ASD....OCD. Me again and more desperate by the hour [sad]

[LaDolcheRyvita]

Ok. DS diagnosed ASD aged 4. Now nearly 11. In Sept last year diagnosed with co-morbid condition of OCD. He is in mainstream, Statemented and has one to one TA. High functioning ASD, not genius but articulate and doing ok at school. Or he WAS .......

We are one year on from CAMHS prescribing meds for the OCD as it completely took over his little life. We've tried Sertraline and Risperidone. Now taking Prozac liquid, low dose. Good initial response but as with the other two meds, he's started to regress. We rarely leave the house and he's back to talking to himself in corners and self harming. I am beside myself. The first month or so on the Prozac was wonderful. I felt like DS had reached the point he WOULD have been, had he never developed the OCD.

He has CBT but the counsellor feels he's not really able to access the concept. So young and the ASD being her reasons. He's cut him down to once monthly sessions.

My bright, clever boy's life has come to a standstill. He remains isolated, no friends, rarely leaves the house without trauma and is covered in scratches, little bruises from him pinching himself and bite marks.

I have no idea what can be done. We see CAMHS tomorrow as an emergency appt and as much as I lime the psychiatrist, should I be asking for a second opinion?

I "like" the psychiatrist.

Oh, so much sympathy. OCD is hell. Once we wer down to 'just' Aspergers and the bastard OCD was controlled, life got so much better.

DS also had CBT very, very successfully at the age of 10 to 12, so I don't think your son is automatically too young. I do think it depends hugely on the CBT practitioner, though. Once a month sounds ridiculously widely spaced -- you need regular, routine appts for any chance of progress, surely?

How I wish I could post our CBT person to you, because this stage for us was just appalling, and treatable (though DS claimed to hate her mid-treatment).

We are south Cheshire. When we were seeing her regularly it was once a fortnight. Then, I think after 6 months they were going to discontinue it cause she didn't feel he was able to grasp it.

Everyone has constantly told us how bright our son is and now this nightmare.....give me "just" the autism, anyday.

*lancelottie" how is your ds now?

How long has he been on prozac?

Not long, about 8 weeks. Great initial response; increased dose 3 weeks ago from the starter dose and massive reversal of progress.

poor ds
what about going back to the starter dose?

It takes about 12 weeks to start feeling the benefits of Prozac, and in that time symptoms often get worse, I'm not sure if this is the same for OCD but it is for anxiety and depression.

Ok, thanks. Will see what psychiatrist says tomorrow.

agree with imogen, I have heard of v small doses of prozac sometimes working where large doses don't for people on the spectrum (have a feeling I read that in one of temple grandins books but may be wrong), maybe he'ld be better off on a lower dose.

my ds was on a low dose or prosac for a good while before it was upped...about 6 months. He is very thin and slightly shorter than he should be according to the height chart so psych kept it low.

Hmmm.. Maybe suggest return to the lower start up dosage.

My boy is tiny for his age and so, soooo thin.

Prozac has been shown to be particularly good for OCD. HOWEVER, new research shows that the reason ssris have the initial worsening effects is due to the body having too much seratonin and the body has to get used to things.
The other thing is, there is a great deal of research that demonstrates that those with ASDs have differing reactions to drugs than NTs, the research seems to show that people with ASDs process the drugs differently. It may be worth trying for about twelve weeks and if no improvement, changing again. It may be that it's a case of finding the right drug.

www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/514578-Serotonin-cell-discoveries-mean-rethink-of-depression

Saw Psychiatrist today. He has increased the Prozac. He says he's never known a child's symptoms to worsen so quickly with an increase of meds. So, he's upped it and we are to see him in another 3 weeks.

He has also increased the counselling to include general counselling alongside the CBT.

I have to go with it, for the time being.

I hope things work out for you all then with the new dose and extra counselling

I hope so. I am considering a lethal injection for both of us. I simply cannot bear the pain he is in on an minute by minute basis. And as for what the future holds....

Ladolcheryvita, I didn't want to read and run, others will hopefully come later, but I hope that you are not serious about the lethal injection thing. Things ae
are very gloomy for you at the moment, it's a very scary and difficult place to be, but with the different medication/dosage it will get better. Get some help in RL- if you are really feeling so low, ask your GP about AD- but don't let utter the best of you.

Utter=it, sorry, stupid autocorrect

((hugs))

I am seeing my GP at the weekend. I'm worried about telling her how I feel because it will be on my record that I see a logical solution to ending our current pain and all the pain of the future.

I will be ok til then.

Night.

Night x

Don't worry- what happens if it's on your records (tbh, I doubt it'll be). And it's not a logical solution, you know it's not. You are v tired and possibly depressed- pls tell your GP about it. Hugs.