Autistic Adventures with Glutamine
Clearing up poor autism related information about Glutamine – by Donna Williams
Someone wrote:
I read somewhere Donna Williams wrote about a glutamate concoction she said made her feel better. Are you familiar with this? I ask because of a recent NIH study that talked about glutamate neurons role in autism. The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics in March and is considered a break through in the genetic mapping of ASD. I would really like to find out more about this.
My reply…
No, not glutaMATE, glutaMINE.
Glutamate in excess damages the brain.
Many people with autism have excess glutamate and low glutamine or they may have low levels of each.
Glutamine counter-balances glutamate and reduces excess ammonia which harms the brain.
Glutamine has nothing to do with gluten and contains no gluten.
I was on 2000mg L-Glutamine for over 15 years, longer than anyone else with autism who I know has used it.
I was already on dietary interventions since the 1990s and was first put on nutritional supplements- Vitamin C, zinc, multi-vitamins – around 1972-1975 when I was 9-12 years old. I was one of the first known people with autism in the world whose parents trialled the use of nutritional supplements. I have mentioned this in Nobody Nowhere and some of my other works and lectures and attribute this intervention to improved health and language processing at that time and coincided with my transition from echolalia and stored strings into interpretive (meaning based) language between age 9-11 (two sided communication took longer to emerge).
Glutamine is considered an important ‘brain-food’. Whilst it is traditionally a sports medicine, Glutamine is used as a growth factor, used to raise T-cell count (immunity), used as an anti inflammatory (its the building block of glucosamine which is made from glutamine+glucose), as a natural anti-depressant and anti-anxiety supplement, used in difficult to treat diabetes, used in recovery from gut surgeries and in inflammatory bowel conditions, used to treat alcoholism, used in the management of schizophrenia and dementia and as a ‘smart drug’ by those with learning and developmental disabilities. It is used in the management of systemic inflammation including that of the gut and blood brain barrier.
It is NOT suitable for ALL people with autism nor is it effective for ALL people with autism but a 30 day trial usually tells whether it will be helpful or not.
It is not suitable for those who also have muscle wasting diseases.
IF you have concerns, then a naturopath can oversee a 30 day trail of glutamine to ensure it suits the person. Low or homeopathic doses of glutamine do not seem effective. Doses should also not be exceeded.
The advised adult dose by the company who makes it, was generally around 2000mg (though body builders regularly take 5000mg daily). I have known of children aged 9+ generally trial around 1,500mg, and younger children from as young as 3 years old have trialled around 1000mg. It is generally not recommended for use by those under 15. Glutamine changes the chemical structure of the brain whilst on it.
As a consultant over 3 years at a school where a significant number of the children trialled glutamine, I saw children with autism on glutamine who were undersized then grow taller over a year of taking it. I also saw significant developmental and communication improvements in those children whose parents felt it was beneficial to them. This does not mean glutamine would cause the same improvement for all children with autism. My view is that a 30 day trial will at least show if it might suit a particular person and open their mind up to what they may actually be capable of. If that was successful then this could be extended to a 3 or 6 month trial to see what developmental leaps the person might make on this supplement. Beyond 6 months, the main thing to weigh up is that it is a growth factor so on that basis is not usually for children under the age of 15.
It is a supplement on the treatment protocol of Paul Shattock, a world leading expert in nutritional factors in autism and who is a pharmacologist.
I have been on 2000mg glutamine powder (the powder is cheaper than capsules by the way) for 15 years. It is purchased from GNC stores in the UK, USA, Australia but probably available through most health food stores.
More interesting points about Glutamine:
* L-Glutamine is the only amino acid that crosses the blood brain barrier
* It is the only brain nutrient found to directly improve connections and brain function in those with brain injury
* It is a detoxer, it reduces harmful ammonia levels in the brain (including reducing ‘brain fog’), it is an immune booster, blood sugar leveler so may reduce salicylate related toxicity levels, reduce bugs and duration of bugs, regulate mood and stabilise info processing through resulting blood sugar levels
* It raises GABA/serotonin which combats anxiety and depression so may reduce tendencies toward social anxiety/phobia/ selective mutism/withdrawal and tend to expand interests, motivation, self challenging, communication.
* Glutamine improves the integrity of the blood brain barrier, improving the protection of the brain from bugs and undigested proteins crossing into the brain and setting off the brain chemistry imbalances that cause co-morbid mood, anxiety, compulsive disorders (and Quinolinic Acid which contributes to brain injury/disability).
