Meet Elaine DeLack, CEO and Founder of MedDev inc.,
Developer of Respen-A™
I have been told, many times, that I take a different approach to science and developing a treatment. I actually test everything first on myself. I suppose this comes from my history of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and needing to find something to help myself as traditional medicine had nothing to offer of benefit. Once I have thoroughly researched something, I test it first on myself, and then on the next willing guinea pig- who has been my husband. This was how Respen-A™ came to be used in bipolar disorder, then depression, then anxiety, then autism, then ADD/ADHD, and even cancer.
No, my husband didn’t have all of these conditions, but he was bipolar, often suffered from depression and anxiety, and had a very volatile temper. He could be whistling happily, and then the next minute throwing things and swearing. This could happen several times within an hour. A nebulous stimulus could set him off- so we walked on eggshells around him, not knowing what might trigger a rage. Although he only drank on occasion, when he did drink, he couldn’t stop after just a couple of beers- he would drink until he was inebriated. He volunteered to try the Respen-A™ to see if it would mellow his mood swings, and it did, immediately that same day.
Seeing how well it resolved my husband's symptoms, it was decided to study Respen-A™ in a double blind, placebo controlled crossover study in patients that had major depressive disorder. Most of the patients were resistant to treatment with antidepressants. Based on the results that my husband had seen with the Respen-A™, but being only one patient (an N of 1), the statistician predicted that we needed a minimum of 40 people in the study in order for the study to have power- meaning that a noticeable effect would be statistically identified if the Respen-A™ was effective in treating the symptoms of depression.
Most pharmaceuticals are first tested in a very homogenous group in which the participants are “cherry picked”, excluding any subjects that may have other conditions that would diminish the likelihood of them showing a favorable effect of the drug being tested. These homogenous studies are then followed by several more studies carefully broadening the selection of participants. Due to our limited financial resources to fund studies, we chose a very heterogeneous group of participants for our pilot study- might as well find out right away if Respen-A™ had a robust enough effect to show statistical significance at the get go. We included participants that would have been excluded from any antidepressant drug study, such as participants with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and even cirrhosis of the liver due to alcoholism.
Due to funding constraints, we decided to close the study with only having 21 patients enrolled, because we had already expended the funds we had budgeted for participant recruitment. Despite the heterogeneous study population, and only 21 participants, Respen-A™ showed a very robust effect with a p value of 0.001 (a p value of 0.05 or less is considered a significant effect).
The Respen-A™ depression study showed that Respen-A™ also showed significant effect in treating the symptoms of anxiety as measured by the Profile of Moods (POMS) testing done in the study. Thus, my granddaughter, who frequently suffers anxiety and facial/eye tics, started using the Respen-A™ when those symptoms arose, and within minutes of applying the Respen-A™ disc, her symptoms resolved.
I was watching my granddaughter play in a basketball tournament one day, and noticed that she was displaying some facial tics, and that her attentiveness in the game was not her usual. She seemed to be running around the court unaware of the position she was supposed to be playing, and she was becoming very frustrated. I discovered that she was not wearing the Respen-A™ disc during the game. So, before her next game I applied the Respen-A™ disc, and her performance in the game took a 180 degree turn. Her concentration and performance in the game improved so much that parents of her teammates commented, and wanted to know what had changed. Interestingly, one of the parents pursued getting the Respen-A™ for their daughter who struggled in school and on the basketball court due to ADD. Their daughter, too, saw impressive improvement in her basketball skills and school performance.
Some may wonder how Respen-A™ can show benefits for so many different health conditions? This is because all of these conditions have been shown to have a common mitochondrial dysfunction—deficient MAO-A activity. Respen-A™ is a homeopathic dilution of Reserpine, which has been shown to double the activity of MAO-A.
Leiana
MAO-A, The Tree of Life!
When a tree is not thriving, the closer the treatment is to the root of the tree, the quicker the tree responds by returning to good health. I once had an apricot tree that required far more attention than I knew how to give. I should've just chopped it down and used it for kindling, because it was so dry and brittle on the outside. But I hoped that by pruning it, I could bring it back to life. Many days and hours of work later, I had a tree that was in a beautiful shape, and I waited for spring to bring green leaves and fruit. I was rewarded with some of each, but the trunk of the tree still looked like a good windstorm would snap it in half. My husband was convinced that if we started scattering the ashes from our fireplace around the base of the tree, it would make all the difference, and the tree would thrive once again, but that didn't help either. Next, I sprayed for insects, convinced that they were leaching the life out of the limbs. Then I began clipping off all of the dead and dying twigs thinking that at least they would no longer be pulling nourishment from the branches of the tree, which I thought needed it more in order to produce healthier twigs. Ultimately, we spent a lot of money having a very large tree- that was overshadowing our small apricot tree- heavily pruned back to allow more sunlight, all to no avail. The years and treatments progressed with little benefit, and finally we moved to a new home. Years later and many trees wiser, I now know that instead of trying to bring a sick tree back to a healthy state by pruning twigs and branches, and spraying for insect infestation, I should first focus my attention on the roots by nourishing them with water, fertilizer, and good soil.
When you begin looking at how MAO-A (Monoamine Oxidase A is an enzyme at the cellular level that helps to maintain neuron firing rates throughout the body) is at the root of so many neurodegenerative diseases as well as aging, you'll see that it can be compared to the roots of a tree. Let's look at the diagram of the MAO-A Tree of Life and compare this to how the cells function in your body- at the most basic level as the science is far deeper and more intricate. As you go up the tree, with MAO-A being the roots, MAO-A activity is required for the ATP (an energy molecule, or the 'trunk') production to run all of the chemical reactions (direct 'branches') in the body. These chemical reactions are Liver Detoxification, Norepinephrine Utilization, Serotonin Utilization, and Histamine2 Production. Each of these chemical reactions stimulate further functions ('twigs') of the body like Memory & Social Recognition, Fine & Gross Motor Skills, Sensory Integration & Discrimination, and Concentration/Focus to name a few. You will see some twigs on more than one branch, indicating that more than one branch stimulates those functions.
