Risperidone

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I think you hit it dead on, Maggiedoll. We have to find a way to keep these cold experimenters from treating us like guinea pigs and medicating us against our will.

I found that way -- Benadryl! I originally got onto Seroquel because a psychiatrist told me that Benadryl can increase depression. Well, Seroquel certainly can, and Benadryl doesn't cause any side effects that Seroquel doesn't cause, for exactly that reason... Seroquel's sedative effect is identical to Benadryl sedative effect-- it works as a histamine H1 antagonist. Seroquel screws with dopamine and serotonin as well, but when it's used as a sedative, the effect that it's being used for is the antihistamine effect.. so they're messing with other neurotransmitters for no reason.
I now stick to benadryl for my sleep-aid needs.

Oh, and did you know that dopamine blockers can cause Tardive Dyskinesia, a movement disorder that lasts for the rest of your life? And they just medicate you anyway! You don't even get to have a say in whether you're put through this!

A guy having his pants pulled down and a needle stuck in his butt: is that freedom? Tell me, Doctor, is that freedom?

Clearly people have had bad experiences with rispderidone and other antipsychotics. I've been on risperidone and aripiprazole (Abilify), but neither did anything but cause irritating side effects.

A few general points about antipsychotics versus anxiolytics:

First, remember that antipsychotics are generally prescribed if you are having hallucinations or signs of thought disorder consistent with the schizophrenias. I was prescribed both of the above because of hallucinations, but since the hallucinations were a result of previously unrecognized seizures and stress, the Risperidol and Abilify did nothing but activate my sensitivities to meds.

All antipsychotics, plus virtually all antidepressants and anxiolytics have sedation and somnolence as side effects. A good doc will work with you to find a dose that results in a benefit that outweighs the side effects. And a good doc will tell you that with antipsychotics and antidepressants, you get the side effects first, then the benefits second, typically in a week or two.

The psychopharmacology of these meds is much more complex than just blocking dopamine. Since dopamine is produced for different reasons in different parts of the brain, and acts on five classes of receptors in various ways, even just the dopaminergic pathways are very complex. Serotonin and norephinepherine pathways are also affected by some of these meds. Anxiolytics such as Klonopin or Ativan are in the benzodiazepine class, and so act on the neurotransmitter GABA via the benzodiazepine receptor.

The use of Benadryl as a sleep aid is common. The chemical diphenhydramine, which is what Benadryl otherwise is, is the key ingredient in many OTC sleep aids. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, which means it suppresses the histamine system. All SSRIs, such as Prozac, also act as antihistamines. Hence sleepiness or drowsiness. Valerian and melatonin are also common in sleep aids, and help some people relax during the day. They too have side effects, but very mild ones.

A side note: Tardive dyskinesia is a very low risk that almost always occurs after sustained use at high doses. Short-term use of a new or old antipsychotic, especially in a younger person, is very, very unlikely to result in it. In other words, don't worry much about that.

Aspies, myself included obviously from the above, often get exposed to a lot of meds as docs try to diagnose and treat. Older Aspies such as myself have been on a variety of meds. Fortunately, all I've had is some very unpleasant side effects, and a couple of bad ideas from inattentive or poorly informed docs. I just move on to someone who can help.

What's working for me is a low dose of Klonopin in the evening, just enough to dampen down my hyperacute senses and reduce the probability of an overload. It helps a lot, and the only real side effect is some sleepiness and waking up a bit slowly in the morning. A worthwhile tradeoff for me.

I agree with all of you, the drug market is a racket just like pretty much any other industry. Fast food, clothing, home repair, toy, lawn care blah blah blah. They are there to take your money from you, when you could just as easily do/make/grow it yourself, better and more healthily. Why slave away to earn money to buy things that are bad for you that you don't need? We make our own yogurt, toys, bread, grow vegetables, and I plan to cultivate my own Valerian root, as it has helped me immensely (I would grow weed, but that's a little risky.)

I think we should go back to the old ways, consulting tribal healers and travelling on horseback. I think that is probably the general consensus among those with ASDs, since we all know the world is too big and has too many people to be sustainable.

Thoughts?