All new supplements are on board as of last night. We started transdermal glutathione for both boys last night, which is the last one. For now anyway. It's just a cream, but glutathione is one of the newer and supposedly, more effective treatments for kids with autism. Some info:
Disclaimer: Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources, and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA’s. Nothing in this document should be construed as medical advice. Always consult your child’s doctor regarding his or her individual needs.
Introduction
In the autism community over the past few years, glutathione, detoxification, and all related methylation issues have been the “hot topics” at many of the Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) conferences, other conferences like Autism One, and with many of the current medical practitioners treating autism. There are also some recent, excellent studies by Drs. Jill James and Richard Deth on this highly debated and important topic as possible treatments for children on the spectrum.
The process of the methylation and detoxification are highly complex processes and still require more research. Treating children with autism with glutathione to promote detoxification is not a perfect solution or cure for autism. It
could be an important piece of what
may not be functioning properly in children with autism spectrum disorders.
This document attempts to provide some basic information about glutathione, reading sources, and options available for your review. It has been written by a mom of a
child with autism with no credentials or medical training. I have simply provided reading materials that have helped me, research references, and personal experiences with my child. Please work with your doctor on proper testing and the unique needs of your loved one.
Overview: Glutathione and Its Potential Uses
www.drlera.com/specialty_formulas/Glutathione.htm
Glutathione helps defend the body against damage from cigarette smoking, exposure to radiation, cancer chemotherapy, and toxins such as alcohol. As a detoxifier of heavy metals and drugs, it aids in the treatment of blood and liver disorders.
Glutathione protects cells in several ways. It neutralizes oxygen molecules before they can harm cells. Together with selenium, it forms the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which neutralizes hydrogen peroxide. It is also a component of another antioxidant enzyme, glutathione-S-transferase, which is a broad-spectrum liver-detoxifying enzyme.
Glutathione protects not only individual cells but also the tissues of the arteries, brain, heart, immune cells, kidneys, lenses of the eyes, liver, lungs, and skin against oxidant damage. It plays a role in preventing cancer, especially liver cancer, and may also have an anti-aging effect. Glutathione can be taken in supplement form. The production of glutathione by the body can be boosted by taking supplemental N-acetylcysteine or L-cysteine plus L-methionine. Studies suggest that taking glutathione combined with another boosting supplement may be a better way of raising glutathione levels rather than taking glutathione by itself.
Glutathione is not technically an amino acid: however, due to its close relationship is normally grouped with the amino acids. Most glutathione is found in the liver where it detoxifies many harmful compounds to be excreted thru the bile. Some glutathione is released directly by the liver into the bloodstream where it helps to maintain the strength of your red blood cells and also protecting your white blood cells.
Glutathione can also be found in the lungs and in your body’s intestinal tract system. It is required for carbohydrate metabolism. Glutathione also appears to have anti-aging effects by aiding in the breakdown of oxidized fats that may contribute to atherosclerosis. As we get, older glutathione levels in the body decrease and this can speed up the aging process. Thus, glutathione supplementation is useful in preventing this from occurring.
Glutathione deficiency maybe indicated by: coordination problems, mental disorder, tremors, twitching, nervous system disorder, and difficulty in balancing. Currently, the deficiency is believed to be caused by lesions in the brain.
Latest Research on Glutathione
Neurotoxicology – Volume 26, Issue 1, January 2005, Pages 1-8
*Thimerosal Neurotoxicity is Associated with Glutathione Depletion:
Protection with Glutathione Precursors * *S.J. James, William Slikker III, Stepan Melnyk, Elizabeth New, Marta Pogribna and Stefanie Jernigan *
1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
2 Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
Abstract
Thimerosol is an antiseptic containing 49.5% ethyl mercury that has been used for years as a preservative in many infant vaccines and in flu vaccines. Environmental methyl mercury has been shown to be highly neurotoxic, especially to the developing brain. Because mercury has a high affinity for thiol (sulfhydryl (single bondSH)) groups, the thiol-containing antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), provides the major intracellular defense against mercury-induced neurotoxicity. Cultured neuroblastoma cells were found to have lower levels of GSH and increased sensitivity to thimerosol toxicity compared to glioblastoma cells that have higher basal levels of intracellular GSH. Thimerosal-induced cytotoxicity was associated with depletion of intracellular GSH in both cell lines. Pretreatment with 100 /?/M glutathione ethyl ester or /N/-acetylcysteine (NAC), but not methionine, resulted in a significant increase in intracellular GSH in both cell types. Further, pretreatment of the cells with glutathione ethyl ester or NAC prevented cytotoxicity with exposure to 15 /?/M Thimerosal. Although Thimerosal has been recently removed from most children’s vaccines, it is still present in flu vaccines given to pregnant women, the elderly, and to children in developing countries. The potential protective effect of GSH or NAC against mercury toxicity warrants further research as possible adjunct therapy to individuals still receiving Thimerosal-containing vaccinations.
Note: I am sure there are many more sources for glutathione and similar products. These are the products I am familiar with. It is important to find sources that meet dietary restrictions (gluten-free, casein-free, dye-free, additives-free, etc.). Sometimes these additives can mask any benefits of glutathione supplementation.
OK, so I have been waiting to start this for awhile- we needed some lab results back- Jack has unusually high mercury levels. and they both show deficits in their bloodwork related to some of the information above. I have also been looking forward to the transdermal nature of the supplement- no begging a kid to swallow it, no shots (for now). Good stuff. 1st dose with pj's last night. Why oh why does EVERYTHING cause sleep disturbances for Jack. If it's an option as a side effect, you can bet he's gonna have it. He did not just have sleep disturbances last night, he was talking in his sleep, not in English, combative, running into the hallway, sitting down and screaming at nothing.....it was scary. Yet, I don't want to give up after one dose, this is something that could truly help him. So I gave him another dose this am and have noticed nothing out of the ordinary during the day. I guess my next step is to try it again tonight, see if we have the same problem. If we do, I guess I could try applying the second dose several hours earlier, or if need be, double dosing in the morning. I just hope we see something positive come out of this. The person who wrote the article for TACA also stated this about their personal experiences:
My son’s medical tests demonstrated over several years along with many types of tests that he had a glutathione deficiency and other issues. Over the past four years, we have found that glutathione treatments have greatly assisted him. I have attempted to outline some of our findings for one case: my son’s.
What We Tried:
- We tried Oral Glutathione; it resulted in a tremendous yeast outbreak. We also found studies that glutathione supplementation did not survive the digestive process to yield results.
- We tried Topical Glutathione; it caused a bad rash and undesired behaviors (this is an understatement!). At the time, there was only a soy-based topical glutathione – today you can acquire crème without soy or other allergens.
- We tried an initial dose of IV Glutathione: 250 mg (really an IV Push; 5-10 minutes)
- Some hints: We brought a portable DVD Player along, and prepared his arm with a big glob of EMLA cream prior to infusions. At the time, Jeff was 5 years old and around 40 lbs. The first treatment was in Fall 2002.
- Another type of glutathione administration is through a nebulizer.
I would love to know what her child's undesired behaviors were. I really would....