Take a look at Histamine2, which is shown at the top of the tree because it is needed for SO much! It is involved in all of the higher functions; Gastric Function, Digestive Enzymes, Thyroid Function, Hypothalamus Function, Heat Stress, Oxytocin Utilization, Eye Contact, Language Learning, Circadian Rhythms, and SO much more!
The body can actually have adequate production of MAO-A, but its activity can be inhibited, kind of like having its hands tied- it's there, but it can't do anything.
Things that Inhibit MAO-A Activity :
(Note that autistic patients are sensitive to all of these)
High Estrogen such as Soy, tea tree oil (this is why soy should be avoided)
EFA supplements
Many, many Herbal Supplements
Stress
Heavy Metals such as aluminum, mercury, cadmium
High copper levels
High phenols
High amounts of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K
Parasites and other Pathogens (interfere with the production of MAO-A)
Lipid peroxidation (this is why the EFA supplements should be avoided)
High levels of alanine (an amino acid- we have far too much alanine and glutamine in our bodies, which is the result of eating too many calories and not having the activity to burn them off. The body stores the excess calories as alanine, and alanine inhibits MAO-A).
Stress is probably the biggest inhibitor on MAO-A. Everything we put into the body, the body is required to do something with, and this just puts more stress on the body. You may have had a difficult decision in choosing Respen-A™ over fish oil, but let me ask you this- if fish oil was working for your child, why were you looking for something else? Perhaps because fish oil causes lipid peroxidation, which causes MAO-A activity to be inhibited, which then shuts down ATP production, which shuts down the rest of the branches and twigs on the tree, which results in all of the symptoms you are seeing in your autistic child.
We have found that those who don’t take any supplements other than the calcium and magnesium necessary to make the Respen-A™ work, and 5-HTP and/or inositol if you don’t eat meat or are on a gluten free diet, do the best on the Respen-A™. Instead of worrying that you still need to fix the twigs by supplementing with vitamins, herbs and medications for individual symptoms, get to the root, or cause, of the issue and let Respen-A™ stimulate the activity of MAO-A to do the job of fixing everything for you.
Respen-A™ increases the activity of MAO-A, or unties its hands, which allows the entire body to function and be healthy again. The newest research shows that MAO-A is one of the greatest detoxifiers in the liver (toxins, drugs, metals, chemicals). If you get the MAO-A production healthy again by increasing its activity, then the liver can do its job of detoxification. This applies to every branch on the tree, like norepinephrine. Without MAO-A activity, the norepinephrine can't get converted into its active neurotransmitter, which means that norepinephrine can't be utilized. This results in every twig on the norepinephrine branch reacting in chaos.
There are many supplements that inhibit MAO-A and many that have not been tested for such inhibition, like herbs. As for homeopathic products, homeopathic frequencies are like music notes; some notes can be put together, such as in a chord, and it enriches their sound, but one wrong note in a chord ruins the sound- which means it will negate the Respen-A™. The only way to determine whether or not something enhances or inhibits the effects of the Respen-A™ is by stopping all other supplements. Then, see how you respond to the Respen-A™ and get to baseline on it. If you want to add back one of the supplements after a month or so on just the Respen-A™, add one at a time and monitor it for two weeks to see if it helps or negates it. If it doesn't negate the Respen-A™, and you see no added benefit, you probably don't need it.
Supplements give us such high amounts of nutrients that it is easy to get too much. If the volume is too high, we can reach toxic levels- even too much water can be toxic! It is best to pull the nutrients we need out of the foods we eat. As long as we are eating a balanced diet and getting plenty of whole and organic foods, our body will pull out exactly what it needs in terms of vitamins, and flush out the rest. This is the same for gluten.
Gluten stimulates the release of serotonin into the nerve synapse. A child with autism has trouble converting the serotonin in the nerve synapse into its active neurotransmitter because the MAO-A activity is deficient. This causes the serotonin to build up in the nerve synapse triggering a shutdown and negative feedback on other systems such as the Oxytocin system. Prior to Respen-A™, if a child with autism ate gluten it would just cause more serotonin to build up. With the Respen-A™, the child is able to convert the serotonin- therefore avoiding a build up of serotonin- which means that gluten is now tolerated.
You've got to have a balance of serotonin production, serotonin release, and serotonin turnover. Otherwise you'll end up with a buildup of serotonin, which shuts systems down, or a depletion of serotonin, which creates the same symptoms (shuts systems down). It's much easier to balance this if you don't restrict gluten. Just let your child have whatever in their diet, in moderation, and the body will handle this balancing act. This is a lot simpler than counting crackers/pretzels and making sure they are getting gluten every two hours. You are just better off to let the body do its own regulation of the balancing system- it will let you know what it needs with cravings.
Back to the MAO-A Tree of Life. Think about how much simpler- and less expensive- life will be when you get to the root of the issues/symptoms and let MAO-A fix everything! You won't need a drug for focus (Ritalin, Risperdal, Focalin, Adderall,) which will only fix the twig- the Norepinephrine branch has that covered. You won't need supplements for digestive or sleep issues- Histamine2 Production and Serotonin Utilization take care of those. You won't need herbs or medications for allergies- the MAO-A converts histamine in the body to H2 instead of H1 (the allergy histamine). You'll save money on detox treatments when the liver has its hands untied and can do that for you for free. You won't have to worry about fixing the twigs when MAO-A is the active root it was designed to be!
...Instead of working out on a branch, get to the root...
Be prepared to evaluate how you are doing every six months or so. If you've lost ground or if things are pretty much the same, what you are doing is not working. If it is only helping one thing, and nothing else is better, then you are working on a twig instead of the root of the issue. There are several other factors that can tie the hands of MAO-A: inability to convert L-tryptophan to 5-HTP, not enough gluten consumption to convert serotonin into its active neurotransmitter, poor calcium absorption, and impeding the active docking sites on the MAO-A. If you see no change in symptoms, or a return of symptoms, please contact us! Elaine is brilliant at pinpointing the problem. Our deepest desire is for you or your loved one to return to good health through the MAO-A Tree of LIFE, with the use of Respen-A™!
