Daniel

Four years ago Daniel was diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar and Intermittent Explosive Disorder and was placed on 4 different medications to keep him well. We were far from happy about him being on all this medication as we knew there had to be many side effects, but we did not have any alternatives. Then in the Spring of 07 I attended a homeschool conference where I listened to a doctor from the Pfeiffer Treatment Center who explained that they were able to treat many things like ADHD, Bipolar, depression etc with a combination of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. This excited me and gave me hope.

So just about a year ago we took Daniel to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Chicago where they performed over 180 tests to discover exactly what the problem was. After several weeks we had the results which showed he had a pyrrole disorder. Which, in short, meant he had too much copper going to his brain which caused the impulsive actions usually associated with Bipolar. They prescribed him specially made vitamins which he has been taking for the last year.

In April, after six months on these vitamins, he was retested and his levels were much improved. He no longer showed a pyrrole disorder and we have been able to begin the long weaning process of withdrawing him from his prescribed medications.

We began removing (with Dr.'s approval) his medications 3 months ago. We took away half a dose at a time and have only taken away another pill every 3/4 weeks. This has to be a slow process so he doesn't have any effects of withdrawal. So far he has been able to come off of the risperdal and lithium and he is doing incredibly well. We still have 2 medications (adderall and tenex) that we are hoping to be able to get rid of, but it all takes time. Not only is his behavior excellent, but we have also seen his mind beginning to wake up. His reading ability has improved and seems to have a slightly easier time in learning new concepts. Hopefully we will see more improvement as we try to take away the last medications. He is having a hard time going to sleep in the evening, but hopefully as we reduce his Adderall that problem will go away.

Daniel will have to continue to take his specialized vitamins for life. He will have to be tested every couple of years (or more often - depending on how he grows) to make sure the vitamin levels are right. This is a far better alternative than the normal prescribed medications with all their side effects.

We are so grateful to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center for all their help and to God for leading us to them.

Please continue to pray for Daniel. That we will be able to eliminate all the medications and that the vitamins and minerals will be sufficient to keep his body chemistry at a normal healthy level. Also pray that he will be able to get enough sleep. Thank you

Michelle