- To Change Your Mind - Details Matter
Psychiatric Medications and Immunity: IgG and IgE
ADHD Medication Dosage: Precision Counts
May 11, 2011Brain, Gut and Behavior: Bacteria Matter
May 31, 2011ADHD And Your Immune System: IgG Antibodies Make A Difference
The more we explore everyday ADHD treatment disappointments, the more we see significant confusion and missed diagnosis with psych med failures secondary to overlooking IgG antibody data, the “chronic antibody.” Antibodies attack those foreign invaders – viruses, bacteria, and offending foods, and ADHD medications become less predictable.
IgG allergic reactions and IgG antibody proliferations simply don't arise on most medical radars. And with ADHD medication challenges they are too frequently missed. The immune system remains chronically corrupted for years. I've had allergists tell my patients IgG antibodies simply don't matter.
That's not the evidence we see in the office when these IgG antibodies are measured and corrected.
Acute Reactions
IgE [think: E = Emergency] is the most frequently tested food antibody – sought out when the allergists are looking for an acute response to an invader trying to get through your barriers [e.g. skin, lungs, bowels].
Chronic IgG Antibody Reactions, Chronic Allergic Reactions Matter
IgG [think:G = Grave], on the other hand, is the most overlooked food antibody, the night-time carrier pigeon that reveals underlying allergens at play in the unsuspecting victim through years of few or no physical symptoms secondary to stealth food allergens. IgE may indicate obvious medication reactions, IgG antibody messengers aren't so obvious, and yet your immune system can suffer for years behind the scenes with IgG antibodies .
IgG antibody reactions to stealth food invaders most often fly below your searching affect-sensory, pain-sensory, and thinking-sensory radar. If IgG is at play backstage, reacting to antigens that are corrupting your ADHD brain system [like casein and gluten], including your neurotransmitters and your hormones, – both feeling and thinking can become significantly unbalanced. Cytokines have a field day and over time the feeling-good party is over. Cytokines compete at neurotransmitter receptor sites, and significantly corrupt neurotransmission.
Symptom Recognition
If you can't see or feel it it must not be a problem?? I don't think so. Quite conspicuously, the bowel has few nerve endings, as often seen in Bowel CA presentations, – so one can have a significant problem and for years remain unaware of the downstream effects.
From Great Plains Laboratory comes this explanation:
Example of a Typical IgE Antibody Response:
– Suppose a person with a peanut allergy eats a peanut. B cells in the body are exposed to the peanut allergens. B cells begin making IgE antibodies to fight the peanut “infection”. These IgE antibodies were made specifically for defending the body against peanuts. The IgE antibodies bind to the peanut molecules or allergens in the body. Peanut allergies like this are often acute, and can be life threatening.
Then Consider IgG Food Antibodies
Next, we will discuss the role of IgG antibodies in an allergic reaction. The antibodies that provide long term resistance to infections, called Immunoglobulin G (the IgG antibody), have a much longer half life than the traditional IgE allergy. Symptoms, ranging from headache and nausea to seizure and hyperactivity, may occur hours or even days after the offending food has been ingested. The degree and severity of symptoms vary because of the genetic makeup of the individual. The complete elimination of IgG positive foods may bring about important improvements in symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, autism, ADHD, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and epilepsy as demonstrated in numerous clinical studies.
IgG Antibody Causes
What are the main causes of IgG antibody reactions – or “delayed food allergies?”
Digestive problems play a major role in the development of IgG food allergies. Some individuals have leaky guts, meaning that food particles are able to enter the bloodstream. When these particles are recognized by the immune system the body has an immune response. More antibodies are created to fight the perceived infection of the foreign food particles. This can lead to a weakening of the overworked immune system.
IgG food allergies are treated by removing problem foods from the diet and by helping digestion with probiotics. IgG antibody reactions are easily measured with a simple blood test.
Summary
In quick summary these issues, my friends, are a significant problem, see everyday in our offices – and if not understood, then not considered or tested, the corruption can go on for a lifetime.
