Why be concerned with cure when no one is even close to one?

Post Reply New Topic

I discussed some possible explanations about why anti-cure people are so:
Anti-cure Cowardice: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt54644.html But I wonder why the cure issue is even discussed, because no one in science or medicine is even close to any kind of cure. There is nothing close, and no developments that are close. Why not wait until anyone is even close, or wait until there is a cure, and THEN discuss it?

What is a step prior to a cure? How about a major treatment? There is also no major treatment, and nothing close. There is no treatment that impacts and improves any of the core deficits of autism. For example, there is no treatment that impacts and improves the core sensory symptoms - visual, auditory, and tactile.

So in the absence of even a major treatment, why even discuss the cure issue? The cure discussion is only of extreme speculation.

The doctors and scientists who attempt to develop cures have never come close, and at this time the cure issue is a non-issue. The doctors and scientists who boast about seeking a cure are foolish. They have no right to boast this because they are not close and have never been close.

It appears that many are worried about the efforts to develop a cure, which is something I tried to discuss here Anti-cure Cowardice: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt54644.html And it appears that many would like doctors and scientists and organizations to stop trying to develop a cure. Well, over the decades and hundreds of billions of dollars funding the lives and work of hundreds of thousands of doctors, scientists, organizations, and activists, and others, no one is close to any form or degree of cure, and not even a major treatment. They can go on boasting what they want, and promoting their great hopes and goals, and advertising themselves for profit. Let them try to develop a major treatment or cure, and watch as the decades go by with none. They can't even find a cure for detectable diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Down Syndrome, Parkinson's, ALS, cancer, heart disease, etc.

As to whether I myself wish for a cure or major treatment, I'd be interested to hear about it, and learn about how it is a cure or major treatment, and see it's effects in those they claim are cured or treated. But no one is close to this, and I laugh at what goes on in science and medicine. They are profoundly primitive, and have no right to boast they are seeking a cure. Let us know when you develop one, and until then shut up, and stop profiting off others based on your empty boasting.

Last edited by elan_i on 25 Jan 2008, 10:25 pm, edited 3 times in total.

I believe some of the causes of autism are already known and can be cured. I got a lot of nasty comments from the anti-science crowd when I posted the likely treatable causes of autistic symptoms. I tried some and they worked for me.

Many get upset because they don't believe a "cure" is possible, but do believe it may be possible to develop prenatal tests to detect whether a fetus has the genetic structure for the spectrum. If such a test is developed, they are then afraid that when such a fetus is detected, it will be aborted. Humans being what we are, some would be aborted, and some would not be. But the specter of a eugenic pogrom makes many people afraid. Many of us have studied history, others have studied psychology and related fields... we are well aware of how savage and brutal people can be.

Death is the best cure.

zendell wrote:

I thought you "gave up it was hopeless"???

I knew there was no divine being......

This is only fear, and kind of like science-fiction fear. Why fear such things?

Is such as thing is developed, it would have to go through incredible social and political and legal and medical scrutiny and approval. It would never be thrusted upon anyone. This is science-fiction. In sci-fi they also speculate about things like this for neurotypical people...treatments, devices, etc...and it's all only science-fiction and has always been.

I gave up trying to convince certain types of people. If you think autism is genetic and are happy being the way you are, there really is no reason for me to convince you otherwise. I post for those who are interested.

I'd be interested to bear about "the likely treatable causes of autistic symptoms" and what you tried that worked for you. Have you posts this elsewhere?

I expressed my beliefs more thoroughly on this matter in the other thread.
Resources could be spent elsewhere if they didn't look for a cure, and I don't think thinking of ASD'S as diseases helps ASD people psychologically. Also, as long as autism is considered a disease, it could ultimately go toward wiping us out of the gene pool (because part of finding a cure will likely involve finding the genes of autism).

You're the one who brought up the subject in the first place.

Last edited by TheMidnightJudge on 25 Jan 2008, 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Fear is to be human.

Fear tamed the fire and killed the leopard.

Fear shaped the flint and bound it to the spear.

Fear is the mind killer... the little death.... oh come on, you KNOW I couldn't pass that one up....

FEAR is what motivates and drives the human race. Fear of death, fear of starvation, fear of the stranger, fear of the dark...

Fear is a survival skill. Those who learn to listen to it well, but wisely, prosper. Those who don't, die, and fail to pass on their gene's.

Once they found the genes for Down Syndrome, they created a prenatal test, told the parents how "terrible" it would be to have a Down Syndrome child, and now 90% choose abortion. I think some people are looking for autism genes so they can do the same thing with autism. For some, prevention is the best cure. I think all Down Syndrome and autistic children should be born. Down Syndrome isn't even that bad. I knew someone with it and would be happy to have a kid with it but that doesn't stop 90% from aborting them. That's the problem I have with genetic research into autism and why I think they should only look for the environmental factors.

Yes, but for you I will post them here.

My interest in these treatable causes started because I have both autism and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I developed CFS after taking a prescription drug that suppressed my immune system. Some of my autistic symptoms got worse when I got CFS and because suppressing the immune system is known to make infections worse my interest is in infectious causes of my symptoms. Some of the symptoms such as hypersensitivity to light and sound are similar and are uncommon outside of autism and CFS.

