Re: 4 year old w/ diabetes, anemia, lowered kidney function

My mother's acquaintance has a 4 year old son with the following abnormal blood panel markers:

Hemoglobin A1C -- 7.2 (High)
AST Protein -- 17 (Low) (Ref. Range: 20-39)
Iron, Total -- 12 (Low) (27 - 64 Reference range)
Microalbumin -- 1.2 (High, I presume; no reference range given)
Total Neutrophils % -- 61 (High) (Ref. Range: 25-55)
Monocytes % -- 10.6 (High) (Ref. Range: 0-10)
Monocytes, Absolute -- 1378 (High) (Ref. Range: 200-900)
Vitamin D, 25-OH Total -- 21 (L) (Ref. Range: 30-100)

The AST is actually fine.  Low AST is normal.

The A1c being high is expected.

The microalbumin would be high from kidney damage, which is actually caused by the insulin.  The kidney damage also decreases levels of active vitamin D₃ since the kidneys convert inactive D₃ in to active D₃.  The anemia could also possibly be from the kidney damage if he is leaking blood in to the urine.

MCV is marked off, for some reason, as abnormal at 82.5, although it's within the lab's reference range (73-87).

Must be a computer error because that is in normal range.

He has diabetes and requires many insulin injections throughout the day, with sugar/fruit juice given when blood sugar drops too low.

Sounds like the diabetes is not being controlled very well.  And something that a lot of people are unaware of is that it is the insulin that causes most of the serious side effects of diabetes, not the elevated sugar.  Therefore, it is important to not overdo the insulin.  Blood sugar needs to be carefully monitored and insulin needs to used in doses according to how high the blood sugar is to prevent hypoglycemic drops and insulin damage.

Too bad they are not out here, I am teaching a class on diabetes Thursday.

Judging from the information, it seems as if his kidney function has been compromised somewhat due to the diabetes.

Yes, this is a common side effect of insulin.

He also has slightly elevated immune cells -- could this be autoimmunity (his adrenals, at 4 yrs of age, are likely not 100% developed yet, and juvenile diabetes is autoimmune), or do you think it's more so a low-key infection?

Sounds like an infection, or it could be an immune response to the kidney damage.

The iron is low, too.

Most likely this is from blood leaking through the damaged kidney.

Could you please comment on the following protocol?

1. Suma root and cordyceps to oxygenate the body and make red blood cell activity more efficient. He has iron deficiency anemia, but I think, at 4, it's probably too dangerous to supplement with iron. If you think suma and cordyceps are good here, in what dosage and frequency for a 4 yr old child?

For the type of anemia and the possible cause I would not bother with these right now.  Instead, a better choice would be nettle leaf, which will help provide iron and strengthen the kidneys.  Schisandra and amla are also excellent for the kidneys.  With the nettle leaf I recommend a half teaspoon three times daily.  It actually tastes pretty good so it is not that hard to get down.  Especially if mixed in a little unsweetened cinnamon applesauce.  The cinnamon will help counter the natural sugars present and the fiber in the nettle will slow the sugar absorption.  The other herbs are in the Adrenal Tonic, which is safe for children in the same recommended dose on the bottle.

2. I was looking at your Sugar Balance formula. Is it appropriate for a child?

Yes.

Moreover, since he has type 1 diabetes, is there enough gymnema sylvestre to adequately regenerate the pancreatic islet cells, or should gymnema be taken separately for this to increase the rate of regeneration?

Regeneration is going to be slow regardless if you increase the amount of gymnema or not.  The only advantage of increasing gymnema would be more sugar blocking, but with the hypoglycemia from the insulin occurring it would be safer to not increase the amount much if at al.

What dosage/frequency for your Sugar Balance, or, if appropriate, gymnema alone or with the Sugar Balance formula?

On the Sugar Balance I recommend 1-2 capsules 3 times daily before meals.  It is important to monitor the blood sugar carefully and his insulin injections adjusted accordingly to his blood sugar levels.

3. To deal with the autoimmunity, should he take your adrenal tonic? If so, in what dosage/frequency?

I would recommend the Adrenal Tonic again at the recommended dose on the bottle.

Any other recommendations?

D₃ supplements and more sun would be helpful, but again with the kidney damage there is going to be a problem with conversion in to active D₃.

4. Given that he is taking insulin injections, is it dangerous to mix insulin injections with things that increase insulin sensitivity (chromium, stevia, nettle leaf, etc.)? I've often wondered this, myself, over the past year.

No, not really.  The insulin cannot work without the insulin receptors being open and working properly.  The concept of simply increasing the amount of insulin beyond what the body would normally produce to "force" the glucose out of the blood is not the answer and is quite dangerous.  Yet this is what allopathic medical treatments basically involve.  It is safer to help the receptors function properly and carefully monitor blood glucose levels and adjust insulin levels according to the blood sugar levels.  Over time the insulin usage should decline, which will also reduce insulin damage to the body.

5. I am guessing that, w/ the above, the kidneys should be covered (cordyceps, nettle leaf, schisandra in your adrenal tonic).

Yes, the kidneys need to be strengthened so they do not completely fail.

Should he take anything else for the liver given the low AST protein, such as turmeric or milk thistle? If so, what, and in what dosage/frequency?

Don't worry about the AST.  Low is normal.  It is high AST that we worry about since indicates damage to the liver or other tissues.

6. How long does it take to regenerate pancreatic beta cells, and how would a patient know when to begin getting off insulin injections?

There is no set time, but it is slow. The person must simply monitor their blood sugar carefully and lower their insulin levels as the blood sugar comes down.  I had someone recently who was able to come off their insulin in about 2 weeks but they were on insulin due to late stage type 2 diabetes, not type 1.  Therefore, it is slightly different circumstances.  Good news though is children do tend to heal better and faster than adults.