MamaBearTeacher Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 My oldest son is going through a tough time. He has special needs and while his true nature is an angel he is at the mercy of his body and right now something inside his body is bothering him a lot. I have played full-time detective for his body for the past 13 years since he got sick and even though I have been unsuccessful I will continue to do so until he feels better. What bothers him most are his senses with a little bit of gut pain and head pain mixed in. The past two weeks have been rough and he has had episodes of screaming, banging his head, moaning, hiding under a blanket and repeatedly taking his clothes off while he screams. In the past we tried a variety of strict dietary interventions to no avail. I gave up on analyzing that but something has me curious. When he was two years old we did food sensitivity testing. He was sensitive to ALL animal protein except turkey. (We tried working with these allergy test results but they just did not seem to match his reactions in real life) There have been times that he seems more upset after eating turkey. He has been quite upset for 2 days but seemed better yesterday afternoon and evening and also this morning. Today for lunch I heated him up some frozen turkey leftovers from Christmas and he was upset for two hours afterwards. Turkey is supposed to have tryptophan in it and is supposed to calm you down. Why does he react this way? A couple of months ago I bought some essential oil products with names like "Happy Day" and "Peace Time". They make me feel happy and peaceful when I smell them. They are really nice. I decided not to give him any to smell. In the past these kind of things have made him upset. I think it is because all essential oils are essentially stimulants. He is overstimulated. That made me feel like I should avoid all natural stimulants in his life. We already don't give him sugar or chocolate or coffee. I googled natural stimulants and saw that cayenne pepper was a stimulant. Recently I have added that to my cooking. I wonder if that made him upset. Are there any foods that are naturally calming? We give him a lot of plain yogurt already. I would like to give him chamomile tea but it constipates him a lot, in fact all herbal tea seems to constipate him a lot. Any other foods act as depressants? Why might he be reacting badly to turkey? Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 It might be worth testing to see if he's developed an allergy to turkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 We did some allergy testing a couple of years ago and he was not allergic to anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I love the drink "calm." It's a magnesium supplement. Maybe that might be a good one to try. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Could be related, how is his digestion and GI? Lots of sensitivities to protein foods could be a low stomach acid symptom. Many things could produce low stomach acid (in my case it's SIBO), but it can also be hereditary, I recently read. Digestive supplements can make a huge impact emotionally and physicallu, if needed. Something to talk with a doctor about, if you suspect issues! I take this digestive supplement: https://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Betaine-HCl-Capsules/dp/B000M4CD2C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 We used to give him lots of magnesium citrate. It did not hurt him but it did not calm him down or even help his constipation. We had no luck with other forms of magnesium or epsom salt baths either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 We used to give him lots of magnesium citrate. It did not hurt him but it did not calm him down or even help his constipation. We had no luck with other forms of magnesium or epsom salt baths either. Darn. Hoped it would help. Good luck finding something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Could be related, how is his digestion and GI? Lots of sensitivities to protein foods could be a low stomach acid symptom. Many things could produce low stomach acid (in my case it's SIBO), but it can also be hereditary, I recently read. Digestive supplements can make a huge impact emotionally and physicallu, if needed. Something to talk with a doctor about, if you suspect issues! I take this digestive supplement: https://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Betaine-HCl-Capsules/dp/B000M4CD2C Thanks. When he was four he developed diarrhea for a while. We used that supplement to help get rid of the diarrhea and it did. But we did notice that his mood was worse when he was taking it. I wonder why. I think his gut might be bothering him right now because he had a bit of undigested food in his stool. Digestive enzymes and probiotics constipate him a lot though so I am scared to use them unless the problem goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Darn. Hoped it would help. Good luck finding something. At least it never made him worse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Thanks. When he was four he developed diarrhea for a while. We used that supplement to help get rid of the diarrhea and it did. But we did notice that his mood was worse when he was taking it. I wonder why. I think his gut might be bothering him right now because he had a bit of undigested food in his stool. Digestive enzymes and probiotics constipate him a lot though so I am scared to use them unless the problem goes on. Oh, I'm so sorry MamaBear. I know how frustrating it is to respond negatively to things that should be helping. (((hugs))) The saying, "Being stuck between a rock and hard place" comes to mind. Edited January 7, 2017 by ifIonlyhadabrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Kava tea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Do you think that he can tolerate and not have any reactions to Kefir or Kombucha? They are natural products, contain a lot of varieties of probiotics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Did you mention camomile tea already? I'd also give dark chocolate a trial. It really is a mood modifier and has minimal caffeine (not milk chocolate though - too much sugar). Edited January 7, 2017 by displace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) St. John's Wort or Melatonin? Kefir and Kombucha may help any digestive issues he has but only you would be in the position to judge this. You mentioned magnesium. Have you tried magnesium malate? It is a lesser known form and not typically used in most mag supplements. Jigsaw Magnesium has it. Also lavender oil is supposed to be calming. Can you diffuse it in a candle warmer? Edited January 7, 2017 by Liz CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Just brainstorming here: Is he sensitive to noises? Would he wear ear protection of some kind to maybe cut down on noise stimulus, or listen to soothing white-noise sorts of sounds (recordings or rain or waves etc.)? Other sensory things that help some kids include weighted blankets or compression vests. Food is tough, have you ever tried an elimination diet with him? Going dairy free helps some with constipation, gluten free also seems to help some people's emotional regulation. If he is picky and limited in what he will eat this can be hard. My inclination if you have the energy to do it would be to eliminate wheat/gluten and dairy, add in other fermented foods such as saurkraut (not the canned kind), and see if there is any improvement. Is he on any medications? Have you had vitamin D levels checked? I am so sorry, this all sounds very hard. Edited January 7, 2017 by maize Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 We did some allergy testing a couple of years ago and he was not allergic to anything.It's possible to develop an allergy to a commonly eaten food, especially if your immune system is already activated due to an infection or low grade autoimmune issue in the background. If he has a leaky gut or anything irritating his intestines he absolutely could develop a new allergy to turkey. It happened to me with beef, chicken, pork, and turkey two years ago. All it took was a little getting in my bloodstream, my immune system attacking it, and then my immune system reacting every time I consumed it. Stomach pain, joint pain, and a bevy of other symptoms came along with it. I also developed actual anaphylaxis to shellfish, as opposed to an allergy but no throats and mouth swelling or airway/blood pressure issues, like I did with the other proteins. I'd push to have him retested with a full panel, and have them check for delayed reactions as well. Turkey and pork were delayed for me, but definitely caused me problems for a few months until I eliminated them and did some immunotherapy. Hugs to your son! That must be hard for him and you both :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevergiveup Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. She talks about various supplements and a schedule for different mood types. She also mentions that certain blood types have a tough time digesting protein and might need an acid supplement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I'm so sorry he and you are having a rougher patch. This may be totally unhelpful but warm oatmeal seems soothing while eating it and after when I have what I assume is a serotonin rush from the ( whole grain ) carbs. I don't know if his tummy tolerates that though. Also for some reason avocados seem soothing. The fats maybe? I'm sending prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Was the turkey just 100 pc turkey? A lot of poultry has fillers injected which could cause a reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I would definitely have him allergy tested again, as well as getting some blood tests run. It sounds like he's puberty aged? I teach at a school for students with autism and related disorders, and the students always seem to have a difficult time, physically, during these transition years. So there might be a hormonal issue at play. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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