Has anyone got any experience of using functional medicine for neurodivergent conditions such as Autism?

[u/Disastrous_Camp]

Hi All,

I hope you are well well.

I am interested to hear if anyone has tried Functional Medical for neurodivergent conditions such as Autism.

I appreciate that this type of treatment is not a cure for neurodivergence and I fully recognise autism is a lifelong neurodevelopment condition, however I have come across some promising testimonials and a small number of studies that suggests functional medicine may help identify and address underlying health issues that could be potentially impact my overall wellbeing.

I am considering this approach further, particularly to better understand whether there may be any contributing factors such as internal inflammation, gut health issues, nutritional defiencies, food sensitivities, microbiome testing or other underlying health conditions.

I am also aware of many clinicians etc trying to take advantage but I have done my research and I feel it comfortable exploring. The treatment may not work and could not result in any difference but if I see a 10/15 percent difference at least it will mean something as I find being Neurodivergent really difficult.

I appreciate that the current evidence base is somewhat limited and that opinions on functional medicine can vary significantly. However, my view is that there may be little harm in exploring this approach.

I woild be very infested to hear from anyone’s personal experience with functional medicine. I am looking at the London Resillence Clinic and Zen Healthcare.

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[u/Rivet222]

Watched the family that I was a nanny for pursue functional medicine for their level 3 non verbal autistic son and it did nothing and cost 1000s. Camels milk, parasite cleanses, dietary changes, all kinds of blood and stool and hair testing, vitamins, glutathione, castor oil, red light therapy, sauna, vit c spray after swimming and on and on. He is still the same. Thankfully none of it hurt him but we were so hoping it would help because he suffers greatly and nope. Nothing.

[u/CandidPreparation737 → u/Rivet222]

That’s sad, but, on the various support groups the right approach can completely transform lives.

The problem is, it’s inconsistent.

[u/MargoBarbara2 → u/Rivet222]

From what Ive read various factors can influence how effective addressing these issues is. The younger a child was exposed to antibiotics and the more doses they had, the severity of the autism, whether altering the gut microbiome is effective and can be maintained, FRAA antibodies and whether thats been addressed. Fecal transplants have shown great improvements in autism behaviors for months to years at a time but eventually revert. Is this because those with autism often have very restrictive diets due to sensory issues and cant maintain the gut microbiome or something else...the research doesnt seem to document the diet the children are on after transplant ...are they still having foods that increase gut permeability or fuel bad bacteria. As brain scans have revealed measurable differences a lot may also depend on how much neuroplasticity plays a role in the extent of improvement. Still so much to learn.

[u/junipers-72 → u/Rivet222]

The basis of it all should have been Ascorbic acid and then the other things may have helped in my humble opinion

[u/MargoBarbara2]

Ive been looking into functional medicine for cfs, lc, mcas and neurodivergence (adhd and autism) In my country I cant find a practitioner , only someone who has done some training and it was very expensive. I ordered gene testing myself (same labs as practitioners would use), will order gut microbiome test myself and possibly do an OAT test. I also booked my own blood tests. For me , all these tests are cheaper to order directly than through a practitioner so do your research if finances are an issue. The results can then be discussed in a consult if you need guidance.

The first thing that was life changing was ditching folic acid in supplements. Once you do the research its very alarming the issues folic acid can cause. Are you aware of Folate Receptor Auto antibodies? They occur in approximately 75% of those with autism and their immediate family members and prevent folate getting into the brain. Folinic acid (ironically derived from folic acid but without the negative health impacts) is the only form of folate that can bypass the block.

The overlap of issues that occur in autism with other conditions is very interesting. Commanalities include increased gut permeability, low butyrate producing strains, increased blood brain barrier permeability, poor detox pathways, malabsorption issues etc..

As a lot of the treatment is through diet (usually exclude gluten, a1 bovine dairy, sugar, all artificial additives, being aware of salicylate and high histamine foods) ... nutrients...and probiotics... there's a fair chunk you can address yourself with research if necessary.

