Busy week, as far as loons go,,, (Pt 2)

When I first partook of this little journey into Dr Daniel Kalb, I had planned on delving into some of his alleged treatments.  That isn't quite working out the way I planned.  Truth be told, some of it is beyond my pay grade and I don't think I would do a good job of presenting the issues as I am unfamiliar with them beyond a precursory view. To be honest, I bore of this man's use of pseudo-science to make an "almighty buck" - he rails against "toxins" in vaccines but injects the most deadly toxins in the world.

But,,,

Two points, did stick out to me when doing some background reading in regards to his "treating" autism: the use of enemas (for general health) and Respen-A (specifically).

First up,,,

Colon Hydrotherapy, “just” a fancy name for enema,,,well at least he is not shoving bleach up a kids ass, I hope.

"Colon hydrotherapy, is a safe, effective method of removing waste from the large intestine, without the use of drugs. By introducing filtered and temperature regulated water into the colon, the waste is softened and loosened, resulting in evacuation through natural peristalsis.

This process is repeated a few times during a session."

But he is shoving “filtered and temperature regulated water” in the belief that autism is an  “immune-system dysfunction disorder”. (As I have said before, I don’t give a shit what adults do to themselves.)  In other words, he believes in the “leaky gut syndrome”. (See here, here, and here for more information on why I find LGS to be bogus but yet the science behind the gut biome holds intrigue as one who suffers from gut issues.  I should say, one who has been "influenced to believe" I have gut issues; more so since my stroke.)

And all of these diseases are related, and the way colonics fits in is these disorders are all immune-system dysfunction disorders, period. This is about the immune system, 75 percent of which is located in the gut. If the gut is messed up, brain’s going to be messed up, and it’s that simple. And all the neurochemicals that have to do with normal balance of neurotransmitters.  They all come from the gut as well. And one of the cornerstones of these children with autism is that the majority have bowel dysfunction.
,,,
you can do testing for, and you’ll see bowel dysbiosis, tons of abnormal bacteria, tons of yeast overgrowth, species of yeast that you can’t even pronounce, parasites. It’s just phenomenal. Why are they so heavily colonized by these things? It’s because of their immune dysfunction, which is part of this whole disorder. So, where colonics fits in is we want to be able to repopulate their gut, heal their gut by, of course, probiotics, digestive enzymes, trying to alter their diet, but it’s through colonics that you really cleanse and detoxify all their previous antibiotics, all of the foods that are attaching to their bowel walls, the fact that they have some predisposition to accumulate toxins, have difficulty disposing of toxins. You can help them therapeutically through all of that.  You can also use colonics as a means of doing stool transplants, which have been phenomenally successful in this population. It’s difficult in some cases to actually implement that, but the results can be phenomenal.

So this guy is also into fecal transplants as well. I will add that there is strong evidence for fecal transplants in treating C. diff..  At the time of this writing that is all I am aware of, the study of the “gut biome” is an ongoing field of study.  It is an issue I hope to delve further into as it may have some personal ramifications, though I abide by the advice of Kavin Senapathy for the moment Keep Calm And Avoid Microbiome Mayhem.

“But colon cleansing — also called a colonic or a colonic irrigation — for such purposes isn't necessary. That's because your digestive system and bowel already eliminate waste material and bacteria from your body.”

See also::Colonic irrigation and the theory of autointoxication: a triumph of ignorance over science.  From the abstract:

Autointoxication is an ancient theory based on the belief that intestinal waste products can poison the body and are a major contributor to many, if not all, diseases. In the 19th century, it was the ruling doctrine of medicine and led "colonic quackery" in various guises. By the turn of the century, it had received some apparent backing from science. When it became clear that the scientific rationale was wrong and colonic irrigation was not merely useless but potentially dangerous, it was exposed as quackery and subsequently went into a decline. Today we are witnessing a resurgence of colonic irrigation based on little less than the old bogus claims and the impressive power of vested interests. Even today's experts on colonic irrigation can only provide theories and anecdotes in its support. It seems, therefore, that ignorance is celebrating a triumph over science.

Bear in mind while my interest is enema’s to children, “[s]ome sellers of intestinal cleansers turn you, the consumer, into a diagnostician, telling you signs to look for to determine that your body is not working properly. One of these signs is having fewer than 2-3 bowel movements a day. But that has nothing to do with whether you require a laxative or other medication. The number of bowel movements considered healthy over a given period of time differs from person to person. It can be anywhere from a few times a day to a few times a week. Only when your typical pattern changes might something be wrong.”

See also::  The dangers of colon cleansing, “patients may look to colon cleansing as a way to ‘enhance their well-being,’ but in reality they may be doing themselves harm.”

