We have developed a new formulation of the Respen-A, which you will hear referred to as Respen-A Blended Chord and it will be available, and take the place of the original Respen-A, July 1, 2011 via all pharmacies currently compounding the original Respen-A.
The rationale behind going from the original Respen-A to the Respen-A Blended Chord is the following:
There are two forms of MA0: MAO-A and MAO-B. The MAO-A:MAO-B ratio is much like a teeter-totter in that environmental factors that inhibit MAO-A activity usually boost MAO-B activity. Decreased activity in MAO-A is common in autism. A decrease in MAO-A results in a dysfunction in the mitochondria resulting in lactic acid production. This results in calcium phosphate being pulled from the compartmental stores in the body such as the bones. The phosphate neutralizes the acid, leaving high amounts of unbound calcium. This free calcium goes into the cells, such as mast cells, causing an inflammatory response and tissue damage. Tissue damage stimulates cholesterol production because cholesterol is needed for tissue repair. Thus, research shows that an MAO-A deficiency is associated with high cholesterol levels. But interestingly, many children with autism have low cholesterol levels. This may be explained by the fact that when MAO-B activity gets really high it inhibits production of cholesterol. This may also explain why high cholesterol levels often precede low cholesterol levels. Stress inhibits MAO-A. The decrease in the MAO-A:MAO-B ratio causes an increase in cholesterol. But as stress continues and becomes prolonged, the MAO-A activity becomes very low and the MAO-B activity becomes very high and this can result in very low cholesterol levels due to inhibition of cholesterol synthesis.
So we hypothesized that it may be beneficial to try and work on both sides of the MAO-A:MAO-B ratio. The Respen-A 4X formulation is aimed at increasing the MAO-A, but would Respen-A have a greater effect on the symptoms of autism if it worked on both sides of the equation; increasing the MAO-A and lowering the MAO-B? Thus, the Respen-A Blended Chord formulation was adopted. One of the metabolites of reserpine appears to boost MAO-A activity and decrease MAO-B activity. Thus the Respen-A Blended Chord is a 4x homeopathic dilution of reserpine and a 12C dilution of a reserpine metabolite.
The Respen-A Blended Chord was first tested in a small sample of 3 patients who had used the original Respen-A 4X formulation for 6-12+ months. On the Respen-A Blended Chord, they reported more initiation of language, better attention, better motor planning and dexterity, more affection, more empathy and awareness of others emotions and needs and a desire to help and respond to others. They also reported that a little bit of gluten every 1 1/2 -2 hours was an absolute MUST with the Respen-A Blended Chord.
We then increased the sample size of the Respen-A Blended Chord to 20 patients to see if these same benefits were consistent in a larger sample since often the response to a treatment can vary from individual to individual. The majority of the larger sample reported similar benefits as seen in the small 3 patient sample. Parents reported that they felt the Respen-A Blended Chord was superior to the Respen-A 4x.
So as of July 1, 2011, all pharmacies will begin compounding and dispensing the Respen-A Blended Chord and the original Respen-A 4x will no longer be available. The patient instructions are the same for Respen-A Blended Chord as for the original Respen-A 4x:
- 2000 mg of calcium each morning with breakfast MUST be taken prior to putting on the disc.
- All supplements that will negate the original Respen-A 4x will still in fact negate the new Respen-A Blended Chord (such as EFA’s, oils, Enhansa, high Vitamin D, etc)
- A serving of meat must still be eaten daily to keep up with the serotonin turnover. (If meat cannot be eaten, you may supplement with 500mg of L-Tryptophan daily or100-150mg of 5-HTP 3-4 times a day.)
- Also, a small amount of gluten (such as a 1/4-whole cracker, depending on the child) MUST be taken every 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours throughout the day if they are on a strict Gluten Free Diet.
THE DIFFERENCE in the Respen-A 4x and Respen-A Blended Chord however, is that with the Respen-A Blended Chord it is recommended to start with only a 1/2 disc of the Respen-A Blended Chord as most patients have found the 1/2 disc to be the optimal dose of the Respen-A Blended Chord. Thus, if the patient is careful when opening the individual disc packages, so as to not tear the paper/foil backing, they can remove the disc, cut it in half with a pair of scissors and then place one half of the disc back into the package and reseal the paper/foil backing and place the package back in the refrigerator to be used the following day. Thus, a month’s supply of Respen-A Blended Chord may provide treatment for 2 months. (Note that if you are using less than 1/2 disc, you can only get the packaging to effectively reseal one time.)
We are also holding a webinar on June 28, 2011 at 4:00pm Pacific Time to address the new formulation and our findings from those children that have tried both formulations. If you would like to join this webinar, please contact us at info@respen-a.com with your email address and we will make sure you are listed on the recipient list of our webinar invites. From what we have seen, we are very excited about the new Respen-A Blended Chord coming soon!
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