Chronic Disorders
Doctor Sergei Shushunov, offers individualized wholistic treatment plans, provides primary and sick care to patients, and is able to provide comprehensive medical services for the special needs child. Dr. Sergei Shushunov has developed protocols that are age and weight specific to safely utilize both natural and pharmacological agents in the healing of the patient. Dr. Shushunov prescribes specific brands and products that he has thoroughly researched for safety and efficacy.
We have found that there are many biochemical and genetic similarities among patients with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorders, seizures, and other neurological, behavioral, communication and social disorders. Certain findings are also seen in patients with allergies, asthma, eczema and auto-immune diseases. At the same time, each child is different and an individualized approach to a testing and treatment plan needs to be followed. After a thorough history is obtained, options are discussed with the family to determine the best treatment regimen for the patient. There are many tests that can be run to delineate the needs of a particular patient.
A Organic Acid Test (urine test), is often used to provide useful information about the toxins produced by yeast and bacteria. Sometimes a stool test will miss these organisms. This test also tells us about certain vitamin and co-enzyme needs, and how the body is metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
We are also concerned about heavy metal toxicity in our patients. Many people with chronic disorders have mercury, lead and other heavy metals accumulating in their body. Often, this is due to dysfunction of the detoxification pathways. These metals can directly damage the cells of various organs, including the brain and nervous system, liver, kidneys and hormone glands. Testing for the presence of these metals is difficult, since often they are no longer circulating in the blood and are instead bound to the tissues and organs they are damaging. A blood test is significant if it shows the metals to be present, but a negative result could indicate that the metals have moved out of the blood stream and into the organs. Hair testing often misses the metals as well. Since hair is an excretory organ, people who do not properly eliminate metals will not have it excreted into the hair. We have found that a chelation challenge test is the best way to identify the presence of toxic metals. By comparing a baseline urine sample to a sample taken after the administration of a chelating agent which extracts heavy metals from the tissues, we can demonstrate the presence of heavy metals in the body, the body is not a screening the heavy metals on its own, and that the chelating agent works for that individual. We have protocols for oral, rectal, transdermal and chelating agents.
Current research initiatives are attempting to determine why some patients with chronic neurodevelopmental disorders have higher levels of certain toxins in their body while others do not. Research is indicating that the problem is due to the inability of the patient’s body to excrete these toxins. Recent studies by world renowned biochemists are showing that many people with these disorders have abnormalities in their sulfation and methylation systems, which are involved in the detoxification process. By checking the blood for metabolites of these pathways, we can evaluate these critical pathways and certain therapies are employed depending on the findings. Certain B vitamins, methyl donors and other co-factors are very helpful in improving the function of the detoxification symptoms.
Negative food reactions frequently occur in patients with chronic disorders. Often, the avoidance of certain foods will cause a patient’s condition to significantly improve. Various lab tests help to identify which foods are causing symptoms. Blood tests can identify histamine related reactions and identify delayed hypersensitivity. White blood cell reaction tests can measure the response to specific food items at the cellular level. These tests are useful, but an elimination diet along with a reintroduction diet approach is the preferred method to identify problem foods. A particular food can be identified as causing symptoms if the patient shows a positive response to its elimination from the diet and a negative reaction to its reintroduction to the diet, without regard to lab results.
We often find one or more major immune system abnormality in patients with chronic disorders. Some children have weakened immune systems, allowing for repeated bacterial and viral infections. These infections often lead the patient to be placed on antibiotics, with resulting yeast and other bacterial infections as mentioned above. Other patients immune systems are over reacting, causing negative symptoms when exposed to particular foods or things in the external environment. Other patients may exhibit auto-immune diseases, as the body may create antibodies which can directly attack particular proteins in the brain, thyroid, joints, or kidneys. Many of these immune system problems can be identified by various blood tests, and we can treat them with particular natural and pharmacological therapies.
Many children with chronic disorders have deficiencies in certain essential fatty acids. These good fats are the preferred fat the body uses to make the membranes of nerve and cardiovascular cells. A blood test can help determine if there are deficiencies in these essential fatty acids, and fish and plant based oils can be used to treat the deficiencies.
As you can see, there are many different treatment strategies that may need to be used in the Wholistic treatment of patients with chronic disorders. Often these treatments need to be used simultaneously.