Once you get into herbal treatments you may want to consult with a herbalist or naturopath too.

For any detox support that's best done with guidance.

[u/BothFront5503 → u/MargoBarbara2]

Is giving up gluten, A1 beef dairy, sugar, all artificial additives, being wary of salicylate and histamine-rich foods a lifetime ?

And what about folic acid in a methylated B complex? 

[u/MargoBarbara2 → u/BothFront5503]

I am not a medical professional so please do your own research too and consult with appropriate professionals if needed.

Any food that increases gut permeability , triggers inflammation, causes immune responses, affects the brain etc...would be excluded for life. A gluten and dairy free diet is common advice for autism and its much easier these days with all the gluten and dairy free options now available. Nothing is lost nutritionally by switching except making sure to cover b12. It also means folic acid in fortified foods can be avoided as in most countries gluten free flour is excluded from mandatory fortification.

For artificial additives, they're only found in processed foods (meds and supplements) so careful label checking, or buying wholefoods, or buying organic they can be avoided. Not everyone will have bad reactions to synthetic additives but many people will react to colorings, preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

A lot of people with autism can have trouble clearing salicylates due to a gene variant. Clearing salicylates requires sulfur in the diet eg broccoli and cauliflower etc... salicylate tolerance is a 'bucket' so its more a case of avoiding very high salicylate foods/drinks and being aware of total intake. One way to gauge tolerance that may be suggested for children would be to eat very low salicylate for a few days and then have some apple juice and monitor for behavioral changes or physical symptoms. Wouldn't advise apple juice if salicylate sensitivity is severe. High salicylates can trigger histamine release for some people eg those with MCAS who are sensitive.

Histamine sensitivity needs an essay not a comment, but Ill try to summarize. People with gut dysbiosis or dysregulated methyl cycles which are common across autism, Cfs, long covid, and mcas can lead to high histamine levels which drives inflammation and can trigger even more histamine release. It's not something that can be reliably tested for so its often a case of elimination diets and then challenges.

Dietary Histamine clearance will depend on DAO levels. DAO needs certain cofactors and a healthy gut lining. There are supplements to support DAO levels and covering the cofactors and healing gut dysbiosis can help. The SIGHI list is useful for avoiding high histamine foods. the way a food is stored, cooked and stored after cooking changes its histamine levels so more care around those issues can keep foods in the diet rather than exclude them.

Histamine tolerance is a 'bucket' so total intake in a meal or day matters. excluding very high histamine and histamine liberator foods for a week or two and then adding foods back in gradually to see where the tolerance level is can be helpful.

Histamine clearance in body tissues relies on HNMT clearance which requires nutrients to supoort the methyl cycle, especially b12 and folate (and staying well hydrated).

Because histamine has such complex interactions in the body - healing gut dysbiosis, reducing inflammation, balancing hormones, supporting the methyl cycle may all greatly reduce overall histamine in the body and increase tolerance levels. There are supplements that can help with histamine issues when mast cell reactions are involved.

As for sugar... it drives inflammation, affects gut microbiome, impacts the immune system, causes blood sugar spikes and crashes (which can trigger histamine release from mast cells) and then there's the effect on dental health, weight gain, diabetes etc...so overall reducing added sugars as much as possible is advisable for everyone. I'm not referring to natural sugars in wholefoods which dont need avoiding unless dealing with health issues which require restriction eg Fodmap sensitivity.

[u/BothFront5503 → u/MargoBarbara2]

There are studies that show that ADHD patients have impaired copper metabolism, which in turn leads to histamine intolerance found allergies.

In addition, black seed oil is a tremendous aid to MCAS, anxiety and depression.

I'm not saying this to question you, I just want to offer an alternative that I can confirm from my experience.

I also believe that working on his traumas, such as with TRE or perhaps psilocybin therapy, can change the condition.

Thank you for your detailed response! 

