Doctors

Glutathione

Have you come across a treatment for your child that was so amazing you just wanted to tell everyone you knew? That's how we feel about Glutathione. Google Glutathione and you'll find a wealth of information on it. The claims about it seem too good to be true. For us, Glutathione has proved to be the single most significant factor in treating our son's autism. We have read the medical studies and heard the hype, but the proof for us is in what has changed with Joshua.

Background

First though, some background. Joshua experienced regressive autism at around 18 months and was eventually diagnosed with mild autism. If you spent any time at all with him you would know there was something different about him. His speech was babbles, he stimmed a lot, he threw several screaming fits a day, we could not teach him and we could not take him anywhere. We were willing to try anything to help him get better and make our lives more sane!

Our first step was to put Joshua on the GFCF diet, with great results. We also tried many different supplements, including DMG, TMG, probiotics, B complex, zinc, magnesium, calcium, Vitamin C, SuperNuthera, Pure Kids, folic acid, flax seed oil, Omega 3 oils, CoQ10 and more. We saw some progress in Joshua, but we continued to search for a real breakthrough in his ability to learn and overcome his autistic habits.

The real breakthrough was not far away. We decided to give Joshua a genetic test to determine the source of Joshua's autism. The test results revealed that Joshua was unable to produce adequate glutathione. Glutathione is the body's key antioxidant and is crucial for reducing oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress can damage cells in the body and has been implicated in immune system disorders, premature aging, neurological disorders and cancer.

Glutathione Injections

Our doctor recommended a glutathione injection as this is the best way to raise glutathione levels in the body. Shortly after Joshua received the injection, literally within minutes his mood began to improve and he was more alert. In the days following, he showed more personality and began to give up several of his ritualistic autistic behaviors. His speech improved dramatically in the following days and weeks. He started to express to us his feelings and we could teach him. He learned to color, to write his name and started interacting with peers in social settings. In short, the changes were dramatic.

Unfortunately, Joshua can not have regular injections because he has insufficient collagen and his veins collapse during injections. As a result, we had to find an oral glutathione product that was nearly as effective as the injection. We eventually discovered Wellness Products Liposomal Glutathione. This product is the next best thing to a glutathione injection.

While taking glutathione orally significantly helped Joshua, we also discovered that he needed B12, TMG and Folic Acid to allow the body to synthesize methionine. Methionine is necessary in the production of glutathione and reduction of oxidative stress. See the Jill James study for more information.

Current Protocol

This is protocol we currently use to keep Joshua's Glutathione levels high:

1000 mg of Life Extension TMG powder. (1 scoop 2x per day).
800 mcg Metagenics FolaPro (1/2 tablet 2x per day). FolaPro is a highly absorbable form of folate. Must be purchased through a physician.
Methylcobalamin (B12) shots 3x per week or transdermal lotion, .2 ml per day. Can be obtained from a compounding pharmacy.
1/4 tsp. Wellness Products Liposomal Glutathione 2x per day. We have also used 800 mg Tyler Recancostat Powder (Stabilized Reduced Glutathione) (1/2 tsp 2x per day). Recancostat is effective, but it promotes intestinal yeast growth for some children while the Wellness product does not.

Our current doctor is Dr. Bradstreet. We normally work with Scott Smith, PA, who works with Dr Bradstreet. For more information on current research and treatments for autism, check out the International Child Development Resource Center.