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
Gluten, Serotonin and 5-HTP
Perhaps the most difficult- and easiest- decision I've had to make this past year was to use Respen-A™...on myself. Easy, because I've been telling people for years that it helps with gut issues, and after decades of trying everything possible to resolve mine, I wanted results for myself. Difficult, because I didn't want to go backwards. I hadn't eaten gluten for 9 years, and was dreadfully aware of just how crippling one spec of it would be to my body.
In addition to gluten, after an elimination process, I'd been off of nuts, most oils, dairy, eggs, most meats, vegetables and fruits for the past three years. Consequently, I'd been eating a combination of only 7 food items- the few I'd found that didn't cause a multitude of issues. How I longed to eat a real meal again, to not be limited to cold snacks, to have the freedom to sit in a restaurant and order, indiscriminately, off a menu, and finally, to enjoy a hot meal without any fear of repercussions!
I started Respen-A™ in May of 2018. While I could tell immediately that things were different, I waited a couple of weeks before I tried gluten- my biggest nemesis. While I waited, I began gaining weight, because my body was finally absorbing nutrients from the foods I was eating. It sounds awful, but I put on 23 lbs in 3 weeks! This was fine with me as I'd become scarecrow thin over the years, since I hadn't been able to keep weight on. Now, people tell me how much healthier I look.
Testing the gluten began a few crackers at a time, and soon evolved into ordering gluten items off the menu at restaurants, and even eating slices of pizza! Honestly, what shocked me most was how bad all of the processed 'foods' tasted- cookies, Danish pastries, candy bars I'd once enjoyed, even Taco Bell...which was a real treat when I was a starving college student sick of Top Ramen. So, it was super easy to maintain my new weight; I'd been without processed foods for nearly a decade, and wasn't willing to eat anything that tasted bad.
As a mom with a son diagnosed with autism, reintroducing gluten for him (back in 2009) was even more frightening. One spec for Tyler resulted in a meltdown that lasted 10 1/2 hours. But, after her first reformulation of Respen-A™, Elaine said it 'should work' for gut issues- and someone had to be the pioneer (guinea pig?). Elaine says that it works by activating MAO-A to convert Histamine to Histamine2. Histamine2 stimulates the production of gastric acid and digestive enzymes, and corrects the pH balance of the stomach and intestines. Click on the link below to see a video of Tyler the morning after we had a big pizza party- with no meltdowns from gluten! Back then, we had to increase the Respen-A Disc by half a disc, but now you don't.
Gluten has come under attack, from everybody. Going gluten-free has become not only a fad for the general public, but a necessity for most kids with autism. However, according to Elaine, gluten isn't the problem. It is just a protein that our body doesn't make. But it is not a pathogenic protein, so it presents no threat to our body. Because of this, the immune system would normally just ignore it. But, when MAO-A (monoamine oxidase-A) is inhibited, such as by stress (environmental toxins, financial worries, working three jobs), this causes our Mast cells to become neurotic, and our immune system goes nuts.
Mast cells are the first line of defense for the body- they are the alarm system for the immune system. The lungs, gut, and skin are portals of entry that a pathogen could use to get into the body. These organs are loaded with Mast cells. Mast cells go into high alert when MAO-A is under attack and suppressed. As a result, a person experiences a full blown, immune inflammatory response to gluten.
As far as autism goes, the reason the gluten-free diet has helped these children is because gluten releases the serotonin in the gut. With low MAO-A activity, the serotonin builds up and is not able to be converted into its active neurotransmitter. Behaviors get better when gluten is restricted because you are avoiding the build up of serotonin. However, gluten isn't the culprit. Instead, whatever is inhibiting the MAO-A is.
Things that Inhibit MAO-A Activity :
(Note that autistic patients are sensitive to all of these)
High Estrogen such as Soy, tea tree oil (this is why soy should be avoided)
EFA supplements
Many, many Herbal Supplements
Stress
Heavy Metals such as aluminum, mercury, cadmium
High copper levels
High phenols
High amounts of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K
Parasites and other Pathogens (interfere with the production of MAO-A)
Lipid peroxidation (this is why the EFA supplements should be avoided)
High levels of alanine (an amino acid- we have far too much alanine and glutamine in our bodies, which is the result of eating too many calories and not having the activity to burn them off. The body stores the excess calories as alanine, and alanine inhibits MAO-A).
Prior to Respen-A™, if a child with autism ate gluten, it would just cause more serotonin to build up. With the Respen-A™ disc, the child is able to convert the serotonin- therefore avoiding a build up of serotonin- which means that gluten is now tolerated.
Some children on a gluten free diet have seen a return of symptoms after seeing good improvement on the Respen-A™ Disc, and some children have seen no results, or even a worsening of their symptoms, when starting the Respen-A™ Disc. Elaine thought that this was due to a depletion of their serotonin by the Respen-A™, so she recommended that they take 5-HTP or L-Tryptophan to replenish the serotonin. Several of the parents reported that this made no difference, but one parent noticed that if her child had a small amount of gluten, the symptoms resolved. A few more parents have reported the same findings after incorporating some gluten back in their child’s diet.
Researching the scientific rationale for this, Elaine discovered that L-Tryptophan produces 5-HTP, and 5-HTP increases the production of serotonin. This newly synthesized serotonin is put into storage vesicles in the cells. The stored serotonin then needs to be released into the synapse (the junction between nerves), so that the Respen-A™ Disc can stimulate its conversion into the active aldehyde (active neurotransmitter). Research shows that gluten (and inositol 500 - 700 mg once per day, 15 minutes after applying the Respen-A™ Disc) will stimulate the release of serotonin from the storage vesicles. The Respen-A™ Disc activates MAO-A, which then stimulates the turnover/conversion of the serotonin in the synapse into the active aldehyde (active neurotransmitter) so the body can utilize it.
Without Respen-A™, MAO-A activity is decreased, which is what causes the buildup of serotonin in the nerve synapses, triggering a shutdown and negative feedback on other systems, such as the Oxytocin system, which results in other systems shutting down. When you start Respen-A™, you have the ability to immediately turn the stored serotonin over into its active neurotransmitter so the body can utilize it, however you need gluten to release it from the storage vesicles into the nerve synapse.
