Autism Treatment – What happens when things get worse in Autism Treatments part 2

Part 1 of this 2 part series covered the issue of common reactions that can be seen when first starting certain supplements. For example, B vitamins can cause hyperactivity at first. We also see some reactions with some kiddos and cod liver oil, possibly from the flavorings or sometimes because their body is not adequately metabolizing the fats. Adding in L-Carnitine can aid in that fat metabolism process thereby reducing those reactions.

I have also seen some issues from time to time with single amino acids, in addition to the issues seen with B vitamins and cod liver oil occasionally. The amino acids could be things like Taurine or Gaba and some of the reactions can vary from being hyperactive or agitated to stimmy or have increased sensory needs. When we see this it generally means that the child is suffering from gut dysbiosis or an underlying bacterial imbalance in the digestive tract, not that the supplement is toxic to them in any way. Amino acids are food for gut bacteria so when they are supplemented they can tend to feed the bacteria which makes them more assertive. The bacteria produce toxic byproducts which then filter through the child’s brain. Those toxins are chemicals that can interfere with normal functioning in sensitive children and can result in those behavioral changes we talked about earlier. So if you have started an amino acid or amino acid blend with your child and you see some of these behaviors, you may want to investigate the issue of gut dysbiosis to see if the amino acids are feeding that gut bacteria in your child.

An option to consider is to do a stool test to see whether gut dysbiosis is an issue for your child or not. One stool test that I like is called a comprehensive digestive stool analysis and can be done through many labs including Doctor’s Data and Great Plains Labs. I also like the organic acid test (OAT) from Great Plains Labs to check for the toxic byproducts in urine. Yeast and bacterial issues can be quite common in children with Autism. Many of these supplements can be very effective for a number of children. But, if you see some of these behavioral changes after you implement them, at least you know some tips or can recognize different patterns that may be signs of something else.