Medication

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Are any of you on medication for Asperger's? My son is on 7 1/2 mg of Ritalin 3 times a day, a very low dose, but it makes a HUGE difference for him. His Dr. has suggested that we switch to Strattera. he says that people with Asperger's respond really well to it and that it will make it easier on him because he won't have to take meds at school. Of course the school nurse will be completely heartbroken. Anyway, has anyone tried Strattera?

Crystal

I've never heard of strattera for Asperger's but a good friend of mine is on it for ADD and he is like a new man - it is just amazing - he had some problems with being spacy for about two weeks after he started, but now he's gotten used to it and it is great - he is very intelligent and a great guy so now that he's got this ADD thing under control - he can do anything . . . but he's nearly 40, too, so I assume that the med might do different things in a child . . .

I take no meds for Asperger's... I am concerned about too many possible side effects... I do acknowledge with some people they can make a great improvement and a world of difference, but you have to know what you're getting into first. Some very creative Aspies took meds and found out later that their passion for their art turned into a real bore-chore. Proceed with caution, is what I always advise. Be aware of potential risks and rewards.

I was on two different drugs for my ADD/ADHD, I don't recall what the two drugs were, the first one was a little bullet shaped white pill that I had to take three times a day. This was for a short time in the fall of 1990. Then from about November 1990 to August 1992 I was on a different drug, I had to take 150mg a day, three little brownish red pills, twice a day. These pills made a difference for me as they allowed me to concentrate on my homework at a level which I had never had before. But the side effects were rather nasty. If I got up too fast, my blood pressure dropped and I would faint. the other side effect that I noticed began to creep on me in Jan. 1991, was that I would get severe migranes when ever I would participate in physical activity (e.g. recess, gym class). They would get so bad that I would have to go home. I would also get them when I would be outside in hot weather. Finally before I started junior high school I told my shrink that I was no longer going to take meds, I was sick and tired of of migranes and fainting spells. He was reluctant, but agreed to take me off the meds, but he told me that I was on my own. Two weeks after I stopped the meds, the effect went away, along with my ability to concrentrate on homework. The fainting spells went away too, but not the migrane problems. I still got those for about a year and half afterwards until they slowly started to ease up, and to this day I still get them every now and then.

Yes, side effects can be nasty.

I have taken various meds for ADD since I was five and have never experienced any serious side effects. I am currently on Adderall XR, which is very effective at helping me to concentrate and needs to be taken only once a day. I can really tell a difference if I do not take it. I remember hearing that Strattera was not as effective as stimulants when it first came out.

Why do people even take medication for Asperger's Syndrome?!? I think that's a stupid idea! (No offense.) I mean, it's not a disease or a lot of physical pain! Taking medication for AS is like using superglue then sticking your finger up your nose! It's not a good idea! You know why? Because of the side affects and how much it can change a person! Anyway, I don't take medication for Asperger's Syndrome.

Mich

I think that probably if you are an adult then you have learned to deal with all the parts of AS that make it difficult (though, as I keep posting, I'm still struggling with the social bit and I'm 30) - but for a kid I think that medication to help them focus might be a good idea - but not overmedicating . . . my psychiatrist has tried to do that to me and if I take all the meds he's prescribed I feel great . . . of course, I can't do little things like walk, drive, or speak properly . . . so I just take the 'big guns' when things get bad and I don't have to walk, drive, or speak for about 8 hours . . .

I will make the same caution - watch out for meds and remember that you (or as a parent you are in charge of your child) - you are the boss - if something doesn't work for you tell your Dr. because, trust me, they are just shooting in the dark . . .

I have not heard of medications for AS per se, although there is a lot of overlap in the AS + ADHD thing. I have both diagnoses.

I am not into taking medications, especially just to treat symptoms (I prefer to treat the cause when there is a problem). I resisted trying ADHD meds for a while. Once I found one that worked, I did not realize how helpful it was until I was a week late getting a refill, and then suddenly discovered just how much less functional I was *in some aspects* of my school and work life.

People react differently to medications.
I used to say that I had no problems taking medications, but that was because all I had ever taken was antibiotics and pain relievers! For my ADHD I tried Adderall and was nervous, irritable, high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, stammering, itchy skin, and felt hot. I also tried Strattera (which is a non-amphetamine) and had a different set of side effects, dry mouth, waking up way-early, nauseous, dizzy, and tingling lips.
"Your results may differ."

