Description:

Biofilms are basically slimy films containing mucous and minerals that form a protective layers over bacteria and fungi. They are common in nature. This is why rocks in a stream are slippery, the scum on the back of your teeth, etc. The problem is in the GI tract, they can protect bacterial pathogens, which  excrete toxins.

Toxic biofilms are not just a problem for autistic children, but for adults suffering from a variety of chronic illnesses. The bacteria and fungi within biofilms are very difficult to eradicate because they are protected by layers of mucous and minerals in the biofilm. Chronic toxic biofilms are the reason many children are resistant to treatment or hit plateaus. The surface bacteria have been treated, but not those hidden in the biofilms. In order to get at these protected organisms, the biofilm has to be disrupted and a new biofilm established with healthy flora.

So how do we treat biofilms. It is generally a three step process.

1. Break down the biofilms with the use of enzymes and chelators

2. Add in an anti-bacterial and/or antifungal agents; these can be in the form or herbal preparations or medications such antibiotics and antifungals or both.

3. Clean up the dead bacteria and fungi with binding agents.

What you need:

1. Enzymes:You will need an enzyme product to break down the biofilm.  You only need one of the recommended enzyme products, which are:  Interfase, Interfase plus, SPS30 or Lubrokinase 20 mg capsules, nattokinase 50mg to 100 mg capsules (children under 80 pounds use 50mg). We generally recommend the Interfase Plus because it also contains the chelating agent

2. Chelator: Either EDTA capsules (not tablets), Interfase Plus is a combination enzyme with chelators added.

3. Antibacterial/Antifungal Agents: ProEnt2 Capsules, ADP (not suitable for small children or those that don’t swallow pills as the taste is very strong), olive leaf extract, grape seed extract, Biocidin or similar product.

Medications may also be used with this protocol, but require a prescription. If your child is already on an antibiotic or antifungal you may find they are more effective when used with the other steps in the protocol. Flagyl, Vancomycin, and /or antifungals such as Diflucan, Nystatin, and ampotericin are medications commonly prescribed to treat digestive tract dysbiosis.

The rest of this protocol contains items which may or may not be required to control die-off reactions

4. Binding Agents: We recommend combination products such as: Elmnx or ExTox, but a variety of agents can be used such as modified fruit pectin, activated charcoal, True Fiber, Metal Magnet etc.

5. Protective Agents: Oxyperm is anti-oxidant made for the digestive system is our recommended product. It is given with meals.  Oxyperm will help reduce die-off reactions that can occur.  Oxyperm is given three times a day with meals.

Instructions:

Enzymes: We use Interfase Plus or SPS30 alone or  lumbrokinase and nattokinase in combination.  Interfase Plus is used most commonly because it also contains a chelating agent.

Enzymes are given  on an empty stomach along with a chelating agent to bind up the heavy metals and other mineral found in the biofilm. It is essential that the enzymes are NOT given with food, because they will just break down the food and not the biofilm.

Chelating Agent: The chelating agent is given with the enzymes. Interfase Plus is a combination of enzymes and chelators and generally works best.

Wait 30 to 60 minutes for the enzymes and chelators to work.

Killing Agents: Add the antifungal and/or antibiotic herbs or medications, these are generally given with meals to reduce problems with stomach irritation along with Oxyperm to reduce adverse effects.

Binding agents: Elmnx 3 to 6 capsules or Extox 4 to 6 capsules, True Fiber an hour or more after the killing agents.  Binding agents are often given at bedtime.  Binding agents will bind and prevent absorption of nutrients, so binding agents should  given away from other medicines or supplements by at least one hour.

Probiotics: are used to help rebuild and restore normal flora.  The best given on an empty stomach once or twice daily.

Duration: The biofilm protocol should followed for 4 to 6 months.

Notes: You may see very abnormal looking stool when on this protocol, this is normal. You also may see pretty strong Herxheimer reactions. A Herxheimer reaction is a flu like reaction that occurs when high numbers of fungus or bacteria are killed releasing their toxins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herxheimer_reaction. The protective agents may prevent or reduce the severity of Herxheimer reactions. If the Herxheimer reactions are very intense, you may need to reduce the dose of the killing agent and increase the dose of the binding agents.  We often substitute high dose probiotic for the killing agents for a couple of months, if side effects are too severe, then start adding in the killing agents very slowly.

Disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. None of the nutritional products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Biofilm Protocol Explained

Background:

Biofilms are mucous film that forms  protective layers over bacteria and fungi colonies.  They are common in nature, the film on rocks in a river bed and the film the back of your teeth are examples of biofilms.  Biofilms can either promote health or illness depending on the bacterial makeup of the biofilm.  Toxic bacteria and fungi within biofilms can be difficult to eradicate because they're protected by layers of mucus and minerals in the biofilm.

Often children have been previously treated with the probiotic and seen improvement, but as soon as the treatment is withdrawn, the symptoms return.  The reason this happens is that the surface bacteria have been treated, but not those hidden deep within the biofilm.  In order to get these protected pathogenic organisms, the biofilm has to be disrupted and the new biofilm established with healthy flora.

The goal of treating the biofilm is to break down the biofilm and replace the pathogenic flora with healthy flora and a healthy biofilm.  One of the protocols we used to do this in our clinic uses SPS 30 or Interface Plus and Metal Magnet for the cleanup agent.

Biofilm protocol instructions can vary a bit depending on the supplements and medications used in the protocol.  Two concepts are common to most biofilm protocols.  The first is that the enzyme used break down the biofilm must be given on an empty stomach and then allowed some time to work before adding the other killing agents.  The second concept is that this debris needs to be removed with the cleanup agent.  These cleanup agents by nature bind up almost everything, so they have to be given separately away from vitamins, medicines, and other nutrients.

Basic steps:

• Break down the biofilm with the use of specialized enzymes
• Wait 30 minutes for the enzymes to break down the biofilm
• Add in anti-bacterial and/or antifungal agents.
• Provide a source of replacement flora.
• Repeat the process two times per day.
• Once a day usually at bedtime add in a binding agent to clean-up the debris.

Supplements you will need:

• Enzymes designed for biofilms: either SPS30 or Interfase plus.
• Antibacterial/Antifungal Agents: (Pick one or two from the list) ProEnt2, Olive leaf extract, grape seed extract, Candibactin AR or Candibactin BR, ADP (not suitable for small children due to the strong oregano smell and taste)
• Clean-up or Binding Agent: (Choose one) Metal Maget, Extox, Toxin Free, Activated Charcoal, True Fiber, Modified Fruit Pectin, or other binding agent.

Morning and Afternoon

Enzymes are given first thing in the morning on empty stomach.  It is essential that the enzymes are not given with food, because if they are given with food, the enzymes would just break down the food and not the biofilm.  If need be a very small amount of food may be used to help get the enzymes into the child.  Other medications may be given at this time as well.  The enzyme should be given again later in the day, again away from food at least 30 min. before a meal and at least one hour after a meal.  The next step is to wait 30 min. to allow the enzymes time to break down the biofilm.  Then give your choice of antibacterial/antifungal agents these can generally be given with food.  We usually use a combination of a couple of agents one that has activity against bacteria and another with antifungal activity together.  This step is repeated twice a day.

Evening or Bedtime

This is usually the best time to give the binding agent.  The important thing to remember about binding agents is they bind everything including medications and supplements, so they need to be given separately and away from everything else. No other supplement or medication should be given within one hour before giving a binding agent.  The binding agent will help bind up heavy metals and other debris and reduce the severity of Herxheimer reactions.  You may see a Herxheimer reaction when you first start the protocol.  A Herxheimer reaction is a flu like feeling, which is cause by the sudden release of toxins from dead bacteria.  If the Herxheimer's reactions are too severe then the dose of the killing agents needs to be reduced for a few days or stopped all together.

Miscellaneous

A bowel antioxidant is very helpful at reducing symptoms during the protocol.  Oxyperm is a antioxidant designed for this purposed and is our preferred agent.  It can be omitted, but the protocol generally works better with Oxyperm.

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Description: Steps to take when a child has chronic diarrhea or loose stools of unknown cause, not acute diarrhea.

