Participating in an autism research study using oxytocin

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My local psych hospital has a research study examing the use of oxytocin in those diagnosed on the autism spectrum to improve social skills. Those running the study booked me an appointment to go see them tomorrow afternoon. I'll have another autism assessment which will be like 6 hours split up between two appointments along with a 3 hour interview with my mother to see if I qualify.

Hopefully I'll qualify and not only have a 2nd assessment to confirm my Aspergers diagnosis but also get a chance to try oxytocin, which isn't available in Canada. I learned about it's use being examined to treat social anxiety about 10 years ago and would be excited to get a chancr to try it. Even if I get a placebo, they said I'll get a chance to try the oxycotin nasal spray after the trial which lasts 4 months.

Has anyone else on WP tried oxytocin nasal sprays before for autism or social anxiety before?

I hope you have good luck with it. Oxytocin is used to stimulate labour in mothers. Chemistry is amazing.

Thanks I hope it goes well too.

wow, be sure to let us know what the study shows

Just to clarify, Noca, the above is a typo right? oxycotin ... oxytocin? Whatever you do, don't take oxycontin; it'll help with socializing for sure, lol.

It was a typo. I meant oxytocin.

This is all bogus. You cannot "cure" autism with oxytocin. You might be able to treat negativity, which appears to be common in autism, but that is not the same thing as curing autism.

I don't believe Noca or anybody said they thought oxytocin cures autism.

I for one am interested to learn of the results of this study.

I'd be too, but why focus on the autism group if the issue is negativity? That makes no sense to me. Unless you want to claim that oxytocin would cure autism, which I suspect is the motivation behind the study.

Not quite, I believe you have Pitocin in mind. That and Oxycontin are often confused with Oxytocin.

Pitocin is the brand name for oxytocin.

Because there are negative aspects to autism which impact an autie's or aspie's ability to function in the world. And I think you're jumping to conclusions, I seriously doubt that the researchers believe that a 'bonding hormone' will relieve and autistic person of their symptoms, as in rewire the brain so that it becomes neurotypical. If I had to guess, I think they're going to test its impact on sociability and maybe empathy.

I have had difficulties with socializing and social anxiety all my life and would be more than happy to try something that may help those symptoms. I have no desire to be cured of autism nor do I have any expectation to. I do have areas associated with autism that I struggle with and socializing/social anxiety are some of them.

Your post appears to only thing negative about this thread.

Yeah, well it turns out that you're right, but I've only ever heard it called Pitocin in connection with inducing childbirth.

It seems in other contexts, such as this, it is typically referred to as Oxytocin.

I certainly hope they won't allow women in a late stage of pregnancy to participate in this study.

Pregnant women arent allowed in the study at all.

Oxytocin is the hormone mothers have and it is needed for them to bond to the baby. I knew this guy over on AC who used it (he lived in the UK) as a nasal spray and he did say it made him feel like he wanted to hug everyone and more sociable. Amazon has the nasal spray. I was going to tell my ex Aspie friend about it, but I wouldn't want him to try something not tested. Over on AC I even posted a study about it that had really good results. I was excited to hear about it.

Keep us informed of what happens.