Currently I am on Concerta, which does help with the staying-on-focus problem & jiggliness considerably. (Trust me, being able to stay focused on the lecture in a 90-minute graduate-level statistics class is not an easy thing!) Actually, I am on a lower dose, which is not as effective, but the higher dose I was getting some stammering and head tics (there is also sometimes co-occurrence between AS + Tourette's, of which I have never before displayed symptoms, but my son does).

So I would have to say that one must weigh the different aspects of not medicating unnecessarily vs finding out if some things may be helpful to you. After all, no one goes around saying that people who take anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds do so because they have weak moral character; it's often a skewed brain chemistry thing.

Queenbee

I don't take medication for my Asperger's either. I understand that some people want to and do because of the other associated serious issues they may have.
 

I take Prozac for depression, 30 mg. Doesn't seem to have much of an effect. I'm still depressed....but then again I haven't been taking it as much lately.

What really helped me with depression was to stop going to regular high school. That really made me feel sad, being around everyone else, and all the ensuing stuff. I guess it's hard to explain. But as soon as I just started staying home and doing my work there (worked out a special deal), I was much more productive and happy.

I'm undiagnosed, so therefore have never been offered the opportunity to take meds, but I don't think I would, even if they might help.

The reasons are as follows:

I have a low BMI (Body Mass Index) which makes it difficult to calculate correct doses. because so much of my weight is bone, even a child's dose of any med (even Tylenol) makes me feel funny.

Secondly, I have sensitivities to most stimulants, so I wouldn't dare take any stimulant.

That said, if it helps you and you feel that you can monitor yourself (or your child) go for it! Best of luck!

Prozac can be awful stuff - I was on the maximum dose (60mg/daily) and it did nothing but make me more irritable, and slightly paranoid. I have taken various other anti-depressants from the SSRI group - most at the same maximum dose, none of which were effective. In the U.K. this group of medications is not used with teens and adolescents as it can trigger suicidal ideation.
I take a dinosaur of the anti-depressant type - a Mono-Amini-Oxidase Inhibitor! It is a very old drug, but seems to do the trick [ a number of dietary restrictions come in taking these meds though].

Dan - might you ask your doctor/psychiatrist to review your meds! Depending on how long you have been taking the fluoxetine, it may not be the right drug for you. The other SSRIs (Citalopram and Paxil) might be more appropriate - even meds from the Tricyclic and MAOI groups! Research is the key!

I have a friend who uses a natural compound to treat his depression and anxiety with some success; dimethylglycine (DMG). It is not readily available in NZ and his family imports it at great expense from the States.

Here is an article:

http://www.autism.org/dmg.html

Suppliers Site:

www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/ dmg_tmg/dmg/H_DMG_100_C_Spec020.html

Take Care

Greg

In my opinion, meds don't necessarily have to be used for AS (although my parents would tend to disagree, as I have been put on an "AS cocktail").

AS in itself is not a medical condition - and therefore cannot be treated with drugs. Co-morbidities, like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Depression, and Anxiety can be alleviated with drug therapy.

I was on anti-depressants for a quite a while, but now I am off them. My first medication was called Zoloft and it caused some wild side effects. It made me very psycho and it just wasn't the right medication for me. My second and last medication was called Deptran(Sinequan, is the generic name) and they worked a lot better with only minimal side effects like tremors and a dry mouth. I know from experience what an inappropriate medication can do. By having a chat with your doctor or psychiatrist, you should be able to work out what is appropriate for you and what isn't.

There are three reasons why I don't want to take medication for my AS: (1) I don't have any AS symptoms that requires any, (2) My BMI (Body Mass Index) is vey low. I weigh about 100 pounds at 5 feet, 10 inches tall; and (3) If I take Advil [ibuprofen] I break out in hives.

I have a slow digestive system; (get filled up faster than normal) and a fast metabolism).

I am healthy, physically as blood tests last September came back fine. Only two items were slightly "out of range," but overall no problems.

Last edited by Tom_FL_MA on 23 Jul 2004, 2:55 am, edited 2 times in total.