You've got to have a balance of serotonin production, serotonin release, and serotonin turnover. Otherwise you'll end up with a buildup of serotonin, which shuts systems down, or a depletion of serotonin, which creates the same symptoms. It's much easier to balance this if you don't restrict gluten. I want to encourage you to let your child have whatever in their diet, in moderation, and the body will handle this balancing act. This is a lot simpler than counting crackers/pretzels and making sure they are getting gluten every two hours. You are just better off to let the body do its own regulation of the balancing system- it will let you know what it needs with cravings.
If your child is on a gluten-free diet due to food intolerance, these should be resolved when using the Respen-A™ Disc. However, there is no carryover, so if you have to stop the Respen-A™ Disc, PLEASE be aware of this as you will need to return to your previous gluten restriction.
If your child is on a gluten-free diet due to allergies, you will need to supplement with inositol to release the serotonin from the storage vesicles, so that the Respen-A™ Disc can stimulate its conversion into the active aldehyde. In most cases, 500 mg to 700 mg daily of inositol supplementation has been adequate in the release of serotonin to keep up with the turnover stimulated by Respen-A™ Disc.
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
Link Video of Tyler after eating Gluten
How Developmental Milestones can bring your child up to their chronological age...
Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. Your pediatrician uses milestones to help check how your child is developing. Although each milestone has an age level, the actual age when a normally developing child reaches that milestone can vary quite a bit. Every child is unique! At least, this is what the general rule is, which is why a diagnosis of autism can be difficult for a pediatrician to acknowledge. Mine told me that my son was doing just fine, that I had nothing to worry about even though life at home proved otherwise, and she looked at me like I was crazy to have accepted an offer to enroll my 4 year old in an autism study.
Now that my son has been free from the trap of autism because of Respen-A™, I've learned, through Elaine, that children cannot skip developmental milestones- every human being must experience them! When your child became trapped in autism, he/she stopped experiencing these milestones, and they need to be revisited. This will bring him/her up to chronological age responses and behavior quickly, in a profound way.
Child development refers to how a child becomes able to do more complex things as they get older. Development is different from growth. Growth only refers to the child getting bigger in size. When we talk about normal development, we are talking about developing skills like:
Gross motor skills: using large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, etc., keeping balance and changing positions
Fine motor skills: using hands to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things
Language skills: speaking, using body language and gestures, communicating, and understanding what others say
Cognitive skills: thinking skills including learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering
Social skills: interacting with others, having relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperating and responding to the feelings of others.
With autism, clearly there is a disconnect, and some missing pieces. Think of childhood like putting together a puzzle in the brain. The pieces prior to autism are in place, and more begin to be laid when your child is set free from the trap, but not quickly, and most are missing from the developmental milestone years (age 0 - 5 years). Parents often comment, "he's doing better in all of these areas, but he still behaves like a six year old in many ways!"
Put it to the test. Ask your child to crawl. Does he/she do it correctly? The right hand should move forward at the same time as the left knee, then left hand with right knee. You will likely see a right hand with right knee, then left hand with left knee approach- which is wrong. Why does this matter? Milestones lay the foundation for the brain to function correctly. Chaos disappears with use of the Respen-A™, but then you'll need to prepare an environment for life and learning by putting the missing puzzle pieces into place, in the brain, and this can only happen by doing the developmental milestones. These will set your child up for success, both now and in the future.
For general ranges on what developmental milestones are often expected at various ages, check out the guides by following the link below. However, not knowing where your child stopped experiencing them, I suggest beginning with age 0 - 3 months when you revisit them, and work up from there. Then, think outside the box to turn these milestones into a game that your child will be acquiescent to 'play'. Following are some examples:
Thumb sucking : blindfold your child, then dip their thumb into one of three smooth substances, eg; melted chocolate, melted marshmallow, peanut butter. They must put their entire thumb in their mouth and suck it clean (no licking allowed) before guessing what the substance is.
Reaching and grasping : have your child lay on their back. Stand over them and swing a pencil or pen- that has been tied to a string- back and forth, just within reach, and challenge them to reach and grasp hold of it.
Turning eyes from bright light : take your child into a small room with no windows. Turn the lights out. Turn on a flashlight that you have aimed straight into their eyes. If they don't look away instantly but instead squint at you, teach them the correct response and explain why. Then, repeat the process several times till you are certain they've learned.
You won't need to revisit all of the milestones- at some point while working through them your child's body and brain will naturally take over, but you do need to get the process started. Here's to your success!
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
Feedback from a mom after starting the Developmental Milestones with her son
We started going through just a few of the developmental milestones a couple of days after reading this article, and Alex has been so much more interactive already. Today he initiated playing with a few toys - and we even played together. It was fun, not forced. I noticed his motor skills have improved. Without even asking him, Alex came and sat down at the dinner table (we usually have a tantrum). Tonight he played games with me and sat through Toy Story! He never does that. It is unbelievable how he has grown in just a few months!
(Respen-A™ Mom, Suzanne)
Website Link for Developmental Milestones
Why You'll Need to Teach Your Child How to 'Act' Their Age
...after they are at baseline on Respen-A™
"My 8 year-old son is now free from the trap of autism through the use of Respen-A™, and sometimes he still acts like a 3 year-old! What's up with that?!"
As part of Team Respen-A™, I talk with parents about many issues, and this is a simple concern that, through Elaine's wisdom, I was able to understand and address with my own son, Tyler, who uses Respen-A™.
Just because you've started using Respen-A™ doesn't mean that your child is going to instantly behave beautifully in all situations. Responding with meltdowns and tantrums is what they are familiar with- it was their 'normal' behavior, perhaps one of the only ways they knew to 'connect' with you if they were non-verbal before they started using Respen-A™. However, to fit into a mainstream classroom, or to behave politely and properly when out in public, your child will need to learn what they missed when they were trapped in autism.
Your child missed all of your teaching moments while they were 'trapped' in autism, which is why, now that they are free, you'll want to teach them again- only this time, they'll actually be learning and retaining the information because their brain is functioning at a far higher capability (see before and after Respen-A™ EEG images through the link below).
Here's an example that one mother shared with me. Within her son's first two weeks on Respen-A™, she brought him to his classroom, and several of his new friends happily ran up to him wanting to play. He responded, "go away! I don't like you!" His mom was horrified- he had been making so many gains, and this was like taking ten giant steps backwards! This was actually a teaching moment in learning to use the right words. Hopefully next time, when her son is not wanting to play as soon as he steps into the classroom, he can say, "I want to play, but not right now".