* Glutamine relines the digestive tract, reducing leaky gut and improving nutrition levels
* It is widely used in the brain injury, Downs, Autism, LD, Dyslexia communities as a ‘smart drug’ for its ability to improve information processing… as well as students cramming for exams. Hence L-Glutamine is not taken just by those deficient in Glutamine, just those whose brains require some help.
* Its ability to improve info processing may mean less information overload, staying ‘online’ in one’s processing and diminish associated behavioural issues.
* It occurs naturally in raw fish, raw eggs, raw meat (yuk).
* It can be mixed into dairy free margarine, rice milk or other foods but is destroyed by cooking.
* It is one of three amino acids which make the essential chelation/immune boosting supplement, glutathione (the others being glycine and cysteine)
* Its impact on improving brain function shows in 7-30 days with full effect at 30 days, as such the loss of this effect will also be seen in 7-30 days after stopping it.
* Its ability to improve connections in the in brain injury will take longer than just its effect on improving information processing
* Supplementing with some amino acids requires supervision by a naturopath as excesses in one can cause deficiencies in others. Glutamine is one of the amino acids that can be taken in isolation to other amino acids though supervision by a naturopath can be helpful.
* Identity in those with autism will take time to adjust to altered information processing levels. The older a child is when they begin to transition into being ‘less autistic’, the less likely they will be to keep pushing themselves once support is removed as they revert to ‘their own world’ because its more deeply entrenched in identity terms. Hence if glutamine improves their abilities, identity will take around a year later to really adjust to these new levels so that if the glutamine is removed the person will continue to expect of themselves the new levels they have come to identify with.
In those for whom glutamine proved beneficial in a 30 day trial, the improvements which may occur within 3 months of starting glutamine may be those associated with improved gut function, improved brain health in reducing toxins crossing into the brain through improving the blood-brain barrier, improved brain health in reducing ammonia accumulation in the brain which causes ‘brain fog’, improved functioning associated with reduction of anxiety and raising mood.
Naturopaths train for up to 4 years in the study of nutritional and natural medicine on health and development. Pharmacologists are specialists in chemistry. GPs and most medical doctors who have not done further training in nutritional medicine often have only got a few weeks of study in nutritional medicine. A dietitian is also not a naturopath unless they have also studied naturopathy. Ideally, a qualified medical doctor who also has a formal qualification in naturopathy is an ideal person to discuss nutritional health or nutritional interventions with. These are rare. Most GPs and doctors with no formal training in naturopathy do not believe in the use of natural medicine. Many still do not believe in any relationship between dietary interventions and management of mood, anxiety, behaviour or information processing in those autism unless they are specifically given and read peer reviewed medical journal studies proving such relationships such as those published in publications like The Lancet. Drug companies fund most medical research, and as such there are more published studies in such journals on the relationship between drugs and autism than there is on nutrition or supplements on autism. Drug companies are also often in direct financial competition with the companies which make nutritional supplements, including Glutamine.
To learn more about my use of Glutamine within a wider treatment protocol, read Everyday Heaven, Autism; An Inside Out Approach, The Jumbled Jigsaw or watch the DVD, The Dietary Wheelchair. You can find information on all of these on www.donnawilliams.net
I hope this helps clear up the poor information floating about.
NOTE: Glutamine may be highly helpful to the immune system and in protecting the brain and gut lining but there are recent studies showing that cancer cells feed off glutamine. This doesn’t mean glutamine causes cancer but it does mean glutamine supplementation, including in Glutathione, should be reviewed if someone does develop cancer.
Sincerely,
Donna Williams
autistic author, artist, composer, screenwriter
http://www.donnawilliams.net
Hello from Canada,
I just heard an interview with you (Donna) on the CBC, from 1992!!! Long time ago. None the less, I have to say that if it was possible to fall in love with someone’s voice, it just happened to me tonight. I sat in my car, silently, and just listened to your voice. I did not care what you were actually saying, I just listened to your voice, and fell in love with it.
Best wishes always,
Tony Hindle in London, Ontario, Canada
Hi Tony,
not sure what to do with a compliment like that so I’ll just say thank you.
I know what you mean about the music in a voice. My husband Chris has one of those chocolate voices and I’d often just smile regardless of what he said because his voice was so warm. I’m even more embarrassed to say you are not alone in what you’ve said and at the time of that interview Mr Gzowski got about an inch high of letters from listeners and many had pulled over on the motorway to just listen… how nice to inspire such madness but I’m sure it was the combo of Peter and I.
I also use gestural signing (a system of ‘home signs’, generally understood by deaf people in my audiences) and people have said this of my voice and signing, they have forgotten my words and just listened to my sound and watched my movements. Ironic given I tried so hard to make interpretive sense via words. Perhaps I should have stuck to jingles and gestural signing 😉 Strangely, it is the meaning in their words that alludes me, so I am always hearing their voices, watching their movements. They look and sound rather symphonic at times.