There's so many similarities, there's actually a paper that suggests autism and CFS are part of the same spectrum:

Neuro-Immune Gastrointestinal Dysfunction Syndrome: A New Descriptor for Autism and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? A spectrum of disease.
http://www.ahmf.org/01cosford.html

From one lab:
Q. A representative of the Great Plains Laboratory asked Dr. De Meirleir to comment on the fact that they are seeing some similar markers in autism and CFS, FM and multiple sclerosis.

Dr. De Meirleir – Mothers with CFS have 3-4 times perhaps even 10 times more chance of having autistic children. He’s collecting data on this now.
Source: http://www.wicfs-me.org/Pdf%20Files/IAC ... %20LHW.pdf

One study looked at Gulf War Syndrome vets (who received multiple vaccines before going to Iraq) and found that about 50% of their spouses developed CFS and about 50% of their children were diagnosed with autism. Mycoplasma fermentans was found in those affected with CFS and autism:

CFS/ME, GWI and Autism - same symptoms; same infections
Chronic Mycoplasmal Infections in Autism Patients
http://www.cfids-cab.org/cfs-inform/Myc ... tal.02.txt

The study below found mycoplasma in 58% of autistics and HHV-6a in 29%. A few researchers found these same two infections in CFS the same percentage of the time.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1726 ... d_RVDocSum

High dose vitamin C is one treatment for chronic infections. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that 8g/70kg person/day reduced autistic symptoms.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8255984[/quote]

One common finding from Great Plains Lab:
overgrowth of yeast (such as Candida) and/or bacteria (Clostridium species) in the GI tract - can be treated with probiotics and other meds if necessary. Can cause IBS and probiotics can cure IBS. Estimated to occurs in 50% with autism and CFS.

Some of these infections were recently discovered and they are difficult to treat. Mycoplasma can require 6-12 months of antibiotics. Valcyte is being currently studied in a controlled trial to treat HHV-6 in CFS patients after over 90% with HHV-6 improved on it. It also costs $2,000/month and would probably require several months to treat.

One researcher found a problem with RNase L in CFS that may increase the toxicity of mercury which some implicate in CFS and autism.

Abnormal blood circulation and reduced blood flow to the brain is found in autism (and CFS as well). One study looked at Pentoxifylline (which improves blood circulation) after an autistic took it for something unrelated to autism and became less autistic. Some no longer met the criteria while on the drug:



My experience: I improved with gfcf diet and probiotics. I took antibiotics after I tested positive for mycoplasma and I think that's due to a fungal infection (which some doctors find common in autism as well as CFS) which I'm currently treating.

So far, all of the main causes I found for CFS are also considered possible causes of autism. I believe that people who are born with these things that cause CFS end up being autistic. CFS cause brain fog, poor short-term memory, and these are the things that make socializing and verbal communication difficult.

These possible causes can be tested. They are only treated if the test is positive. I don't see why people with CFS should be treated while people with autism should be refused treatment for the same problems. Many of the DAN! treatments help treat these possible causes and I think that's why there have been over 1,000 recoveries from autism. When I mention treating or curing autism, I'm referring to treating these problems just like they are treated in adults.

Note: The above are all POSSIBLE causes of autistic SYMPTOMS. If they were conclusively proven, odds are you would all know about it by now. Also, some of the above causes may only be responsible for some symptoms so treating them won't cure autism. You can say those with these conditions were misdiagnosed and aren't really autistic. That's fine. These are causes of symptoms. Whether the person is given the autism label does not matter to me. I'm also not trying to force anyone to get tested or force anyone to treat them if the test is positive. If you are happy being you, then you don't have to get tested and I won't have a problem with it. Just don't attack those who are interested.

Because even though cure is not a real thing yet, people react to the abstraction in a very real way that ends up cruel to the person it's being applied to. Lots of abstractions are used in harmful ways, cure is no different.

Elan_I, its not that complicated. If you view yourself as broken because of autistic traits, then yeah, you are. I, however, am not. I don't function the same way NTs do, but its pretty silly to think their way of functioning is correct because there are more of them. So you know why I'm so anti-"cure"? Because theres nothing wrong with me. Thought I spelled that out in the other thread, but you ignore all the posts that don't fit you, apparently.

I "fear" that if Autism Speaks and bigots like you continue to spew your personal opinions and state them as facts, then it will paint autism in that light until a "cure" is found. I "fear" that if a "cure" is ever developed, it would mean the world would never again get minds like Einstein's. And most of all I "fear" for all those Aspies and Auties that already think they're "broken". Because they aren't. They may struggle with social situations, but they're inteligent beings with a conscience, which is more than I can say for many NTs I've met.

If they come close to a cure, I'm going to keep it away from myself, and my possible future children. I'd also keep my baby, if autism was to be detected in my womb. I'm not broken. I never did see myself, as being broken. I see myself, as a strong and powerful fighter.

Because the idea of someone changing who you are can be scary. In the end all a person has is their identity, and the 'cure' would take some of that away.

Also, because people abuse power. Chances are someone will try to pass a law to make the 'cure' manditory, because 'people with AS can't understand what being an NT is' or some nonsense like that.