rafiki Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) nt Edited November 21, 2012 by one l michele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/certain-amino-acids-may-relieve-rare-form-autism I found this interesting, because I know L Carnitine, helps me. before modern drugs the only treatment for epilepsy was a ketogenic diet. It was believed that about 40% of children diagnosed would have positive outcomes from this diet. Once modern drugs were introduced most doctors stopped treating with diet. It's believed that a ketogenic diet affects how cells use and store amino acids. Some relevant info from wiki: On the ketogenic diet, carbohydrates are restricted and so cannot provide for all the metabolic needs of the body. Instead, fatty acids are used as the major source of fuel. These are used through fatty-acid oxidation in the cell's mitochondria (the energy-producing part of the cell). Humans can convert some amino acids into glucose by a process called gluconeogenesis, but cannot do this for fatty acids.[53] Since amino acids are needed to make proteins, which are essential for growth and repair of body tissues, these cannot be used only to produce glucose. This could pose a problem for the brain, since it is normally fuelled solely by glucose, and fatty acids do not cross the blood–brain barrier. Fortunately, the liver can use fatty acids to synthesise the three ketone bodies β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone. These ketone bodies enter the brain and substitute for glucose.[52] Edited September 13, 2012 by Stacy in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Fascinating. The link says "reduced" autism symptoms and seizures. I'm just wondering how far it reduces the problems. I'm also wondering if they improve significantly enough, might the underlying genetic mutation affecting the amino acid metabolism be classified as a disease in and of itself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Interesting. My DD does not have epilepsy, but her ASD symptoms improved significantly within days of adding Acetyl-L-carnitine and also DMG, and both of those are amino acids. I haven't specifically tried adding a general BCAA supplement (and I can't make any changes until DD finishes the methyl B12 study she's currently doing) but I'll make a note to ask our DAN dr. about it at our next appt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I'm thinking this may *may* be the future we're looking at. Our geneticist told me they are getting closer and closer to IDing the genes. It's coming. And with it, for some anyway, may come specific treatments. I'm sure we'll see that "autism" isn't the same thing from person to person. It's more accurately probably different conditions with overlapping presentation. Fascinating anyway. My son, also, improved with Carnitine but he was extremely deficient. I've always thought his autism improved just because he felt so much better and so he could engage and begin learning again/regaining the losses he had experienced developmentally. I keep meaning to try acetyl-carnitine with him as I think it may cross blood brain better than his prescription Carnitor. Anyway, the article was interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Sbgrace- is your DS taking Coenzyme Q10? It may have been you who suggested trying CoQ10 to me (I can't remember which poster on this board did), but if he's not, you may want to give it a try. My DD had a carnitine deficiency as well and I saw improvement within days of adding CoQ10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Sbgrace- is your DS taking Coenzyme Q10? It may have been you who suggested trying CoQ10 to me (I can't remember which poster on this board did), but if he's not, you may want to give it a try. My DD had a carnitine deficiency as well and I saw improvement within days of adding CoQ10. Are you using a liquid or powder form? I didn't see any wow with coq10 but he does take it. I read something recently that made me think maybe we need a liquid. We had dramatic response to carnitine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 She's currently taking CoQ10 gummies. The Epic4Health CoQ10 is supposed to be better utilized by the body but their pricetag for the dosage our DAN dr. recommends (200 mg/day) is out of our budget at the current time. DD seems to be responding to the cheapy gummies so that's what we are using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.