I write of the ‘music of beingness’ and this is in a voice and in one’s movements. One doesn’t need a shared language to sense it, but it speaks of the soul. Mr Gzowski had a beautiful music of beingness in his movements and voice, he was a toasty person, like an open fire. My husband Chris is too but he’s a techie and not on radio.
I am also a singer and have two albums. The world falls for the voices of singers all the time. I love when Chris sings, even if its out of tune (often) because I love when a soul celebrates life by just being.
Thanks for dropping by.
Warmly,
Donna Williams *)
http://www.donnawilliams.net
Thank you so much for your reply. Since writing you, I have tried to think of a better way to explain the affect your voice had on me. I have decided that listening to you during that interview so long ago, was like listening to a dolphin. I did not have to have full comprehension of your words (although you tried so hard to give them meaning) to understand you. I think you are exactly right that one does not need words to speak to the soul. I was once in Bahamas, and near a pier there were some dolphins looking for some free lunch. I sat there for quite a while listening to them. Of course I did not know what they were saying, but it was beautiful none the less. Perhaps dolphins speak to the soul, and this is why so many people are fascinated by them??
I am sorry to be wasting your time, but you really have opened my eyes to something wonderful…..Thanks!
Tony Hindle
London, Ontario, Canada
P.S.- I am glad you are you, and not a dolphin! I don’t think many dolphins are allowed in a radio studio 🙂
I have no problem with the idea of being a dolphin. In fact I used to always swim like one as a kid. I always preferred to swim under the water not on it, enjoy swimming on my back way under the water blowing water from my nose and looking up into a shimmering glass world (never told anyone that before) and when swimming belly down I use my body and feet to propel me like a dolphin does, a sort of wave making effect, works just fine. Maybe I watched too much ‘Flipper’! I loved wearing flippers and a snorkel and would pace in this kit whilst singing (the acoustics of it were fab).
I met a dolphin one day when my life was very broken. I wrote of it in Everyday Heaven. My father had died and my ex-husband announced a few days later he was leaving as it was the day after the 2nd wedding anniversary and he was now entitled to half of everything I’d ever earned as an author (yes, really bad timing) and I was so shocked by life and humans and went to the ocean and out onto a rock ledge and a dolphin jumped out and did arcs in the water a few times, right in front of me. It was wonderful magic and changed my day. Its wild how the born optimist waits for the slightest sign there’s hope.
Anyway, dolphins are lovely.
🙂 Donna *)
I heard too the interview on CBC during the night when I have the impression that I think more clearly. I became charmed too and fell in love with the “naiveté” you so wonderfully verbalized. I could hear some of my automated responses in the answers you gave, the fact that I use those to distance myself from the rest made me sad but to know that you were able to bypass the hurdles was a great feeling. Another lesson to be had.
After hearing the interview, I ran to a library to find Nobody Nowhere, and finished it this night, it made me cry, made me laugh, made me think…
thank you so much for another tool to help me in my development.
I wish I could hug you but I know you wouldn’t like it and I couldn’t either…
They say its the thought that counts and I have thought a thousand hugs or more which were in my world of nostalgia and a thousand regrets for not telling I at least thought them. So thank you for expressing the thought.
I’m glad Nobody Nowhere brought you home to you.
Its a wonderful thing its universality did that for so many people.
Such a great light to come from darkness.
Many people changed their lives after reading it
Sometimes they just needed to be found.
There are three more books in that series,
Somebody Somewhere
Like Colour To the Blind
Everyday Heaven.
Sort of like the chronicles of Narnia!
each is a different world.
Mr Gzowski of course was also a writer.
He wrote about his life and was very committed to the Dyslexic community.
🙂 Donna *)
Greetings Donna,
I have a little girl who’s 4 yrs old and she was diagnosed at 3 years of age. I recently gave her MB12 shots and now she’s acting really austistic. You might say she has regressed upon starting the shots. Have you heard of them?
Thankj you
E
Yes I have, and to my great horror I’ve met families who are getting these shots for their children who have not been tested as having B12 deficiency. B12 and B6 must be balanced. An excess in one can trigger a deficiency in the other etc. It’s something that should be backed up by testing not given out wholesale based on a shared label.
I have a functional B12 deficiency, but many many with autism do not.
I choose to take oral B12 1000-2000mcg which is a massive oral dose so because I can’t metabolise it well I end up with an uptake of what dietarily would amount to a normal level. I do this to avoid shots and so far my B12 levels are normal this way but otherwise deficient.