What objective, science-based information concerning Respen-A could I find pertaining to autism?  Zilch!!  I did find a lot of "old" anecdotal information though.  Let me explain,,,

Respen-A was featured in the 2010 AutismOne crankfest.  Since that time I can't seem to find anything beyond bio-medical quackery to "support" its use in treating ASD.  Looking into Elaine DeLack, RN and Kurt N. Woeller, D.O., who founded this protocol, I am getting odd results that I am not quite sure what to make of.  Respen-A seems to have fallen out of favor as a treatment circa 2012, and without wading through a shitload of garbage, I can't tell if it is still in use.  Use of Respen-A is not mentioned on Kalb's site but that really doesn't mean anything.

So a "medical doctor" supports, or did support, an untested, homeopathic treatment,

Homeopathic Topical Treatment for the Core Symptoms of Autism: Impaired Social Interaction, Impaired Communication/Language and Repetitive Behaviors

based on a self reported measurement scale (designed by non other than Bernard Rimland).

Effectiveness of Respen-A™ as a Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders as Measured by the Autism Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Patients averaged 30 points of improvement in their symptoms of autism after one month of using Respen-A™. Many patients’ symptoms have resolved and are no longer considered on the Autism Spectrum after using the biomedical treatment, Respen-A™, less than one year.

Respen-A, requires a prescription, hence Kalb's role, as its active ingredient is reserpine, which according to Wiki:

Reserpine (also known by trade names Raudixin, Serpalan, Serpasil) is an indole alkaloid, antipsychotic, and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic symptoms, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely used today. The antihypertensive actions of reserpine are a result of its ability to deplete catecholamines (among other monoamine neurotransmitters) from peripheral sympathetic nerve endings. These substances are normally involved in controlling heart rate, force of cardiac contraction and peripheral vascular resistance.
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Reserpine was isolated in 1952 from the dried root of Rauwolfia serpentina (Indian snakeroot), which had been known as Sarpagandha and had been used for centuries in India for the treatment of insanity, as well as fever and snakebites — Mahatma Gandhi used it as a tranquilizer. It was first used in the United States by Robert Wallace Wilkins in 1950. Its molecular structure was elucidated in 1953 and natural configuration published in 1955. It was introduced in 1954, two years after chlorpromazine. The first total synthesis was accomplished by R. B. Woodward in 1958.

Reserpine almost irreversibly blocks the uptake (and storage) of norepinephrine (i.e. noradrenaline) and dopamine into synaptic vesicles by inhibiting the Vesicular Monoamine Transporters (VMAT).

Reserpine has been discontinued in the UK for some years due to its numerous interactions and side effects.

Reserpine was also highly influential in promoting the thought of a biogenic amine hypothesis of depression — see Everett & Tolman, 1959.

From what I can tell, Respen-A's alleged alleviation of ASD symptoms is nothing but a sedation effect, apathy and motivational loss.  Even at the stated 4X dilution, there should be something in it.  Whether transdermal application would allow for enough absorption remains to be seen as no trials as to the ASD use had been carried out.

Reserpine depletes stores of catecholamines and 5-hydroxytryptamine in many organs, including the brain and adrenal medulla. Most of its pharmacological effects have been attributed to this action. Depletion is slower and less complete in the adrenal medulla than in other tissues. The depression of sympathetic nerve function results in a decreased heart rate and a lowering of arterial blood pressure. The sedative and tranquilizing properties of Reserpine are thought to be related to depletion of catecholamines and 5-hydroxytryptamine from the brain.

The only report provided redirects to a lone case study of a 14 y/o boy. A search of PubMed resulted in ONE paper from 1957.

Please note:: the physicians list for Respen-A and it corresponding web site appear to be "old".  Copyright has not been updated since 2011 and no blog posts since the end of 2012.  The Twitter account associated has been quiet since 2012 as well.

I have no clue if Kalb actively promotes this shit for "treating" autism or has let it go by-the-wayside.  What I do know is he is active in treating Lyme disease.  Based on what I have read in various forums and message boards, he appears too support the political and popular controversy surrounding Lyme disease.  Because of my unfamiliarity with this area, I am going to leave that where it is at as I don't have the knowledge to pick apart the arguments.  Although I live in a high Lyme area, it has not touched any aspect of my life.

For one who is against the "toxins" in vaccines, he has no issue in using Botox in whatever manner he does.  If you remember, like Jenny McCarthy before him, she too railed against "toxins" while injecting the shit.

As I highlighted in part 1, Kalb is a part of the AV crowd, that is disconcerting being that he is a medical doctor.  The other stuff, the colon hydrotherapy and Respen-A, is just added fodder.  I had originally planned to delve more in-depth, but information is lacking, reviews are mixed and he has remained silent since his initial posting.

Definitely not my first choice of a medical provider no matter how desperate!!