Teaching moments can help your kiddo learn how to use the right words instead of throwing a tantrum or having a meltdown. Help your child by preparing them for life, teach them, then set them free!
*Another great tool for bringing your child up to speed on age-appropriate behavior is to work through the Developmental Milestones with them.
Watch for teaching moments- your child is going through a metamorphosis, and
you've got to help them become a butterfly... help to set them FREE!
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
Website Link to pre and post EEG images
Website Link for Developmental Milestones
CBD Oil and ASD
I recently had such severe back pain that it was keeping me awake at night- I couldn't fall asleep because the pain was so intense, and ibuprofen wasn't even scratching the surface in taking it away. Desperate for relief, I remembered that I had some CBD oil that my husband's aunt had recommended, and I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. For the first four nights, I slept well. Then, for a few more nights, I found myself waking after 4 hours, with the pain returned. Applying more oil at that point helped for a couple of nights, then did nothing. Soon, applying the oil the first time didn't even help, and by the end of a week and a half the oiled area had begun itching horrendously for well over an hour and a half. By then, I realized that I was having issues with my hormones that I hadn't had for months. It dawned on me that, since I hadn't added anything but the CBD oil to my regimen, it was the culprit. I had only dipped the tip of my finger into the jar and used the amount that had clung to it, which seemed scant, but apparently it was enough to shut down my receptors and mess with other systems. Following cessation, it took over a week to begin feeling normal again- at which point I sought acupuncture to relieve the pain for good.
Following this experience I asked Elaine for input, because there are many parents who use CBD oil for their ASD children, mostly to help them sleep and to stay calm. My concern is that many of these children still have symptoms that should've been/begun resolving with use of Respen-A™. I learned from Elaine that using just a little bit is o.k. However, too much has the reverse effect. There are cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, and they are involved in appetite, mood, memory, sleep, and pain sensation. Whenever you are supplementing something that works directly on receptors in the body, a low dose will boost the cell's response to the receptor activation, but a high dose will decrease, or even shut down the cell's response to the receptor supplement.
The reason for this is that a low dose will just stimulate a few of the receptors, and this increases the sensitivity of the receptors and increases the density of the receptors on the cell membrane. Think of it like whetting the receptor's appetite. If you eat a few appetizers before dinner, it can increase your appetite for dinner. But if you eat too many appetizers, it spoils your desire to eat dinner. If you saturate the receptors with the supplement, it causes damage to the cell by causing it to be over activated. Thus, the receptors become desensitized to the supplement- they will even shutdown, and decrease in density on the cell membrane. This is why, when you supplement something that the body has receptors for, if you give a little, it boosts, and if you give too much, it has a bad effect.
Incidentally, adolescent cannabinoid exposure has been reported to cause long-term impairment in specific components of learning and memory, and to have differential effects on anxiety, social behavior, and depressive-like signs.
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
No Supplements Challenge!
One of the questions I'm asked most often from other Respen-A™ parents is, "what else do you give Tyler?", or, "what other therapies do you do?" My son, Tyler, has been using Respen-A™ successfully for nine years, and the answer is pretty simple: we've never supplemented with anything except the required calcium/magnesium, and zinc/P-5-P because we saw benefit- which indicates that Tyler has Pyroluria. We began working through Developmental Milestones with him over four years ago- that was profound! The ONLY time we added something new was when his naturopath (at the time) advised DHA for brain function. Two weeks later, when I'd just about had enough of full symptom return, I called Elaine for advice. That's when I learned that DHA negates Respen-A™ because it inhibits MAO-A, which is what the Respen-A™ makes active in the body.
Since then, I've learned from Elaine that far more supplements than we realize inhibit MAO-A. [See link at the bottom of this article for some known items. The pertinent information in the link is the MAOIs list, in particular the items that inhibit MAO- A (not B). This list references items as used in herbal remedies, which are highly concentrated. It does not refer to eating whole foods! For further known items that negate MAO-A, see the FAQ page at the www.respen-a.com website.
The link/list we've shared of items known to negate MAO-A is by no means complete. We have found other, far more extensive lists, but don't quite understand them. What we do know is that your best solution is to stop all supplements and let MAO-A, activated by the Respen-A™, fix the body for you. And so, we bring to you a No Supplement Challenge to start off the New Year!
As a parent, having spoken with many, many parents over the years, I can share that the ones who see dramatic results are the ones who don't supplement. The ones that do, struggle. Yes, they are happy that their child is calmer- some of the time- has fewer tics, is more verbal and has better eye contact, etc. Eventually they want more and better, and each supplement they give up brings another gain.
We'd like to see people experience the full benefits of Respen-A™ and challenge you to stop all supplements, diet restrictions, alkalizing and detoxifying protocols. We are not suggesting that these regimens weren’t helpful and necessary prior to Respen-A™. They were important when the MAO-A activity was deficient. But with Respen-A™, we are changing the equation- the MAO-A activity is restored, and now you can just let the body fix itself. If you continue to follow pre-Respen-A™ protocols, you most likely will cause imbalances in the body and not see full benefits. Think of it like a sailboat with a hole in the sail. You have to make certain adjustments to compensate for the defective sail, but once you repair the sail, if you continue with the compensatory settings you used when the sail was defective, you won’t be able to steer the boat on course.
The beauty of MAO-A is that it fixes everything. MAO-A is throughout the body, so it is not a case of what gets fixed first. Wherever the MAO-A has been affected, you will see improvement. You no longer need to supplement for liver or kidney function, or worry about detoxifying metals and toxins. I like to think of MAO-A (which Respen-A™ activates) as a Ford Tesla: why would you only drive it at 35 mph when it can go 0 - 60 mph in 1.9 seconds? Why hold yourself back when you can achieve better results? The parents who have finally taken the step of stopping other supplements are seeing greater gains. Let your child's results, or lack thereof, speak for themselves. Then as scary as it may seem to consider giving up everything you've done over the years to help your child, as afraid as you might be to start anew while fearing the loss of gains, 'bite the bullet' (or step on the gas...put pedal to the metal...floor it!) and wake up to 90 new days of possibility.
