Posted by supamom on October 25, 2005, at 11:20:12
In reply to Re: neurotransmitter urine test, posted by Glydin on October 25, 2005, at 7:50:22
> I did not know of such a thing. If I could ask what type of doc did this? They gave you these results and did not interpret them for you?
>
> I was under the impression there were not tests of this type - involving levels found in body fluids - that were of use in determining what was going on and how that equated to their actions in the brain so I'm following your thread to see what insight others may have to this.Yes. He is seeing an Osteopathic doctor and is a part of a study. He had (hindsight) symptoms as a new born that looked very much like when he now has a seizure. They lasted for about 2 months and when didn't see them anymore. None of his pediatricians at the time could explain what the involuntary muscle ticking was...only to say that his nervous system may have been immature. I was given Pitosin, Demoral and an Epidural during an intense labor with him. It left me unable to move for almost 2 days and with a rash for a month. It left him completely commatosed, unresponsive to nursing, etc. Gross motor development was on target and his walked at 10 months. He had less than 10 words in his vocab at 3yrs...was tested as speech and language delayed at that time...tested by a neuropsych at 5years and diagnosed PDD NOS and is extremely hyper. He was prescribed Ritalin by his pediatrician and starting suffering from seizures a month after which we are still battling now with Trileptal and Topamax. The Ritalin was replaced with Strattera which we did for 9months with no real change in his lack of focus, processing and high activity level...so we took him off. He had 2 ambulance rides and 6 seizures in two weeks this summer. We are tired of all the meds masking the real problem and wanted some true biological answers. I understand that the term Autism (which PDD NOS falls under) is a term given the disorder by the American Psychiatric Association but ...it addresses the behaviors we see in children with Autism...which I may add varies depending on the child...and is very subjective based on what you see (my son's school has brought in their own Autism team and an independent (yeah right!!!) psychologist who all disagree with his Neurologist, Neuropsychologist, Pediatrician, Group Therapist and now Osteopath (although she has a different view on Autism. We have been undergoing a series of tests to look at the biological cause of his issues. The neurotransmitters urine test is one. The exam was explained to the best of the OD's ability...she is awaiting feedback from Neuroscience...who interpreted the results because several areas are new on the results...two in particular being the Glycine and Taurine count. I didn't add the levels they consider normal because someone out there might understand the test. It was explained but I want it in plain English like I was 4 years old (movie Philadelphia...Denzel Washington quote :-)) and I want to understand in plain English what each of those transmitters listed do, their function and what it controls behaviorally for us in everyday life. We do know his GABA and Glutamate is off- too high. GABA and Glutamate or B6 defieciency are often the cause of some types of seizures. The glycine from what I was able to find out on the net affects speech and motor development. His EEG showed seizure activity in the hemisphere that is responsible for speech and language however, intense light makes the seizures cover the entire brain. I'm probably babbling at this point...there's just so much info and I feel like we're just scratching the surface. I also have a 4 year old...had no drugs during labor with her...walked to the post partum room cause I had so much energy, no latching problems, she nursed till almost 2 years. She's been writing her name since she was 2 and has already intellectually surpassed her older brother. I have to think that environmentally factors affected his brain although we have done DNA research and now know that his is missing a gene that helps his liver detoxify heavy metals (vaccinations) and certain drugs that go through certain pathways he should avoid (Ritalin, Strattera and actually both his seizure medications are on this precautionary list for him)...that was a blood test and I believe the test was Detoxic Genomi (?) Anyway...I think I've babbled enough...if anyone has any expertise in the list of neurotransmitters, their functions and what the levels should be...I am eager to learn more.
poster:supamom
thread:571625
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051024/msgs/571700.html