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From birth, he was “different.” He was very moody, angry, hated being touched and would not sit still—EVER. He hated car rides, being in a stroller, being carried, sung to; you name it. Other than video games, he hated everything.
He never slept more than a few hours at a time and averaged about five hours. He woke up at night for no obvious reason 5 to 15 times a night until the age of 5. He spit up every time he ate until he was 3 years old, and he would break out in hives all over his body.
At 18 months I took him to an allergist, who said it was food sensitivities and he would outgrow it by the time he was four. He didn’t.
Cameron’s behavior was horrible. In stores, he would run away and hide. In the car he would scream until he vomited and he gave me two black eyes before he was three years old.
He couldn’t speak; he would make sounds but no distinguishable words. We took him for a hearing test, which was fine, and they recommended occupational therapy. He was very uncooperative, but we continued with it two times a week for a year.
Here is a sequence of pictures I took as Cameron ate a blue lollipop (before I learned about the additives). In the last two pictures there are tears running down his cheeks.
When Cameron was four he started speech therapy, but he hated it. He would scream until he began vomiting. He wouldn’t participate with the therapist but would kick, hit and spit. She suggested medication to help subdue his outbursts.
He didn’t know the alphabet or colors but was very good at math. We started thinking he was mildly autistic. He still was not sleeping and was getting hives daily. He craved food with dyes like a junky craves heroin.
Cameron started 4-year old kindergarten, and it was horrible. He was the worst-behaved kid in a classroom of thirty-five 4-year olds. His teacher suggested medication as she didn’t think he would be able to function in a mainstream classroom.
My “ah-ha” moment came when I saw an online petition for Kraft to remove the dye from its mac & cheese because the dye could cause ADHD, mood swings and hives. The previous night Cameron had eaten Kraft Mac & Cheese and he didn’t sleep and was covered with hives.
After we removed the dyes, his behavior changed, the hives went away, and his sleep improved.
Then Cameron gave me a hug! And after 30 days of being dye-free, he could speak! Nearly perfect, clear words that everyone could understand. For the first time ever, he said “I love you.”
I spent most of that month in tears because of the life-changing miracles that came from removing dyes. He literally learned his colors overnight. I spoke with him about these changes, and he said his body didn’t hurt as much as it used to and his head didn't buzz as much. I then realized my son spent the first five years of his life in constant pain and didn’t know he was supposed to feel any different. We were dye-free for three months and doing great; then we went to a 4th of July parade. He was perfectly behaved until I let him have some cotton candy and all hell broke out! He was yelling, crying, screaming, curled up in the fetal position having a complete breakdown. This reaction to dye took five days to wear off.
Note: After someone is free of dyes for an extended period, an occasional infraction is not likely to cause a dramatic reaction.
Things were much better that winter, and I also noticed a major change in Cameron’s dad. He cut back on his dye consumption. (He was completely addicted to Jolly Ranchers, Sour Patch Kids and Mountain Dew.) But now, he wasn’t angry at the world like he had always been and was just nicer in general. Who knew that dyes could affect adults?
We had been dye-free for about a year when Cameron was complaining about body pain again and he had what doctors kept referring to as eczema. That’s when I learned about other additives including artificial flavors, some preservatives and that even some foods can bring on the type of symptoms he had. Just like the dyes, the three preservatives (BHA, BHT, TBHQ) are made from petroleum, as are many artificial flavorings. (www.feingold.org)
When Cameron ate these he would experience these reactions: anger, body and joint pains, hives, impaired learning, ringing/buzzing in his ears, stomach pain, anxiety, rapid & loud speech, bi-polar tendencies, and the inability to follow simple directions.
He started kindergarten free of artificial colors and flavoring at the same school where two previous teachers suggested medication. Three months into the school year he was awarded “Student of the Month.” He no longer needed speech therapy or an IEP. The therapist had no explanation as to why he suddenly could talk. His occupational therapist contacted me three years after her last meeting with him, saying she couldn’t believe the progress he had made.
In third grade Cameron received the “Character Trait Leadership” award. He is doing great in school.
Blue 1 was not found to be toxic in key rat and mouse studies, but an unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice, and a preliminary in vitro study raised questions about possible effects on nerve cells. Blue 1 may not cause cancer, but confirmatory studies should be conducted. The dye can cause hypersensitivity reactions.
Blue 2 cannot be considered safe given the statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. It should not be used in foods.
from Food Dyes—A Rainbow of Risks published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest
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