Posted by Barb on May 05, 1999 at 17:54:19:

In Reply to: Re: Have you tried this? posted by Don on May 05, 1999 at 16:45:50:

Don -
I agree. My son did not experience cataplexy when he was awake, altho he is only 17 now, and often times children do not express their symptoms in the same manner as adults. He did, however, complain of severe dreams and a feeling of being "frozen" when he would try to wake up. If he now eats an offending food he experiences a tingling in his extremities and a loss of cognitive function. His diagnosis, based on a nighttime sleep test and a periodic daytime sleep test was narcolepsy. But, again, I did not feel that he suffered from cataplexy. The sad part is, tho, that his neurologist wanted to put him on amphetimines to keep him awake, and sleeping pills to put him to bed at night. At 6'7" and 150# amphetimines did not seem like an option. Can you imagine how skinny he would have become on amphetimines?!! That's when I took him to an allergist. It was the only test he had never had. The allergies proved to be a contributing factor to his condition and he is now symptom free.

I just found an interesting website of medical doctors who are starting to believe that alot of the problems of our youth, and indeed our population as a whole, may be related to allergic reactions to things that have been introduced recently into our environment. For my son those things include soybean (a typically Asian food source. He is European descended) and corn syrup (call the Feingold Institute to see how NONE of us should be eating this!) Check out www.nids.net

My point is that until science can find the REASON that my son cannot assimilate certain proteins or enzymes, or whatever is the problem (genes??) in certain foods, isn't it preferable that he just AVOID these products and lead a relatively normal life? I would hope that this information can help even ONE person remain drug-free. And I hope that, armed with this information, the medical and drug communities will try to find a SOLUTION to these "immune system" problems rather than a bandaid for them. Please send your comments. Only as a group united to find the CAUSE can we influence the medical and pharmeceutical people who dictate the care for those who are afflicted with these dibilitating conditions.

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