CuringAutismBlog

I bought a list of supplements, totaling $477.56. It's not quite the same as the list I posted before, because I did some more research and decided these were the ones to start with. They are:

HHC General Vitamin( made for the protocol and good for all genetics)
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Cell Food ( 2 drops only)
Bio Navitus
Liquid Selenium
Liquid Molybdenum
Liquid Zinc
Nerve Calm RNA
Health Foundation RNA
Stress RNA
Ora-Adrenal

In addition, I did not buy these:
Bowel RNA
Stomach RNA
Organ Support RNA
Kidney Support RNA

because of faintness of heart in the pocketbook department. They cost $85 each, and Mike doesn't have these problems that I know of. Also I will buy Vitamin C w/rose hips at the health food store; it doesn't seem to be in Dr. Amy's store.

Dr. Amy Yasko doesn't provide a simple explanation and a list of things to do. It would be nice if she did. She does provide two books and a set of DVDs of herself giving a conference explaining the protocol. I have digested a lot of this material and am happy to report that I am finally beginning to understand it. I have no background in molecular biology. But she explains it clearly enough that I can understand it.

We have sent in Mike's blood for analysis. We need to enter Step 1, the period before beginning specific attach on the mutations displayed in the blood test. In Step 1, we are to begin taking generalized supplements that support the methylation pathway and related pathways in a general way. So exactly what should we get? There isn't any "Step 1 package" on Amy's drugstore Web site, www.holisticheal.com.

I poked around her discussion group site and came up with this list from the doctor herself:


HHC general vitamin
RNA formulas: Nerve Calm RNA, Health Foundation RNA, Stress RNA, Behavior RNA, Bowel RNA, and Stomach pH RNA

Super Digestive enzymes
OraAdrenal
ImmunoForte
OraKidney
Milk Thistle (although this is in the general vitamin)
GABA
Branched chain amino acids (as long as no maple syrup smell)
Pycnogenol (even though it is in the general vitamin)
Magnesium
Zinc


So I guess I will order these now, and plan to start using them next week.

For at least a decade, it has been accepted that autism is caused by a genetic predisposition combined with environmental assault, presumably from the toxins that form the background our modern life, in the air and in the water.

The April 2007 article in Discover Magazine took a quick tour of recent research on autism, looking at various researchers who are working on molecular-biological approaches to the question of exactly what causes autism. It discusses protocols recommended by the organization Defeat Autism Now, including detoxification and a variety of interventions. It discusses a study by Dr. Jill James at the University of Arkansas that supports the idea that genetic mutations in autistic children are causing disruption in a major metabolic pathway -- this one for glutathione. The glutathione pathway is related to the methylation pathway targeted by Dr. Amy Yasko. Dr. Jill James' work is moving at the normal pace of research, too slow to be of benefit to my own children.

Finally the article describes Dr. Amy Yasko's work, focusing on supporting the methylation pathway with nutritional supplements, emphasizing getting help when it is needed--now. It interviews a mother whose two children have been radically improved by the protocol. They remain on the autistic spectrum.

The question is, can this protocol help my family? We are starting with Mike.

Two of my four children have Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. I'll call them Shannon, age 19, and Mike, age 14. Over the years I tried one of the remedies at the fringe of medicine, and it it didn't help, so I just worked with the kids as best I could. Anyway, the claims for these remedies appeared to be improvements for very autistic kids. Mine were already high-functioning, so I figured the remedies wouldn't take us anywhere.

Just recently I read a Discover Magazine (April 2007) article on autism that favorably mentioned Dr. Amy Yasko, a microbiologist and doctor in Maine who was having quite a lot of success. What struck me was the claim that her patients were actually not autistic any more. This is what I wish for my children more than anything--that they could truly understand what another person is thinking.

So we are embarking on Dr. Amy Yasko's protocol. I decided to keep a record and share it with you. We'll see where we end up!

Here is her approach in a nutshell. The cells in the body use cycles of amino acids that combine and recombine, sort of like the water cycle that we see in the weather. The fruit of the key methylation cycle is production of methyl groups, CH3. These are necessary to keep our DNA healthy.

But certain genetic mutations can mess up the methylation cycle or several cycles that are related to the methylation cycle. These mutations cause the methylation cycle to stop, or nearly stop. The result of that is that the body can no longer cleanse itself of heavy metals and viruses. So these accumulate in the body and cause all kinds of problems which add up to autism.

Dr. Amy doesn't claim to undo the mutations. She seeks to provide a workaround by using supplements, such as SAM-e and lots of others, which try to reverse the specific results of the mutations in question for the individual.

Since Dr. Amy had a six-year waiting list and desired to be as helpful as possible to as many people as possible, she created a do-it-yourself protocol. Parents like me are supposed to get the blood sample taken, read up on all the information, and decide which supplements to give and when based on the information she gives in two books.

In our family, we are going to start with Mike, age 14. We sent his blood in two weeks ago, at a cost of $1100. Now I need to figure out which supplements to order for the "step one" of the protocol. This step offers general support for the methylation cycle, regardless of which mutation might be present.