If you are already thinking about these matters take your thoughts to this next step regarding returning to eat that offending antigen:
Interesting notes, more IgG exploration will prove useful in almost every refractory ADHD presentation,
cp
Related articles
- #Coeliac Awareness Week (trulyglutenfree.co.uk)
- Acute transverse myelitis in demyelinating diseases among the Chinese (springerlink.com)
- Can allergy shots protect me from anaphylactic shock? (zocdoc.com)
- Black Mold Symptoms & Blood Tests (brighthub.com)
- Allergies and Inflammation (editingamerica.wordpress.com)
- IgG Food Intolerance Tests: What does the science say? (sciencebasedmedicine.org)
- Food Sensitivity vs. Food Allergy (doctorrance.wordpress.com)
- Blood testing for sensitivity, allergy or intolerance to food (eurekalert.org)
- Rise in Allergies Linked to War on Bacteria (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)
- Blood Testing for Allergies (everydayhealth.com)
12 Comments
Happy Sunday to you Doc,
I wanted to ask if Anhedonia is treated using an SSRI or Stimulant medication?
Is Anhedonia in effect the Clint Eastwood depression?
Sincere Thanks
Thanks Juggernaut,
Anhedonia is a surface glance and appearance label that drives one to question the bearer of that malady more explicitly about many possible underlying issues.
1. Depression: yes, obviously. Clint may be too angry for anhedonia – a state of not caring.
2. Cognitive function, PFC deterioration often does contribute to anhedonia as a result of mental/developmental arrest with Stuckness.
3. Biomedical causes must always enter consideration. Without energy, without nutrition, downstream from immunity, yeast, trace element imbalances imbalances who can face the day?
The more anedonic, the more necessary a complete workup considering all of these matters, and the likelihood that a mix of both meds and measured supplements will be required to turn the tide.
cp
[…] own ADHD treatment failure opinion: the single most common reason that ADHD Medication don’t work predictably: Gluten, Casein […]
Lamby,
Every single one of those elements requires some evidence and specific measurement… you could, for all we know, be toxic on iron? Vit D is never a problem in my practice, but does need consistent checking.
Provocative observation: ephils high… may be parasitic, could be a variety of issues assoc with immune dysfunction. I’ve seen folks escalate with eophils [eosinophilic esophagitis] with gluten sensitivity and celiac.
More follow up testing needed.
cp
Diggairy,
Sorry to dance on this answer, but the complexity encourages no pat answers. Most show an improvement in the first week or two if the problem is only milk, which it often isn’t. That is to say, milk allergies are most often associated with a variety of challenges, including in my office what I call the Trifecta: Wheat and Eggs with the Milk. I personally do everything possible to get some testing done [NeuroScience has a very inexpensive test for 49$ that covers 22 of the most frequent food groups] before I try to make a recommendation about what-to-do-next on diet.
cp
Dr. Parker,
In your experience, how long, usually, does a person have to avoid milk products before they start noticing a change?
Thank you.
Holoway1,
The short answer to that one is clearly not a hesitant “maybe,” – but a strong affirmative. IgG Testing absolutely necessary. Seen everyday in my offices are:
1. Second opinions from folks who are predominantly functional med practitiioners who seem to be focused only upon NT results, and not why the NTs are so uniformly diminished. Low Histamine is often associated with quite chronic GI issues, tho just last Fri did a consult with a very interesting PhD in AL who had diagnosed gluten sensitivity years ago, had missed casein and eggs her whole life, had a GI system so corrupted she simply couldn’t take any supplements or meds [http://www.corepsychblog.com/2009/11/vyvanse-diminishes-memory-watch-the-top-of-the-therapeutic-window/] with a completely narrow therapeutic window – she was clearly GI chronic, seriously, but her Histamine was 3x the highest number.
