Specific Supplements – Benefits or Adverse Reactions
There are numerous supplements that are being used to treat our children. Some have excellent evidence in the literature of benefit, like magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Other supplements have more anecdotal evidence from parents that are willing to try new supplements in the hope that they will have some benefit.
This section is intended to list those supplements which have been shown to be of benefit, however if the child regresses, often it may indicate an underlying biochemical abnormality which may need additional factors to help correct the imbalance. Sometimes parents see a deterioration of symptoms before there is an improvement with a particular supplement.
This is useful to know so that parents
1) know what to expect
2) persevere through the initial regression
3) know how long to expect to see results and when it is time to stop, and
4) know what type of adverse symptoms other parents have experienced.
There is nothing scarier for a parent than to see your child regress on a supplement. This is similar to parents going on a gluten/casein free, or low oxalate diet and seeing a deterioration in behaviour initially, during the withdrawal period, before their child begins to improve.
This is certainly not a complete list and I will be progressively updating the list as time allows.
Use ARI’s database to find possible treatments for your child.
WARNING!!
Please consult a practitioner familiar with supplementing ASD children. There are appropriate dosages that need to be determined, or co-factors than may need to be added. Some children may regress on a supplement, an experienced practitioner will know whether this is transient or a negative reaction to the supplement.
Vitamin B6 BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS OPTIONS Dimethylglycine (DMG) BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS OPTIONS For More Information On DMG Omega-3 BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS OPTIONS Cod Liver Oil (CLO) May help reconnect the retinoid receptors critical for vision, sensory perception, language processing and attention. BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS OPTIONS Trimethylglycine (TMG) BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS OPTIONS Zinc BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS OPTIONS Glutamine BENEFIT Taurine Taurine is a sulphur containing amino acid, important in the production of bile salts. It also acts as an antioxidant, helps in detoxification, and is reported to have an anti-opiod effect. BENEFIT Carnitine The primary function of carnitine is to help with energy metabolism in mitochondria. It helps to increase energy levels. BENEFIT Vitamin C BENEFIT POSSIBLE ADVERSE REACTIONS ARI's Biomedical Survey Analysis Tool Online Since 1967, the Autism Research Institute (ARI) has distributed surveys to parents to determine which treatments are most beneficial, as well as most harmful, to individuals with autism. ARI recently developed an Internet program that allows parents to utilize our treatment database survey, the largest in the world, to help determine which treatments to consider trying (or possibly avoiding) for their children. In this program, a parent first rates how his/her child responded to 1-4 treatments in the past. The program then searches ARI’s treatment database (more than 25,000 records), summarizing how children who responded to the same treatment(s) responded to other treatments. For example: if a child responded well to melatonin, the program will provide a list of additional treatments that benefited children who also responded well to melatonin. There is no charge to use this program up to May 2008. Read more: Medigenesis For advice or to book a consultation for your child with an experienced practitioner, call (03) 8802 7687 or email me.
DMG Monograph:
http://www.dmgdoctor.com/dmg.php