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Original poster

Anyone got anything good to say about asd children and medication ??

29 replies

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 13/01/2011 17:40

I have resisted so far but sons agression is getting harder and harder to deal with, mainly linked to his anxiety/sensory overload. I even kept him home from school today because I could tell he was going to have one of those days.

I am aware that in some cases medication can have a negative effect and have tried to manage the situation so far with strategies but he's so big and strong now, he bites and has broken the skin on one of his teachers breasts, he goes for my throat and has ripped handfuls of my hair out and left him with chunks of my skin under his nails.

I don't know how much more I can take tbh or how he will be able to live in the home as he gets bigger, it took 3 adult men to restrain him on Monday, even they were bloody shocked

OP posts:
adcd · 13/01/2011 18:39

I have seen very positive results from medicating children with extreme 'symptoms' of ASD. Obviously, it would be fantastic if there were ways to manage the behaviour without it, and often there are, but your description sounds quite severe. I also think that if it is affecting school work and attendance, it would be wise to consider medicating. How old is he?

Like i say, medicating's not a nice thought, but you can't wave a magic wand and it sounds like you've all been suffering. What is the school's take on it? Personally, i've seen more positive results than negative, others may disagree though.

cansu · 13/01/2011 18:42

ds1 aged 9 takes risperidone and this has had a very beneficial effect on his agression and anxiety. In fact, I think it has changed his life.

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 13/01/2011 18:49

He's 9.

99% of the time he's fine, but oh my god, it's not like normal, human anger, it really is like a wild animal going at you, the incident on Monday was over something and nothing, he just flips.

I used to be able to cover him with my body, hold his arms and slowly let him go whilst taking verbal control, ie i'd release one hand and say touch your nose if he did that i'd slowly release his other hand and order him to make a rocket shape (so I knew I could trust him ) then slowly let him go as he calmed down, and that still helps to an extent, but he's so bloody big now Sad

OP posts:
Davros · 13/01/2011 18:52

Absolutely! No-one does it lightly but it is easy to take a position against medication when your child doesn't need it. You need proper advice from an experienced professional and a good plan.

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 13/01/2011 18:55

I;m just fishing about tbh, the dcs paed is very pro meds, his sister has adhd and autism and whilst it's not easy, she manages fine without meds, if her paed had her way she'd have been on them when she was four !!

But in the case of ds i'm seriously considering it for his sake mainly, i'm scared i'm going to end up hurting him trying to protect myself

OP posts:
coldtits · 13/01/2011 18:57

Melatonin changed my life.

he got so much more sleep and his anxiety levels dropped dramatically as a result.

Obviously if sleep isn't an issue this post is not helpful/

Davros · 13/01/2011 19:01

You need a cautious approach, not a jab-em-up-johnny! I think it is a last resort after you've managed, tolerated, intervened, taught etc but when you have done all that and there are times when nothing you do changes or improves the behaviour, then it may be time. His behaviour may be preventing your DS from being able to learn, participate in activities and living happily with his family. Maybe you need to see someone other than this Paed or as well as? Can you access another professional via CAMHS? But, if you do decide to medicate you can always reduce or stop, you may need time to find the right med (we have used Risperidone too).

purplepidjin · 13/01/2011 19:08

I have worked with kids who have had positive experiences on Risperidone, kids who have been able to control and understand their own behaviour once they started taking the tablet. The main negative from them was the weight-gain!

Start low and move up gradually - at least a month between changes and closely monitored by HCP, and stop if you get any serious side effects Smile

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 13/01/2011 21:49

Dunno what to bloody do, 99% of the time he's great but I do spend a lot of time preventing outburts and when he blows he just goes. The biting is awful, school have had to evacuate the classroom a few times because whoever hurts him, or tries to stop him, he will costantly go for them until he hurts them back (tho tbh I don't always think school handles him well in the run up) plus although he has bitten me, he has never drawn blood which makes me wonder why it's so bad in school iyswim ??

I'm also aware i'm not taking him out as often as I used to, which isn't good

So it feels like i'm putting him on medication for the wrong reasons, to make my life easier or if school or me are doing something wrong.