The most common cause of chronic diarrhea is chronic inflammation of the colon. Several common causes are: chronic viral infection, or dysbiosis (too many unfriendly organisms in the bowel) or simply lack of adequate digestive enzymes.  Saccharomyces boulardii is a good first line probiotic.  One of the properties of S. Boulardii is that it forces out many of the offending organisms as well as reduces bowel inflammation.  S. Boulardii has been well studied and shown to be effective in the treatment of diarrhea and even Crohn's Disease.

From Wikipedia:

“ Saccharomyces Boulardii S. boulardii has been shown to maintain and restore the natural flora in the large and small intestine; it is classified as a probiotics. It has been found to be more effective than the bacteria (lactobacillus) as a probiotic.”

We have found S. boulardii fairly effective. We have also used very high doses of probiotics with good success in the range of 200 to 400 billion units a day.

Supplements Used: Saccharomyces boulardii, Gastrigest

Instructions:

Step 1: Add a probiotic that has anti-fungal properties.

SacroB: 1 capsule twice daily    if no better in 5 days go to step 2.

Step 2: Add digestive enzymes with each regular meal:  Gastrigest 1 capsule with each meal capsules may be opened and spread on food.

Step 3: Eliminate dairy and wheat from the diet.  Dairy products are particularly known to cause loose stools because many people lack the necessary enzymes to digest dairy products and are lactose intolerant.

Step 4:  Eliminate allergic foods and processed foods from the diet.

If neither the S. boulardii nor the high dose probiotics are successful, then diagnostic tests such as a GI Health panel and food allergy testing are worth pursuing.

Research Links:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/p287172n917h7422/

http://www.florastor.ca/consumer/ea/studies/4clinical_studies_A_3_1995_McFarland.pdf

Disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. None of the nutritional products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Many autistic children have trouble sleeping. One of the reasons for this is low melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone excreted by the pineal gland. Many parents have found melatonin helpful in getting children to sleep. The Autism Research Institute’s “Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions” found that of the 1105 parents reporting there were 65% reporting improvement, 8% got worse and 27% reported no effect with a 7.8:1 ratio of got better to got worse. That is an excellent response.

Melatonin in general has not been a good agent for sleep; the exception is in autistic children. Melatonin is a hormone and it is not dosed, nor does it behave like a typical medication.

Melatonin is best dosed in the early evening, not at bedtime. Melatonin also changes its behavior with dose. Melatonin has a cyclic behavior. At one dose it may help induce sleep and at another dose it can be excitatory. If the current dose does not work, try changing the dose either way. Typical dosages for melatonin would be 1.5mg to 3.0mg in children with autism.

Other tips include having a bedtime routine, which should start awhile before actually going to bed. Autistic children need routines and generally do not tolerate abrupt changes, such as watching TV and then going straight to bed. They need a transition from their everyday activities to bedtime.

Epsom salts bathes can be soothing and improve detoxification.

Eliminate television well before bed time.

A bedtime story is often helpful as children anticipate the story and associate it with going to bed.

Melatonin, GABA, and taurine are best given together. They are mutually supportive compounds, which can help get autistic children sleeping better.

Keep the bedroom dark and especially eliminate bright lights. Blue light inhibits melatonin production the most, so if you must have a nightlight, use a red one if possible.

Calming herbals and supplements:

1. Nighty Night

2. Melatonin

3. GABA

4. Priority Calm

5. Taurine

Radio frequency wireless devices, while not directly interfering with sleep, can interfere with the autonomic nervous system and melatonin in autistic children, and should be removed from the bedroom or turned off at night, if possible.

These devices include: wireless baby monitors, wireless internet routers, and wireless phones, especially the base units.

In summary autistic children often can improve their sleep patterns by:

• Bedtime routine
• Epson salt or detox bath at bedtime
• Melatonin
• Herbal sleep blend such as Nighty Night
• GABA
• Taurine

If these measures are ineffective, start looking for stimulants in the diet and environment, which may be causing excitation.  Food additives such as red dye #5 are often a problem, which can cause excessive excitation in the nervous system.