@Sheila
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed posting. I concur with most of what you say. I'm well aware that isolated vitamins in higher doses can easily throw things out of balance. That's why I'm very cautious about introducing new supplements and I only want to give him things that I have extensively tested on myself. One possible problem with B1 in particular, as you said, is that it is sulfur-containing. I read somewhere that sulfur-containing nutrients could feed pathogens in the gut. If this is true, transdermal application would be an option. However, my wife is already very skeptic about supplements in general and probably would never approve that - except if I could get official approval from a neurologist.
The reason why I'm so fascinated with B1 is that it also seems to play a big role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and I have the suspicion that my son has at least a mild form of ASD. There is quite a big overlap between ASD and epilepsy in childhood. According to this paper, about 20% of children with ASD also have epilepsy and about 20% of children with epilepsy also have autism:
Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges
Other symptoms that my son has and that also occur in ASD are:
- speech delay (although he has made some progress lately, he is still quite far behind his peers)
- repetitive behaviors and/or a tendency to engage in a restricted range of activities
- irritability and hyperactivity
- sometimes very obsessed with certain routines and rituals
For example, he used to line up his toys, as is typically seen in ASD and he is often flapping with his arms, quite similarly as in this video:
On the other hand, he also shows many behaviors that clearly would not support the diagnosis of ASD. For example, he likes to interact with people and to involve them into his play. He has good eye contact and likes to be hugged. He is also rarely afraid of something and does not seem to be overly sensitive to stimuli.
We are currently doing an extensive examination at an epilepsy clinic with him, that includes a 72-hour EEG. As part of this examination, they will also assess whether he fulfills criteria for ASD.
Here are some studies on Vitamin B1 and autism. There is even a small intervention study that could show that B1 can improve symptoms of autism:
Treatment of autism spectrum children with thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide: a pilot study. - PubMed - NCBI
The role of trace elements, thiamin (e) and transketolase in autism and autistic spectrum disorder. - PubMed - NCBI
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27330305
http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20130102.11.pdf
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed posting. I concur with most of what you say. I'm well aware that isolated vitamins in higher doses can easily throw things out of balance. That's why I'm very cautious about introducing new supplements and I only want to give him things that I have extensively tested on myself. One possible problem with B1 in particular, as you said, is that it is sulfur-containing. I read somewhere that sulfur-containing nutrients could feed pathogens in the gut. If this is true, transdermal application would be an option. However, my wife is already very skeptic about supplements in general and probably would never approve that - except if I could get official approval from a neurologist.
The reason why I'm so fascinated with B1 is that it also seems to play a big role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and I have the suspicion that my son has at least a mild form of ASD. There is quite a big overlap between ASD and epilepsy in childhood. According to this paper, about 20% of children with ASD also have epilepsy and about 20% of children with epilepsy also have autism:
Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges
Other symptoms that my son has and that also occur in ASD are:
- speech delay (although he has made some progress lately, he is still quite far behind his peers)
- repetitive behaviors and/or a tendency to engage in a restricted range of activities
- irritability and hyperactivity
- sometimes very obsessed with certain routines and rituals
For example, he used to line up his toys, as is typically seen in ASD and he is often flapping with his arms, quite similarly as in this video:
On the other hand, he also shows many behaviors that clearly would not support the diagnosis of ASD. For example, he likes to interact with people and to involve them into his play. He has good eye contact and likes to be hugged. He is also rarely afraid of something and does not seem to be overly sensitive to stimuli.
We are currently doing an extensive examination at an epilepsy clinic with him, that includes a 72-hour EEG. As part of this examination, they will also assess whether he fulfills criteria for ASD.
Here are some studies on Vitamin B1 and autism. There is even a small intervention study that could show that B1 can improve symptoms of autism:
Treatment of autism spectrum children with thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide: a pilot study. - PubMed - NCBI
The role of trace elements, thiamin (e) and transketolase in autism and autistic spectrum disorder. - PubMed - NCBI
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27330305
http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20130102.11.pdf