Using Supplements To Nourish The Brain
When my third daughter turned 7 we had no idea that our whole lives were beginning to turn upside down by her severe anxiety and OCD.
That summer I had just given birth to my son and a good friend offered to help by taking my 3 girls to her farm to spend Saturdays with her daughters. They played in the fields, rode their ponies and spent time together enjoying the outdoors. Each time they came home we pulled ticks from them, watched for a bulls-eye and in some cases would visit the pediatrician just to make sure they weren’t at risk for Lyme disease.
No claims are made as to how our treatment protocol may or may not help you individually or whether or not it would be useful for your unique health condition. This blog post is not intended to be an endorsement of any specific product or treatment but rather a source of information for your own personal research.
Read Part 1 How A Tick Bite Changed My Daughter
I was told that there was no way any of them could have Lyme disease unless they got a bulls-eye or a fever, neither of which happened to any of them other than an odd rash my 3rd daughter got on her thigh.
[bctt tweet=”Only 50% of those who contract Lyme disease will get a rash and only 50% of those rashes will be in the form of a bulls-eye. #lymedisease #bullseye #lymeaware” username=”aboundinginhope”]
During this time my health had declined and I was extremely fatigued as well as in chronic pain. I didn’t realize that I already had Lyme disease and coinfections.
As that year progressed I noticed my 7-year-old daughter incessantly washing her hands, pooling saliva in her mouth, clenching her fists until the skin around her knuckles turned bright white and repeating motions. Her eyes were wider than normal and she became very fearful of things that never bothered her before. At the same time, she was complaining of deep hip pain, pain in her feet, very bad headaches, motion sickness, nausea, heart palpitations and other symptoms that I was also having.
Her anxiety grew, her obsessions controlled her and she was incapable of thinking rationally during these episodes. With age, her episodes became more frequent and more severe. By the time she was 9, I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, and Bartonella, later I was diagnosed with Babesia.
As I began to read about my illness I discovered that in children symptoms often present as learning disabilities, emotional and psychological disorders; rage, panic attacks, depression, OCD and even schizophrenia.
My pediatrician didn’t agree and said that there was no way that my daughter had Lyme disease. She agreed to test her but testing through regular labs kept providing negative results. After I found a Lyme Literate physician, we tested my daughter through MDL labs which had more sensitive testing methods and found that she indeed had Lyme disease and Bartonella. We discovered later that she also had Babesia.
The antibiotic treatment for her made her symptoms worse and she became very difficult to be around. She couldn’t take care of herself but fought anyone who tried to help her. As she entered adolescence her rage and defiance had become a very serious problem.
Antibiotics can drive the Lyme bacteria deeper into the brain causing more serious problems.
We were advised to see a psychiatrist and we agreed to put her on anti-anxiety medication as well as an anti-depressant. The anti-anxiety medicine helped her when she had a severe episode but usually just put her to sleep. The anti-depressant did nothing to help her, although she only took low dose.
In my mother’s heart, I knew that this was not the answer so I continued to search the internet. I found a well-known Lyme literate doctor, Dr. Klinghardt, who was treating Lyme and Autistic kids for something called Pyroluria.
His talks on YouTube were fascinating but in reality, they were above my head. I jotted down notes about using zinc, b vitamins, fish oils and other supplements but he recommended such high doses and frequent blood tests. I knew I couldn’t follow his protocol the way it was designed but I did put my daughter on the standard recommended dosages for her age.
She took Ionic Magnesium, Fish Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, B-6, Zinc, trace minerals and D3 on a daily basis. I began to adjust her diet as best I could with a lot of resistance from her. She loved milk and refused to give it up and she did not want to eat differently from everyone else.
As I was searching the Internet, I stumbled across Trudy Scott’s Anxiety Summit, Season 1 and it was free so I signed up. I listened intently to this 5-day seminar with my headphones in while taking copious notes in my notebook.
What I learned was astounding and it was very similar to what the doctor on YouTube taught but I began to also learn about GABA, 5-HTP, L-Theanine, and L-Tryptophan.
I knew I had to change my daughter’s diet and get rid of foods that were harming rather than helping her. Along with the other supplements I gave my daughter, I added Source Naturals GABA Calm sublingual, Nature’s Way 5-HtP, Nature’s Way L-Theanine/ Green Tea sublingual, and Source Natural’s Melatonin.
My doctor had no knowledge of these supplements and didn’t support my using them, so I began with standard doses until I was more comfortable with how they were going to work.
At first, we used GABA or L-Theanine whenever she would have a panic attack or her OCD was too much to deal with. After awhile I just had her take it first thing in the morning, mid-day and then again in the evenings when her symptoms would be at their worst. We were also involved with a therapist who worked with my daughter and me, using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
These supplements did not cure my daughter but they helped her get off the prescription drugs and they helped both of us during our most trying times.
I found myself taking GABA so that I could stay calm while interacting with her during her episodes. Later I found out that as we age or if we’re immune-compromised our body does not produce enough GABA which directly affects our serotonin levels.
This journey of learning to use natural supplements led us to an alternative doctor who has been treating us with homeopathic supplements for the tick-borne diseases, heavy metals, and viral infections. This along with adopting good nutritional habits and taking the necessary supplements has helped my daughter heal to the point of being practically episode free and according to our doctor, she is Lyme-free.
My daughter is now a beautiful 15-year old, looking forward to her 16th birthday and getting her driver’s license. I’m so thankful for the information provided on the web by people like Trudy Scott and Dr. Klinghardt. I hope for a future where it’s easier to get this type of treatment along with the needed oversight by local physicians but until then I’ll continue to learn from those who are generous enough to share online.
In Part 3 I’m going to share more about how we finally found long-term relief for my daughter through homeopathic supplements.
Read Part 3 Healing With Homeopathy
I would love for you to stop by and meet Trudy Scott. She has a fantastic website, blog, and books. You’ll find the seminars and online resources an invaluable tool for regaining your health without harmful medications.
About Trudy Scott
The Antianxiety Food Solution
GABA, The Calming Amino Acid
You can find Dr. Klinghardt’s video here:
Dr. Klinghardt’s video about Lyme and Pyroluria
Thank you Kami, my daughter and I both hope that our stories will encourage others and also help them navigate this horrible disease. Thanks for reading & connecting here.
This post will be so helpful to others who have children fighting Lyme. I take many of the supplements you mentioned for my own neurological symptoms/damage – you included a lot of great info here, Tricia!
Hi Terry thanks for your comment. I'm sorry to hear about your sister and hope that she has a good Lyme literate physician. Lyme disease is a terrible disease and the symptoms can be devastating, especially for children.
I don't have Lyme Disease, but my sister does. It hasn't bothered her a lot in the past but recently, she has been often tired and feeling sick. I don't know nearly enough information about it, but I hear the disease can be hell. For a child to have if is even more terrifying.
Terry Roberson @ MedCare Pediatric
Hi Linda, quite honestly I was in survival mode for much of this time and I found that I was telling myself to just get through the next minute. When I went out to run errands I would end up talking to so many people who also had Lyme and it was then that I discovered others were struggling too or were just beginning their journey with Lyme. That was when I realized I needed to share my experience which turned into this blog. Thank you so much for your kind words, they mean so much to me.
I wonder, Tricia, if during those terrible years of not knowing what to do, you ever said to yourself, "This will help others. I have to figure this out and hang on"? That's what I say to myself, this self that is still suffering with Lyme disease and trying to finding meaning in it. Your beautifully written account of your family's experience helped me by giving me information, perspective, hope, and an example of strength. Thank you so much.