Couple of *Lightbulb* Moments ...

I realized last nite that I continue to give Salamander his supplements based on his weight as it was BEFORE the rapid weight gain started back in September 07. For most of the supplements that probably isn't an issue, but I realize that when it comes to B12 dosage as well as dosage for several of the supplements he is taking to help with the neurotransmitter imbalances I am probably not giving him enough. So I'm going to have to *tweak* (and will do so one thing at a time).

Two changes that I've already made are (will keep you posted on how these changes are working out):

• Increase the daily dosage of cod liver oil from 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp (for the longest time, Salamander had serious fatty acid digestion issues and could only tolerate CLO or MCT - and exactly because of the fatty acid digestion issues, could only tolerate these in small amounts).
• Added a very tiny teeny pinch of 5-HTP to his morning supplement mix.

And as we're on the topic of MCT (medium chain triglycerides), I was reading a bit on the UMDF parent information webpage and I found this blurb:

"In some patients (see #4a and #4b above) [with OXPHOS disorders], adding fat in the form of medium chain triglycerides (MCT), may be helpful. Medium chain triglycerides of 8 to 10 carbons long are easier to metabolize (turn into energy) than the longer chain triglycerides (those with 12-18 carbons) because they do not require carnitine to be transported into the mitochondria. MCT Oil@ is mainly made of 8 and 10 carbon triglycerides and this type of oil does not occur in nature, but is made from coconut oil. MCT Oil@ is made by the baby formula company Mead-Johnson. It comes in quart bottles, available by prescription and runs about $70 a quart. It can be added like oil over pasta and rice. You can cook with it, but this is a light oil and burns easily. The special rules are explained in a recipe book that you can request from the pharmacist. Depending on the situation, a patient may benefit from a few teaspoons to a few tablespoons a day. There are oils sold in health food stores called "MCT Oil" or "medium chain triglyceride oil". These are much less expensive ($25 per quart), but make sure there is a certified analysis on the label, stating that the vast majority of the oil is C-8 and C-1 0 (and not C-12 or higher)."

I've had both my boys on MCT Oil for years, as the particular brand/blend the boys are on is also a great source of caprylic acid, which is a powerful agent in the fight against gut dysbiosis. I had ran out a few months back. I did reorder, and have had a new bottle on my supplement shelf for a while, but hadn't restarted. I had so many other supplements to get into the rotation, MCT Oil just wasn't a priority.

Needless to say, MCT Oil is *back in* for both boys as of yesterday morning. Will keep you posted on that as well.

Increasing B12 will take a bit of planning. Especially Salamander is incredibly B12 deficient, and whenever I increase B12 (in any form, shape or administration route; expect for METHYLB12) I see benefits for a few days. And then *the bottom drops out*, as the increase in B12 gives a few metabolic cycles an extra push, which then results in extra detox. So slow and steady is the preferred approach there..