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Secretary

Secretin is a hormone produced by the digestive tract and is used as a medicine. Some secretin products are obtained from pigs, others are produced in the laboratory. Secretin is used to treat autism. Two dosage forms are available. Secretin is either placed under the tongue or injected intravenously. Sekretin is administered intravenously for profound developmental disorders, pancreatitis and other problems with the pancreas, an overactive thyroid gland, duodenal ulcers, bleeding in the stomach and intestines, and heart failure. It is also used intravenously to prevent stress-induced stomach ulcers and to diagnose a rare disease of the digestive tract called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

How does secretin work?

Secretin is a hormone produced by the digestive tract. It stimulates the release of bicarbonate and water from the pancreas to aid digestion.

How effective is secretin?

  • Secretin is likely to be ineffective when used to treat autism and pervasive developmental disorders. The use of secretin for autism is controversial. Some people report seeing improvement in gastrointestinal function, social and behavioral skills, and language skills after a single injection of secretin. However, most studies show that both laboratory-produced and porcine-derived secretin do not improve autism and pervasive developmental disorders when administered once or repeatedly.

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement regarding the effectiveness of secretin in the following areas of application:

  • Stress-induced gastric ulcers in severe trauma or illness: New research suggests that secretin may help prevent stress-induced peptic ulcers.
  • Pancreatitis: New research suggests that secretin may help with symptoms of existing pancreatitis.

There is also a lack of scientific information on the effectiveness of secretin for digestive tract bleeding and heart failure. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of secretin in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Secretin is available as a prescription product that is administered intravenously. These intravenous products are safe and harmless when used correctly. Common side effects include flushing of the face, neck and chest immediately after injection. Less common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, blood clots, fever and rapid heartbeat. Some people may experience allergic reactions including hives, reddening of the skin and life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock). There is not enough information on whether secretin placed under the tongue is safe and harmless.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of secretin during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid secretin.

Interactions

At the present time, there is no information on interactions of secretin with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of secretin depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for secretin. For this reason, you should follow the dosing instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Coniglio SJ, Lewis JD, Lang C, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of single-dose intravenous secretin as treatment for children with autism. J Pediatr 2001;138:649-55.
  2. Horvath K, Stefatos G, Sokolski KN. Improved social and language skills after secretin administration. J Assoc Acad Minor Phys 1998;9:9-15.
  3. Jowell PS, Robuck-Mangum G, Mergener K, et al. A double-blind, randomized, dose response study testing the pharmacological efficacy of synthetic porcine secretin. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2000;14:1679-84.
  4. Lightdale JR, Hayer C, Duer A, et al. Effects of intravenous secretin on language and behavior of children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms: a single-blinded, open-label pilot study. Pediatrics 2001;108:90.
  5. Mulvihill SJ, Debas HT. Regulatory peptides in the gut. In: Greenspan FS, Strewler GJ, Eds. Basic & Clinical Endocrinology. 5th ed. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1997:581.
  6. Roberts W, Weaver L, Brian J, et al. Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2001;107:e71.
  7. Sandler AD, Sutton KA, DeWeese J, et al. Lack of benefit of a single dose of synthetic human secretin in the treatment of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. N Engl J Med 1999;341(24):1801-6.
  8. Secretin for the treatment of autism. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 1998;14(12):141212.
  9. Spilker G, Theisinger W, Bader, Seidel G. [Long-acting secretin for the prevention of stress ulcers in surgery]. Nouv Presse Med 1982;11: 267-9.
  10. Theisinger W, Spilker G, Bader M . [Prevention of stress ulcers with synthetic depot secretin]. Med Klin 1981;76:291-3.Tympner F, Rosch W. The treatment of chronic recurrent pancreatitis with depot secretin-a preliminary report. Hepatogastroenterology 1986;33:159-62.