More DAN! test results.....

And the stool sample results are in... Ashton's culture came back positive for yeast. This is obviously, not a good thing. It can result in lots of diarrhea (which we don't usually have anymore, unless he has an infraction in relation to his Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet), red "dotty" rashes (which he seems to constantly have!), and even some OCD behaviors can be attributed to yeast overgrowth (which Ashton has PLENTY of). A good link to look at to understand how yeast (other-wise known as Candida) can affect people and what symptoms of Yeast Overgrowth can be is ... http://www.autismhelpathome.com/biomedical/about_candida.php So, now we start a one-month course of Nystatin (yes, another prescription). It's to help get rid of the yeast. I'm also going to limit (though not, eliminate) sugar in his diet. Yeast feeds on sugar and Ashton, much like his mommy, has a major sweet tooth! It also means decreasing the amount of carbs he eats, because again, yeast feeds on those. This shouldn't be all that hard, but we'll see. We'll start the Nystatin tomorrow or Friday and when we go back to the DAN! doctor in February we'll see where we stand. We've also started Calcium, EFA *essential fatty acids*, and Spectrum Complete (although he's not liking the taste so I'd like to start Super Nu-Thera with Ashton sometime in the next week). I don't know if I had mentioned it, but we took Ashton off his Adderall XR (a well-known ADHD drug). I noticed over the holiday break that everytime he took it, he'd fall asleep within 2hrs of taking it and proceed to sleep for 2 to 5 HOURS! I couldn't believe that an ADHD med was having THIS result on my child. So, I stopped giving it to him and let his teachers know and they said that he's been just fine at school. They even went so far as to say that the last 3 days that he's been very social, happy, engaging and working VERY hard to get his work done. He's also been very loving (he's giving mommy's hugs away.... *booooo*!) and is seeking out other people. Who knows what this is attributed to (diet, supplements, maturity, etc..) but I'll take it! Good news is always well received around here! :) So, that's it for now. I'm watching American Idol so I'm gonna end this blog post for now. Just wanted to update (if anyone even reads this!).