Having an autistic brain blesses me with skills and abilities almost nobody else has. It also has its challenges. One of my worst habits is outbursts and meltdowns. When something becomes so intense, I become hot-tempered and can do nothing but shake my body and blow it off. Speak in an angry one-sided rant. Blame others.
Something had to have happened to trigger my lizard brain, or as others call it, my “amygdala.”
At moments, I had to ask myself… “How do I live with this? Do I have to be this way forever?“
All these outbursts kept happening…
- despite my parents putting me cold-turkey on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet when I was 7 years old, and seeing dramatic improvements in my stimulation, behavior and focus.
- Despite practicing Transcendental Meditation.
- Despite my parents working hard to make me comfortable in social situations…and blend in with a neurotypical society (which has paid off).
- Despite my dad investing in me becoming a public speaker, and helping me to train hard for it.
My dad was frustrated, and so was I. I thought there was something wrong with me.
I ask myself again. “Do I have to live with this forever?“
Now, until I discovered EMDR therapy, I couldn’t truly figure out my explosions. All the “calming mechanisms” in the world were just temporary recoveries, and then I’d blow steam hours or even minutes later.
In the meantime, I’ve kept reading claims from autism parents and autistic adults that certain supplements could play a role in curbing the undesirable behaviors. I’ve been on a 2-year-long adventure to test this claim.
The question is: Do supplements have measurable positive effects for autistic adults?
The answer lies ahead. Here’s my personal experience with some of the supplements mentioned on Reddit and the internet.
Please note that the results described apply to me and my neurology. Everyone is different. I make NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES you will experience the same results. In fact, you might respond quite differently. Treat this as data. If one autistic person reacted this way to the supplements, it might explain your situation. I find it doesn’t hurt to try them. I don’t treat them as “cure-alls”, and nobody should.
The first 4 supplements are essentially amino acids:
1. N-acetyl-cystine (NAC)
NAC is said to be the most potent of all the supplements for high-functioning autistics. It’s certainly got the most research in its favor — especially for socially undesirable behaviors, like irritability, repetition, and awkwardness.
(And no, I’m not from Quebec. I had the French side out by mistake 😅)
Researched Benefits of NAC (for both adults and children):
- Helps with irritability
- Helps with repetitive behaviors
- Reduces social withdrawal
I’ve cycled through NAC capsules from various brands and now use these Natural Factors 600mg veggie capsules.
I started with a NOW NAC supplement, followed by a CanPrev NAC+ GlyNAC, and then now the Natural Factors — in conjunction with other amino acids in my daily regimen.
How was the effect?
On the first few doses of NOW NAC, I experienced a subtle gain in mental clarity and reduced irritability. They’d last the rest of the day, or for as long as I wouldn’t encounter an extreme trigger, whichever came first.
I did have one side effect from NAC: anhedonia. I know, that word’s a lot to swallow. But what it means is simple. “Anhedonia” means you’re feeling emotionally numb. Like you derive less joy from your hobbies or your daily life. Everything you love just feels so pointless — and you simply don’t care.
While anhedonia from NAC is subtle, and it’s not as extreme as one would expect from an antidepressant (thank God I’ve never taken those), it’s noticeable.
Over time, with continuous daily use, both the positive effects — and the anhedonia — tapered off.
I went off NAC for nearly a year, and then several moves later, got back on it. A single 900 mg dose was relaxing. Double it up to 1800 mg, and the next day, I felt quite an increased irritability. I’m not going to attribute it to NAC alone. We’ve got to consider other environmental factors like possible mold toxicity — and likewise my unaddressed traumas, and my lack of a working routine to address them.
1-2 months later, I’m taking 1200mg of Natural Factors NAC a day, in conjunction with glycine, L-theanine and glutathione. The effects aren’t immediate. However, with continuous daily use, I’m feeling a much more subtle but positive relaxing effect. And the best part? No more anhedonia!
All my initial worries about NAC have disappeared with time and patience. It seems to be working with the integration I’ve been doing with my EMDR and morning self-care routine.
