Neurodiversity thread - for all MNetters who are neurodiverse - ASD, ADHD, Dyspraxia and more.

[FaithAscending]

Welcome one and all to the new thread. A safe haven for MNetters who identify as neurodiverse, diagnosis or not, and those waiting for assessment. Links available in recent threads. Newbies welcome. We just ask that you introduce yourself

Some pharmacists are shite. I always check rather than just unthinkingly trusting them. One tried to give me sodium valproate instead of valproate semisodium (different fucking drug), and citalopram instead of escitalopram. I tried to explain about optical isomers when I took the citalopram back but she wasn't having any of it I mean, it's bad enough dispensing the wrong drug - what if I'd not realised? - but arguing that it's exactly the same even when the patient notices the error? FFS, that's effectively a 50% dose cut if you take citalopram for escitalopram.

I mean, valproate semisodium isn't that different; it just has valproic acid as well as sodium valproate. But FFS.

Yikes, with the withdrawal effects of citalopram that could have been dangerous!

Well, unpleasant, at least.

That doesn't sound like much fun Polter.
I'm always grateful to pharmacists who call me to clarify prescriptions if they think there's a mistake. I live in perpetual fear of making mistakes.

It seems lots of people on this thread take antidepressants or other psychoactive medication. Has anyone ever taken Fluoxetine (aka prozac)? I'm thinking of trying it. The psychologist thinks medication might be a good idea, but obviously can't prescribe any, but I can prescribe it myself. Just wondering if anyone has any experience.

Fluoxetine was the first antidepressant I ever took, when I was fifteen. It didn't work well for me - I was taking a paediatric dose, the liquid, and I had terrible anxiety and paranoia; thought I could hear people whispering behind me. It can be very activating. Both my parents had increased anxiety and awful jitters with fluoxetine, too, so I've no idea they thought it would work for me! DP likes it; it gives him a bit more energy.

When Prozac went so badly, they switched me to paroxetine, at which point I started self-harming, tried to kill myself and ended up in a kiddy loony bin where I hanged myself (was found by someone who left lunch early and came to see how I was doing) and ended up with a butane habit. Could've been worse; several kids there used to sneak out to get heroin and there were hundreds of used syringes on the flat roofs outside the bedroom windows.

I hope when you say you can prescribe it yourself, you don't mean you're going to prescribe it for yourself.

I can also give you personal experiences regarding venlafaxine, escitalopram, sertraline, phenelzine, lamotrigine, valproate semisodium, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, haloperidol and trifluoperazine

Funnily enough, without the antidepressants, it turns out I don't need antipsychotics Thanks for that, guys - years of my life lost and 8 stone gained from antipsychotics.

I never met anyone on Prozac who didn't experience sexual dysfunction.

Well, that doesn't sound particularly encouraging Rat. It's the only one with a bit of evidence for bulimia. Though I suppose I should stop pretending that's the only thing I could use help with.

I did mean I would prescribe it for myself. I don't have a GP or a psychiatrist or any doctor at all really. And it's perfectly legal and normal here (and they wonder why suicide and addiction rates are higher among doctors ).

Also, I'm totally fascinated by your medical history Rat from a medical perspective.

Fucking hell, autisticrat

I also started out on fluoxetine aged 15 - it seemed to help slightly at first but rapidly lost all effectiveness. I've retried it a couple of times since then and had the same results - I think maybe the placebo effect (of the hope that this will be the medication change that finally "fixes" me) improves my mood for a week or two and once that wears off it becomes apparent that the drug isn't actually changing anything. Same experience with citalopram, sertraline and venlafaxine.

I know you know this, but it's not good practice.

I did say DP really liked it - he has no diagnosis, but scores very highly on the AQ and has several other traits. He finds his motivation is better, he has more energy, he sleeps better, and he has a better mood.

No idea about bulimia, though.

Good luck.

A psychiatrist I saw a couple of years ago called me "a complex and interesting patient", river

It's a shame they don't work for you star :( Have you considered trying something that isn't an SSRI/SNRI?

autisticrat that kiddy loony bin sounds shit! It's heartbreaking that so many mentally ill young people get put in such stressful surroundings and massively over-medicated and then wonder why they're getting worse rather than better.

It was a bad environment for an autistic kid.

I've only taken citalopram, setraline, paroxitine and most recently lofepramine. All the SSRIs made me feel awful. Citalopram gave me a tremor. All of them gave me horrific nightmares, incredibly graphic. Setraline made me dreadfully nauseous, I gained weight because only eating eased it. Lofepramine gave me really bad postural hypotension. Nearly fell over every time I stood up! However it's settled and is now manageable. Least of all evil side effects. I feel comfortable as well rather than awfully numb. Oh I've also concluded that hormonal contraceptions aren't for me and feel better after ditching them!

Oh I know, it's a terrible idea for many reasons. But as this is a small country, the medical community is small and I have no confidence at all in confidentiality being kept. This is not me being paranoid, rumours fly through the medical community like wildfire. I have a friend who was congratulated on her pregnancy by four people who she hadn't told and couldn't work out how they had found out, before she had told her family, before she was 10 weeks.

Plus I'd have to drive a ways to not have to go to someone who I have to work with and I hate driving.

Hmmm, mixed results then.

They actually kicked me out in the end for bad behaviour!

I think I will ask shitdoc about it next time I see him, I'm not overly convinced about his idea of going straight for lithium without trying any non-SSRI AD's first. My only experience with antipsychotics has been quetiapine - an absolutely miniscule dose completely knocks me out to the point where I feel drunk and end up in that horrible drug-induced dreamless coma-sleep for the entire day, so obviously no good for functional life. Quite bizarre really as I've never been so sensitive to any other medication, and I'm talking a really tiny dose like 2.5mg when the therapeutic index goes up to something like 800mg!

I can see why you'd want to self-prescribe rivier :( (autocorrect keeps taking the i out; apologies).

I'm glad you're doing well on the lofepramine, Faith! Oddly, I've never tried a tricyclic. Although, it's probably a bad idea for me; I have low BP anyway and anything that can give me postural hypotension does give me postural hypotension Propranolol was a fucking nightmare!