Never underestimate either the impact on distress, alienation and chronic self protection responses of an infant repeatedly marched into a strange smelling, clinical environment to have needles stuck into them. Adding trauma to autism is never a good mix, especially if a child already struggles to trust because of challenged processing and sensory perception.
Sure, its essential WHEN its essential and for kids with immune deficiency and marked functional B12 deficiency that may be the case, so you make it as home like and humanising atmosphere as you can to get shots. But this one-size-fits all rubbish drives me nuts about the field. Its laziness, money grabbing and desperation often based on scare mongering and false or partial information.
Strategies to help those with autism should be based on researching what’s going on with EACH person, or if one wants to TRIAL something said to work with ‘autism’ then a TRIAL is a trial, not a life long contract. If it doesn’t help after 30-60 days, do something else.
For a good look at the incredibly diversity among forms of autism and their hugely varying underlying causes and the approaches and treatments addressing each, have a look at The Jumbled Jigsaw.
🙂 Donna Williams
http://www.donnawilliams.net
You will be surprised of the propaganda DAN doctors are using for the use of MB12.
They swear by it! They claim that only 5% of the children placed on these shots have a negative reaction.
Well my child has had a negative reaction and they call it a special case. Meanwhile there has been NO studies of what to do when this happens and how long it will last.
My daughter went from NO headbanging to headbanging the 1st week after introducing the shots, her language did explode, but she is now covering her ears and buring herself under covers and pillows. She has vocabulary stiming, and cries for no apparent reason.
She has potty accident after being potty trained for two years with NO accidents. She’s now back to pull-ups.
I don’t know when she’s having a tantrum or when she’s having a meltdown.
It brakes my heart to see her this way and No one will help me.
Anywords of encouragement will be greatly appreciated.
Nobody, Nowhere was the 1st book I read after her diagnosis followed by Somebody, Somewhere. NOw I’m reading “Like Color to the Blind”.
I can’t wait for the movie to come out! When will it happen????
Lizzette in Southern California.
It worries me that a 5% incidence of negative reactions is considered worth risking when the test for functional B12 deficiency is simple and non-invasive – its a urine analysis for Methylmalonic Acid levels (which indicate an inability to metabolise B12). If we said that only 5% of children had negative reactions to vaccination would we equally be expected to accept that? Hmmmm.
As for what you’re describing. Covering her ears as she is may be due to the onset of Tinnitus which can be related to B vitamin deficiencies, perhaps particularly if excess and unrequited B12 triggered a B6 deficiency. I’d suggest a full nutrient analysis.
As for ‘vocabulary stimming’ have a look at ‘Verbal tics’ as part of Tourette’s. Tourette’s can be triggered by brain irritation and seem to be reduced by things like B6 – again if excess B12 triggered a B6 deficiency it’d be worth finding out. Certainly tics come out under heightened stress.
Crying for no reason in the context of sensory hypersensitivity and what may be ‘verbal tics’ within Tourettes (also see ‘vocal tics’) may indicate there’s not only a co-morbid compulsive disorder broken out for the moment, but a mood disorder may have onset as well. These two could trigger if brain chemistry had recently become highly imbalanced, and may iron out if it rebalances.
Enuresis is often associated with Salicylate Intolerance but could also happen in heightened stress and overload. Lack of B6 could result in poor processing and heightened stress increasing overload and excess B12 can cause subsequent deficiencies in other B vitamins. I’d get the naturopath to do what the Dan doctor seems not to have done and get the nutrient levels tested.
Alternatively, she may have ‘woken up’ and be struggling with the jolt and overload associated with that.
Donna you say:
Crying for no reason in the context of sensory hypersensitivity and what may be ‘verbal tics’ within Tourettes (also see ‘vocal tics’) may indicate there’s not only a co-morbid compulsive disorder broken out for the moment, but a mood disorder may have onset as well. These two could trigger if brain chemistry had recently become highly imbalanced, and may iron out if it rebalances.
HOW do you rebalance? I’m desperate here! It’s been a more than a month since I last gave her the shots. I also just found out that I was told to give her too much of MB12.
Her DAN is clueless. I wish I would of never taken her there.
Thank you sooooo much for your responses. I feel previlleged.
Elizabeth
If she’s covering her ears, it may also be that her aural sensitivity has increased, and she’s having trouble filtering out unwanted excess sounds.
I don’t know if I’d be considered to have enough autie/aspie traits to be “diagnosable”, but my uncle and brother are both on the spectrum, ad the rest of my family have a sprinkling of “traits”.
