Recommended Meds for Aspergers Sufferers (UK)

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Callista
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25 Jul 2009, 9:33 pm

Low-dose meds are somewhat equivalent to using "natural" substances, since plants tend to be unrefined and thus not very potent. The huge drawback to that is, of course, that the plants may not do what they ought to for the simple reason that they aren't very potent. And, of course, you can't find out exactly how much of your desired chemical you are getting--which is why they refine them in the first place.

I strongly suggest going to your doctor before starting taking anything stronger than vitamin supplements at normal strength. Herbs and other 'natural' substances can and do interact with other drugs or simply be a bad idea for whatever it is you've got, just like normal medications.

Some substances have such few side effects that they're used as foods (those, I'd also say no need to ask your doctor)--for example, chamomile, peppermint, warm milk and honey, coffee or tea, etc.

Herbal medicines are medicines--meaning that they have side effects, interact with drugs, can have bad effects on your body, can be addictive, can have long-term drawbacks... etc. The decision to take them should be made about as carefully as the decision to take prescription or OTC meds, especially since in many cases their effects have not been closely studied. The only reason I don't say categorically "no" to them is that many of them are simply ineffective, with few benefits and just as few side effects, and don't hurt anything more than your wallet.


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oppositedirection
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26 Jul 2009, 5:11 am

If there was ever a drug that would help some people with AS it would be one that reduced the level of obsessive thoughts. Upsetting thoughts that often burn away is what makes my life painful, so that's what I'd like see tackling. Any ideas?



dancinonwater
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11 Jun 2011, 10:36 am

MorbidMiss wrote:
I do not have Asperger's however I do have a problem with medications being reversed for me. I do have ADHD and things like Dayquil make me horribly loopy, but Niquil is fine. Stratera is a felony level stimulant, but I never felt excited on it, it did help me focus. Unfortunately it also made me feel as if bugs were crawling through my hair.


Strattera is NOT a stimulant. Just wanted to make that clear.



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11 Jun 2011, 1:00 pm

The stimulants Concerta and Adderall work for me (then again, I also have ADHD alongside AS).



Sweetleaf
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11 Jun 2011, 1:01 pm

Macgumerait wrote:
Sedatives make aspies hyper?

Thats an odd effect of sedatives...it like defeats the purpose of the drug...

Does anyone know of any meds in which side effects would not impact on a working lifestyle?


sedatives make me tired and stimulants make me more hyper.....so yeah I guess I have a fairly normal reaction to those.



Sweetleaf
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11 Jun 2011, 1:03 pm

oppositedirection wrote:
If there was ever a drug that would help some people with AS it would be one that reduced the level of obsessive thoughts. Upsetting thoughts that often burn away is what makes my life painful, so that's what I'd like see tackling. Any ideas?


Cannabis, though some people don't react to well to it and get more anxious or paranoid feeling, but as a rule its quite relaxing and can reduce obsessive thoughts by kind of slowing things down a bit. There are likely to be people who disagree with me which I am fine with.



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11 Jun 2011, 1:30 pm

dancinonwater wrote:
MorbidMiss wrote:
I do not have Asperger's however I do have a problem with medications being reversed for me. I do have ADHD and things like Dayquil make me horribly loopy, but Niquil is fine. Stratera is a felony level stimulant, but I never felt excited on it, it did help me focus. Unfortunately it also made me feel as if bugs were crawling through my hair.


Strattera is NOT a stimulant. Just wanted to make that clear.


Strattera is an NRI (Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor). I was on Strattera at one point, and it did nothing to reduce my hyperactivity or increase my concentration.



BenThere
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11 Jun 2011, 3:31 pm

This was a very helpful and balanced reply. Thank you Callista.

Callista wrote:
I honestly wouldn't recommend psych meds unless you have another disorder than just Asperger's. I mean, yes, Asperger's can be disabling; but it's a developmental disorder, not a mental illness--think about cerebral palsy or Down syndrome; autism is in the same sort of category in that it's the way your brain is made, not some kind of craziness that has to be fixed. The best approach for AS has always been and will always be a decent environment and education that lets you tap into your strengths.

Why not medication? Well, simple: When the side effects outweigh the benefits, it's not worth it; and in this case the benefits are slight if they exist at all, and the side effects can be worse than for most people (anecdotally, we often do overreact to psych meds).

If you do have some other mental illness, though, psych meds can be useful. Anxiety disorders and depression are more likely to occur with AS than most things, but there's other things that can also pop up, from bipolar disorder to eating disorders... those things do often respond to meds.

I shouldn't say that medication is never useful for AS; in a few isolated cases, it can be. In the case of a comorbid mental illness--I had depression a few times, and the last time I recovered quickly thanks to psychiatric medication, in part--it can be downright indispensable. It's just that many other things are so much more useful, and medication can just cover up an underlying issue.

Good nutrition and a relaxed lifestyle with activities you enjoy (some of them should be physically active) will do a lot more good than medication. In my experience, an Aspie tends to do a great deal better when unneeded stress is removed--even if it's something as simple as buying paper plates and cutlery so you have to do fewer dishes, or buying a dog so you have someone to talk to who doesn't mind you being socially clumsy (and forces you to get out and take him on walks besides).



BenThere
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11 Jun 2011, 3:33 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:
oppositedirection wrote:
If there was ever a drug that would help some people with AS it would be one that reduced the level of obsessive thoughts. Upsetting thoughts that often burn away is what makes my life painful, so that's what I'd like see tackling. Any ideas?


Cannabis, though some people don't react to well to it and get more anxious or paranoid feeling, but as a rule its quite relaxing and can reduce obsessive thoughts by kind of slowing things down a bit. There are likely to be people who disagree with me which I am fine with.


I have to agree with you. I have tried a lot of different psych meds, and cannabis is the only one that allows the thoughts to slow down but not make me completely brain dead or deal with side effects... unless I overdo it that is. Then it can actually cause more anxiety than it relieves.

:?