Over the top Hist and NTs are easy… low results you have to connect much more with symptoms to guide you in next steps. If puzzled the IgG will turn the tide. I’ll do a post on reading IgG soon, as several of the results can become quite confusing and are often misinterpreted.
2. New patients with ‘No Overt Symptoms’ on the surface that hint at any GI irregularities – and yet suffer associated significant lowering of all NT results – could be picky eaters, could be straight vegetarians, could be “I never have an appetite for breakfast” folks. The meds don’t work, the supplements don’t work and IgG simply must be chased down for those next steps.
Those with the clinical reaction that Nothing Works [no meds or supplements] do have significantly more evidence to chase down – and most of the time IgG will bring home culprits.
cp
Dr. Parker. Great article and it makes me think that we should do the food allergen testing through NeuroScience Labs for my husband. We recently had his nuerotransmitters tested through NeuroScience Labs because he has the classic symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome and stuggles with ADHD symptoms, moodiness, and anxiety. The majority of his main neurotransmitters came back at very low levels, including histamine and cortisol. Could IgG food allergies be a possible cause? He has no obvious food allergies but his gastro system is quite sensitive and is affected everytime he eats.
Hello Dr. Parker,
I was just wondering if there have been any formal studies done on the hypothesis of the IgG relationship to neurological functioning and / or effectiveness of psych medications? Or, is most of this based on clinical experience in which the research community has not yet studied.
The only thing I have really been able to find is this:
http://www.adhdenvoeding.nl/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Pelsser-The-Lancet-2011-Publication-INCA-study.pdfIn this study it appears the researchers did not see any ADHD improvement when eliminating IgG related foods. However, they did see improvement based on elimination diets. Though, it does appear they were only looking at symptoms in un-medicated children.Any thoughts?
TS,
I continue to look for studies casually – but because I have a significant issue with the diagnostic criteria in the first place, and because so few are studying function rather than appearances… for refs do take a look at the autistic lit as they are quite focused on function and the nuances of function. Regrettably, however, the ASD community suffers with the same limitations looking predominantly at behaviors.
The other variable is the complexity of variables under review. One can’t make much headway with only one or two elevated IgG findings – or with a quantitative overall view used by so many.
One additional point, especially for Europeans with heritable Gluten sensitivity is this: Measurements work. If the studies missed the mark they were poorly set up, period. We see these problems corrected everyday either on or off meds. Meds don’t fix ADHD issues when the IgG is off, the patients are almost always treatment refractory in some ways… some completely with every intervention know to work if not corrupted with food allergies – from NFB, to supplements, to meds.
cp
Ive been off of all of the IgG sensitive foods for many months(9) following NeuroScience’s very thorough& accurate testing , and have lost quite a bit of weight unnecessarily presumably due to the Celexa I started on in Feb, 3mo’s after… knowing that Seretonin seems to be absorbed into the bowels once interference is discontinued (food sensitivity), wondering if maybe decreasing the SSRI would be beneficial and help to slow the weight loss (currently unable to tell when hungry, and having slight muscle wasting- can’t seem to eat enough!). I feel that because my immune response is lowered since I’m not stressing my digestive system and therefore processing Seretonin more properly, that my body might actually be doing it’s job and not need the Celexa as much anymore…? AS LONG AS I don’t cheat and irritate it by inflating it with irritant foods again!FYI- I finally gave up milk like you told me. The combo of all of it made a huge difference & I wouldn’t trade not knowing what I know now for anything because I actually feel pretty darn good these days!!! Thoughts Dr. P?? – Christine from TX 🙂
Christine
This is a tough one as most often weight stabilizes and corrects itself. I would discuss the Celexa issue with your doc and consider dropping that one, and would look carefully at protein breakfast, and make sure you had sufficient probiotics on board to rebuild gut integrity.
After all of that if you are still having a prob you really should consider what else could be going on that might be refractory to the entire set of protocols… like Candida – which shows as a slow but inexorable deterioration with a toxic feeling and inability to gain weight… search that one out with Metametrix Organic Acids testing.
cp