The research seems to align with what I’ve found. Per this randomized controlled trial, the effect is most pronounced in early doses, and over time, the effects stabilize. Apparently it’s my system hitting equilibrium, or so to speak.
I can say my overall irritability has gone down. Whichever NAC supplement I take, I’ve found the overall effects to be similar from brand to brand.
Please do take heed that patience doesn’t come naturally to a lot of autistic adults. If you try NAC for the first few doses, and you feel like giving up because of the anhedonia side-effect, I’d be right there with you. I sure felt that way at first. In that case, I can suggest you keep taking NAC when you feel emotional numbness wouldn’t interfere with your day. I can only speak from my own experience — that taking it continuously has seen that loathsome “numbness” taper off completely.
Natural Factors NAC, 600 mg, 180 Veggie Capsules
I’ve settled on Natural Factors because their supplements are ISURA tested. ISURA is an independent Canadian certification lab and a gold standard for supplements — it is THE seal of trustworthiness in a highly unregulated industry with a lot of bad actors. If you see those five letters, it means it’s been laboratory-tested for up to 800 contaminants, verified non-GMO, and is clean and non-toxic as it gets.
2. Glycine
Glycine activates NDMA — the receptors that are responsible for attention and impulse control, the two greatest challenges of folk with ADHD. I’m a blend the neurodivergent community calls “AuDHD” — autism + ADHD.
(Zut alors! I caught the French side AGAIN! 🙄)
Researched Benefits of Glycine (for both adults and children):
- Attention
- Impulse control
- Detoxification
- Anti-inflammation
How was the effect?
I never really called attention to the effect of glycine. Looking back now, used to be quite the inattentive young child — shifting from one thing to the next seemingly every five seconds. I think, since taking the glycine, I’m nowhere near that bad now.
Granted, yes, I need the frequent change in environment to get into hyperfocus. And if I’m feeling shitty, a little bit of movement of the eyes from side to side (and crying) helps.
I’m writing now in the morning, having done a clean run of my routine and supplementary regimen. I feel more focused. It doesn’t happen every day. Even so, although it took me an hour of getting to this stuff — well on top of my dad having to put out fires — I have enough attention to edit this article and feel my memories come back to me. Suddenly, I felt the difference between now and 5 months ago. I remembered the effect these supplements had on me.
Natural Factors Glycine, 5g per Serving, 450g Powder, Unflavoured
L-Theanine
L-theanine helps with GABA production. It’s supposed to calm you, boost dopamine, and raise the serotonin, and help with sleep and focus.
Researched Benefits of Glycine (for both adults and children):
- Alertness
- Attention
How was the effect?
Many reviewers with ADHD report a massive increase in alertness and attention. Some folk with autism take it in conjunction with NAC. That’s what sold me on this supplement. I haven’t experienced a major, exponential effect taking it.
NOW Double Strength L-Theanine, 200 mg, 120 Vegetarian Capsules
Glutathione
A hallmark of autism is hugely reduced glutathione. This substance, consisting of three amino acids — glutamate, cysteine and glycine — resides in key areas of the brain responsible for motor control and language. It’s responsible for preventing cellular damage.
Those all-important regions of the brain, in autistic people, quite simply don’t have enough glutathione naturally. We’re blessed with extraordinary logic and emotional abilities. We scan people like it’s nobody’s business. We solve problems nobody else is capable else of solving. But if we expect to socialize with people…that is the greatest challenge.
NAC helps restore glutathione levels, and I supplement glutathione directly with Natural Factors Glutathione LipoMicel Matrix.
How was the effect?
Again…the effects I’ve been feeling are probably subtle. They seem to be working in the background. I haven’t noticed any drastic improvement in social abilities, especially when stressed. They certainly haven’t gotten any worse though!
Natural Factors Glutathione LipoMicel Matrix, 300mg, 90 softgels
Melatonin
Now, this is a weird one. My dad and I have discovered research that supports high doses of melatonin with vitamin C for immune support, as an antioxidant, and to help both to energize you and to help you have a restful sleep.