You have an imbalance in the body which can be fixed just with the Respen-A™...you've got to just take a deep breath and let go of the rest. It doesn't mean that you can't ever re-add something (after the challenge), but if you do, you must test only one thing at a time for a two-week time frame. If it negates, you will see a return of symptoms. If there are no symptoms, and no benefit, you don't need it. If there is a gain, keep it, but be prepared to monitor it over time.
We realize that Respen-A™ might not be for everyone. We'd rather you get optimum results and experience the full potential of Respen-A™ for your child rather than spend money on something that can't be fully utilized.
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
WHAT IF MY CHILD’S IMPROVEMENTS ON THE RESPEN-A™ DISC HAVE REACHED A PLATEAU?
The FAQ page at the Respen-A™ website (www.respen-a.com) is a wealth of information! If you are having continuing issues, or a return of symptoms with your child that you can't quite figure out, your first choice should always be to contact Elaine, the developer of Respen-A™. She welcomes phone calls and helping people! She is your lifeline when you begin your journey of recovering your child with the use of Respen-A™. If it is a weekend or evening, and you'd like to figure out the problem on your own, the answers to the most frequently asked questions are posted on the website, and are in depth and thorough.
Let me give you an example of something that you can determine and resolve on your own. Pyroluria. As many as 50% of those with autism, 70% of persons with depression and 30% of persons struggling with ADD/ADHD may have Pyroluria underlying these conditions that make them very difficult to reach with traditional and even holistic therapies.
The symptoms of Pyroluria are very similar to many of the symptoms associated with autism. In general, these symptoms have a mysteriously intractable quality to them, and may lead to lifelong issues with severe inner tension, ongoing anxiety, poor stress tolerance (with added stress of any kind making the symptoms worse), digestive issues and difficulty digesting protein, frequent colds and infections, joint pain or stiffness, acne, eczema or psoriasis, mood swings and reactivity, poor short term memory, and a tendency in many to lean towards being a loner…among many other potential symptoms.
Pyroluria is the result of a buildup of the waste products, called kryptopyrroles, from the production of hemoglobin. Kryptopyrroles don’t really serve any useful biological purpose, and are normally excreted by most of us uneventfully. In someone with Pyroluria, however, these kryptopyrroles don’t get excreted and will tend to build up–even more so under stress of any kind. Kryptopyrroles have a tendency to bind very strongly with things like Zinc and vitamin B6, making these largely unavailable to the body…which is a very big problem. Zinc and B6 are nutrients critical for the functioning of the entire body and mind–including digestion, immune system, cognitive functioning and emotions. Over time, deficiencies can really take their toll on the way one feels and functions, and have serious consequences. Often, people will go for years suffering the effects of Pyroluria regardless of what therapies they try or how well they eat.
If you feel that your child’s improvements have reached a plateau, or that there seems to be some hurdle they just can’t get over, it may be this common, co-existing condition called Pyroluria. You can pay for a urine screening to determine if your child has Pyroluria, OR you can save time and money by testing on your own. The treatment for Pyroluria is supplementation of 15 mg Zinc, 30 mg vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxal 5-phosphate (p-5-p*), AND eating foods high in arachidonic acid, which are eggs, butter, red meat and liver. If your child won’t eat these foods, you can buy a supplement of arachidonic acid from Molecular Nutrition called X Factor. It is available in 250 mg soft gel caps at:
https://www.molecularnutrition.com/search?type=product&q=x+factor
Put the Zinc and p-5-p to the test. Give them in the morning, and wait at least 30 minutes for results. If you notice improvement in your child's behavior, they have Pyroluria. If you notice no changes, your child probably doesn't have Pyroluria. Based on results, if my son forgets to take his Zinc and B6, he is argumentative beyond belief, and everything that goes wrong is everyone else's fault- he will not claim personal responsibility for ANYTHING. His attitude is sour and mean, and he will not stop talking back if his life depended on it. Within 30 minutes of Zinc and B6, he is compliant, helpful, sweet, focused and polite. For us, Zinc and B6 bring peace and harmony. I encourage you to find out if your child can be helped with them, too!
A website to learn more about Pyroluria is www.primalbody-primalmind.com/?p=398.
Disregard the website advice on other supplements, as Respen-A™ is negated by the oils.
*If you or your child is sensitive to phenols, then they should not take P-5-P as it inhibits the enzyme, phenol-sulfur transferase, which is needed to metabolize phenols. High phenols inhibit MAO-A.
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
How to Cure Lyme Disease, etc., While Recovering Your Child From Autism
Elaine recognizes that parents who use Respen-A™ for their children are often dealing with multiple issues, eg; Autism, Lyme Disease, parasites, mold, etc. While MAO-A fixes much of what is wrong in the body, and in fact is the biggest detoxifier of the liver, many parents feel the need to add alternative therapies, most that inhibit MAO-A, which then negates the Respen-A™.
My boys and I have recently been successfully treated for clearing Lyme Disease, toxins, metals, and much more from our bodies, using the protocol of Dr. Nader Soliman of Rockville, MD. He (literally a genius) has developed complex homeopathy that is so successful that people travel from all over the world to treat with him, or train with him (including Western medicine MDs so they can help their own families get well).
Dr. Soliman tests on the spot, with 100% accuracy and instant results, using the VAS system- no need to send out for expensive blood work or wait weeks for results. VAS stands for Vascular Autonomic Signal. It's a form of energy testing where the practitioner feels for changes in the pulse. It was developed by Dr. Nogier in France nearly a century ago.
Dr. Soliman's therapies (sprays or pellets) do NOT negate Respen-A™. In fact, while virtually nothing in the United States compares to his complex homeopathy, Dr. Soliman was so impressed with Respen-A™ and its ability to protect the body extremely well from symptoms (layman's terms), that he has asked to use it in his practice. Congratulations Elaine!
Because this protocol does not interfere with the success of Respen-A™, parents who want more and choose to use it will be able to successfully recover their children from Lyme, etc., quickly and cost effectively, while at the same time recovering their children from autism with the use of Respen-A™.
