What Are We Gonna Do? Road Trip.
by Steve West on January 2, 2010
A brand new drug has come onto the market that is touted as being a treatment for autism. It's a homeopathic drug called Respen-A. It affects the malfunctioning areas of the brain typically associated with autistic children. The literature is sparse and clinical trials are few but there is a conference scheduled for January 16 in Nashville, TN. Brenda and I are excited by the prospects of this drug which is administered by a transdermal patch once daily. This is not being heralded as a cure for autism but testimonials appear that claim they alleviate or at least lessen various symptoms related to limited social behaviors and increases in communication skills both verbal and non-verbal. Most of the information available is from the manufacturer's website so there remains to be seen any objective testing. The drug is FDA approved and the side effects appear limited and occur only in very large doses.
Our first step is to consult Olivia's pediatrician and get him to get his ass in gear to find out about this treatment and advise us on the appropriateness of Olivia being a candidate. She is somewhere in the middle of the autism spectrum and the testimonials were from parents whose children were classified as having mild autism. But the symptoms that were alleviated were in some cases quite severe. So there's hope that although Olivia's symptoms may not disappear, she will have a better opportunity for progress in her education and life-skills.
In the meantime, I've already scouted out plane fares to Nashville in the hopes of attending the seminar in the morning and returning the same afternoon. All-in-all the trip will cost me between $400-500 and the drug is about $75 for a month's supply. The money is immaterial to the potential benefits i.e. Olivia is worth it.
What concerns me is this: Every new diet has a doctor's name attached to it. Dr. Fred Starr is the physician promoting this new treatment and is holding the conference, sharing the scientific data that supports the hypothesis. However, this is America - capitalist central. Like the diet doctors, he may have a wish to capitalize on this disorder to make a good living. Which is okay with me as long as it works. I just don't want to be a victim of the latest "autism diet" fad. This really looks promising but I need to remind myself to keep my expectations low so I won't be crushed by limited results or dismiss gains that may be small but observable.
Four Replies to What Are We Gonna Do? Road Trip.
Scott Hardie | January 3, 2010
Hear, hear.
Aaron Shurtleff | January 3, 2010
Sounds like it could be a great thing! I hope everything works out well for you all! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!!
Jackie Mason | January 21, 2010
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Steve West scours the Web searching for interest or absurdity and then shakes his head ruefully when he finds it. Read more »
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Amy Austin | January 2, 2010
That sounds pretty great, Steve... the price tag seems fairly nominal for the potential emotional windfall, and -- although I believe you have the totally right attitude about the gamble -- I hope that you will find all of your expectations pleasantly exceeded!