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Aripiprazole autism and ADHD

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Girls father
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24 Sep 2017, 2:44 pm

BuyerBeware wrote:
In my opinion, antipsychotics are extremely dangerous, especially for kids with ADHD. They might keep them quiet and calm, but they're likely to reduce their ability to pay attention, not improve it, because they are dopamine antagonists.

Risperidone is the only one I have personal experience with; it turned me into a non-functional, borderline non-verbal/catatonic, suicidal zombie.

That said, they work for some people.

If you really think you want to try it, please be advised that for a lot of people, they are very sedating and have an adverse effect on cognitive function. Verbal or not, she won't be able to tell you what's happening.

Watch for her to become too compliant (as if she has little will of her own), lethargic, sleeping a great deal, losing enthusiasm for activities she enjoyed. Watch for a loss of cognitive function that will show up as losing skills she previously possessed.

PLEASE be hyper-alert for any sign that she's in pain, because she can't tell you. Aripiprazole isn't as notorious for it as risperidone and some others, but I will NEVER forget the experience of what the pamphlet described as "muscle stiffness." "Discomfort," my ASS. I've had an abscessed tooth and given birth four times without any kind of anesthetic. That "discomfort" and "muscle stiffness" was the most horrific pain of my life. I struggled to take myself to the bathroom because my legs didn't want to work and bearing weight on them was agonizing. Stopped wearing shoes that tied because it hurt too much to bend down to tie them. Quit washing my hair because I couldn't force myself to lift my arms above my shoulders against the pain. Had days when I couldn't get out of bed, all I could do was lay there and feel the tears run down the sides of my head.


Ritalin also presents serious side effects for people with autism, so I know in terms of meds, there isn't any great choice. Sorry to ask. How old were you and which dose did you take of risperidone?

By the way, I've been told by a mother of two autistic boys that one of them improved communication very much using risperidone in low dose plus ritalin in low dose (that was when he started talking), but he also experienced horrible side effects at start with ritalin. But I didn't oserve it first hand, and I'm not sure his progress was directly related to the meds.



BuyerBeware
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24 Sep 2017, 8:22 pm

I was an adult (early 30s). I don't recall the specific dosage off the top of my head; I know that it was fairly low and not consistent. I'd been through a series of traumatic events, and was supposed to be taking it "as needed" to alleviate extreme anxiety and rage attacks.


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eikonabridge
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25 Sep 2017, 12:36 am

Girls father wrote:
Right after I posted my reply to you, I thought maybe I was making an uninformed judgment about you (at least partially), as you were making about me, but no, you are mostly here to brag and say you have it all figured out, but unfortunately other parents don't stand up to your "level". Congrats!

Of course I am at a different level.

I've seen all too many "warrior parents." Everyone thinks that if they just put in more effort than other parents, they can solve autism. Eventually all these warrior parents get burnt out, and start to take the view that they are just unlucky, and that their children have achieved the best outcome they could have possibly achieved. Invariably, they admit life has been tough.

Autism is not new. It's been out there for 74 years. Do you know how many parents have thought the same way and gone down the same path as you have?

As for me, life has been easy. My children are happy and smiling every day. I don't struggle. I've only had fun.

My point is, you guys work so hard to chase solutions out there, without realizing that the solution has always been right here, literally in your hands.

Autism is an educational problem, not a medical problem. Once the infrastructure is in place, teaching autistic children is just as simple and economical as teaching neurotypical children. Unfortunately, our society still has a long way to go towards that goal. My best guess is it'll take another 40 years for people to wake up.

This is a quote that I often use. It's from Dr. Barry Prizant's book titled "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism":

"Autism isn't an illness. It's a different way of being human. Children with autism aren't sick; they are progressing through developmental stages as we all do. To help them, we don't need to change or fix them. We need to work to understand them, and then change what we do."

Isn't it funny that other people say the exact same thing that I say? Oh, it's even funnier because they don't distinguish between high functioning and low functioning, or make excuses that each child is different. Don't you think all that is just a bit too funny?


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