High tolerance for pain\discomfort in AS?

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I just wondered if anyone else has a child (or themselves) that has a high tolerance for pain? My 13 yo AS son rarely complains of not feeling well. He'll wait until the last 10 seconds before he pukes before he'll say anything. He's also been cronically constipated for a lot of his life (after toilet training) because I guess the discomfort of being constipated either doesn't bother him, or he just doesn't say anything. Same goes for sore throats and stuff like that.
Is this a common trait for Aspies?

I've read that people on the spectrum can be either hyper or hypo sensitive to pain, as well as in their other senses.

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1070&a=3766
has a good description of this.

Does your AS son drink enough water (at least 6-8 glasses a day is recommended) as well as eat enough high grain fiber foods,
fruits and vegetables to alleviate his chronic constipation? Does he take any medication that causes constipation like many drugs
do? Have you considered giving him a stool softener at bedtime?

He may just be holding his need to relieve himself in, as kids his age generally do. However, he could develop a serious
impaction of stool and that can lead to a need for serious medical intervention.

He may not have any real, major problems now but, as he gets older, chronic constipation can become a serious problem to deal
with as an adult.

As for vomiting at the last minutes, that is typical for most kids. It is such a horrible sensation that kids will do anything to avoid
heaving anything up without the help of the nerves within the brain stem. Once, my young nephew announced to his mother that he
didn't feel well...seconds before he threw up on her!

A person on the spectrum can be both hyper or hypo sensitive to pain at different times. I can say that from my own experiences in life. Here is another article about that subject:

Asperger's Syndrome and Unequal Reaction to Pain

As to getting rid of constipation, yes, it's important to drink enough water and eat enough fiber. However, what I have found to be THE BEST remedy for relief from constipation is to take a Magnesium supplement. The ideal form of Magnesium is Magnesium Glycinate. It also is a good general supplement for other bodily ailments. The best quality would probably be found available through a health food store.

Magnesium Glycinate will create loose stools. Don't be afraid to keep increasing the amount consumed until evidence of relief from constipation occurs.

Warning: Do not use over-the-counter "stool softeners." It will make the colon "lazy." Besides that, constipation is not caused by such things as an "Ex-Lax deficiency." Most people do not get enough Magnesium in their diet.

Ha, I'm hypertactile and a total wimp. Even my husband's love pats can hurt. My daughter is hypotactile. She used to cut her hands and fingerpaint her blood on the walls. She finally quit after many many hours of sensory training.

Be careful when taking large doses of magnesium. All the "chemicals..." potassium, sodium. nitrogen, phosperous, etc need to be
in proper amounts or your body can be thrown off leading to any number of health disorders. It is just a theory, but for now they
believe there is a connection between magnesium and Alsheimer Disease.

I did a research study on the harmful effects of Nutrasweet (which is in so many foods and softdrinks) and believe me, I don't eat or drink anything more with Nutrasweet. That stuff should be banned from the grocery shelves.

Taking fiber solutions like Metamucil or Citrusel is OK, as they just add more fiber to keep your colon running. It's stimulant laxatives like Ex-Lax that can create "lazy" or dependent colons.

my hubby, who's aspie, has a very high threshold for pain.......he's pulled nails out of his feet, fallen to the ground and hit his head~ you name it.....the hard part for me has been to convince him to go to the hospital when he doesn't feel the pain.

Thank you Cooper for the more precise definition. I should have said stimulant laxatives instead of stool softeners. It's the same principle as sleep aid medications. Over the long run, the effect is the opposite. Metamucil and Citrusel don't even belong in the same category as Ex-Lax even though they're all looked to for constipation relief.

As to how much magnesium one takes, I should have mentioned that the increased dosage should not be over a prolonged period of time (like weeks into months). It doesn't take long before the effects of magnesium on the stool show up. After the stool movement becomes more healthy, then obviously one should begin to decrease the dosage level until he finds the minimum amount necessary to keep the proper stool movement going. Most soil from which our food comes from (in the US anyhow) is deficient in magnesium, which naturally will lead to in imbalance of nutrients within our bodies.

Everyone should be sensitive to their own body's reaction to changes in their diet and use that knowledge for long-term decisions that may develop into habits. I know I am, but I don't know how many other people are. It's easy to forget about being careful to not make assumptions about other people in general (maybe I'm beginning to have Alzheimer's disease?).

No, he doesn't eat enough fiber. I finally took him to the Dr. recently and he got the lecture from him. At least he paid attention to the Dr. I get the blank look when I talk to him about it. He LOVES cheese and milk, both constipating foods. Also Bananas and rice *sigh* All foos you're supposed to eat when you have diarrhea ('cept not the cheese and milk ) I also have four other children, and I'm afraid with keeping up with my family, the bowel habits of my 13 yo tend to get forgotten. I've taken to setting various alarm clocks around the house just to remember to do things. I am a total scatterbrain.

Actually, I am very sensitive to pain.

And this may sound like a foolish question, but does your son get much exercise? Sometimes physical activity will get the elimination functioning again without having to resort to drugs or medications.

If anything, I'm hypersensitive to pain. In other words, I have a much lower pain threshold than most NTs. Needless to say, when I was little, other kids constantly called me a coward, because I couldn't tolerate levels of pain they had no problem with. My parents constantly accused me of whining, because of how I reacted to what they considered painless things.

I'm weird with pain. When I am overstimulated, either I feel nothing or I can feel a bug gently land on my shoulder and it feels like a brick. Generally though, I have an exceptionally high pain tolerance. I even managed to bring 9-10 pound babies into the world without a drop of pain relief - I simply didn't understand why everyone couldn't do that. I've been told by doctors, nurses and anyone else who has ever seen me in a painful situation that I have a tremendous tolerance.

I have a rather intense antipathy toward headaches and kidney stones though.

My AS daughter also has an odd pain pattern. She pretty much didn't bother to cry as a baby whe she'd bump herself or get hurt. Sometimes now though she will go nuts over the tiniest of things.

nope, not enough exercise, blame his intense interest in video games for that one. Need to get out and go for a walk or bike ride, he enjoys that, but won't be the one to say "Let's go!" Thanks for the advice everyone, appreciate it

My 13 old son had an ingrown toe-nail and I took him to the Dr. yesterday to have part of the toenail cut out. He was supposed to have it frozen first, but apparently told the Dr. he didn't need it frozen and wasn't having a needle. The doc told him he would do a little bit and if it hurt he would freeze it. My son had the entire procedure without freezing. And he claims it really didn't hurt much at all! He is at school today with his socks and shoes on, no pain medication and is walking as if nothing happened to his foot.

I always wondered how it was that he never seemed to hurt himself or how he could eat food that was so hot it was steaming. His pain tolerance explains it all.

I can't say it is because of the AS, though because my 16 year old Aspie has not pain tolerance whatsoever. And he can milk an injury for days and days!

It all comes back to that hypo and hyper sensitive issue. I find it fascinating.