Several nights ago, while doing research for my last post, I came across something at the end that made me think twice about what the reason was behind Jordan's stimming. At that time, I couldn't expand on it because it would have made the post longer, so I put a pin in it to share my findings with you today.
I was looking into the "killing herbs" the doctor wanted to start Jordan on to remove the bacterial defenses and kill the overgrowths to cleanse his gut. The four supplements contain high-salicylate ingredients like oregano oil, clove flower, mastic gum, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, neem leaf, and tarragon. There is one more ingredient, the one that made me question the salicylate issue: thyme.
Jordan eats thyme and rosemary on his chicken and beef three times a day. Two spices that are extremely high in salicylates. If he had a true sensitivity to it, he would react after every meal. But after reducing the amount he eats each sitting, the stimming stopped. It stopped because his system doesn't produce enough enzymes and gastric juices, so reducing the food load brought it down to a level his body could handle. I never thought to begin to introduce vegetables back in after that. Even after he did well at Thanksgiving when I gave him green beans and sweet potatoes with other spices added. I was still convinced salicylates were the problem, but had no clue why they didn't cause a reaction that day.
So if salicylates have not been one cause behind the stimming this whole time, what was?
His body wasn't producing the enzymes it needed to break down food to digest properly. The soluble fiber and complex sugars in vegetables caused stimming since his stomach wasn't doing the legwork it needed to. Undigested food moved to the lower intestine, where strep and Candida were waiting to wreak havoc, causing toxic waste instead of healthy waste. The sugar chains in some vegetables that can't be digested by humans because we don't produce the enzyme to break them down quickly enough move into the large intestine; the pathogens eat them, release the toxins into the bloodstream, and inflame the nervous system, causing the stimming. The soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance after it mixes with water and is also not digested by enzymes because it is meant to be food for gut bacteria. But in someone like my son's case, this slow-moving gel sits right where the overgrowth of bacteria and fungi is, and causes fermentation.
Fermentation is a chemical process that happens when bacteria and yeast come into contact with the undigested complex sugars and soluble fiber. Because there is no oxygen in the gut, this chemical change is how they breathe. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas are produced, causing the intestine to expand, which irritates the vagus nerve and sends a panic signal to the brain. As the bacteria and fungi ferment, they release chemical waste into the gut: ammonia, D-lactic acid, and acetaldehyde. The toxins leak through the gut, enter the bloodstream, and cross the blood-brain barrier. This triggers stimming, a coping mechanism for the body to process this chemical reaction.
While knowing this information shows me he can handle things I thought he couldn't, I still don't feel comfortable giving him supplements that contain salicylates.
Jordan's immune system is easily triggered. Those suggested are too iffy to try because if a symptom shows up, it can be hard to tell whether the cause is a die-off reaction, a sensitivity, or gut irritation. With the alternative ones, if a symptom does occur, we can be confident it is because of die-off. But we shouldn't see that either, because we will start an ultra-binding supplement for sensitive systems first. However, the main reason I don't want to give them to him is that I don't want to disregard the dream I had where I asked God to answer which supplements to give him from the new protocol, and He gave me the 10 that weren't the killing herbs. That is the most important reason not to try them, now that I know he doesn't have a salicylate sensitivity. God's word is the final say. And it was the first time I prayed over a new protocol he was given and asked Him to give me an answer in a dream or any other way I would know it was Him. And He answered me that night.
I am still in the process of adding the new supplements of the 10 into his regimen, so I have time to hear back from his doctor before I need to implement the extensive gut cleanse. I'm excited and can't wait to get these heavy hitters to tackle the issues I have been trying to resolve for years. I hope you are ready to continue this journey with me.
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