I get trouble with sensory overload when I’m feeling stressed. Especially with regards sound, crowds and smells. I tend to either “shut down” sometimes to the point of being unresponsive and non-verbal, other times I just feel like screaming and striking out.
If she’s covering her ears AND burying herself in blankets, combined with the other things you mention, it sounds like she’s overwhelmed to me. With regards the potty-training, ANY child can regress on that one when they’re under heightened stress.
Hi Lizette,
I’m not going to start consulting here on the blog as consulting is something I do separately and professionally in booked time (I’ve been a consultant for 12 years and have worked with over 600 people on the spectrum). If you’re interested in a consultation to cover some of these bases you can visit http://www.donnawilliams.net and go to ‘autism’ then ‘consultancy’ and you’ll find my email consulting service. I’m not a doctor, nor naturopath though I have 20 years of involvement with practitioners in natural medicine. I’m a qualified teacher and you’ll read there what I do as a consultant. Given its a year since the B12 shots, I doubt that what’s happening at present is a direct result of those. I would certainly work with you to do my best to get to the bottom of what is and isn’t going on and direct you to those best able to work with specific issues as well as train you where possible in environmental strategies which may help.
All the best in any case.
🙂 Donna *)
I would love to have you as our consultant! I didn’t even know we could. There’s a website that I would like you to take a look at regarding MB12 and the doctor who came up with the protocol. IN this site you can look at Autistic kids who have lost their diagnosis due to MB12. It’s very interesting and I thought you might get a kick out of it.
oxoxo
Lizzette
P.S I’m waiting for a paycheck and as soon as I do I will consult with you.
Hi Donna
My experience with biomed interventions has been varied – dietary changes have helped, but a GP autism “specialist” and his carte blanche approach (liquid zinc and evening primrose oil) sent my daughter off her trolley after only four days on the supplements and it took two weeks to calm her down. He even recommended chelation! He didn’t test her for any deficiencies before putting her on zinc. I now treat any recommendations with extreme suspicion. That being said, I am interested in the glutamine – my daughter is high functioning with ADHD symptoms that cause her to become extremely hyperactive, sometimes out of control giggling for hours on end. I am interested in the glutamine as a mood stabilizer, as our sensory diet and behavioural management (positive behaviour support) don’t seem to be helping her to calm down. Nothing gets through to her when she is on this “high”.
I’m sorry about your experiences.
There is a simple zinc taste test health food stores tell to tell if zinc is actually depleted.
Those tasting it without low zinc should find it relatively tasteless.
Those with zinc deficiency have a reaction to it’s seemingly metalic taste.
White spots on the fingernails are also a common sign of zinc deficiency.
Evening Primrose Oil is known to cause hyperactivity in some people and contra-indicated in some people with epilepsy. Omega 3 fish oils by contrast are called Natures Lithium and are not found to cause hyperactivity.
If she’s quite ADHD, I think it could be time to take a good look at a good low salicylate diet. On high salicylates I’m like someone on cocaine. I am also highly sugar sensitive. I have to keep both low.
As for Glutamine, if she’s manic, it does have anti-depressant properties, so anyone tending toward mania may find its best to start low and run it alongside fish oils as a mood leveller.
Of course feel free to run this buy a naturopath as I’m not one.
I enjoyed reading your article referring to l-glutamine. I need to start taking it myself. I have a 3 year old, 32 pounds of joy and boundless energy, and apparent health, except for one thing. She’s always had constipation, and now she’s at the age to where she holds it due to the fear of a painful bowel. Her picky and meatless diet isn’t helping…
Anyway, I want to give her an aloe polysaccharide to help move things along, since nothing else has worked (also based on my own good experience with it) and the thing is, they offer it in a “delivery base” of either soy lecithin or l-glutamine, 125mg. I’m not real fond of what “anything” soy can do to hormones… so I’m wanting to go with the l-glutamine base.
What’s your opinion of a 3 year old taking 125 mg of it daily? I won’t construe your answer as medical advice… just want to know if you’ve heard of other kids this age taking l-glutamine and what amount? (having a hard time finding an MD and naturopath around here, who might also know pediatrics… so it’s been very hard to find general examples with children).
A 3 year old who is constipated may get things moving with a gluten free diet, low salicylate diet (and hence prunes to someone salicylate intolerant doesn’t help it makes things worse), depending on what’s contributing, or with things like beetroot, fennel tea, psyllium, and lots of walking and adequate water. L-Glutamine is widely used by kids with LD, including those with autism. it is regularly confused with Glutamate and it is NOT Glutamate. In fact Glutamine is required to balance Glutamate levels by ratio. L-Glutamine reduces anxiety and improves gut function and raises GABA so too much can make someone too manic but pretty much that’s it. There are kids under 5 taking 1000mg a day and I know a doctor whose 2 year old was on 1000mg a day and whose dyspraxia reduced dramatically and began verbalising, so my view is that L-Glutamine can be good for the right person and in some cases for kids with gut-brain issues if it suits and is not in an excessive dose and I think higher doses should be monitored by a naturopath if continued past 30 days. So by contrast 125mg is miniscule.