You’d think melatonin is a sedative. While melatonin is the “sleep hormone”, unlike what everyone else says, I don’t treat it as a sedative. When some people supplement their melatonin, they fall asleep right away. If you experience it, that’s a sign you’re suffering chronic sleep deprivation and need to rebalance your sleep cycle!
Taking melatonin in the daytime has the immune and energy benefits I outline in my articles on high-dose melatonin and the melatonin supplements I take. What you read therein might shock you, but when my dad stumbled upon the work of Doris Loh and Russell J. Reiter, our views of melatonin have never been the same since. Their research aligns with our (anecdotal) experience: that melatonin works best on us when doses go out of the milligrams and into the grams.
Taking melatonin at night, I find the effect VERY noticeable. Without it, I don’t have a restful sleep — period.
A lot of autistic & neurodivergent people have trouble with sleep. In fact, I’m willing to bet that more of us have higher rates of sleep deprivation per capita than the normies.
There are various reasons we might be bedridden. For one, we don’t produce as much melatonin as neurotypicals do. Add small-“t” trauma or complex PTSD, and if something emotional especially triggers you, goodbye sleep. I know this from experience. One too many times, I’ve come down from something so upsetting, my head would feel like a hamster wheel. I couldn’t stay still in bed. I’d wake others up. At times, it got so bad, I’d start yelling. If that’s what you experience, that might be a trauma response. I’d suggest finding therapy for it — in my case, do something like EMDR — and face those hurtful emotions head-on.
If, however, you feel alright but you just can’t sleep, melatonin moderation might just be the thing for you.
How was the effect?
I find two ¼ teaspoons of PureBulk melatonin powder before bed are usually enough to get a restful sleep, combined with 1000mg of liposomal vitamin C.
Two ¼ teaspoons (a half-teaspoon) equates to 1,500 mg of melatonin. That is a HIGH dose, but remember: Doris Loh’s research makes a strong case for those giant numbers. And people who test this stuff for a living, like the Anti-Aging Channel, speak of taking 1,000 mg a day with no negative side effects. This article explains how I dose it.
PureBulk Bulk Melatonin Powder and Natural Factors Liposomal Vitamin C
Overall Conclusion
Let’s restate the question. Do supplements have measurable positive effects for autistic adults? In my case, the answer is YES. I haven’t lost any of the ‘benefits’ of autism to NAC and its cohorts. They’ve certainly played a role in me squashing my bad behavior.
HAVING SAID THAT — and this is not a “but” — there is a catch…
I’ve been dosing these amino acids for a straight month now. I didn’t go into them expecting a miracle cure; more like a long-term solution. I’ve indeed found the supplements helpful for my behavior. However, what’s made the most major difference is my self-care routines.
The big bottleneck felt like my explosive temper and trauma. I feel like these supplements wouldn’t have continued to display full effect if I didn’t use self-therapy and exercise to take care of the emotional dynamite buried deep in my being.
NAC was the only one that was really noticeable at first. Having said that, I’d much rather have something that lasts and creates meaningful change.
I am pleased to say the whole combination of supplementation and self-care has finally given me the result I’ve spent my life searching for: to begin undoing the most challenging and frustrating part of my autism. My explosive behavior, uncontrollable shaking and outbursts.
Now, when I ask myself “do I have to live with this forever?”, at last I can honestly answer “no”.
You might be disappointed at the lack of an immediate effect from these supplements. But think about it, what if the long-term effects aren’t as obvious? What if there’s some repair happening inside, and you just aren’t tracking your outbursts and behavior enough?
When something creates a high for a day, I treat it as an addiction. Think about when you’re out and about. If you’re travelling, and you’ve got no time to consume these supplements, do you have any time to feel better? That’s why it’s a must to focus on healing the whole human body with a combination of modalities — not just one aspect like nutrition.
Have you tested one or more of these supplements? Please comment below and I’ll give you my thoughts. I am not a doctor and NONE of this is medical advice; I am simply an autistic person sharing personal experience. My goal is that you’ll find help and take solace in these words.