where we didn't know if she could stay in the house. Now today, for now anyway, she is on a fraction of the meds and we can't even tell there is a mood disorder.
I'm sure your son will have some different twists, but you will surely get it figured out. Also, please do your own research. Both here on this web site and all kinds of articles on the net.
Best of luck,
Brian
--
Daughter 7 BP/violent rages. Unsuccessful with multiple meds. Now almost 100% stable (Since before Christmas) on 0.5 mg Risperidone and going lower + Restrictive diet + EMPowerPlus + AminoPowerplus + NAC + Q10 + low dose lithium + melatonin + inositol
Son (5) Normal
Wife (CathyK now also on TBMF) BP, on same diet and supplements & reducing meds.
Brian and Niaomi thanks for the feedback. You mentioned NAC. I had spoken to True Hope about this and they thought it was not a good thing for now. I have had mixed reactions with the inositol at high dosages. One of the TH people told me when he is getting angry and irritable to increase the inositol to about 10,000 mg a day. It seemed to make him more agitated.
--
Willow - Mom as sane as I can be
Hudson, 10 BP on Empower since Oct 2010, Omegabrite, Probiotics, 1000mg calcium,
Daughter 14 - Regular Moody Teenager- Great sibling
Another consideration might be to add metholated folate- such as methyltetrahydrofolate, folacin, or a medical food like deplin or metanx. There is a fairly common genetic variant that limits the metabolism of folate (like the form EMPower uses) to the reduced form needed in our cells. Without that change, it limits the whole methylation cycle, as well as the being a limiting step for neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. It can be tested for (MTHFR). Though we didn't, we suspected it, and saw a significant improvement when we added the methytetrahydrofolate. Choline can kind of take a back route around the folate reduction, and while it can help with other things, it doesn't address the folate issue nor complete the methylation cycle. If the methylation cycle is operating effecctively, it supplies the necessary cysteine that the NAC supp offers.
http://www.thebalancedmind.org/connect/forums/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-cam/methyl-folate-and-nac-n-acetyl-cysteine
http://www.thebalancedmind.org/connect/forums/medications-and-psychotherapy/s-adenosyl-methionine-same-augmentation-of-ssri-for-ant
While it seems like progress is slow, four months into a nutritional makeover isn't really that long a period... We went in with equal expectations that it would be a rough year, but at the year mark, there would be positive gains.It's important to remember that all the organs and processes need to act synergistically. It is pretty likely that there were a multitude of insults, all of which need to get re-aligned. There are gene expressions that need altering, there is replication of healthy cells.... not an overnight, but a gradual over months process .
Somewhere around that four month mark we had a period of instability as we were decreasing and changing meds, and tuning the supps. Even though we were trying to reduce meds, we decided to add some busbar to get over the hump.(Busbar seemed a milder approach to addressing anxiety brought on by the reduction in his seroquel). Additionally, It was then that we began adding in the methylated folate, and following up on some tests, added a compounded amino acids supp. Things seemed to improve more steadily after that, and we found we could facilitate further med reductions.
One other difference is we used cod liver oil- several capsules of nordic naturals or carlsons . They are slightly higher DHA than EPA. We used less than a gram per day, which is low compared to what most recommedations are. Supposedly, the DHA is more for cell maintenance and structure, something possibly impacted by metabolic impairments or deficiencies. With that same reasoning, if the pathways are optimally functioning, too much Omega 3 could add to the oxidative stress load if it's not processing. That circles back around to having the methylation cycle working, as it supplies cysteine, the precursor to glutathione which is the major antioxidant in the body.
--
Darryl - parent volunteer, dad to
Levi, 12, stable using supps and diet exclusively since June 07. Previously treated and stable with med combo inc. lithium, 900mg seroquel, and small amounts of risperdal, luvox and focalin after being dx'd at age 3 1/2.
Darryl,
Did you ever do any definitive testing to know that your son had methylation issues, or was it based primarily on improved symptoms? Also, how much does he take?
Brian
--
Daughter 7 BP/violent rages. Unsuccessful with multiple meds. Now almost 100% stable (Since before Christmas) on 0.5 mg Risperidone and going lower + Restrictive diet + EMPowerPlus + AminoPowerplus + NAC + Q10 + low dose lithium + melatonin + inositol
Son (5) Normal
Wife (CathyK now also on TBMF) BP, on same diet and supplements & reducing meds.
we worked with Dr John Hicks (Delavan WI) for a couple years- he used Genova Diagnostics labs (did the Optimum Nutritional Evaluation group twice) plus other labs locally, including serotonin and dopamine levels which are folate dependant. At peak, we were using about 3 grams of methylated folate, plus methyl b-12, DMG, along with 2 capsules of Pure Encapsulations B-Complex.
Peak would have been when he was around 8, back in 2007/8. As he improved, we've minimized the supps, as well as relaxed the diet restrictions, without setbacks.
