Autism and Medication

Aspergers\ LWA \ Medications

Medications commonly used in autism

There are a lot of different medications, therapies and treatments available "for autism spectrum disorders". Some of them are good, some are not. This page attempts to put some of them into perspective. Please note that I'm not a doctor, so this information is guidance only. If you intend to use or to discontinue any medications or treatments, please talk to a doctor or specialist first to ensure that it is right for you or for your child.

Note: This page deals with Medication only. You should consider therapy before jumping into Medication options. See: Autism Therapies.

Medications

There are no medications which are known to be effective against "autism" or "Asperger's Syndrome". All of the medications that you've heard of in this field are intended to work against symptoms, not the root cause.

Medications and Special Needs - It's Your Choice

November 2011

This post covers Pro-Medication and Anti-Medication groups.

It looks at why your need to make the medication choices from an informed standpoint and why those choices need to be constantly reviewed.

Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta

This is the granddaddy of autism medications. It's been used longer than most and it's got lots of different names. It's had decades of clinical and field trials so it's relatively safe. It mainly addresses hyperactivity, so it's commonly prescribed ADHD patients but it can also work for anxiety and for kids who aren't hyperactive but are easily distracted.

One of the best things about Ritalin is that it gets in and out of the system really quickly. This means that if it's going to work, you'll notice the difference really quickly. If you're on it for a couple of weeks and haven't noticed any difference then either increase the dosage or get off it -- it might just not work for you.

The most significant side effects are loss of appetite and lack of sleep, so it's often paired with melatonin. Like most drugs, you'll need to adjust (increase) the dosage as your child grows and gains weight in order for it to remain effective.

Here's a few of my blog posts on Ritalin;

Risperdal / Risperdone

Risperdal is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability associated with autism. In autism, it's sometimes used to treat anxiety. It takes about four weeks to get into your system and have the full effect but you should be able to see at least some effects after the first week.

It can cause drowsiness, so it's best to take it at night. It has a lot of side effects some of which are serious (diabetes and high cholesterol). It's also associated with weight gain and sometimes, the development of breasts in boys. It's also linked to anger issues and needs to be tapered off rather than simply discontinued.

It's not a drug that I'd recommend and although it was prescribed for my youngest, we only stayed on it a short while. We noticed rapid weight gain but not the other side-effects. We just didn't feel comfortable with the risks.

In the end, we switched it out for Ritalin, which was less effective at first but became more effective with age.

Melatonin

Your body produces melatonin naturally - and it usually produces enough that you don't need more. Nevertheless, we've found it to be reasonably effective.

This drug doesn't put you to sleep but it helps to create a state of rest that makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. It's a good one to combine with Ritalin. Melatonin is not addictive, it's effects are pretty much immediate and you don't develop a resistance to it.

The main side-effect of melatonin is that it can sometimes create a headache.

Fluoxetine / Prozac

Fluoxetine or Prozac is generally prescribed for depression and when it's particularly bad, obsessive-compulsive disorder. It can also be prescribed for panic attacks and eating disorders as well as some "female issues". It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain to help maintain mental balance.

It takes about 5 weeks to become fully effective and it should not be stopped suddenly (you need to taper off).

There's a few side effects including loss of appetite and weight loss, as well as difficulty sleeping (so it's often combined with melatonin). It can increase nervousness and anxiety.

Other Medications

There's a lot of other medications which are used to treat the co-conditions of autism. I'll add them as and when I get time to do so.

Marijuana

A lot of people swear by marijuana as a "treatment" for the social issues of autism. While I have not experience of this myself, I've seen it work in others. Under marijuana, normally shy and quiet people can become very effective (and talkative) workers. Unfortunately, it is somewhat addictive and when people come off it, they become lethargic and even more withdrawn. For this reason, I can't recommend it.

How to Research and Evaluate Medications

Where to look for information

While you can research medical journals, you'll probably find that most of the information there is quite difficult to read.

  • Go to Google and Search for your medication plus "data sheet" - for example; "Ritalin data sheet"
  • Wikipedia - It's not a perfect resource but it usually has a lot of information and some good sources. Since Wikipedia is community-sourced, sometimes people will write incorrect information there but when this happens, it's usually easy to spot and quickly rectified.
  • Look on forums, see what other parents are saying about the medications.


Questions to ask your Doctor

  1. How long the drug will take to get into your child's system?
  2. How long it will stay there?
  3. How long before the drug is having an influence on your child?
  4. What symptoms to look for when it is present
  5. What symptoms to look for when it is wearing off
  6. Does the drug need to build up over time? (and if so, what happens if you don't give it on weekends?)
  7. Is this medication addictive? - can you just stop using it immediately or do you need to taper off?
  8. What are the signs to expect if my child is "over-medicated"?
  9. What are the signs to expect if my child is "under-medicated"?
  10. What happens if anyone else takes the medication? This is important if it's going to school with your child.


Setting a Test Period

You need to set a definite test period which includes trigger points. After all, how can you measure behavioral change if you're tip-toeing around your child all day long? You also need to set a definite end-date. Don't test medications for months, one or two weeks is perfectly sufficient for most. In the case of some, like Ritalin, you should expect to see results in a couple of days.

See Also: The Drug Bandwagon - 2010 (Testing Medications)