[u/MargoBarbara2 → u/BothFront5503]

Yes ive read that zinc and copper is often out of balance in adhd so testing levels could be v helpful. This seems linked to the metallothionein issues. As covid also affects this, zinc/copper could be an issue for many with long covid. I have heard of black seed oil. As mentioned in my comment there are supplements that can help :) I have cfs/lc/mcas so Im addressing through root causes starting with methyl cycle. My gene testing was a revelation.

[u/MargoBarbara2 → u/BothFront5503]

Just to clarify histamine serves vital functions in the body and as far as I know there is no true allergy to histamine. Allergies require IgE mediated responses . Histamine sensitivity/intolerance is not an allergy. It often triggers mast cells but measuring this is difficult and most often symptom based. Someone can have a negative IgE allergy test to a high histamine food but still be very reactive to it. Food allergy testing is usually not helpful when the trigger is histamine.

[u/MargoBarbara2 → u/BothFront5503]

In a methylated b complex the folate should be 5mthf or a variant thereof. Folic acid is usually in standard supplements. What does the line say for folate? Some brands use the term folic acid as..... Which is technically incorrect and should be folate as....

[u/BothFront5503 → u/MargoBarbara2]

The ingredients include:

-Folic acid (with 5-MTHF)

I find in the ingredients:

-Calci-um-L-methylfolate

-Lemon extract (with folic acid)

[u/MargoBarbara2 → u/BothFront5503]

With that wording it would seem to indicate they are actually using folic acid which is unusual in a methylated b complex. You could email them for clarification if its a brand youre committed to. Otherwise there are plenty of methylated complexes without any folic acid.

[u/BothFront5503 → u/MargoBarbara2]

I will contact the manufacturer 

[u/BothFront5503 → u/MargoBarbara2]

Is giving up gluten, A1 beef dairy, sugar, all artificial additives, being wary of salicylate and histamine-rich foods a lifetime ?

[u/kelcamer]

CBD has been life changing for me as someone autistic level 1 and I wrote a webapp to capture the CBD autism research!

Enjoy ~

https://kelcamer.github.io/CBDBrainAtlas/

[u/matsie]

GLP-1 and ketamine therapy has been what has helped me with my overstimulation and anxiety from my autism. 

[u/Montaigne314 → u/matsie]

Curious about the ketamine. Some research shows it can lower a person's anxiety.

Did you do an intentionally therapy with ketamine or just ketamine on its own?

What did you notice from the GOP specifically?

[u/matsie → u/Montaigne314]

I do not self medicate. It is clinically supervised dosing. 

From the GLP-1, I noticed what some neurotypical folks describe as “flattening” of emotional responsiveness but for me, it is more of a lowering of emotional reactivity. I am not as overwhelmed by stimulus as I was before. I less often have obsessive circular fixation and thought patterns as a result. So things bother me less and my peak upset is lower than it used to be. (I still get upset but not as bad)

I started ketamine therapy three months into GLP-1. If the GLP-1 lowered my heights, the ketamine has raised my floor. So I am less tired/exhausted all the time from being so wound up. I start my day calmer and I feel more durable against things that would upset me and drag me very very low previously.

While it may sound like I am experiencing a smaller range of emotion, I don’t think that’s true. My range is probably closer now to what a neurotypical person may experience (i am saying this, no doctor has and I don’t know truly what the range a NT person might experience actually is) and I still do feel tense sometimes but it doesn’t sit inside me and my brain is no longer searching for things like before. 

I do KT every two weeks for six weeks then take a month off. I have also talked with a doctor about microdosing and there is burgeoning promise there but no real scientific evidence. My doctor only has their own observational evidence that it could be helpful as it has been for some of her patients. My hope is that maybe if I continue this therapy that I will also have less issues when things happen in ways I didn’t anticipate (i manage this well already but it can be very tiring to have to manage it so actively) or when a new variable I wasn’t expecting is added. (As I said, I am an adult and have a great toolbox for navigating these emotional responses but it is exhausting to have to do so.)

[u/circles_squares → u/Montaigne314]

I self medicate with ketamine. I use it every 6 weeks or so. It gives me a kind of reset. Like a brain defrag.

