![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 25. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by G-man885858 on January 17, 2011, at 21:53:22
Hey everyone,
I'm a 28 year old male and I was JUST diagnosed 3 months ago with High Functioning Autism (Or Asperger's syndrome). Does anyone have any experience with this disorder? What are good medications for this condition?
ALL THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!!
THANKS!!
Posted by sigismund on January 17, 2011, at 22:53:07
In reply to Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 17, 2011, at 21:53:22
Can you say something about how consciousness is for you?
I don't think medication is necessarily indicated for high functioning autism.
Do you think the role of meds with you will be symptomatic, to control aspects of consciousness you find difficult?
I don't think there are any wonderful ones.
Low dose SSRIs to tone down the emotional weather?If (and I know nothing about you) the main difficulties you face relate to interaction with others and therefore(?) loneliness, can there be a med for that?
Posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 1:25:15
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by sigismund on January 17, 2011, at 22:53:07
> