Children with Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder »

Jaquelyn McCandless received her Doctorate in Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and is certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Doctor McCandless has been in private practice in Southern California since 1966. Since the early 1990 s, her interest in women s issues and sexuality led to an alternative medicine practice with a focus on anti-aging, brain nutrition and natural hormone therapy. In 1996 after her granddaughter was diagnosed with autism, she returned even more to basic medicine and began working with biomedical aspects of developmentally delayed children. She now utilizes the knowledge she gained searching for treatments for her grandchild to help other ASD children.

In the midst of a worldwide epidemic of autism, ADD and ADHD, this book is a message of hope to parents embarking on the challenging journey of finding proper medical care for their Autism Spectrum Disorder children. This is the first book written by an experienced clinician that gives a step-by-step treatment guide for parents and doctors based on the understanding that ASD is a complex biomedical illness resulting in significant brain malnutrition. Genetic susceptibility activated by triggers such as pesticides and heavy metals in vaccines can lead to immune system impairment, gut dysfunction, and pathogen invasion such as yeast and viruses in many children. Dr. McCandless, whose grandchild with autism has inspired her broad spectrum approach, describes important diagnostic tools needed to select appropriate treatment programs. Her book explains major therapies newly available and identifies safe and effective options for parents and physicians working together to improve the health of these special children.

About the Author xii

Dedication xiii

Preface to 1st & 2nd Editions and Acknowledgements xiv

Preface to 3rd Edition (Book Description) xix

Introduction

Children With Real Medical Illnesses 1

A Message of Hope 1

Defeat Autism Now! 3

What Can a Parent Expect From Biomedical Interventions? 6

My Personal and Professional Involvement in the Bio-Medicine of Autism 8

My Most Challenging Case 10

1 Causation Models 15

The Worldwide Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Epidemic 15

Definition of ASD and Incidence of Classic vs. Regressive Autism 16

What Causes Autism and Other ASDs? 17

Simply Genetic? 18

The Toxic Chemical Model 19

The Heavy Metal Contamination Model 20

Vaccinations 21

The Auto-immunity/Allergy Model 24

The Viral Model 26

The Gluten/Casein, Enzyme Deficiency and Yeast Overgrowth Model 27

The Metallothionein Theory 29

How Models of Causation Lead to Treatments That Work 30

2 Gastrointestinal Pathology-Nutritional Deficiencies 35

Nutritional Deficiency as a Common Denominator 35

Causes of Gastrointestinal Problems in ASD Children 38

How the Immune and GI Systems Interact 39

How Yeast Overgrowth Can Injure the Gastrointestinal System 41

"Leaky Gut", Increased Permeability of the Intestinal Mucosa and Malabsorption 42

Further Notes on the Mercury/Vaccine Connection 44

Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together 44

3 Impaired Detoxification, Toxic Accumulations, and Politics 48

Toxic Threats to Child Development 48

The Mechanism of Heavy Metal Toxicity 51

Specific Heavy Metals: Lead and Mercury 52

Lead 52

Mercury 53

Mercury in Vaccines 54

The Saga of Several Autism Parents and "Parent Power" 56

4 Clinical and DiagnosticEvaluation 60

Biomedical Evaluation 60

Family and Medical History 61

Pre-testing Considerations 63

New Diagnostics in ASD Based on Screening 64

Initial Strategies in Test Evaluation 65

More Tests, New Philosophy 65

Parents, Doctors, and Testing Philosophy 66

Descriptions of Specific Laboratory Tests 69

Necessary Preliminary Screening Tests 69

Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential and Platelets 69

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel 69

Thyroid Panel 69

Urinalysis 69

Hair Analysis (Part of Heavy Metal Screening) 69

Specialized Laboratory Tests as Individually Indicated 71

Urinary Peptide Tests for Casein and Gluten 72

Organic Acid Test (OAT-urine) 73

90-Food IgG Antibodies Test (Serum) 73

Amino Acids (Plasma) 74

Comprehensive Microbial Digestive Stool Analysis 75

Fatty Acid Analysis (Plasma) 75

Tests for Metallothionein Dysfunction 76

Laboratory Testing in Chelation Therapy 76

Immunology Testing 77

Which Laboratories to Use 77

5 Gastrointestinal Healing 80

Gastrointestinal Health is a Key Issue 80

Treatments That Can Be Implemented by Parents 83

The GF/CF/SF (Gluten, Casein, Soy Free) Diet 83

How to Start the Diet 85

Where to Get Help 86

Enzymes 90

Probiotics 92

Basic Nutrient Supplementation 93

Gastrointestinal Treatments That Require Physician Participation 95

Anti-fungal Treatment 96

Other Gut Pathogens and Treatments 99

The Secretin Story 100

Summary-Gut Health and Healing 105

6 Feeding the Starving Brain 109

Vital Nutrients 109

Nutritional Deficiencies Identified in Our Children 111

The Use of Vital Nutrients 112

Primary Recommended Supplements 114

The Rationale Behind the Use of Specific Nutrients 119

B6 and Magnesium 119

Zinc 120

Calcium 121

Selenium 121

Vitamin A and High-Dose Vitamin A Protocol 121

Vitamins C and E 122

Essential Fatty Acids 123

DMG and TMG 124

B-Vitamins 125

Amino Acids 127

Additional Minerals 127

Nutrient Interactions 128

Testing for Nutritional Deficiencies 128

Parents Say Nutrients Help Their Children 129

7 Removing the Heavy Metals 133

Heavy Metal Toxicity 133

A Practical Approach to the Removal of Mercury 135

Pre-Chelation Testing 139

Hair Analysis 139

Porphyrin Testing 140

Pre- and Post-Challenge Urine Toxic Elements Test 141

RBC Essential Elements 142

Cysteine 142

Gut Readiness Before Starting Chelation 142

Organic Acid Test (OAT) 143

Comprehensive Microbial Digestive Stool Analysis 143

Nutrient/Mineralization Readiness 144

Heavy Metal Detoxification per 2005 Defeat Autism Now! Consensus, Summary 145

Phase I, DMSA (Di-mercaptosuccinic Acid) Dosages and Timing 147

Dosages, DMSA 147

Lab Monitoring 148

Readiness for Second Phase: Adding A-lipoic Acid (ALA) 148

Second Phase, Laboratory Monitoring 149

Completion of Chelation Process 150

Alternative Detoxification Treatment 152

Allithiamine: Transdermal Thiamine Tetrahydrofurfuryl Disulfide (TTFD) 152

Summary 157

General Comments on Detoxification Treatment 158

8 Immunity, Autoimmunity and Viruses 164

An Overview of Immune Dysregulation in ASD Children 164

Genetics 164

Immune Abnormalities 165

Autoimmunity and Autism 166

Pathogens and Autoimmunity 166

Gastrointestinal Disease and Autism Spectrum Disorder 167

MMR and Developmental Regression 167

Fungal Infections and the Immune System 167

Atypical Elevations of Common Viral Titers 168

Allergy and Immunity 168

Chronic Low-grade Infections 169

Diagnostics-Immune Testing 169

Comprehensive (Herpes) Viral Screen 170

Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) Antibodies 170

Case History-Suzie 170

Anti-Viral and Immune Treatment Issues 173

Treatments to Enhance the Immune System 175

Immunomodulators and Immune Boosters 175

Natural Immunomodulators 176

Probiotics as Immunomodulators 178

Glutathione, or GSH 179

IVIG (Intravenous Immune Globulin [Human]) 180

High-Dose Vitamin A Protocol 180

Prescription Immune-Enhancing Medications 181

Anti-viral Prescription Medications 181

A Parent's Story-Stan Kurtz 182

Viral/Immune Treatment Summary 184

9 Hbot-Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders James Neubrander Dan Rossignol 190

Foreword 191

History and Description 191

Benefits 192

Side Effects 195

Multiple Mechanisms of Action 197

Basic Principles and Safe Protocols 198

Questions and Concerns 199

Summary 203

Selected Bibliography 203

10 Latest Developments 205

A Methylation Richard Deth Jaquelyn McCandless 206

B Genetic Testing for Methylation Defects Cynthia Schneider 216

C Actos Michael Elice 222

D Low-Dose Naltrexone Jaquelyn McCandless 227

E Low Oxalate Diet Susan Owens 236

11 Mitochondrial Dysfunction & Treatments 247

A Introduction 247

B Treatment Issues 252

1 Drugs and Medical States That Negatively Affect Mitochondria 252

2 Testing for Mitochondrial Dysfunction 253

3 Current Mainstream Medical Treatment Strategies for Mitochondrial Disorder 254

4 Mitochondrially Targeted Nutrients to Treat ASD 255

Important Nutrients for Supporting Mitochondrial Health 257

12 Starving Brains, Starving Hearts, What Does It All Mean? Jack Zimmerman 268

Messages 268

Jaquelyn, Chelsey and Elizabeth 271

Awareness of Subtle Relationships 282

Final Words 284

Appendices

Appendix A Progress in Gastrointestinal Research and Its Relationship to Immunity in Autism Teresa Binstock 286

Appendix B Autism, Metals, and the Mercury in Vaccines, and the alternative version of the "Autism/Mercury Paper" Sallie Bernard Albert Enayati Heidi Roger Lyn Redwood Teresa Binstock.

Introductory Comments Teresa Binstock 293

Appendix C Intra-Body Toxins Teresa Binstock 320

Appendix D Mitochondrial Concerns Teresa Binstock 330

Appendix E Implications for Medicine, Education and the Environment Jack Zimmerman 343

A Poetic Version of our Journey with Chelsey 362

Index 383