New Autism Cure - breakthrough treatments and cures for autism

This day in age, it’s no big surprise to see something that was created for one purpose to be used in another. For example, I had a toothache a few weeks ago, and a website recommended using Pure Peppermint Extract. I gave it a whirl, and I had a decent amount of relief from the pain until I was able to make it to the dentist.

There are countless examples of this in medicine, and one of the more controversial examples is the use of OSR#1 specifically for the treatment of Autism. OSR#1 was originally developed to remove heavy metals from soil and acid mine drainage. After further research and testing, OSR#1 was found to be an effective antioxidant. Although the website openly says that the drug is not approved by the FDA nor has it been proven to cure any illness or disease, it provides links in order for parents and caregivers to obtain lists of pharmacies who distribute OSR#1.

How does OSR#1 Treat Autism?

Autism is often suggested to be directly linked to toxic levels of metals, especially mercury.  This being said, OSR#1 works to scavenge free radicals in the body and helps to maintain safe glutathione levels. More simply - it removes toxic metals. A study was done of children ages 3-8 years old where their severity of autism was compared with their level of excreted toxic metals. There were several positive correlations between the two. If Autism is in fact caused or affected by the level of toxic metals, then it seems only logical that a compound used to remove toxic metals would be an effective treatment.

Critics’ Questions and Clinicians’ Answers

Critics argue the basis of the compound to be considered “safe”. An FDA toxicologist questioned the safety of OSR#1 and inquired what studies had been done to prove that this was indeed safe for human ingestion. Dr. Boyd Haley, the developer of OSR#1 responded with a 10 person study. He said: “We looked at everything, including OSR#1’s effect on essential minerals. This project was done on the relatives (children, parents, spouses) of two medical doctors who also treat autistic children, as well as older individuals, and whose children also had ASD problems. No blood or urine test indicated any adverse effect. However, the glutathione results improved dramatically. We obtained an IRB (Institutional Review Board) to evaluate these results and this also showed no adverse effects of OSR#1.”

The Chicago Tribune published an article claiming that OSR#1 went through insufficient testing and was unsafe.  Within a few hours, the OSR1 Twitter page had an announcement saying that the article was false, and appropriate testing was conducted. It directs you to their website, where the history of testing is disclosed. The site even goes as far as saying that the compound is proven to be non-toxic in levels thousands of times higher than the amount suggested for human intake.

What Does This Talk of OSR#1 Mean For Your Autistic Child?

As with all treatments, it’s going to depend on your child’s needs. Though OSR#1 isn’t yet approved by the FDA, it’s important to pay attention to the studies that have been done, and the logistics of it all. The anti-oxidant is available and many doctors swear by it and support its benefits.  As parents, you surely won’t give your child just anything especially when it isn’t safe, so be sure that no matter what route you take for any treatment, medicinal or behavioral, that you take a look in depth and studies and findings.

Day in and day out, researchers are looking for treatments for the often life-changing condition that affects over 1% of children between 3 and 17. Though a cure for Autism may or may not be around the corner, there are often new advancements, and specialists are trying to find the missing link that will answer the difficult questions. One route that many researchers take, is associating Autism with other similar conditions in which there are successful treatments for. Another way, is to take a look at similarly structured conditions that might not have a cure yet, but have had their own advancements. The possibility of joint-discoveries gives researchers another avenue to explore when searching for cures and treatments for Autism.

One of the conditions that appears to have many of the same characteristics as Autism is one that affects over 26 millions people worldwide. Alzheimer’s traditionally affects the elderly population, but with many of the same symptoms as The one substantial difference is simply the age range of the people that the conditions effect. Autism traditionally affects adolescents while Alzheimer’s tends to attack the elderly population. Setting aside this key difference, Autism and Alzheimer’s have a striking amount of similarities as well.

Autism shares a number of symptoms with Alzheimer’s including those on both physical and psychological level.  Both conditions often leave their sufferers with the tendency to become catatonic at times, have attention transition issues, become easily distracted and/or disoriented and have difficulty with language comprehension. The similarities between the two conditions are in the hundreds - particularly in the similar brain patterns and symptoms.

These likenesses leave you thinking - could Alzheimer’s hold a piece of the puzzle that is finding a cure for Autism? There is currently research being done on a common drug, Namenda which slows the rate of decline in Alzheimer’s patients. Clinicians are studying the possibility that the drug will assist in the treatment of Autism by targeting the same areas in which Alzheimer’s Patients are affected.

We're quick to use them - but what are their risks?

Whenever we hear the words “you have a condition”, we often hope for it to be followed by “but we can treat it with medication.” One of the often used methods to treat Autism is medication.  After all, it is usually the cheaper and more convenient alternative to other available treatment methods.

With any medication, it’s important to make yourself aware of side effects. Many parents consider any side effects to be minor as compared to the symptoms their children are currently facing.  Some professionals have the opinion that medications don’t “cure” anything.  They merely conceal and minimize symptoms.  Even so, many look to medications as a temporary relief from troublesome side effects including self-injurious behavior.

The medications that are used to treat autism are Neuroleptics or “major tranquilizers”. These should not be confused with “minor tranquilizers” such as Valium and Xanax which are often prescribed to treat anxiety. Unlike minor tranqulizers, neuroleptics regulate the use of dopamine in the brain and often helps with autistic symptoms such as self-injury and obsessive, repetitive behaviors. When these symptoms are controlled, this can make children more attentive and able to learn and keep up with curriculum.

The most common side effect with Neuroleptics is sleepiness or heavy sedation. If a child suffers from this side effect, it is very possible that they may not be able to attend their treatments or study sessions and keep up with their treatments.  Other side effects include affects to liver function, effects to blood cells, behavioral changes including aggitation, and skin effects. True allergic reactions may also take place.

Another thing to keep in mind are the after effects of being on a Neuroleptic medication. Stopping the medication after extended use can often lead to unusual body movements in the head, neck and shoulders.  A condition known as Tardive Dyskinesia can also occur. Tardive Dyskinesia is a condition that causes involuntary movements, especially of the lower face. Tardive itself means “delayed” and Dyskinesia means “abnormal movement.” The condition is caused by neurons uncontrollably “misfiring” and is characterized by involuntary movements of the lips, tongue, face, and even arms and hands.

While it isn’t completely necessary to put your child on Neuroleptics for autism treatment, some doctors and physicians claim to get the best releif from symptoms this way. There are other medications being tested and prescribed for Autism treatments including anti-depressants including Lithium. In itself, being prescribed Lithium will require frequent blood work to regulate kidney and heart function. If Lithium is used in conjunction with a Neuroleptic, side effects must be watched very closely as other conditions can arise such as Encephalopathic Syndrome, which is a condition that is characterized headache, confusion, seizures, and visual loss.

While medications often offer the quickest and cheapest solution to controlling autism symptoms, it is very important that you make yourself very aware of the benefits and risks of taking the medication. Ask as many questions you can of your doctor and do your research. Some medications end up causing more damaging conditions, some irreversible, that will just require another medication to control. And there goes the cycle of medication.

Make yourself aware.