I had Lyme disease for 48 years, and had given it to my babies in utero. I had spent $75,000 trying to clear it from my body, with no results. Treating locally in Montana with a practitioner who trained under Dr. Soliman, Lyme was gone in 8 months for me, 4 months for each of my boys. My personal cost was less than $1500. Boys were $900 and $1550 respectively. Incidentally, my son who has been on Respen-A™ for 10 years had NO metals to clear, while my youngest son and I did. This proves the validity of MAO-A, via Respen-A™, of clearing metals from the body.
Following is a testimony from a lady in New Jersey that I recommended Dr. Soliman to. She took her 5 year old son (autism, Lyme, parasites, etc.) to see him:
From me: When the innate immune system returns to proper function, symptoms (immunopathy, or IP) may increase, but without this return to function, there cannot be a cure.
Staci's experience with Dr. Soliman for her 5 year old son (mostly unedited):
Ok, so we’ve seen Dr. Soliman twice. First time he said Jack (my son) had many viruses affecting his brain, and Lyme, and that his immune system was a mess. Said we had to treat /strengthen the immune system before we could even consider addressing Lyme. All sounded pretty darn accurate to me. So, $1500 later we were on our way.
The healing crisis (regressions) were horrible and sudden. Oddly, academically, he was immediately improved. In less than a week he was writing letters on lines. I didn’t even know until I got a letter in the mail “Dear Mommy, Thank You for packing my lunch. Love, Jack”. Oh, not a single tear there (I was bawling!). It’s a project they do in kindergarten to learn about mail. I was floored. And, yes, they help him sound out the letters and spell, but he was choosing what he wanted to say, and writing on his own (not tracing). Less than a week prior, it was extremely difficult to give him a blank sheet of paper and ask him to write one single letter anywhere on the page!
His efforts in school progressed. To my knowledge, he is now caught up to his peers in math. Still can’t read worth a lick, but the teacher says he knows more sight words than I think he knows. She says he is very social. I believe that is also since protocol.
About a month in, the health crisis started to subside. At 8 weeks I could breathe, feeling like he was a pretty normal kid. The regressions were pretty much gone (that was freaking rough) and progression had begun. He was easy to talk to (so far as being able to tell that he certainly understood), and I noticed he was becoming lighter- kind of like the child I remembered. Smiling more. Starting to joke a little. Having small conversations. Sometimes telling me about events in his day. Thought processing was speeding up, which was far less frustrating for both of us.
Well, then at 8 weeks, it was time to re-evaluate. I knew the protocol would likely be changed, and it was. Previous protocol (15 items 3x/day) was decreased to 10 items 2x/day, with a new protocol of the rest (other 5) plus 4 new at 3x/day. Hope that made sense.
We are now starting to work on the viruses and Lyme. Naturally that comes with some regression, but not nearly to the extent of the first time. He is mostly back to some nonsensical talk, wearing the same pajamas every single night, wanting the same clothes, things of that sort. Slower speech- just not so light and bright (if that makes sense) more back into his own world.
The funny thing about the regressive stages is that, with him, some things were like stages/phases prior to treatment. I was able to almost pinpoint the regression/unwinding of things, which actually made me feel a little better. You know, like o.k., we might actually come out on the other side of this. Like, difficulty getting out the door o.k.- that was in the beginning of pre-k4. Absolute meltdown over simple stuff- that was at about age 4.5, and lasted about 2 months...whew. Obsessed with the same pajamas every night- that’s when he turned 3, then 5 (he'll be 6 in August).
During the initial protocol, when the regression was really bad, I called the office for advice. Once I found out that I could give him anything supportive without disruption of protocol, that helped. We recently had a couple of meltdowns, and I was able to just add a little serotonin support until it subsided- great help. Jack had such amazing results in the first 8 weeks that I am expecting he will return to at least that state once Lyme treatment is finished.
Overall, I’m super happy and can’t thank you enough for the recommendation. Problem is, it’s expensive and I’m dying to start myself and my daughter. Intended to start myself in June, but I think my daughter may need to go first. She’s pretty NT- but who can be a little better?
Also, we do tablets/pellets instead of sprays because it was Jack's preference. We got two in spray to try, and he hated those (thankful we used up the sprays). I will say that I’ve discovered that the pellets last much, much longer than the sprays.
Super thanks!
I asked if Staci (1) would recommend Dr. Nader Soliman, and (2) if she felt the cost was prohibitive. Her responses:
1. Absolutely!
2. Does it really matter what it costs if it works?
Elaine and I hope this information helps many people, especially those who struggle with multiple issues. Dr. Soliman's website can be reached by clicking the link below. Offices of practitioners trained by him are located in NY, CO, MT, VA, FL, Saskatchewan, Canada, and Roseville, Australia. For more details please call Dr. Soliman's office directly.
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
Dr. Nader Soliman
Feedback From a Parent Regarding Article on Curing Lyme, etc.:
Our article about curing Lyme Disease, etc., with complex homeopathy that doesn't negate Respen-A™, while recovering your child from autism, brought action from a mother, Robbie Aldridge, who followed through with the recommendation to see Dr. Nader Soliman of Rockville, MD in search of results for her son, who has been using Respen-A™ since June of 2018. Following is her testimony:
My son’s journey across the autism spectrum has been a long road. We began treating him biomedically when he was 4, and he just turned 16 this past May. He has a litany of medical diagnoses obtained through blood and urine specimens as well as clinical observations. Like so many others, we would treat for an issue, and he would make improvement. However, these gains were not sustainable. It seems as though I’ve seen every section of this road multiple times. This circular pattern has by far been the most frustrating part of this entire process.
Like every other parent of a kid on the spectrum, I’ve never stopped searching for answers, and most of those answers have come completely by surprise. In June of 2018, I came across a blog of a parent who had used Respen-A™ for their child. I talked to our doctor, and while he had never heard about Respen-A™, he thought it was worth a try. We immediately began treatment and have seen great gains this last year. However, Respen-A™ was only taking my son so far, and old symptoms became problems once again. We tried everything to get the neurotransmitters in balance, and it just wasn’t making a difference. I knew that we needed to address his ongoing medical issues as this is a big part, not all, of his problems.