My metabolic testing showed extremely high glutamine, extremely low glutamate. That’s the opposite of the way it seems to normally show up, but I wanted to stress that there are individual variations.
yep, that’s why I always suggest people TRIAL the use of L-Glutamine in case they’re like you and to do so under the supervision of a naturopath if they have any concerns.
Hi,I have 2 kids(5 and 7), and they´re so short, and i reard about glutamine.I decide to give them, and 2 months later i just saw the diference in they´re bodys,they get taller and gained weight, and i want to know if i could take glutamine to them for over 1 ou 2 years?
Thank you
Sory, my english, I´m not American.
yes, I’ve seen it help kids grow taller, and to go from skinny to normal weight. I haven’t seen it make anyone fat though. Usually the height increase I’ve seen over 6mth-1 yr.
And after the 30 days people can take Glutamine for months or years.
I’ve known some kids take it for a year, catch up many skills then come off it and stay at that level. I’ve known others take it for a week, month, months, year, years, and make good progress and gain many skills they didn’t have but after 3-30 days off it those skills disappeared again.
Why?
Probably because Glutamine does 5 important jobs that could effect info processing and behaviour
1. it improves gut function – so can mean better food-brain relationship
2. it improves immunity – so can meanless bugs effecting the brain
3. it is a detoxer – so can meanless undigested proteins/bugs in the blood
4. it restores damaged brain connections and builds connectivity in the brain – so can meanimproves things in dyspraxia and brain injury
5. it is an antidepressant/antianxiety supplement – so can meanhealthier immunity and more outgoing, inquisitive, sociable, receptive
So after 6mths-a year those with brain injury/dyspraxia could have long term improvements even after it is stopped.
But those with gut/immune/detox or depression/anxiety related issues, these could revert once its stopped
thank you. I think it would be a good idea to start a search with glutamine in kids.It will help many children with the same problem as mine.I´ll continue giving glutamine for them and we´ll keep in touch with the results.
Thanks for your attention.
What I’d like to see is a peer reviewed study of Glutamine used in children and adults on the autism spectrum at 30 days, at 90 days, at 1 yr.
And to co-relate this with which improved in mood (due to leveled blood sugar effect), which improved re depression/anxiety (re raised Gaba effect), which improved re agnosias/dyspraxia (re brain injury repair effect), which improved re gut function (re gut function effect), which improved re immunity (re immunity effect) so we know WHICH people benefited and why…. Applying Glutamine to those with none of these issues even if such people had a diagnosis of autism would probably be ridiculous. Plus where constipation resulted a study should balance this with things like psyllium/vit C without seeing this as necessarily cancelling out all the otherwise positive effects of glutamine. Plus dosages would matter. The current adult dose is around 2000mg, children under 5 have taken 1000mg, those around age 9 around 1500mg, but some will find those levels 500mg too high even though those taking doses under 500mg may find no noticeable improvements at all so its about a study gaging which levels are useful too, and for which autism-related issues.
Hi Donna,
I have a daughter who is 6 and has autism. She is extremely hyper. She used to be able to say words and count etc and then it stopped. We tried PRT and it made her regress even more and now she is completely non-verbal.
She can’t sit down to watch a show anymore. She has no attention span to play with a toy anymore. She literally CAN NOT SIT STILL. (She broke her leg, wrist and arm within the space of 6 months).
I went to doctors because I am exhausted and she give me a prescription for Ritalin. She has had all kinds of metabolic testing and apparently everything is “normal”. My husband’s friend got very upset and told us to try l-glutamine, GABA and tyrosine as well as a papaya digestive enzyme before putting her on the Ritalin. Do you think this is a good idea?
