Contents:a.Use of Medications in AutismAlthough there are no drug treatments for autism per se, it is not uncommon for a variety of psychiatric drugs to be used to help various problems associated with autism, such as anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, severe aggression or Self Injurious Behaviours (SIBs) and hyperactivity (please see Definitions: Autism and Related Conditions.) It is the experience of many of us on the group that ACs seem to experience side-effects to psychoactive drugs more often than NTs, and at lower doses. We also seem to be more likely to suffer paradoxical reactions and rare side-effects, possibly because of our different neurology. Some ACs are completely intolerant to such drugs, but many have found that a smaller dose than usual can be beneficial and avoids the unpleasant side-effects. This seems to be particularly true of CNS stimulants such as RitalinTM, tranquillizers such as ValiumTM and the anti-depressants such as ProzacTM. Parents on the newsgroup caution:
Only a medical doctor can prescribe medication, and the decision should be a careful one with parents/carers or the patient themselves (if adult and able to communicate) giving informed consent. Do make sure your consent is truly informed - ask people on the newsgroup for suggestions if you need support in this situation. b.Types of Drugs
e.g. benzodiazepines such as ValiumTM (diazepam) and AtivanTM (lorazepam). Used for anxiety, OCD, insomnia and aggression/SIB. Also in severe epileptic seizures, to reduce injury. The biggest problem with these drugs is that they are strongly addictive. Used for depressive illness, which may be associated with ASDs (albeit difficult to diagnose in non-verbal individuals). There are several main groups, but the most common these days are: e.g. DepakoteTM (divalproex sodium), LithonateTM (lithium carbonate) and TegretolTM (carbamazepine). For Bipolar Disorder ("Manic-depression"), there are drugs used to even out the swings from mania to depression. These drugs have been traditionally used to help ACs with severe behavioural disorders, but can be used in others for, as Antonia puts it, "sorting out sensory chaos". As she points out, drugs like this can damp down the severe sensory overload that can lead to an effect similar to mania. TegretolTM, in particular, seems to be used quite often in aggressive or self-abusive ACs. e.g. RitalinTM (methylphenidate), AdderallTM and DexedrineTM (dextroamphetamine sulfate). Used for hyperactivity and ADHD, despite being stimulants these drugs appear to calm some patients down. e.g. StelazineTM (trifluoperazine), RisperdalTM (risperidone) and HaldolTM (haloperidol). Used for severe aggresion/SIB and extreme anxiety. c.Searching for Drugs Info On-LineAntonia (AC, newsgroup member) notes that it is much easier to find information on medications if you search on the generic name, instead of the brand name. However, be warned: sometimes even the generic names are different in different countries. For instance: Paracetamol is the generic name in UK for a product universally known in USA by it's American brand name, Tylenol. |
Originally compiled by Anna Hayward on behalf of the alt.support.autism newsgroup, November 2000. Original site design and HTML by Kalen Molton. Please address any general queries to Mike Stanton. Broken links and problems of a technical nature should be addressed to John Muggleton by entering details in the comments box of the form here. Any opinions expressed in this article are personal and should not be construed as medical advice. We are not representatives of any of the companies discussed, nor do we receive any form of commission. |