Stimulants don't work

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I think the attention problems some of us with autism have are different from the attention problems other people have. And I know this because stimulants actually make my attention worse, and it's already bad to begin with. Drinking coffee makes my attention wander even more (I don't even drink much, just a little). It's when I'm in alert states that my mind completely goes off. I was given ritalin as a kid, and it did absolutely nothing.

So how can I improve my attention when the things that work for everyone else don't for you?

edit* incorrect word. re-phrased****

Last edited by Acedia on 12 May 2014, 7:25 am, edited 2 times in total.

in own experience,caffeine slows the mind down and am calmer.

people with ASDs also have varying levels of executive dysfunction which is the same core part of ADHD,however ASD comes with sensitivity to chemicals so for some people they may react differently to what goes in their body.
theres lots of stereotypes out there about autism and medications,temple grandin was one to push the 'stimulants are unsuitable for LFAs but are ok for aspies' stereotype, we are all different,just because we share labels doesnt mean we have the same neuro set up and reactions to things.

Is there a paper on this?



I didn't know of the stereotypes, but have read threads from other forums about attention difficulties. And I see stimulants as a way to beat those problems coming up frequently. In my case though, they don't work. And yes you're right, I should expect different reactions.

But I wonder if this is common in ASD people.

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Last edited by Acedia on 12 May 2014, 7:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

It seems to be common for people with ASDs to react negatively to all kinds of medications. I've read the same things you're writing about stimulants about other classes of psychotropics on WP.

If you're having enough trouble you want to try something, you have to try what's out there. We really are all different, some people respond, some don't.

I find 1/6 of a 0.25 Xanax helps my concentration

All people have different reactions to things, this encompasses pretty much everything. For example, coffee has no effect on me whatsoever, the same goes for the majority of energy drinks and things with caffeine, with my parents, having coffee will make them very drowsy and calm and neither of them have special needs as far as I know, my sister is hyper sensitive to caffeine and although she has anxiety problems, she is not autistic either.

It could be. For me I have both AS and ADHD, and medications do help me. I really don't know how I react to caffeine because I don't like coffee or soda. But the one time I took a caffeine pill I ended up taking a nap, and I never can sleep during the day, so I don't know what happened there.

There are other ways to help concentration like playing with a stress ball or even a rubber band or paper clip. There are tons of different "fidget toys" that are really not that expensive. One thing you could even do is to go to a dollar store and look for any random thing that you might be able to play with in your hand to help you concentrate. Just make sure that whatever you get doesn't make you even more distracted.

Also things like a weighted vest, or taking breaks to swing or pogo stick can also be really helpful. Some people also find it helpful to stand at a counter or something instead of sitting at a desk.

Stimulants worked for me, but they also made me manic.

I think people with autism choose what to pay attention to and can only pay attention to something they want to. If it's a special interest its got their undivided attention but if it's maybe some homework about a subject they hardly care for they will not want to study it, but could probably make themselves do it. Someone with ADHD will struggle to focus on it even if they were going to fail if they didn't hand it in on time.
All the Ritalin in the world won't make me pay attention to sports. I just don't care for it.

Hope that makes sense. It's just what I've picked up in ADHD vs autistic people over the years. Then when you have both together you get the usual types of ADHD focus issues too. Also, sensory issues can make it hard to pay attention.

But I don't think you should say all autistic people will react to meds the same way you do.

food and drink stuff like gluten and caffeine really doesn't seem to have any direct effect on me. My spells of exec dysfunction, anxiety, depression, feeling dandy seem to came and go no matter what.... except... i think regular exercise and a generally healthy diet makes a difference. also getting enough potassium and electrolytes seems to help keep things more in balance and focused. and sleep when i need it. i have spells where i need 8-9 hrs of sleep and then other periods where i hardly need any sleep at all (like now). Just basically giving my body what it needs, helps some.

Here is an interesting link on brain chemistry. I suspect that the neuro diversity that seems "helped" by amphetamines is only a percentage of the possible number of neurological variations.

http://science.education.nih.gov/supple ... son2-1.htm

If a person is dealing with neural sensory and processing issues, he might want to consider experimenting with various supplements to see what effects he can achieve. Most supplements do little or nothing, but occasionally one can discover something that can be used as a management tool.

The major neurological chemicals seem to be;

Acetylcholine
Dopamine
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Glutamate
Glycine
Norepinephrine
Serotonin

Most pharmacological agents are like a sledge hammer. For example the serotonin reuptake inhibitors are prescribed widely and may actually cause problems. These may be useful for some, but others may find that just putting fava beans (a source of dopamine) in their diet gives a sufficient boost for them.

I suspect that what is called Aspergers is such a diverse collection of processing differences that there would be many variations in what people found helpful or effective.

I don't feel the need for anything, but for those that do I would suggest doing a lot of research including reading the reviews people have on herb web sites of various supplements so that you might find something useful. Also, always start with a lower amount so that you don't have to ride out a bad effect.

Everyone is different, so people have their own tricks to focus that would not work for others.

I like to have a quiet cubicle in a room with windows, and a hot drink to sip such as herbal tea. Personally, I feel like occasionally sipping a beverage gives my mind little breaks so that my brain will not feel too warn out. For my brother, gum chewing works.