Clare, I’m not a doctor but salicylate toxicity (aggravated by swallowing fluoride toothpaste) can cause significant ADHD type symptoms so if her diet is excessive in salicylates, I’d look there and a 30 day trial would tell you. Second omega 3s are a natural mood leveler and used in ADHD/bipolar in child doses of around 1000mg. Third, if she hasn’t had an IgE RAST (blood) test for the top food allergens its probably worth knowing which allergies she has that could be impacting on things like brain fog, a various brain chemistry imbalances and they should be able to test the same blood sample for vitamin-mineral levels which will find any excesses/deficiencies and the same sample should be able to be tested for coeliac whilst they’re at it. As for L-Glutamine, a 30 day trial of 1000mg a day supervised by a naturopath might be useful but where there’s severe ADHD stuff I’d look first at salicylates and omega 3s. But also consider restless leg syndrome and other hyperkinetic movement disorders. An Indirectly Confrontational Approach for compulsive avoidance, diversion, retaliation responses with Exposure Anxiety may also be useful, especially as she regressed after a program that could be intensely socially pursuing/perceived as relentlessly socially invasive and depending on her anxiety and personality trait frameworks could have resulted in progressively acute Exposure Anxiety (have seen this before in kids who had PTSD/trauma responsive to over intensive/socially invasive ABA). I do only consulting if that’s of help. Good luck, but, yes, there are options other than Ritalin which may still be better than exhaustion for all of you but I think there may be other things to try/rule out first.
Hi Donna
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. You are so knowledgeable you amaze me! My daughter is OBSESSED with trying to eat toothpaste and creams. I will be looking into salicylates toxicity in more depth as she does have a number of the symptoms. Thank you again for your wonderful insight. You have made me hopeful again.
Hi I enjoyed reading about L glutamine, thank you for this information. I have an 8yo daughter with autism who also has hyperactivity, I tried everything – 2 years of the gluten casein free diet, the Mg B complex vitamins, different supplements and did not have any good results. What worked to help my daughter sleep and calm down is deep pressure , massage and focalin XR 5 mg to control her hyperactivity. She was unable to sit and learn at school even with the weighted vests and cuffs but since she started focalin, her eye contact, her learning capacity , her ability to get thro a childrens TV show /DVD all have improved. As a physician I was very reluctant to put her on medication but it worked and I am so glad I did it, it has improved the quality of life for my child. She is more affectionate and actually comes and sits on my lap . Yes she has a long way to go but she is finally able to function indoors and outdoors .
you might be interested in hyperkinetic syndromes, particularly restless legs/back… used to drive me BONKERS. I found lowering salicylates helped with it to a large degree. have included the links here. good luck.
Donna, My son has autism and we found his igA levels in his stool to be low, his DAN dr. put him on a little over 2000 mg of glutamine. my son is 4. your article was very good. i have a personal question. at what point did your language develop and were you able to comunicate? my sons is a lot of echolalia and he uses movie quotes to communicate. you can tell he wants to converse so bad but just doesnt know how yet… he will say “mommy!” and i will say what and he will mumble sometihng as he knows that is his turn to talk. he just went to be able to answer questions, instead of repeating what i asked after starting the dmg, gfcf diet, super nu thera vitamins ect. thanks for your response!!
and after reading the posts above i just want to say that my son has been doing the mb12 shots for 3 months now, and i really believe they are helping him. i notice that the day before a shot is due, given every 3 days, he gets very moody and tantrums a lot more, then i give the shot the next day and he is regulated again. we are changing the dose to a lower dose every other day. as of now i havent felt that it is a bad thing. we had an organic acid test done, and his level for b12 was 1.9 and it should be 5.2 or below, and this urine sample was taken the day after a b12 shot. he is taking super thera nu which has higher b vitamins, including b6 and b 12 and magnesium.
Oral high dose B12 was found as effective as injections, so best to give a child a tablet than regular injections. Here’s the Pubmed study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16034940 to see for yourself
I’ve never heard of any testing of IgA levels in stools… usually the test is either blood or saliva (secretory IgA).
Glutamine is an immune booster, sure, but 2000mg is the adult dose… and he’s only 4… but his results suggest that working on immune supression has improved his info processing and with that shifted him from pure echolalia to answering questions. My view is that Glutathione, 1500mg would make more sense with a 4 year old than Glutamine 2000mg… but the latter is definitely cheaper. Just that Glutathione is 1/3rd glutamine but more top shelf when it comes to altering immune suppression. Run it by your naturopath or doc… but I have seen kids aged 3-4 on 1000mg, even 1500mg glutamine without problems, so I guess if a 30 day trial on 2000mg has helped, then from there I’d still review it every 30 months, adjusting it accordingly. Perhaps find out his IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) and these commonly go down the tubes along with IgA and deficiencies in each have different consequences and treatments). warmly, Donna http://www.donnawilliams.net/consultancy.0.html
donna, any idea what these articles floating online are about warning that people with neurological conditions like autism, adhd ect. should avoid glutamine as it converts to glutamate in the brain? not sure if that is exactly what it said, but the gist is they say glutamine is bad.