We approached his diet as a household, and I've found that Istill have to be more limiting than he does. While Levi was under Dr. Hicks' care, I had tests to address my own chronic gut and fatigue issues that followed courses of needed IV and oral antibiotics for a systemic infection following an injury. Though different onset, the metabolic effects were very similar, plus we share some genetic predispositions limiting our phase 2 enzymes, slowing our ability to keep things cleared out. (did the detox-genomic and immune panels from Genova also). The co-occuring gut issues, and immune activation, impeded nutrient absorption. Consequently, we both were affected by the depletion of critical nutrients. In addition, that depletion further impaired the ability to recycle proteins to maintain the neurotransmitter levels and minimize cell damage from oxidative stress. Unable to obtain adequate nutrients thru normal diet, using specific bioavailable supps was a more directed approach to kick-start things.
This is a list of things we've used:
Bcomplex plus, pure encapsulations
zinc picolinate, pure encapsulations (zinc is needed in some 300 different enzyme/metabolic processes)
cal/mag/k; integrative therapeutics
ubiquinol, puritan pride (mitochondrial system)
Enada/NADH (mitochondrial system)
cod liver oil, nordic naturals (slightly higher DHA than EPA ratio) http://www.psy-journal.com/article/S0165-1781(09)00022-5/abstract
B12/methylcobalamin, elementals - methylation cycle, one-carbon metabolism http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/193/4/344 (active form of B12, normal metabolism of B12 from cyanocobalamin depends on the gut protein 'intrinsic factor')
folinic acid/methyltetrahydrofolate, prothera (active form of folic acid- bypasses a common mutation in enzyme that changes folic acid to the active form needed in methylation cycle )
Digest gold (digestive enzymes) enzymedica (help with digestion/absorption)
Probiotics, natren (Gut flora)
DMG, Davinci (methyl donor for methylation cycle )
Olive leaf extract, pure encapsulations (anti-viral)
Candex (yeast control)
tyrosine (catecholamine precursor)
5-htp (serotonin precursor)
Compounded amino acid mixture based on testing results (protein 'building blocks')
SOD, now using solaray sod 2000 plus (detox)
calcium d-glucarate (detox)
glutathione liposomal form (detox)
transfer factor -4Life Classic (immune system)
Moducare - plant sterols, similar to 'pycnogenol'- anti-oxidant, ADHD supp
Vit D
--
Darryl - parent volunteer, dad to
Levi, 13, stable using supps and diet exclusively since June 07. Previously treated and stable with med combo inc. lithium, 900mg seroquel, and small amounts of risperdal, luvox and focalin after being dx'd at age 3 1/2.
Thanks All, I called into our CAM psychiatrist and they told me they did not thing these test were necessary. I am cutting and pasting their exact words in an email reponse.
I met with Dr. Schachter for our weekly Tuesday "case review" so was able to ask him about your request in person, always better than notes back and forth. The MTHFR is fairly costly and may not be covered by insurance plus it may not change too much: the Empower Plus has some of the active folate in its formula which addresses the potential issue of error in methylation (the folic acid is already methylated). The IgG is a very broad test that can be used to may food sensitivies; we would need to know what foods to test and, again, it may not be covered by insurance. Also Dr. Schacter didn't feel that information would necessarily change the current protocol. Very often the foods that are positive correlate with the current foods being eaten and the treatment involves elimination of those foods for a while. We can get some of that information just by noting the foods he craves, eats the most, and does not want to eliminate.I will forward this response to Dr. Schachter as well in case he wants to add more.
What are your thoughts. Should I push or go see someone else. Not many CAM psychs that are good. OR do I see a DAN doctor for this. Please advise
--
Willow - Mom as sane as I can be
Hudson, 10 BP on Empower since Oct 2010, Omegabrite, Probiotics, 1000mg calcium,
Daughter 14 - Regular Moody Teenager- Great sibling
On the EMPower ingredient list, it reads, "FOLIC ACID", which is not methylated. I would question truehope directly on that. Their amino acid supp also lists folic acid. The total amino solution (TAS) which was used prior has calcium folinate, which I believe is considered a methylated form.
http://web2.iadfw.net/uthman/nutritional_anemia/nutritional_anemia.html
Folic acid is metabolically inactive until it is converted into tetrahydrofolic acid (THF). A key enzyme in this conversion is dihydrofolate reductase, which is the target enzyme inhibited by the anticancer drug methotrexate. THF is capable of methyl group transfer by picking up the one-carbon group from the amino acid serine and sticking it on uridylate, thus producing thymidylate, which in turn goes off to seek its fortune in DNA as a courier of genetic messages. The methyl-carrying version of THF is called N5,N10-THF and is shown above.
As complicated as all this seems, it only scratches the surface. Folate has been shown to play a role in no fewer than six biochemical reactions, including synthesis of methionine, synthesis of purines (thymine is a pyrimidine), and catabolism of histidine. Failure of folate to break down histidine results in accumulation of an intermediary metabolite, formiminoglutamic acid(FIGlu), which can be measured in the clinical laboratory as a marker for folate deficiency.
