Autism - Medication and Medical Cannabis ©
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) , refers to a wide range of neurophysiological conditions (brain and body function) characterized by difficulties in terms of social skills (understanding, application, initiative, ability to share and reciprocity, non-verbal gestures, etc.) and non-verbal behaviors. And limitations (such as repetitiveness, insistence on non-change, over-focus on one thing, and more). These are all called Core Symptoms .
There is no "one" autism. There is a wide range of difficulties and issues. These problems often include additional medical problems for interpersonal communication, behavior, and adaptability, especially disorders related to basic regulatory mechanisms: hunger-satiety-eating, wakefulness, indigestion, pain, behavior, thinking and emotion, and a much higher incidence of abnormal electrical activity. In the brain, up to complex and sometimes atypical seizures (which cannot be included in the category of seizure / epilepsy type).
The treatment of autism is mostly environmental - first and foremost, counseling and guidance for parents is required, including seizures (which cannot be included in the category of seizure / epilepsy type).
expectations tailored to the child's developmental ability , treatments that promote coping with disabilities ranging from regulation skills and language through learning life skills, adapted behavior and social skills, and of course long and intensive emotional care for the child. .
When the child with autism suffers from severe behavioral and / or emotional difficulties, which cause him or his environment real distress or impaired development and functioning according to his abilities (important is the child's feeling and the parents and professionals' assessment of his abilities and whether there is a gap between his potential and practical functioning), treatment The main ones are emotional, behavioral, environmental adaptations and paramount importance for parental guidance.
Sometimes, in order to perform these treatments, medical help is required to regulate the child, reduce distress and enable these treatments.
For many years, but especially in the last 20 years, antipsychotic drugs (neuroleptics, mainly Major Neuroleptics, Atypical Neuroleptics ) have been used to treat restlessness, aggression, difficult and harmful self-stimulation behaviors and other behaviors. This is after attempts at behavioral therapy have been exhausted.
Treatment with Minor Neuroleptics (such as benzodiazepines and antihistamines) and other medications, such as clonidine, guanapacin, attention deficit medications (if there are symptoms and an appropriate clinical picture), mood stabilizing medications. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs (SSRIs and others) are mainly used for fear, anxiety, and the image of repetitive thinking and compulsive behaviors, which are sometimes part of the autistic disorder and are sometimes similar and almost identical to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There are other drugs, some old (such as Darlene / Prolol and more) and some new and / or in development.
These drugs were originally developed for other purposes (psychosis, major depression, anxiety, etc.), and their use is often done without choice, in the absence of brain-adapted treatment with defects manifested in autism.
It is important to note that many drugs in the world have been developed for one problem, but were later found to be effective for other problems. For example, aspirin was originally developed to treat pain, more than 50 years later was found to be an anticoagulant, Depalept was developed to treat seizures but was also found to be effective in treating bipolar disorder, Ritalin for narcolepsy and sleep problems and later used for ADHD, and more.
Studies on drugs given to children and adults with autism (especially antipsychotic drugs) show high short-term efficacy (6-8 weeks) and decreased efficacy thereafter. Also, the incidence and severity of side effects , both short-term and long-term, are much higher than in the treatment of people with difficulties for the treatment of whom the drugs were developed, or even in children treated with them and not suffering from autism . Some argue, and studies have found, that many people have continued to take these drugs for at least a few more months and at the same time argued that their long-term efficacy may be good, but this requires further research and testing of benefit versus risk.
Indeed, sometimes these drugs will suit both the short and long term, although often at the cost of various to severe side effects and too often - irreversible.
From clinical experience, backed by the start of clinical research and laboratory research, it appears that medical cannabis treatment leads to a marked improvement in some of the symptoms that are sometimes defined as "comorbidity" for autism , but are often part of the syndrome (autism + sleep / anxiety / OCD / digestive problems / epilepsy and more ).
Clinical research on the effect of cannabis on autism is still in its infancy, although there is already extensive accumulated knowledge about the effects of treatment.
From our experience of over four years and the experience of others, cannabis treatment in children who are not treated with drugs will be more effective.
Medical cannabis treatment is also complex - it is a plant, with its many components and different varieties, different forms of consumption and effects (pharmacokinetics - how the substance is dispersed in the body, how quickly it is absorbed and broken down / exits the body, and pharmacodynamics - the interaction between cannabis and the body).
Medical cannabis treatment therefore requires personalization , making it more similar to biological therapies.
Biological therapies cause the body to activate its own systems in a more regulated manner, as opposed to "regular" drug therapies, which work directly to alter the functioning of the body's systems in order to achieve improvement.
In conclusion - "autism" is a name that encompasses a wide spectrum of people about their difficulties. "Cannabis" is a medicinal plant, one of the most unique and diverse influences among them. This plant contains hundreds of components, different varieties and different forms of consumption. The combination of all of these requires adjustment and accompaniment to reach balance.
The fact that it is a drug on a natural basis (not synthesized in the laboratory) is in itself almost meaningless. Its importance in its effectiveness, a relative minority of side effects (and even if it does, then usually in the short term).
Our vision at Cannafora - Improving the quality of life of a person with autism, reducing his and his family's distress and trying to promote the child and the person to reach their full potential .
The global and important uniqueness of Knapura is that the treatment is built on a collaboration between specialists and professionals in the field of medical cannabis treatment and accompaniment, who are themselves mothers of children on the autistic spectrum, and therefore know the autistic child and family life closely. optimal.
(*) When developing a drug test for efficacy and safety (side effects). Choose the drug that balances efficacy with safety. Most drugs have side effects, but their development and use is based on adaptation to side effects. When the drug is effective due to the side effects then there is a decrease in its effectiveness due to the adaptation to these effects. Therefore many times increase doses and enter the cycle of increase in dose-adaptation-increase in dose and repeat-God forbid.
(**) The activity of the endocannabinoid system can be likened to a smart traffic light system at a crossroads - which changes the light of the traffic light and its duration according to traffic needs (unlike traffic lights that work at fixed times regardless of traffic).
(C) All rights reserved to Abigail Dar. and Dr. Yuval Goldburt
(*) When developing a drug test for efficacy and safety (side effects). Thr choice is always that has the best balance/ratio between safety and efficacy. Most drugs have side effects, but their development and use is based on building tolerance to these side effects. When the drug is effective due to his side effects then there is a decrease in its effectiveness due to the tolerance to these effects. Therefore many times increasing doses and enter the cycle of increase in dose-tolerance-increase in dose and repeat..
(**) The activity of the endocannabinoid system can be likened to a smart traffic light system at a crossroads - which changes the light of the traffic light and its duration according to traffic needs (unlike traffic lights that operate at fixed times regardless of traffic).
(c) All rights reserved to Dr. Yuval Goldburt and Abigail Dr.
