Autism is a non-traumatic type of brain injury; the kind you typically see in the Emergency Room is TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), after a car crash or, in the US, a shooting.
TBIs are very common and frequently fatal; when not fatal they often produce grave ongoing physical and psychological consequences, some of which may be life-long. As a result there is a great deal of research into understanding TBIs and how to best treat them.
In this blog we have already mentioned that statins are being used to successfully treat TBI. As I discovered, they have an impact in autism as well.
My renewed interest in TBI is two fold:-
After a TBI there frequently are hormonal changes and they have even been given a name.
Post TBI Hormonal Deficiency Syndrome
The most frequently affected hormones are reported to be growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). This is interesting because these same hormones appear to be affected in autism.
There is a hormone therapy for TBI and it is currently undergoing a third stage clinical trial at 67 hospitals across the US.
Progesterone as a neuroprotective factor in traumatic and ischemic brain injury
Regular readers of this blog will know that I like charts. Here is a neat summary of how progesterone helps in TBI.
Progesterone is indeed a female hormone, but it is also present in small amounts in the male brain. It is a fringe therapy for ADD and ADHD with the hormone given transdermally.
In TBI, progesterone is being given intravenously in the ER, as soon as possible after the accident.
In autism we are working many years after the brain injury occurred, but that should not stop us looking further. The same applies to statins.
TBIs are very common and frequently fatal; when not fatal they often produce grave ongoing physical and psychological consequences, some of which may be life-long. As a result there is a great deal of research into understanding TBIs and how to best treat them.
In this blog we have already mentioned that statins are being used to successfully treat TBI. As I discovered, they have an impact in autism as well.
My renewed interest in TBI is two fold:-
- Does TBI cause ongoing hormonal changes in the brain? (as does ASD)
- Are there hormone therapies for TBI? (there are experimental ones for ASD)
After a TBI there frequently are hormonal changes and they have even been given a name.
Post TBI Hormonal Deficiency Syndrome
The most frequently affected hormones are reported to be growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). This is interesting because these same hormones appear to be affected in autism.
There is a hormone therapy for TBI and it is currently undergoing a third stage clinical trial at 67 hospitals across the US.
Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (ProTECT III)You can read all about the study with the above link. If you are curious as to how Progesterone can reduce neuroinflammation and be neuroprotective, here is another paper:-
Progesterone as a neuroprotective factor in traumatic and ischemic brain injury
Regular readers of this blog will know that I like charts. Here is a neat summary of how progesterone helps in TBI.
Progesterone is indeed a female hormone, but it is also present in small amounts in the male brain. It is a fringe therapy for ADD and ADHD with the hormone given transdermally.
In TBI, progesterone is being given intravenously in the ER, as soon as possible after the accident.
In autism we are working many years after the brain injury occurred, but that should not stop us looking further. The same applies to statins.
Could be a therapy giving progesterone? If we are talking about a little girl of 3 years, how could that affect the developement?
ReplyDeleteun tio, I think many girls with severe autism (unlike most boys) probably have an identifiable genetic cause. The most common is Rett syndrome, but there are many others.
DeleteSo I would encourage you to look into genetic testing.
un tio, as a mother of a three year old girl with a genetic condition that theoretically could be ameliorated by progesterone, I have briefly looked into this.
DeleteI think one side effect would be premature puberty, with short stature.
Since you don't even know the cause for your daughters condition, I encourage you to look further down that lane. Without knowing much, it is hard to employ interventions.
Genetic testing is a start.
Also, read through this blog as much as you can. It is the best place on the Internet to learn important stuff that can help your child.
Since you mentioned having a hard time taking samples:
For blood draws I recommend doing it on point of time when your daughter is neither hungry nor sleepy. Do it in a facility where the personnel is good with children and eventually also have smaller needles. Bring family members if it provides her with a feeling of safety. Let her sit in your lap and hold her gently. Keep sound volume down, but whisper encouraging words to her. Read a book, use an iPad or _any_ other distraction. Afterwards, praise her, give her a snack or anything else that she appreciates.
Best of luck,
/Ling
Many thanks to both.
DeleteThe problem here in this wonderful blog is that there is so much information and possible treatments, that is difficult to see them all :D. And the analysis are not always trustful as Petet left clear. I am trying to begin with some things as NAC but she refuses to drink it at any form.
Anyway if you know a company to make some type of analysys please tell me. I am in Spain.
Regards
un tio, Spain is a good place to live if you want to treat autism, since pharmacies will let you access safe medicines without prescription.
DeleteIn many European countries you can buy Fluimucil 600mg. These are effervescent tablets containing NAC. This is the same as the PharmaNAC that people use in the US.
It tastes OK.
Fluimucil is made in Switzerland and normally used to dissolve mucus, in many countries doctors prescribe it widely to children and adults alike.
Yes I read you. I Bought AcetylCysyteine (without N but I think is the same) of KernPharma, 600 mg too. It tastes ok but she does not want...
DeleteOne question: you sometimes say, as I think, some treatments are not researched because they don t give money. If so, how is Bumetanide (and existent drug) being researched? Perhaps is with public money?
On the other hand, as vitamin C is antioxidant as NAC, might be useful too in some way. There are some webpages talking about vitamin C treatment, sometimes combining it with Glutatione:
https://www.abundanceandhealth.co.uk/en/blog/86-autism-can-glutathione-and-vitamin-c-make-a-difference
un tio, I sometimes have painful migraines and use Nac 600mg to deal with the early symptoms but I don't like the way it makes me feel. I coincidentally took it with vitamin C and saw additional benefit. Then I read the study.
Deleteun tio, as I understand it bumetanide is not up for approval in the US because nobody wants to pay the $20-30 million required. Approval in Europe is much cheaper (because it is an existing drug) and I think their objective to get an entirely new drug approved that works better than bumetanide and would have patent protection and so give them a profit.
Delete