Posted by med_empowered on March 19, 2006, at 1:31:49
In reply to Re: antidepressant dosing, posted by jonquiljo on March 19, 2006, at 1:21:43
hi! OK..antipsychotics for autistic (or just misbehaved) children has been going on forever--pretty much since Thorazine hit the scene in the 50s--and remains controversial. Some people say it does help the kids--other people say its mostly about behavioral control, and the kids really don't get much (if any) benefit. So..I dont know. Its a tough call.
40mgs of zyprexa is A LOT. Maybe your brother metabolizes it quickly, or is on other meds (ex: depakote) that might reduce zyprexa levels and make higher doses necessary (in this scenario, you might need lots more to achieve the same effect, since its getting metabolized so quickly). But..I'd be a little concerned--zyprexa tends to be sedating and cause weight gain/diabetes, and there's still a risk of tardive dyskinesia (although lower than with, say, haldol) that really can't be ignored.
If nothing else, maybe you could try something less sedating? Abilify tends to not-so sedating (sometimes its "activating") and it doesnt seem to cause weight gain or diabetes. Geodon is similar, although its more sedating, is dosed 2X daily, and there are some concerns about cardiovascular risks. I don't know about blood sugar elevation, but it tends to not cause weight gain.
I think some autistic kids also take other stuff--depakote, trileptal, etc.--that can calm them down w/o exposing them to the risks of antipsychotics.
poster:med_empowered
thread:621882
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060315/msgs/621911.html