If you do not follow me on social media then you may want to read PART1 first. If you do, then let’s jump right in. I want to share a case of ADHD, but before I do, I really want to explain this infographic a little.
I mentioned in part 1 that dopamine, that wonderful neurotransmitter (lacking in ADHD) comes from an amino acid called TYROSINE. Now have a look at the image, this tyrosine requires a whole load of ‘magical conversions’ to ‘turn into’ dopamine. This process requires IRON hence COPPER, certain B vitamins and ALSO vitamin C (my bad for missing that one).
Imagine, we have to have all this to get this dopamine. Missing any of these nutrients, then ADHD is one possibility. What I want to emphasize here is the importance of copper as well as iron. Both of the minerals have a pretty intimate relationship and some of you may or may not know that copper deficiency can look like anemia. Have you ever been told you are anemic? If so, were you referred to have the following tested?
serum copper levels
ceruloplasmin
ferritin
TIBC (total iron-binding capacity)
If not, then it is something worth considering, especially if you are female and have been on the Birth Control Pill, Copper IUD and/or any form of estrogen. I see quite a few women who are diagnosed as being anemic when they have a copper IUD coil, the issue is the COPPER coil! not a lack of iron exactly.
If you are taking zinc supplements then you may also want to have the above tested, as zinc can reduce copper and therefore also impact iron. It is all pretty much like an orchestra of minerals inside that amazing body of yours.
I first saw this 8-year-old boy with ADHD in March 2018. His mother was very well versed in ‘alternative’ medicine and wanted further support as the ‘school’ wanted him on medication. He had been on various supplements and a pretty much sugar-free diet. His mother was at a loss but desperate to avoid the medications especially as one is highly addictive with some serious mental-emotional side effects, including thoughts of suicide.
This child was restless, he was into everything in my clinic, he was pretty rude, rather abrupt, he would bounce every now and then, he was spinning on the stool to the point that when he fell, he pretended to be hurt and then suddenly started to laugh and his mother said he ‘lies alot’, in school, at home, at his grandparents. She was worried he was going to turn into a hyperactive narcissist as he showed no empathy. In school, he would be disruptive to the point he went out of his way to try and make his classmates laugh.
The mother mentioned that over a year ago, she had taken her son to a homeopath to have some detoxes and she commented that she can remember the day that he was so much better for over a week, was after the birth control pill detox. However, his symptoms returned and she tried a few more homeopathic sessions but did not find them helpful. This made me think of copper as the birth control pill can ‘mess up’ the copper balance in the body BUT she also mentioned that her son has this offensive body odor and he always has had this for as long as she can remember and that is why she thought he ‘needed a detox’. In the clinic, he also tripped a few times and seemed somewhat ‘clumsy’. This all pointed to a specific homeopathic remedy of the daddy long leg spider, Pholcus Phalangoides.
Putting all this together, the above tests were done for him and it was clear he actually had anemia that did not respond to iron (he had been on iron supplements in the past) and his serum copper was low, as well as ceruloplasmin which is an enzyme that actually carries/contains copper. Again the mum had her son on zinc with vitamin C as he was prone to re-occurring colds and infections. ZINC can bring copper out of balance which will go onto impact iron levels….it is all a bit of crazy vicious cycle.
As you can see in this infographic, iron is required for making dopamine, but also copper balance is required for iron regulation. So he was put on a few supplements including some liver and adrenal nourishing homeobotanicals and taken off the vitamin C and zinc. His anemia ‘had to be addressed’ for pretty much anything else to ‘work’.
I also prescribed the Pholcus Phalangoides and the mother noticed an immediate improvement which lasted for about a few weeks. We repeated the remedy and this time it lasted about a week even at a higher potency. Interestingly most of his symptoms cleared once his iron levels improved as well as his ceruloplasmin and copper. I do not usually do tests before and after homeopathic remedies, but I am convinced that the Pholcus Phalangoides remedy helped balance the copper and iron much much faster than if it was not given. I have not seen ceruloplasmin, copper AND IRON shift so quickly in an individual before this.
More than a year on this boy is no longer the child that has to sit alone or be sent out to the head’s office at school. His last appointment, in August 2019 we repeated the homeopathic remedy, Pholcus Phalangoides as his body odor was slightly back and that was all he needed and his blood tests remained balanced.
We are led to believe that some conditions are with us for the rest of our lives OR they may disappear with age, but why not try an alternative that is safe and effective? Why wait for age and why live with it, when there are other possible options?
To health!
Khush
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