I asked for an appt with an ot for his sensory issues two years ago, took them a year to tell me he didn't qualify, i've been trying to get an appt with the sn nurse for six months, have got nowhere, so this seems like the only option, but i'm kicking myself thinking maybe i'm just wanting the easy option ?? A quick fix ?? Which I suppose deep down, I do Sad

Ffs, so bloody complicated

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Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 13/01/2011 21:54

Sleep varies coldits, he goes from not sleeping to falling asleep at 8 and being up at 2am . Grrrr

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justaboutmaintainingorder · 13/01/2011 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

borderslass · 13/01/2011 21:57

DS's new doctor wants us to think about mood suppressing meds told him wasn't sure but he's getting even bigger and stronger now and have had a couple of problems this week.[but he's not got a diagnosis]

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 13/01/2011 22:05

I know he's never going to be fully independent, I think i'm going to start on the drugs, low dosage but keep up with the behaviour modification stuff.

It's not nice for him either, he lies on the floor sometimes and asked to be restrained sometimes Sad

Then tries to bite my fecking face Hmm

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justaboutmaintainingorder · 13/01/2011 22:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cansu · 13/01/2011 22:28

Please don't feel guilty Apocalypse. Taking medication has given my ds a better quality of life. He is more able to go out (he was becoming very reclusive) and he is less distressed by the world around him. He is also much less aggressive towards me. We still have to use other techniques (he is still very autistic and still has tantrums and bad days!) It is more manageable now and this can only bode well for his future. Get some good advice from a psychiatrist you have confidence in. You aren't committing to it forever. We started on avery small dose and he has been monitored closely for any side effects.

mariamagdalena · 13/01/2011 22:36

if our dc had a physical condition eg asthma we wouldn't be quite so uptight about medication. people do say "she wouldn't need inhalers if only i was better at stopping her getting colds/ if the school PE teacher managed netball better / if we lived in a cleaner-air town" but they don't blame themselves for failing to do the impossible like asd mums do.

purplepidjin · 14/01/2011 07:33

Apocalypse, it sounds like you have the best possible reasons for using medication.

Think of meds as a tool in your arsenal. They will calm him to the level where the strategies can work. This is what happened with some of the lads I worked with Smile

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 14/01/2011 09:02

I will be.

Kept him off school again, he was having his anxiety issues at the door and it felt pointless sending him into his very understaffed school for him to be in a foul mood all day

OP posts:
electra · 14/01/2011 10:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tallwivglasses · 14/01/2011 10:26

My ds was having regular meltdowns - awful - banging his head on the ground, scratching himself, biting us, that would go on for hours. Rispiridone really helps along with melatonin.

We still have our moments, but generally the medication makes him (and us) a lot happier.

No excessive weight-gain either.

Al1son · 14/01/2011 13:28

My DD1 (13) has AS and has bee taking Sertraline for anxiety since last July.

I was very anti-meds but we got to the point where she was unable to go to school, leave the house or talk to CAMHS practitioners because of her anxiety. It hasn't made the anxiety go away but it has reduced it to the point where she can engage with CAMHS, interact socially and go to school (admittedly with much better provision now). Her quality of life is much improved.

She's now reducing her dose with the blessing of the psychiatrist so we're keeping our fingers crossed that she still copes.

HTH

purplepidjin · 14/01/2011 21:16

If he's askeing to be restrained, is it the feeling that someone else has taken control that he likes, or the "weight"?

Could you wrap him tightly in a duvet to give the enclosed feeling, or get a weighted blanket?

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 14/01/2011 21:36

I think it's a mixture of both tbh, it mainly happens in public tho

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goondiwindi · 14/01/2011 22:04

My DS was very violent when he was 12 and things got so bad we resorted to Respiridone. It made such a difference. He became much less aggressive, and gradually learnt to control his behaviour. I really would recommend it. It doesn't have to be forever. DS is now off it completely and so far able to cope.

purplepidjin · 14/01/2011 22:24

Have you heard of a Body Sock? It'll still stand out in public, but possible calmer than a melt-down...

I can't find anywhere to buy them in the UK, but if I can get the fabric I'll happily make you one [smile