I first heard about Dr. Soliman and his practice in February of 2019 from Kerri McCormick. I thought about making an appointment, but life was not at a point where I thought we could make the trip from Atlanta to Maryland. It wasn’t until I read the article in the June newsletter about Dr. Soliman that I really felt compelled that it was time to make the trip. I actually called their office the next day and scheduled an appointment for my son and myself. They were able to schedule the appointment only 3 weeks away- they are very accommodating out of town patients.
Dr. Soliman was very nice, and extremely knowledgeable. He listened intently and asked pointed questions. His testing revealed that, even though we have been treating our son for 12+ years, the same old problems were still there. He has extreme heavy metal toxicity (though we’ve done many rounds of chelation). His Lyme disease is severe (those were Dr. Soliman’s words). Parasites are still a problem despite having been treated by one of the top parasite doctors in the nation, and his brain is inundated with a host of other bacteria and viruses.
These revelations were not new to us, nor did they take us by surprise, as we'd already had conventional testing tell us the same thing. But the long term solution does not rest in simply going after the toxins or pathogens. My son’s own immune system is his worst enemy right now. We knew that he had very high levels of Strep antibodies giving him a PANDAs diagnosis, but Dr. Soliman found that he has a myriad of other antibodies as well. Our son could be diagnosed with several autoimmune conditions!
Every treatment we have tried in the past helped in the short term because the supplements/drugs were able to “catch” what was in my son's bloodstream. However, nothing could enter on the cellular level, because his immune system was not functioning properly. This leaves him susceptible to everything he encounters, while allowing those things already in his body to proliferate. The homeopathics we’ve used in the past could not have full benefit because they work by talking to the immune system, and his immune system has not been able to listen because of its hyperactive state. Due to this, as a homeopathic, even the Respen-A™ cannot function fully in our son’s body because of his immune system overload.
The first step for our son’s treatment is to give him a good foundation, and correct his immune imbalances. Hopefully this will have happened by our next visit. Only then can we begin to treat all of the pathogens. By addressing the immune dysfunction first, Dr. Soliman assures us that this will actually minimize the Herx, or healing crisis. This is good news because we’ve been through many healing crises in the past without ever getting to full healing. Incidentally, Dr. Soliman told us that there is nothing in the pharmacopeia, and no supplements/other homeopathics, that can heal the immune system- except what he has developed. He is a genius, literally.
Dr. Soliman is a recognized authority on "Auricular Medicine" a unique, complex, and highly advanced form of ear acupuncture, which is practiced by just a few in the USA. In addition to using complex homeopathy, he is also treating my son for gluten and dairy allergies through a process called auricular acupuncture. I am being treated as well for mold, gluten, and an allergy to my contacts. Who knew a person could develop such a thing? After only 1 week on the homeopathic sprays, I am already seeing good things in my son as well as myself. I had developed a severe mold allergy and fungal infection last fall which caused severe asthma attacks- I was using a rescue inhaler round the clock. My symptoms have all vastly improved, and I am now only needing my rescue inhaler minimally. I am confident that both my son and I will fully recover from our allergies.
While Dr. Soliman is very optimistic, he is also realistic, which I appreciate. Too many times we have been promised that this -you fill in the blank- is the magic bullet. However, for those individuals with complex medical histories, that is usually not the case. Dr. Soliman iterated that even if we remove every toxin and pathogen that has been assaulting our son’s brain today, it takes time for his body and brain to heal. It will happen, we just don’t know the exact time frame.
For every parent who is still searching for healing for their child or themselves, DON’T GIVE UP! DON’T GET DISCOURAGED! Find a qualified, competent professional such as Dr. Soliman who can pinpoint the problem and help the body heal itself. After all, that's how we were designed to function.
I fully recommend Dr. Nader Soliman without hesitation. I am happy to speak with anyone who would like more details about the process. You may also view the links below that explain more about his testing method and auricular medicine.
Robbie Aldridge
Atlanta, GA
http://alternativemedicinecenter.info/
(Article submitted by Kerri McCormick)
Why have we seen such a drastic spike in Autism since 1996?
Why the rapid increase in ASD? I hypothesize that it is multifactorial, but what sets up the “perfect storm” for the development of autism is the use of epidurals during childbirth coupled with inheriting the low activity MAO-A allele. Let me explain the basis of my hypothesis.
MAO-A metabolizes serotonin into its active aldehyde, 5-HIAL. If MAO-A activity is decreased, the serotonin in the nerve synapses will build up, and increased serotonin concentrations in the nerve synapses inhibit oxytocin neuron growth.
Note that studies have shown an increased risk of autism in the offspring of mothers who used antidepressants during their pregnancy.
In utero, as the neurohypophyseal system grows it produces vasopressin which is converted to oxytocin as it travels down the neurohypophyseal plexus. The longer the neurohypophyseal system grows, the more oxytocin is produced. When the oxytocin reaches a specific concentration, it tells the neurohypophyseal plexus to stop growing. This is not supposed to happen until about 7-10 days postpartum.
Note that research has shown that ASD patients have an immature neurohypophyseal plexus.
When a mother receives an epidural during childbirth, almost always they are administered Pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) and this is usually continued through the delivery stage. The anesthetics used in the epidurals, Bupivacaine and more recently Ropivacaine, compete with Pitocin for breakdown by the Cytochrome p450 3A4 enzyme in the liver.
Note that boys genetically have less of the Cyp450 3A4 enzyme than girls.
This competition for the Cyp450 enzyme results in Pitocin remaining at higher levels longer, which could become high enough to trigger the neurohypophyseal system to stop growing, resulting in decreased oxytocin neuron growth and production.
The use of epidurals and rate of autism mirrored each other until 1996 when autism spiked drastically. Interestingly, 1996 is when Ropivacaine came on the market and became the most used anesthetic in epidurals. Ropivacaine requires twice as much Cyp450 3A4 enzyme activity to metabolize it as does Bupivacaine.
Research shows that MAO-A is integral in the neurochemical architecture of the neurohypophyseal system. The hypothalamus-neurohypophyseal system is involved with releasing oxytocin during stress and to maintain homeostasis.
(Article submitted by Elaine DeLack)
