Heartburn Medicine Can Relieve Autism Symptoms

[Guest guest]

From: Albert Pfadt <Albert.Pfadt@...>

I would encourage people on the list serve to read Dr. y's

article for themselves before jumping on board with the nasty

tone of the critical comments made thus far in this forum.

I should mention that I know Dr. y professionally although i

was not directly involved in this research. There was a placebo

contol involved in her study,as well as an open label trial for

children who seemed to be responding after the code was broken.

The most impressive aspect of the study was the vast ammount of

n=1 data gathered for each participant using visual analogue

scales tailored for each child's presenting problems.

Dr. y's research is an excellent example of how to blend

good clinical practice with careful controls necessary for

scientific study of important questions. It deserves better[eg.

more respectful] treatment than it has received so far in this

forum.

[Guest guest]

Study Finds It Helps Some Kids

By Mark Moran , MPH

WebMD Medical News

July 16, 2001 -- There are few treatment options out there for children with

autism, which places parents in a desperate situation. A new study holds out

some small measure of hope, finding that the common household drug Pepcid,

prescribed for heartburn, can reduce some behavioral problems seen in children

with autism.

In the study, which appeared in the Journal of Neural Transmission, four of nine

children treated with Pepcid experienced improvement in their autistic

symptoms.

Although the most well-known example of autism may have been Hoffman's

gentle Rain Man, author y, MD, explains the disorder includes a range

of severe behavior and psychiatric problems. Autistic children display minimal

emotional attachment and poor social interaction, communication, language, and

play. But they can also be hyperactive and aggressive and can make attempts to

injure themselves.

Early and intensive behavioral and educational therapy is the primary treatment

for these disorders, says y, while medications are used to treat select

" target " symptoms.

She also emphasizes that Pepcid is not a treatment for autism itself but only

useful in treating certain symptoms in some children. For instance, one child in

the study displayed reduced irritability, and another demonstrated greater

affection toward his mother. Another child who persistently repeated dialogue

from a video did that less after treatment, she says.

Since the initiation of the study, Pepcid has become available as a generic

prescription, famotidine, and in over-the-counter forms.

y is emphatic that parents wishing to try the medication should do so

only under the supervision of a doctor and as part of an overall treatment plan.

" Although [Pepcid] is marketed over the counter, it is important for families to

work with their child's prescribing physician to determine whether it is an

appropriate treatment, " she tells WebMD. " Medication treatment of a child with

[autism] requires a medication treatment plan, and both general behavior and

target symptoms need to be closely monitored. Children must also be monitored

for possible adverse reactions. "

The precise mechanism by which the drug may be working to improve behavior is

unknown, says y, assistant attending pediatrician at St. Luke's-Roosevelt

Medical Center and adjunct scientist at the New York State Institute for Basic

Research in Developmental Disabilities. Previous studies have shown that

children with autistic disorders have a higher incidence of stomach disorders,

including heartburn -- which Pepcid is used to treat.

Many children with autism are unable to speak and are therefore unable to

communicate that they are experiencing stomach problems, says child psychiatrist

Fassler, MD, who reviewed the report for WebMD.

" It is reasonable to suppose that kids in the study had undiagnosed stomach

problems, " he says. " The medication could have treated the stomach problems and

might have made the kids less irritable and improved their behavior. " Fassler is

chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Children,

Adolescents, and Their Families.

Though none of the children in the study had been diagnosed or treated for

heartburn, it is possible that they had an undiagnosed stomach problem that

responded to the medication, agrees y.

Parents should not see this as a magic potion or a cure-all, cautions Fassler.

" It's an interesting, small study which needs further evaluation and certainly a

follow-up before we could appropriately recommend this treatment broadly. "

Medically Reviewed

By Dr.

© 2001 WebMD Corporation. All rights reserved.