Telli, why do you work so hard?
In the words of my good friend, Ringo Starr, “I only work for love, not money.”n
Telli, what is the meaning of life?
/in /by Dr. NThe meaning of life is to find your purpose. The purpose of life is to give it away. – Pablo Picasso
Is testing for bacterial overgrowth, propionic acid, or types of bacteria in stools useful?
/in /by Dr. NAlthough intriguing, medical science is nowhere close to understanding either how to do these tests accurately, nor do we understand the results in such a way that we could use the results to improve the treatment response in the child.
Do I need other therapies (ABA, OT, PT, Speech Therapy) along with the Protocol?
/in /by Dr. NTherapies such as ABA, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech all can contribute to the developmental growth of children, and all can help children recover if they are on the Protocol. That being said, I’ve had many children realize very significant developmental gains without the assistance of many of these therapies. In addition, there have been cases where these therapies can inhibit a child’s recovery.nnIf your child enjoys the interaction with the therapist and there are noticeable gains, I advise parents to continue with the therapy. If the child does not enjoy the sessions or seems distressed that they have to go to therapy, I would consider either changing the therapist or therapy environment or stopping it altogether.
How do we know if therapy (ABA, speech, occupational) is giving us gains or it’s the protocol?
/in /by Dr. NSometimes it’s difficult to determine if traditional therapies (ABA, occupational, speech, physical) provide the observed gains or if the gains are from the protocol alone. I do not believe therapies are necessary for recovery when using my protocol. I have observed many children regain speech, begin to socialize, improve motor function and attain emotional regulation without supportive therapy. And surprisingly, I have seen many cases in which traditional ABA therapy was slowing and a few instances preventing any recovery whatsoever!
Beyond fish oil, olive oil, balancing the intestinal tract with inulin or rifaximin and using vagus nerve stimulation, are additional therapies ever required?
/in /by Dr. NIf neurological recovery slows or comes to a halt and you’ve assessed things such as inulin failure, the solution is not to add another therapy but to look for a new source of physical (infection, dental pain, injury) or mental stress (home stress, displeasure with therapy or therapists, a change in school) as a cause of the decline in progress. It is very rare that some other form of therapy might ever be necessary.
Does fish oil increase the risk of bleeding?
/in /by Dr. NThere is a lot of misunderstanding about the clotting effects of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Fish oil does not “thin the blood” per se; it prevents the formation of abnormal clots (often from increased levels of inflammation). Likewise, individuals who normally form blood clots, do not bleed more often when eating lots of fish or consuming lots of fish oil (e.g., Inuit). There is no evidence that giving omega-3 fatty acids to a child increases their risk of bleeding.
Can The Nemechek Protocol help with tics?
/in /by Dr. NYes. Tic often significantly improves with the rebalancing of the intestinal tract with either inulin or rifaximin. The onset, frequency and intensity of behavioral tics are related to overgrowth of intestinal bacteria as well as inflammation within the nervous system.n
Can tics start further along while on protocol? What would be the main reasons if this happens?
/in /by Dr. NThe resolution of tics often occurs with a successful rebalancing of intestinal bacteria. If tics occur after someone has been on the protocol, I look for ways to improve gut balance, such as shifting from inulin to rifaximin or increasing rifaximin from monthly to continuous.
How long does it take for the protocol to reduce the frequency of tics?
/in /by Dr. NIn my experience, tics will diminish and often wholly resolve within a few months when on the protocol. If the tics do not resolve, I’m looking for other sources of inflammation that might be fueling the tics. I’m primarily wondering if my current regimen adequately controls bacterial overgrowth.nnA word of warning, I have had many people referring to behaviors as tics which I disagreed were tics as all.