Drugs and Autism

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I have a friend who asked me what the difference is between the way drugs affect autistic vs. NT's. I only know my own experience with prescriptions medications but nothing else.

Thats a vague question.

There different kinds of drugs (legal and illeagle) and each person is wired differently and differs in metabolism and body size regardless of whether they happen to be on the spectrum or not. There are probably more differences within NT, and within people on the spectrum in how the respond to drugs than there are between NT and folks on the spectrum.

I have a theory though: that people on the spectrum are LESS likly to be substence aubusers than NT's.

All I know is my own experience, and I been told that whenever I've had to go under or be on pain medication (wisdom teeth, etc.), it affects me a lot more than it does my NT siblings.

Pain killers have little effect on me - Demerol and oxycodone-containing products(except for OxyContin) are the few that will work on me.
Caffeine doesn't affect me all that much brainwise, physiologically yes. I react horribly to Ritalin but I do fine on Adderall
As for the good ol' herb, it depends on what type. One makes me feel relaxed. The other makes me feel like a freakin' autistic!

I'll try to simplify this by drug type:

1. Illegal drugs (heroin, shrooms, weed, etc.)
2. Alcohol
3. Anti-psychotics, Anti-depressants, etc.
4. Typical prescription medications from a doctor
5. Over-the-counter meds
6. Anesthesia
7. Herbs

I'm VERY sensitive to psychoactive substances of all kinds. Even SSRIs and such have a very profound effect in me, so I try to avoid taking most anything because of this. Alcohol has long since been a vice for me, but it really brings out my awkwardness in social situations. I'm usually very paranoid around people and when I drink, if the paranoia starts up again, I'm much less likely to be able to hide it (or calm it). Pot, which nice sometimes, makes me VERY intoxicated. Sometimes I get system overload from it due to how it heightens my senses. I enjoy the way it slows down my thinking though, allowing me to easily string together some of my fragmented thoughts. I also give into the substance a little bit, allowing myself to let-go of control so much, which is good for creativity. I don't hyperanalyze things quite as much, I just try to let things be as they are and to respect whatever it is at the moment. Astronomy is a favorite of mine when I'm like that... the science of it just "clicks." I enjoy tripping. Due to my need to control myself mentally, I can usually control trips when I feel the urge to do so. I can't stand stimulants or dissociatives. I really think that I'm just very sensitive to all chemicals, don't require as much as my friends or NTs might require to get into a similar state, and really need to see and understand the benefit from taking a substance prior to taking it. It's bad enough feeling bad sober, so if an illicit or OTC substance is being offered/prescribed and it's going to make me feel worse with little benefit (SSRIs), I don't see the point in polluting my body. The hangover isn't worth the high.

I got Vicodin when I had my wisdom teeth removed. All it did was make me feel like throwing up. It didn't even ease the pain.

It's not always brain chemistry that affects the way a person reacts to a drug. For example, enzyme deficiencies can result in drugs such as codeine having no effect on a person (CYP2D6 deficiency causes the body to be unable to convert codeine to morphine).