The secrets out about a trendy autism treatment now it may be impossible to find
It’s a dose of disappointment.A supportive care drug that may help ease hyperactivity and improve speech and communication in children with autism has become so popular that desperate parents may have trouble getting their hands on it.Leucovorin — a reduced form of folate or vitamin B9, an essential nutrient our bodies can’t make on their own — took center stage last fall when the White House touted it as an “amazing” treatment for autism.A study published Monday in JAMA Network Open found that leucovorin prescriptions increased by more than 2,000% over three years.Prescriptions remained relatively stable until early 2025, upon publication of a widely viewed news story about a family who reported dramatic language improvements in their child after treatment.Interest in leucovorin, a cheap drug used to protect healthy cells from chemotherapy, further spiked when the Trump administration promoted it in September 2025.By November 2025, rates climbed to over 835 prescriptions per 100,000 outpatient hospital encounters, more than double the amount only a few months prior.“What this study shows is how quickly information shared through news coverage, social media and public figures can influence real-world prescribing patterns,” study author Dr.Joshua Rothman said in a statement.“Even before large clinical trials establish whether a treatment is truly safe and effective for broad use,” he added.A 2012 clinical trial found that about one-third of young participants with autism who took leucovorin twice daily showed significant improvements in speech and language.Side effects like hyperactivity resolved quickly, and no serious adverse events were reported.Low folate in the brain — a condition known as cerebral folate deficiency — is highly prevalent in kids with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially autism, which affects about 1 in 31 US children.As leucovorin popularity has skyrocketed, doctors have struggled to meet demand.“I can’t even te...