Withdrawals or Tardic Dyskinesia????

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It has been a long time since I posted. Hello to you all once again.

I am going to be brief because I am feeling like I'm in crisis mode. My son, 14 year old Aspie, is currently in a year long behavioral modification program. It is residential. I will explain more if you would like.

I am curious if anyone has had experiences with coming off of Abilify. I requested that while he was in a medically safe environment he be taken off of as much as possible. I had felt that he was over medicated, and wanted to see what my "organic" child was like. I was tired of doctors throwing pills at him because of his issues.

I had my visit with him yesterday. He was showing very clear signs of dyskinesia...constant eye blinking and eye movements, his hands kept in fists or were constantly moving, he couldn't stop moving his legs and feet, he had an occasional head twitch. I am worried...the doctors say it's just a withdrawal symptom. I am curious how they know it's not permanent.

The doctors now want to start him on Seroquel. Yeah. Let's start him on a medication that will stop the movements and has a risk of side effect of tardic dyskinesia. I have told them absolutely not.

I was reading the thread regarding medications for AS. I am in total agreement that medication should only be used if nothing else works. I feel that his anxieties and outbursts can be dealt with if they take time to find the CAUSE. A few years ago we took him off of everything. He would lay in bed and ask me to please put him back on the medication. He was self aware enough even then to tell me that he felt better when he was on them. I have no problem with him being on ADHD meds, they definitely seem to help. He is the one that asked to be back on them. He is also on Zoloft for his high anxiety, because I feel that sometimes the anxieties are so high that he needs a little help. I see him weaning off someday, after he has a baseline of what not feeling so anxious feels like and can get there on his own. But I am having to draw the line at more anti-psychotics. I REFUSE to medicate my child into submission! UGH!

My son had to come off of Abilify very, very slowly (like it took us 3 months and he had been on about 4 mgs.). In addition, that was the med we took him off of last. I think that the ADHD meds can cause (or uncover) a tic disorder, which the Abilify could have been masking.

What exactly is a behavior modification program supposed to help a 14 year old with Aspergers with? To me that alone is concerning, how is he treated there? what sort of behavior modification tequniques are used? I think you really need to look into those things and make sure this is the best place for your son first of all. I don't want to cause any alarm but things like that can be pretty sketchy. Also its concerning he's having side effects like that from meds and they want to put him on another to counteract those side effects.......where is it going to end?

Sorry I can't be more help but I really think you need to make sure this is the right thing for him and from what I read here I am leaning towards it's not.......but he's your child, you know more about the situation than I do so I can't tell you what to do.

Also Aspergers syndrome and Autism are not behavioral problems, its a different brain wiring so using a rewards/punishment system to try to force someone with autism into behaving normally is probably going to do a lot more harm than good.

The facility is actually really good. He is treated extremely well. There are only 7 other children at any given time, all spectrum. It isn't forcing him into any behavior. I did research them EXTENSIVELY. It is similar to a therapeutic boarding school. They use a positive reinforcement system; when he treats others respectfully, doesn't act out physically, does what he is asked without excessive "debating", he gains more privileges.

It was a very difficult decision to make, and he and I discussed it at great lengths before the action was taken and after visiting the facility we both agreed it would be something to try. He has now a greater understanding of his autism, how to work with it, and how to work with other people. As far as the medications go, I wanted him off. If he indeed needed certain ones, I wanted to make absolutely sure. But my concerns are increasing...I think that since he isn't getting where THEY think he needs to be, they are going to try to medicate him. I am not in agreement with this, and if they do not want to continue to work with him and me within these limitations we will be finished.

The Asperger's is not totally the issue that prompted me to enroll him there. He had additional issues that I felt an intensive therapeutic environment would help with. I refused to send him to just anywhere. This facility only works with spectrum teens, and he has been able to work through some of the issues. It's a very long story, one I had shared in previous posts. I feel confident that he has gained a good foundation he can build on when he finishes the school year.

Sweetleaf, I truly appreciate your candor with the responses. I am always looking for different points of view. I am by no means an advocate of institutionalizing children for autism, and I think that anyone that considers this should research very carefully, be absolutely sure it is the only option.

Life with an Asperger's teen can be very trying. But one thing is for sure. My difficulties are only a fraction of what I see my son dealing with. My ONLY goal is to make sure he is happy and functional to the best of HIS capacity. I am not doing any of this to make MY life easier.

beware of seroquel i got tardive dyskinesia symtoms about a year after being put on seroquel it took 6 months to get rid of the symptoms and i still occassionally get tremors and this was about 5 years ago. i dont know how old your kid is but i was 16 going on 17 when this happend