Guest guest Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 OMG -look what I just found in the news about Namenda which is memantine for autism -not apraxia -and from someone we all love here - Dr. Chez (pediatric neurologist -you know -the one behine carn- aware.com carnosine? (not carnotine with a T) So my apologies to the DANs -but I'm still creeped out about this for kids with apraxia as our success rate here has been very high without the risks of putting kids onto serious adult medications -still creepy. And this article goes in to DAN against medications -very timely here...but again what if neither is needed (if we're talking apraxia) I mean they don't even mention fish oil or vitamin E....no less therapy! Oh and here's a link to info about carnosine/Dr. Chez from CHERAB http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/carnosine.html Namenda/memantine still creepy to me no matter who's using it. Sacramento doctor takes unconventional approach to autism By Dorsey Griffith - dgriffith@... Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, March 29, 2008 In the controversial world of autism treatment, mainstream medical doctors are increasingly pitted against alternative providers in the quest to figure out causes and develop treatments. Dr. Chez, a neurologist specializing in child autism, likens talking about the neurodevelopmental disorder to discussing politics or religion. " Many times, I have wanted to give it up, because it's hard to keep your ego from being beaten up all the time, " said Chez, who practices at Sutter Health and holds a teaching position at UC . " You're portrayed as part of the Evil Empire of the Darth Vader Medical Society. " Chez has weighed in with a book which explores traditional and alternative theories and approaches to autism, including his own, unconventional drug therapies. " Autism and its Medical Management " is an effort to educate parents of autistic children and the professionals who take care of them. Coinciding with the release of Chez's book in early April are National Autism Awareness Month and the 10-year anniversary of the UC MIND Institute in Sacramento, also known for innovative research into autism. The milestones reflect a dynamic time in autism diagnosis, research and treatment. While the causes of the disorder are not yet understood, autism cases continue to mount, as do efforts to unravel its many mysteries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 7 in 1,000 children 8 years old are diagnosed with the illness. The number of diagnosed cases served by the California Department of Developmental Services has grown from 6,527 in 1995 to 36,952 last year. Chez wrote his book as a user-friendly overview of what is known and what is not yet understood. The book details therapies that show promise, and others, such as detoxification treatments, that he says remain unproven. Chez believes that once an autism diagnosis is made, parents often mistakenly delay medical intervention. " Most people don't understand the complexities of the medical aspects of autism, " Chez said. " I wanted a program that allows people to get help from a medical point of view that is scientifically based and available in the community. " Chez said autism is multifaceted with numerous subtypes and symptoms, many of which overlap with those of other ailments, including epilepsy. Up to 30 percent of autistic children may have seizures, he said, and in one study as many as 70 percent showed abnormal patterns on an electroencephalograph test, used to measure electrical brain activity. Treatment of those children with valproic acid, an anti-convulsant drug, he reported, has demonstrated vast improvement in language function. Chez is working with Hendren, psychiatrist and MIND Institute executive director, on a larger-scale study on use of the drug in autistic children. McCain brought her 3-year-old daughter to Chez a year ago because she was way behind in language development and seemed unable to process information she was hearing. " We were concerned it was autism, but she didn't fit all the autistic criteria, " said McCain, of Elk Grove. Chez found the girl had irregular brain activity and prescribed an epilepsy drug. " We started to notice a change within a week, " McCain said. " She all of a sudden started acquiring language and trying to more frequently interact with us verbally. " McCain said her daughter continues to improve and has not been diagnosed with autism. Similarly, Chez has been using the drug, memantine, an Alzheimer's disease drug, for some of his young autistic patients. Preliminary research suggests the drug, which protects nerve cells against chemicals that cause brain damage, also is effective in improving language, social interaction and self-stimulatory behaviors in autistic children. One of Chez's current memantine patients is the son of Dr. Louis Vismara, a cardiologist and another parent founder of MIND. Vismara said the medication has helped his 15-year-old, in terms of his behavior and cognitive skills. He said he appreciates Chez's scientific, yet novel approach to autism treatment. " One of the most frustrating things we parents face is a multiplicity of anecdotal information, " Vismara said. " You could spend your whole life hopscotching from one hope for a cure to another without any real sense of what is going to help. " Chez acknowledged he uses some drugs not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children, or for autism symptoms. But he points out that he would – and has – done the same for his own children. Chez is the father of a 14-year-old who had stopped talking at age 3 and was diagnosed with Landau-Kleffner syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can sometimes mimic autism. He is also stepfather to a 15-year-old who is autistic, has a seizure disorder and is developmentally delayed. She takes drugs for seizures and the Alzheimer's medication, Chez said. Although Chez's treatment approaches could be called " unorthodox, " he distinguishes himself from the so-called DAN doctors, a group endorsed by the Defeat Autism Now organization. DAN doctors believe the disorder results when genetically vulnerable people are exposed to certain environmental toxins. Pleasanton physician Lynne Mielke is a psychiatrist with an autistic son and now a DAN doctor. While she agrees with Chez that autism demands medical treatment, her methods are different and only occasionally include prescription drugs. She said autistic children are systemically ill, with neurological, gut and immune system problems. She argues that inflammation and free radicals from exposure to toxins damage the brain. Mielke takes blood, urine, stool, and hair samples from her patients and looks for abnormalities – high levels of yeast in the bowel or mercury in the blood, for example, that might benefit from detoxification therapies. Her treatments may include chelation – a drug that helps rid the body of metals. DAN doctors also typically want their patients to adopt diets free of wheat and dairy products, and consume vitamins and other dietary supplements. Some practitioners promote use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to increase oxygen flow to the brain. Bruce Kaminski of Elk Grove takes his severely autistic boys, ages 9 and 11, to a DAN doctor. He said the boys have benefited from antifungal treatment for their bowel problems, chelation for mercury in their blood, and strict diets. And while he doesn't oppose prescription drugs for certain symptoms, he said, he likes the DAN approach for its emphasis on removing anything that might be harming the child. " Within a couple of days of taking my younger boy off milk, he went from not looking anyone in the eye, to giving eye contact, " he said. " That told us something. " Chez understands why parents like Kaminski choose alternative medical treatments, but remains skeptical. " People don't have faith in medicine and want a quick fix and a miracle cure, " Chez said. " I would do all these things if they actually worked. " Regardless of the professional differences, Hendren said Chez's book may help bridge some of the chasms between the various philosophies and medical approaches to the disorder. " By taking a thoughtful look at a wide variety of treatments, " he said, " parents will have a better opportunity to make informed decisions about what they want to try. " http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/820384.html ===== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 I'm not surprised by this.....I knew there was a big movement here in Sacramento for Namenda and other meds like them for apraxia and autism. This is why I've seen it all over my local list serv. When I mentioned fish oil to help apraxia, not one person was interested. @...: kiddietalk@...: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 12:22:58 +0000Subject: [ ] Re: Namenda/memantine for Autism? OMG -look what I just found in the news about Namenda which is memantine for autism -not apraxia -and from someone we all love here -Dr. Chez (pediatric neurologist -you know -the one behine carn-aware.com carnosine? (not carnotine with a T) So my apologies to the DANs -but I'm still creeped out about this for kids with apraxia as our success rate here has been very high without the risks of putting kids onto serious adult medications -still creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 So sad -fish oils are so easy, inexpensive, benign -and good for you on top of all that. While nobody knows the success or even worse risks of putting children onto this serious drug -we do know the proven success and even with dramatic results in a day to three weeks with fish oils. Just doesn't have the funds to back up research behind it -mother nature doesn't grow money on trees. And now we know about vitamin E too through Dr. who isn't only a respected researcher/pediatrician -but mom to an apraxic 3 year old. It's kind of like being a fan of Archuleta on Idle which I am - anything that appears innocent and good isn't cool in today's sick world. Pardon the pun on the word sick. Look Who's Talking Now: Fish oil capsules help children with speech disorders find their voices EngleMed http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/Englemed.html ===== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Anyone read his book? > > So sad -fish oils are so easy, inexpensive, benign -and good for you > on top of all that. While nobody knows the success or even worse > risks of putting children onto this serious drug -we do know the > proven success and even with dramatic results in a day to three weeks > with fish oils. Just doesn't have the funds to back up research > behind it -mother nature doesn't grow money on trees. And now we know > about vitamin E too through Dr. who isn't only a > respected researcher/pediatrician -but mom to an apraxic 3 year old. > > It's kind of like being a fan of Archuleta on Idle which I am - > anything that appears innocent and good isn't cool in today's sick > world. Pardon the pun on the word sick. > > Look Who's Talking Now: Fish oil capsules help children with speech > disorders find their voices > > EngleMed > http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/Englemed.html > > ===== > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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