Study Shows Medications don't help autism.

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Here you are

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/0 ... sm/?hpt=T2

I have to go to bed now so can't read the article but I think the majority of us have at least one co morbid condition....and for some of these conditions (AD/HD,OCD, other anxiety disorders) medications help. I don't think there will ever be a "drug for autism" though..........

Yes, the actual treatment (behavioral and medication) should be tailored to the person with ASD. Personally, I don't believe in medication, I think it only oppresses the most obvious symptoms of a deeper problem that should be treated psychologically or somehow more natural way than just simply taking medication.

[OTHER MEDICATIONS COMMONLY USED TO TREAT ASD] (...) include antipsychotic drugs, serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) or antidepressants, as well as stimulants and other medications for hyperactivity. None of these drugs are used to treat what's known as the "core symptoms" of autism: communications and social impairments and repetitive behavior.

Sports, activities can help a lot (results to endorphin). I like to eat sweets (results to serotonin).

Gwen worked as a pharma rep, she is now an anti medication activist

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AazObF_pHSU[/youtube]

How shocking that the main concern of drug companies, in a capitalist society, is money!

This doesn't mean that the medication does not work, or that we should refuse to take it because it doesn't actually cure the illness, only treats the symptoms (my goodness, medication only improves symptoms! ).

The fact is medication is necessary to keep certain illnesses under control. Unless you think people with type I diabetes can survive just by eating healthily, or seizures in epileptic patients can be prevented with some exercise.

Also, natural=/=good.

People may not like this......but it has been proven that cannabis can help some people with autism and aspergers. I can go find some articles of cases where this has been beneficial if anyone wants proof. but anyways some things it can help are:

can make social situations more comfortable
has calming effects(so less outbursts or whatever)
stimulates appetite
can actually help with focus


Thats all I can think of at the moment, plus more research in general should be done on that...but I figured I would throw that out there as a counter argument because if it can be proven that this is effective it would be a medication that can treat aspergers and autism in combination with behavioral therapy.

I know I may sound simplifying, sorry for that, I can't correct that good enough.

I've read about cannabis here on WP before. I think the key is to balance well all the options one can choose. I don't like medications, and it goes only for me, strictly saying. My problems are not so severe, I think. I always respected people who tried to help me by conversations, giving their friendship or just being friendly with me, their intentions to actually help me to overcome my obvious shortcomings about the way I see the world around me. Sometimes opened my eyes, sometimes I argued, then I had to admit I was wrong. And there were exceptions, too, but their number remained small in comparison.

In contrast, I have a friend whom I suspect to be a HFA, who takes sedative (or something like that), and he copes with his life obviously with more difficulty than me. The way I see it he just hasn't got the help he needed in all his life. So, balance is the key, and medication only can't help to do better in the life.

It's worth being mindful of the fact that there isn't a fundamental difference between taking medication, exercise and talking therapies. All of them fundamentally do the same thing: change the chemicals in your brain. Your brain neurons talk to one another using chemicals. The differences between the approaches are, to an extent, superficial, and this is worth being mindful of.

strattera made me FEEL more normal, at least. can't say the same for amphetamines, tricyclics, pot, or even my beloved nitrous- although none of the others gave me a bona-fide OOBE, like the gas did. what a gas

Now, why doesn't that surprise me?

adderall helps me, but i have ADD as well (which is what it's prescribed for anyway) but i've noticed that i tend to have more meltdowns when i haven't taken it... (please don't go off on me for OMG TAKING ADDERALL because taking it is MY CHOICE and it really does help me, and it allows me to do things i love because without it i can't concentrate on ANYTHING at all)

Well....I don't think there's a "drug for autism" per se, but I've found in my own case that medications have been helpful for specific symptoms. I take medications for comorbid ADHD and depression, and they help *a lot*. I also have a seizure disorder, and I can safely say I wouldn't be alive without medication for that (and about 30% of people with autism have seizure disorders). I find that Risperdal even in low doses helps in a major way with my sensory integration dysfunction, though that may not be true for everyone. I know some folks are anti-medication, but I can't agree with them. Medications, used at doses that don't cause me problems and with the goal of improving functioning, have been overall a good thing for me.

~Kate

I agree that there is no drug for autism. Autism is not a disease. If someone were to give me drugs for autism I would tlel them to stick it where the sun don't shine. However, I've been on meds for 3 years going on 4, for depression, anxiety, paranoia, and other things that I want to be cured of.

I think if you look at the majority of cases in autism and medication use you will probably not find a lot of evidence but it does help maybe a small part of the spectrum out.

On SSRI's I had less anxiety and I didn't seem to hate change as as much as I usually do.

On Ritalin I can focus and spend a few hours on doing things that take a lot of mental concentration. I'm on it now. Before I was on it I was scanning WP and then didn't feel like staying. I'm also crankier off medication. Ritalin also makes me talk more, become less agitated, and want to switch between tasks. I'm less obsessed with one thing at a time unlike on the weekends. I'm still autistic but my symptoms aren't as bad. I still have poor social skills which I hardly care about and I still get obsessed with things but on Ritalin I can become obsessed with 5 things instead of one.
If I were to naturally treat my ADHD I would be constantly exercising or sleeping on the couch and yelling at people. Inattentive = cranky, low energy. Hyperactive = lots of energy and playfulness. It's given me a much better memory too.

Oh and marijuana = paranoia, hallucinations, meltdown x9000, and seizures. While it helps some people it doesn't help me. I'll just stick to my booze. Although I'll stick to less than 5 because I don't want to risk another seizure.