Autism Research: Using Lupron to Regulate Testoterone Levels in Autism

Doctors stand by research to treat autism

By STEPHEN DAILY
For the Courier-Post

Lisa McLaughlin drove six hours from her home in Fredericksburg, Va., to Cherry Hill to learn more about the devastating disorder that has affected most of her adult life.

McLaughlin’s 5-year-old son, Christopher, has autism and her 14-year-old son, Jonathan, has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Like many other parents in attendance during the final day of the U.S. Autism & Asperger Association regional conference at the Crowne Plaza hotel, McLaughlin had tried just about every psychological and biomedical treatment on the market for the treatment of her sons.

After hearing a 90-minute seminar from the father-son team of Dr. Mark Geier and Dr. David Geier on breakthrough research concerning the connection between high testosterone levels and autism, McLaughlin said she is ready to try a new alternative medicine for Christopher.

The Geiers say excess testosterone increases the toxicity of mercury, which they claim is the primary cause of autism, and that the suppression of testosterone production improves the ability to remove the poisonous mercury — a method often referred to as chelation therapy.

The drug Lupron, or leuprolide acetate, lowers testosterone in autistic children, which then frees up the toxic mercury, the Geiers say. The Geiers, who operate eight offices nationwide under the name “Genetic Consultants,” found that testosterone blocks the body’s ability to make glutathione and that mercury binds to glutathione.

“Many pediatricians think there’s no biomedical problem with autistic children. They think it’s all psychological,” Mark Geier said. “It all ties back to one thing — high testosterone levels and low glutathione levels.”

Autism makes social interactions and learning difficult and frequently drives children to engage in disruptive behavior. Symptoms include limited attention span, avoiding eye contact and difficulty expressing themselves.

New Jersey has the highest rate of autism in the country, with one in 94 children being affected, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The cause of autism has been the subject of great debate between doctors, scientists and other medical professionals recently — namely whether vaccines play a role in injecting toxic mercury into the body leading to autistic conditions.

To prove there is a hormonal connection to autistic children, the Geiers displayed several studies that showed a major side effect of high testosterone in children is precocious (or premature) puberty. The Geiers said they found signs of premature puberty, such as facial hair, body odor and early sexual development, in 80 percent of the autistic children in their clinic.

“The testosterone levels are positively correlated with a number of autistic traits and inversely correlated with social development and empathy,” David Geier said.

The Geiers say they have treated more than 200 patients with a combination of Lupron until the point at which testosterone levels normalize, then dimercaptosuccinic acid, or DMSA, to remove any remaining mercury.

Lupron is not recommended or approved by the FDA for uses related to autism. The drug is FDA-approved for adults for the treatment of prostate cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids, according to the FDA Web site.

But the Geiers stand by the drug’s off-label use in its ability to control testosterone in autistic children. Mark Geier said laboratory tests at his clinic show that after just three months on Lupron, autistic children improved in dozens of cognitive and behavioral ways.

Perhaps the Geiers’ best evidence of the effectiveness of Lupron on Sunday came from the crowd, not the presentation.

Alicia DePalma, of Kunkletown, Pa., had her 13-year-old son Peter stand up and acknowledge the crowd. She explained how Peter was on several medications through his childhood, with very limited results. Then a year and a half ago, after hearing about the Geiers’ studies, she decided to give Lupron a shot.

“He used to sit there like a zombie and when the medicine wore off, he would start banging his head off the table,” DePalma said. “Now he washes the dishes, does gardening outside, and loves sports. And he is now coming back into being vocal.”