Adult Aspergers.. Drugs

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I'm going to my doctor for a referral tomorrow back to see my Phsyciatrist. We couldn't figure out what was going on a few years back. When I discovered ASD affected my son, I realized that's what's going on with me also.

Lately I've been suffering from terrible paranoia, I hate to work, I have no motivation and am pretty blue. My daughter is the world's moodiest person on the planet and cries at the drop of a hat, and of course my son has ASD. I feel like I am at the end of the line.

I think I will need a prescription when I do see him...... can any of you tell me about what you may be taking that helps. I realize everyone is different. My MIL loves Wellbutrin, but when I took it I gained 25 pounds. Are all drugs antidepressants for ASD suffers?

I take right now, vitamin b12, multi-vitamins, monavie, and hopefully soon will start st johns wart. St johns wart helped me a lot with my depression and anxieties. The others help me as well, medication just makes me worse. Herbal stuff seems to help me the best!

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Being Normal Is Vastly Overrated

Eaves-dropping here--

I've been anxiety-ridden all my life.
Am Aspie (undiagnosed) but think I might try St.J's wort as a last(?) resort. I'm tired of putting up with it!.

I was pulled into the mental health care system as a 12 year old kid but, it took alot of years of misery and mistreatment by
far too many psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals before I got a correct diagnosis
of Asperger Syndrome as an adult. Psychiatry is a TOXIC industry largely in existence simply to make money.

I have taken many prescription medications...and too many psychiatrists seem to only "guess" at what medications to prescribe
for their patients. Many medications have side effects and weight gain is a major one of them. You may have to try several
medications before you find the "right' medications to help you.

As a student who has studied pharmacology...the study of drugs...I prefer NOT to take herbal drugs (like St. John's Wort) as I
believe strongly that these drugs are NOT truly safe and need to be regulated. I do NOT even ingest Nutrasweet which is in so many foods and soft drinks...I did a research study and what I discovered about Nutrasweet scares me.

After much misery, I am happy that my psychiatrist found two medications that work for me. Celexa is a newer SSRI, anti-depressant and also, helps with anxiety. In addition, I take a small amount of Klonopin which is a longer acting anti-anxiety medication than Valium. Now, I seem more like a Neurotypical ("normal") individual than someone with AS.

I hear you on the nutrasweet. When I eat that stuff my face turns red as a beet.

I'm nervous of herbal remedies... my father had a very bad reaction to St. John's wart and passed out in a store... maybe if nothing else works I will look into that area of medicine.

Well, I have to admit, I never would have been directed to Aspergers if it wasn't for my boy. My Phychiatrist said I had AGORAPHOBIA (fear of leaving the house/being in public)... but I always knew it was much deeper than that.

So, drugs will go in an antidepressant type of route. I've tried Paxil (not bad, but kinda stopped working), zoloft (headaches) and Wellbutrin (25 pounds later)... then I just stopped going.

This time, I feel like I'm in the right direction....

Do these drugs actually help you????? How much???

I take Invega for anxiety/ocd and Effexor for mood stabilization. Neither have made me gain weight and I feel a lot better. Just so you know though, you're supposed to give the effexor at least 6 weeks before you switch drugs.

I hope you can find a fitness-based routine that gives you a lift, rather than seeing a psychiatrist and/or taking drugs. I see a psychologist for my AS treatment, and have a fitness routine that works on many levels of mood and physiology. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I hate to see someone putting their faith in psychiatrists and drugs. Psychiatrists are not required to learn any psychology.

Well, this is of course very much an individual thing, but here is what works for me:

Fluoxetine - 40mg a day - has reduced my depression and helped my organisation and time keeping (without this I literally have no concept of time at all despite numerous clocks, timers, electronic organisers etc.) and has also helped with my ADHD symptoms.

Xanax as required for anxiety - I find this very helpful as it seems to work pretty quickly and also unlike some other tranquilizers, it doesn't make me really tired, so I can take it during the day with out falling asleep at my desk! Also, unlike anti-depressants, I can take this as and when I need it - I don't have to take it every day regardless of whether I feel anxious or not.

Oxazepam - I take this for very severe anxiety. It works for me, but it does make me sleepy, so not good if I am at work or have to drive etc. Again, I take this as and when required.

L-Glutathione - discovered this by accident! I started taking this as my liver does not produce as much of this as is 'normal' (I read somewhere that there is considered to be a connection between this and autism). I was just taking it to help my liver because I have always had symptoms of 'sluggish liver' ever since I was a child.
To my surprise, not only did it help my liver, but has also reduced my anxiety!
You should probably speak with a doctor before taking this though, and maybe get some appropriate tests done first.

I also avoid foods containing concentrated sugar as this significantly worsens my depression and anxiety.

Also, making sure I get as much sleep as I need helps too.

I would have a look at Bristol University's site www.researchautism.net .They've conducted a comprehensive review of drug interventions in ASD's and the results are distinctly mixed...

In regards to medication I take Celexsia, I trhink it's called for mild depression & anxiety but, mind you I've been on Remeron and Zoloff but, I found the side effects from such to hard to deal with.Anyways, in my opinion in regards to medication I feel it's all due to what works for someone as well, what your physician and you feel comfortable with..