Help - Medication for Aspergers

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I take a low dose of Lexapro: 10mg, to treat anxiety. I've noticed that off of the medication, I am prone to tantrums, self-inflicted harm (I hit my fists on my thighs very hard), and emotional outbursts, besides the anxiety. This dosage helps me keep my bouts of depression to a low and anxiety at a manageable level.

I also take propranolol 20mg 2x daily as needed for panic attacks. Propranolol is a beta-blocker and seems to be working quite well for me with little to no side effects (sometimes stomach upset if taken on an empty stomach).

I have taken Paxil in the past for my anxiety with terrible results. Very bad depression and sleep lasting sometimes 20 hours straight. I had also taken some ADHD medications as a kid, but never got the right dosage and was told by my current psychiatrist that if I start on one again, it could exacerbate my anxiety further.

The combination of Lexapro and Propranolol (Inderal) have proven very successful for me. They have helped me to calm my symptoms and learn how to overcome my limitations while on them. As the saying goes: "You can't fix a leaky roof while it's raining." I feel that way about AS.

She was diagnosed by a developmental neurologist, not a school worker.


We felt the early on that the difference in her DID out way the weight gain. However, as of lately it seems to be increasing rapidly for no reason. As for being overweight hurting her feelings - she could care less about how she looks which is part of her Aspergers.

I came here for some advice as to other options IF SHE SHOULD NEED IT as it appears this one is at the end of its road.

cresA,
has she ever tried halperidol before?
am on it because have got a very high arrousal system through severe autism, this is usualy why aspies end up needing medications as well, the arrousal system gets higher the more instability,unpredictibility, changes and stressors happen in the autists life and this causes a range of issues from behavioral to mental illness, in mine it causes severe challenging behavior and exactly the same presentation of severe paranoid schizophrenia.

had been on respiridone for a long time;it helped with many things from interaction,to eye contact, to mood and communication but it didnt help with severe challenging behavior [though for some it does].
halperidol has continued all the same positive effects plus significantly improved severe challenging behavior and the pyschosis,have not put on weight with it,am just fat from having been locked up in a ID hospital for four months.

am also a long time user of diazepam,am prescribed it for autism and ID related issues because its fast acting, am on it throughout the day as both PRN and regular medication,
its very good for calming self out of challenging behavior and also for severe anxiety but the body becomes used to it and becomes less effective when on it long term.

While I've occasionally been prescribed tranquilizers when my anxiety has been out of control, I've never been prescribed anything for being autistic - it's not an illness.....

Have had talk therapy for my autism though and have found it to be of benefit.

Sorry for posting to this late, but I thought I'd share my experience. After many, many trials, I finally found medication that helps with impulsiveness and general anxiety. Effexor (Venlafaxine) is the name...but it didn't start working properly until about 300mg. At low dosage is acts like an SSRI, at mid-range doses it acts on norepenephrin, and at high dosage it starts to also work on dopamine.

For me, this has proven to be a magic combination. The side effects for me are generally tolerable, and it in fact has caused me to loose weight (its description even says that it shouldn't be prescribed as a dietetic even though it works like one.) from lower appetite.

Any SSRI produces the opposite effects.
My current prescriptions are:

Xanax XR 2mgx2 a day (prevents panic)
Xanax 1mg x 3 a day (stops panic)
Adderall(helps me get started and focused on things like math and programming and organiation)
Seroquel(sleep. and extreme panic attacks)
Wellbutrin(Antidepressant. Helps me, used wrong can cause a lot of harm.)

Effexor turned me into a person with multiple personalities. My doctor tried to switch me completely to prozac, which just ended badly. You can look on my college transcript and prescription history and see a direct correlation between SSRI time and my grades.

Just my personal assessment.

www.wrongplanet.net/postt253404.html

No one mentions benzo's I was willing to give them a go though addiction scares me .

These side effects are typical of the class of medications called atypical anti-psychotics. I used Abilify for a while. I gained about 60 lbs. I have only been able to lose 20 lbs since I quit taking it. Why did the doctor prescribe it? What are the symptoms? I know that some psychiatrists prescribe it for irritability and aggressiveness in people who have Autism. I haven't had any bad effects since I stopped taking it. It did not help me when I took it either.

With a proper doctor and control, benzo addiction isn't 10% as bad as you've been led to believe.
Try suddenly stopping an SSRI, and suddenly stopping a benzo (both times medications were stolen.)
I actually was put on a benzo during the SSRI withdrawal (before I was taking xanax xr regularly).