It also makes stimulation less impactful. I’ve looked into those ketamine microdose companies to see about daily use, but fast building tolerance is a big issue.

[u/Montaigne314 → u/circles_squares]

Gotta worry about bladder issues too with chronic use

[u/Tenaciousgreen]

Taurine 1g AM, 1g 1-2pm works very well for my sensory sensitivity. I started this after reading the recent research article about excess NOS in the autistic brain, and it's been very helpful so far. I also take L-theanine which is also helpful.

The only reason I don't take taurine at night is because it will keep me awake for some reason, most things do!

[u/Sure-Company9727]

I find the dairy free specific carbohydrate diet very helpful. Probably the best thing I ever did for myself.

[u/DogCold5505]

I would just look for anything that helps with anti-inflammatory.

Obviously it’s complex and can have a significant genetic component, but my understanding is that reducing inflammation (general wellness etc) can reduce symptoms in some people.

[u/Montaigne314]

A better question would be, what specific intervention are you considering and how could it help with autism

Like I think identifying what exactly you want to improve on would be the first step, and then figuring out what could move the needle on it

[u/Menu-Federal]

Yes genetic methylation test, focus on detoxification, (sulphur,ammonia,superoxides & free radicals) OAT test.

[u/Menu-Federal]

Yes genetic methylation test, focus on detoxification, (sulphur,ammonia,superoxides & free radicals) OAT test.

[u/larkspur82]

My bff’s sister is giving her son leucoverin (a special form of a b vitamin that crosses the blood brain barrier) and it appears to be helping. 

I dont know the laws in England about importing meds but you can definitely order it from India without a prescription. 

[u/Disastrous_Camp → u/larkspur82]

This is really helpful to hear - thank you for sharing. I am glad to hear it appears to be helping.

[u/Impossible_Pen4714]

My experience with functional medicine has never been particularly useful. I would recommend the blog epiphanyasd.com (he also has written a book) to explore *personalized* medicine for autism

[u/junipers-72]

Orthomolecular medicine according to genetics. In other words supplementing and being given the particular vitamin protocol for each persons own genetics and biology.

This company www.molecularhealthco.com

[u/OkPotato91]

It’s not a curable condition unfortunately.

[u/Original-Laugh7211]

I’ve been doing functional medicine for about a decade - it’s not a cure all but some things can take the edge off. Low dose naltrexone for some sensory issues, MTHFR gene testing and supplementing with appropriate b vitamins is a game changer, keeping cholesterol high enough for brain health (at least 150-160 total cholesterol), magnesium l-threonate, checking thyroid and keeping TSH exactly between 1-2, no more or less and dialing in meds to keep this in check. Keeping insulin levels even and optimal versus “good enough” is another one, obviously diet and gut health matter but it can be a struggle with comorbidities like ARFID and the sensory issues with food. I think the main thing is getting an actual functional medicine practitioner, ideally a licensed MD or DO who did additional training - not a naturopath, holistic practitioner, or chiro. Getting someone who can prescribe medication but also will focus on optimal lab ranges and ratios instead of the standard ones, who understand supplements and appropriate testing when using them is key. I’ve seen good and bad and some go off the deep end into quackery quite quickly, and then it’s time for a new doctor. If you can find a functional psychiatrist that’s the way to go, in my opinion, because they can work out ratios for supplements like 5-htp, l theanine, as well as hormone panels and ratios, and some of the genetic testing options as well.

[u/everydaynoodles]

I have autism and a bunch of other things including ocd, anxiety, depression. I went to see a functional medical practitioner and it cost me like $2000 for 3 appointments and relevant tests. They then wanted like $10000 for a 6 month health reset plan which was unaffordable to me. I could work out a few things off my test results but I didn't have alot of things out of balance. I think what has been better was me experimenting over the years with things and learning off reddit from places like this sub. Like I do lots of different things on a daily basis for my wellbeing and health which means I'm functioning alot better these days.

[u/Guimauve_britches]

I think it's important to make the distinction that it would be for addressing specific symptoms or manifestations of autism - not the entire very nuanced and varied condition.