Without digging for a non biased reference, this site has the steps shown to get from folic to the reduced methylated form that the cells use : http://hsfighters.bioactivhealth.com/folate_not_folicacid.htm
At the time we were doing labs, the MTHRF gene wasn't tested by Genova. It is now, I think as part of the detoxigenomic panel; I don't know what the cost is. At the time we did our gene tests, the P450 profile for the cyp2d6 gene was around $1400 at Mayo. Genova tested multiple P450 genes, other detox ones, including some Phase 2 enzymes for $450. It was out of pocket, but I felt is was a good value compared to what was offered thru Mayo.
I still don't know the status, but that it seemed to make a quantum leap in decreasing symptoms when we added the methylated form. I forgot that Levi had a high FIGlu count on one of the tests. From age 3 1/2 Levi was taking a kids multiple with 400mcg folic acid. It was upped to 1000 prior to the testing, before using the methylated stuff. After trialing using methyltetrahydrofolate, it didn't seem to matter what the status was, it was response based. There are other parents that have found this an issue too. I'm also surprised EMPower ,s B6 doesn't have some P-5-P form, and the B12 is cyanocobalamin. Both those need to be converted before they are used. Their amino acids contain methylcoblamin for b12, and the p-5-p instead of pyridoxine HCl. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB6/
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/fa/
We did the food tests - at the time, Levi was stable on meds, so we had a lot at risk deciding to try a CAM approach. For me, it seemed the more info we had, the better we could manage the therapy. I know there is debate on the veracity of the tests. Elimination is ultimately going to be a true decider if it makes a difference.
I understand the money issue and assigning priorities. I would still like to retest Levi to see evidence that physically there are differences, but for now, that money pays for his teacher. If it were me, I'd verify EMPower's ingredients, and if they aren't, then ask about adding an adjunct dose of the methylated B's. JMO.
--
Darryl - parent volunteer, dad to
Levi, 12, stable using supps and diet exclusively since June 07. Previously treated and stable with med combo inc. lithium, 900mg seroquel, and small amounts of risperdal, luvox and focalin after being dx'd at age 3 1/2.
1. EMPowerPlus does not have the methylated versions. My younger daughter was on it for YEARS and ended up needing a massive amount of Methylated cobalamin, folate and P-5-P for a while - she was actually prescribed the prescription form, Metanx, she took for about a year! Now, we have been tested twice (year apart) by SpectraCell Labs to ensure we have adequate nutrient levels INSIDE the cells. If they think he should be treated blindly with some methylated folate, and methylated cobalamin that probably is OK, too. They are probably familiar with doing that.
2. They are correct - testing for the MTHFR genetic problem (or the vitamin D genetic cell-receptor polymorhism) is not necessary. Just get the SpectraCell nutritional analysis done to ensure adequate levels inside the cells.
3 - I agree about the IgG tests as being inadequate. They are best as a starting point - knowing what to eliminate, then being able to add back one at a time, later. It indeed may work just as well to eliminate the most common problematic things - grain, dairy, eggs, soy, yeast, and anything else unique to the individual, and go from there. That does save money. On the other hand, some people need to see it in black-and-white. We did both Enterolab and IgG testing. If Enterolab is negative, however, that still does not rule out a problem with casomorphins and gliadorphins, and then we'd still need the Great Plains Lab test fot that. It is indeed cheaper to just eliminate the grains and dairy and SEE.
4 - Wow, I cannot advise on that one. I suppose if it were me, I'd try to work with the person I have, and just be knowledgeable. Try the dietary changes suggested. Even without testing I guess they can assume systemic yeast and treat for systemic yeast and heal the gut. I know, however, that not one doctor out of 3 I saw would treat ME for systemic yeast with a prescription medication, until the third sent me for the test from Quest labs, which my insurance covered (You just walk in and they draw blood just like any other blood test).
I WOULD push for the SpectraCell analysis at the very minimum, because that monitors how we are doing. Example - My copper was too high, and I am being given a supplement to lower my copper levels. I was deficient in multiple things (I was stupidly NOT on a multiple vitamin). My younger daughter, on the other hand, was doing pretty well (according to the test), but she'd been off the Metanx for some time, and we needed to get her back on her methylayed B folate. It was also good to see her vitamin D level INSIDE her cells which verified she really does need a fairly high blood serum level. Her amount of vitamin D3 was slightly increased back up based on the results.
--
Jeanie aka "Naomi"
It's Not Mental
Older dd: formerly(?) teen-onset bipolar (morphed into ultradian cycling): "Recovered" after over 13 years - stable off psych meds almost two years. Now fine on just diet changes and higher thyroid levels (after healing - addressing gut issues/Candidal overgrowth while using EMPowerPlus and other supplements). She added a little EMpowerPlus back on as a multivitamin simply because she feels better on it - gets sick less often.
Younger dd: formerly(?) Childhood-onset schizoaffective, TS, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, migraines. After over 15 years, is now "recovered" for 5 years after treating endocrine issues, food sensitivities, gut issues, sleep issues, nutritional/mitochondrial needs.