blahblah123 wrote:
Are SSRI's effective?
From what I've read they have the least negative side effects.
In her interviews, Temple Grandin stated that she took Imipramine (the very first Tricyclic Antidepressant) for 3 years before switching to Desipramine (the metabolite of Imipramine) which she's still on for more than 20 years. However she's been on the same low/mini dose for the entire time and apparently that's enough to significantly reduce her panic attacks.
She recommends that some people with ASDs respond well to low/mini doses of SSRIs such as Fluoxetine (Prozac), Escitalopram (Lexapro), and Sertraline (Zoloft). Taking standard or higher doses of such antidepressants can increase the negative side effects such as weight gain and sexual dysfunction.
Keep in mind that everybody has a different physiology and low/mini doses of antidepressants may or may not work. You'll have to try it out personally to make your judgement.