I'm In Love with Enhansa!

I never thought I’d be in love with a bright orange capsule – but I am, and it’s the real thing! We have had Michael on Enhansa for well over a month now, and have seen incredible results. But, let me start with a little background information.

Michael has been battling systemic yeast his whole life. We’ve tried Yeast Aid, Diflucan, Ketokenazole, you name it. Each would help for a little while, and then the yeast would come back in force. I had researched the anti-candida diets, but just couldn’t do it. Michael is so skinny to start with; I just couldn’t take away any more carbs.

This calendar year we started off with the Diflucan and then switched to the Ketokenazole. Toward the end of the second prescription, the yeast was under control but I was terrified of what would happen when we stopped taking the medicine. Plus, I was afraid of what damage taking such strong antifungals could cause long term.

I had heard really good things about Enhansa, and was perfectly primed to try it. So, when we started, the yeast was mostly under control, but still there. We started Michael with one 75mg capsule in the morning for a week. We added one capsule a week until we are now at 2 in the morning and 2 at night, for a total dose of 600mg a day.

It’s like we have a whole new child. He was doing great when we started, but his social interaction is really taking off, and his OCD is much better. Right now he and Steve are playing Mario Kart on the wii. They are talking back and forth about the game, strategies for doing better, and unlocking levels. It’s so nice to hear a back and forth conversation that is related to what they are doing together! Add in that he’s sharing and taking turns, and I’m completely over the moon.

Spring is staring and Michael has been asking to go to the park. Last year, he would go on a lot of the equipment, but shied away from a lot of the more challenging tasks. This year, he is doing absolutely everything. He’s still a little intimidated by walking over a mesh bridge that is at least 20 feet off the ground, but he does it. He’s still a little more cautious that most of the other kids, but he’s catching up fast. It’s so wonderful to see.

Even better, he’s starting to interact with some of the younger kids. He generally feels comfortable with children about 2 years younger than him – they tend to be quieter and move a little slower. He’s played on the teeter-totter a few times, and shared some of the equipment that requires sharing. It’s so awesome to watch.

The very best result by far though is that Michael is a much happier child. He smiles more, and laughs a genuine laugh. I was so used to the hyper yeast laugh (other parents of yeasty kids know what I’m talking about) that it was a surprise to hear a genuine, happy laugh. I think he’s feeling better overall, and is less bothered by what’s left of the OCD.

I’m tempted to bump him up one more capsule to 750mg a day, but we haven’t decided yet. For now, we’re holding steady at 600 and seeing a happy, connected child. What more could I ask ?

I do have one footnote to add. Through all of this we’ve been seeing an absolute angel of a CranioSacral therapist. She has worked wonders with Michael both before and during our Enhansa experience. So, I can’t say for sure what is due entirely to the Enhansa, and what to the CranioSacral. I tend the think the two work synergistically, so it’s not a very big footnote.

Michael's Enzymes

I've been talking with a lot of people lately about the enzymes that Michael takes and why he takes them. I thought it would make the most sense to just write this out here and hope it reaches as many people as possible.

When Michael was first diagnosed with autism, we heard about the Gluten free/Casein free diet as a possible treatment. He was so limited in the foods he was willing to eat, and so underweight, I wasn't willing to further limit his diet at the time. I heard about a book, Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions, and decided to try the enzymes instead of the diet. There is a wonderful yahoo support group for people reading the book and using enzymes.

There are three enzymes that we give him: AFP Peptizide, Zyme Prime, and No Phenol, all produced by Houston Enzymes.

AFP Peptizide helps break down gluten, casein, and soy proteins. It is really the enzyme that can help instead of removing these foods from the diet. However, if your child is allergic to any of these proteins, or has celiac disease, the enzymes cannot replace removal of the foods.

Zyme Prime helps with the digestion of carbohydrates and fats. If your child is lactose intolerant, this enzyme can help digest the lactose (a sugar/carbohydrate).

No Phenol helps digest fruits and vegetables. Michael has a strong hyper reaction to bananas, but if we give him this enzyme with bananas, he can tolerate them just fine. It also seems to help with any food coloring in his food.

When we first started, Michael was unable to swallow capsules, so we bought the powdered version of the enzymes and mixed it with juice. You have to be careful to only mix right before giving the enzymes to your child. Otherwise, the enzymes will act on the juice and spoil it.

Now that Michael can swallow capsules, we get one product, Trienza. Two capsules of this product combines one dose of AFP Peptizide, one dose of Zyme Prime, and a half dose of No Phenol. If Michael is eating a lot of fruits/vegetables with a meal, we will give him an additional No Phenol capsule.

I love that Dr. Houston is so responsive to the needs of our children. His products are safe, and he is responsive. The website is great resource to understand how enzymes work for our kids, and he is a genuinely caring person. He came out to a parent group meeting I attended at his own cost, gave a thorough presentation, and answered all our questions. It was just obvious that he cares about our kids. I appreciate that.

After taking the enzymes for over 3 years, we decided to try Michael on the GFCF diet. Most children who have problems with Milk also have problems with soy, so we eliminated that as well. We also started to see Dr. Megson. We saw wonderful results with the diet, and Dr. Megson ran blood tests that indicated Michael is allergic to Wheat, Egg, and Peanut. Since the enzymes cannot help with physical allergies, it made sense that Michael was so responsive to the diet.

Since there seems to be a yahoo group for everything, I highly recommend the GFCF Kids group, for information about the diet and pretty much everything biomedical/autism related.

The last question people ask is why Michael still takes the enzymes even with the diet. The short answer is to be safe. His digestive system is such a fragile thing, we don't want to take any chances on cross contamination, or him eating something he isn't supposed to. By taking the enzymes before eating, we have an extra level of digestive safety.

I hope this helps with any questions you have about Michael's enzymes. If not, please leave a comment or send me an email. Michael is always my favorite topic!

Learning to Swallow Capsules

Every day I understand more and more how much easier life is now that Michael can swallow capsules. Before, if we wanted to go away for a weekend, we had to pack a small cooler's worth of his pharmacy. Now, it's just a couple pill cases and two small bottles. So, much easier!

I had read about different techniques for teaching children how to swallow pills, but they didn't really seem to apply to Michael. As with most children on the spectrum, the best way to accomplish anything with Michael is to play to his strengths and interests. He has always loved playing with water, so we decided to make it a game.

· First, we had him practice holding a small sip of water in his mouth, without swallowing it. (This is the part he loved!)

· Then, we had him put a capsule toward the back of his tongue. We were careful to let him do the placing, so he wouldn't get over anxious. We also made sure that he didn't put it far enough back that it would cause him to gag.

· Next, we had him take a small sip of water and hold it in his mouth. He was a little more wary with the capsule, but still loved the game.

· Finally, we asked him to swallow the water. He was distracted enough by being allowed to play with the water in his mouth that he was able to easily swallow the capsule.

Once he realized what he had done, he was so proud of himself! He switched entirely over to capsules that weekend, and hasn't looked back since. He's been suspicious of new capsules and tablets, but has really adapted well.

I realize that this approach to swallowing capsules won't necessarily work with every child. I think the key is to really think about what your child likes, and is good at. Then, take those strengths and try to make a game of it. Sometimes, they just surprise you.