yes, glutamine and glutamate balance each other… excess glutamate is bad but lack of glutamate can also kill you… same with no human growth hormone (HGH) which is produced in deep sleep… and that’s what glutamine works like, like human growth hormone. glutamine is the only amino that can cross the blood brain barrier and is used to help make new connections in brain injury. so glutamine is not glutamate and all spent glutamine does convert to glutamate, but the body also excretes its excesses and if people are worried about glutamate they can eat less vegimite, marmite, msg etc… which are all glutamate… in other words, it occurs naturally in food sources, as does glutamine and the body of course makes both of them. as with any supplement or dietary change, get a naturopath or doctor to supervise if concerned and if you don’t have any supervision, at least monitor progress for first 30-60 days and decide on that basis. There is no such thing as ‘all autistics’ have x, y, z chemistry as what makes up their autism is different in each case. glutamine was always part of an autism treatment protocol by pharmacologist and autism expert Paul Shattock among others. Also as many with autism and ADHD have sleep disturbances and it is in deep sleep we produce human growth hormone essential to body repair and detox functions, then if someone with these issues was getting none (my sleep study showed ZERO deep sleep) then at the very least glutamine might give them some GHG.
Hi Donna:
I have a son , 14 years old with autism. Doing the gluten free, casein free, soy free , corn free , scd diet in a rotational way. His foods intolerances are so many!! So, considering starting L Glutamine. Cant afford a health consultant right now, how much will the dose be? Somebody told me it should be given only once a week, is that truth?
My only concern is that they say online it can cause convulsions and as my son is a teenager I am very scared to start some weird activity in his body that might lead to convulsions? Hope you tell me it is not truth because I am really willing to try this supplement as he cant eat almost anything due to his foods sensitivities. Thank you very much Donna
hi Carmen,
1) glutamine occurs naturally in raw fish, raw eggs, raw meat and our body also makes it. body builders take 2000-4000mg a day every day. So the once a week idea is unfounded.
2) glutaMATE can increase seizures but glutaMINE is not glutaMATE… they balance each other but are two very different amino acids. If worried start on the lowest dose, 500mg for 1-2 weeks, then build to 1000mg for the next two weeks etc, but don’t exceed 2000mg and any worries, just drop it back and feel free to have a naturopath monitor its use. I have seen 3 year olds doing fine on 1000-1500mg so a 14 year old on 500mg is probably not much more than someone eating a lot of sushi and egg nog.
3) you may find enzymes useful
http://www.houston-enzymes.com/store/product.php?c=1&p=7
http://www.houston-enzymes.com/store/product.php?p=5&c=1
feel free to book a consultation if you feel it may be of help
http://www.donnawilliams.net/consultancy.0.html
warmly,
Donna
That was really fast Donna, thank you soooo much!!!! I really appreciate it. I will start tonight and see what happens, will do it with an empty stomach with 250 mg and then build it up, want to do it really slow.
Thank you so much again, will see what happens and then book a consultation, if something goes bad.
You are the best! Thanks!!!
Carmen
I tried glutamine with my son some time back and it made him absolutely crazy hyper, screamy, insomnia. GABA seems to be a great supplement for him though, so I’m a little confused as to how he had a negative reaction to it. It was definitely the glutamine. I know because the digestive enzymes I take have glutamine in them, and my husband accidentally gave him one of mine instead of his own, and bam! Crazy hyper screamy kid again. He’s non-verbal, so I have no idea if something hurts.
too much of it works as an antidepressant… so can trigger a manic episode… so either he a) took more than the adult dose of 2000mg…. b) didn’t slowly build up to that so his body had an over reaction … c) he is already naturally high in glutamine so supplementation created an excess (some people are high, others are low)… and yes it raises GABA but has more mechanisms than that so this may be the reason… also some folks have said it switched them on too quickly and they couldn’t cope with being able to see things suddenly as a whole and keep up with language… they felt it jolted their own world too suddenly.. this was feedback from non-verbal type speakers.
I also heard of very similar to your son except that adult then re-trialled it again but this time building gradually, 500mg, 1000mg, 1500mg…. no mania this time.
Hi Donna,
Can you clarify what you mean when you say that glutamine shouldn’t be used by those with muscle wasting?
I’ve lost a lot of muscle due to poor digestion, immune dysfunction, methylation problems, etc., and used to take it years ago (when I was doing a lot better). So I was reconsidering it until I read your article.
Hope you can clarify what you were specifically referring to as I’ve seen it recommended for muscle loss, wasting.
Thank you!
Sure, it can increase muscle mass but its not for conditions like Muscular Dystrophy.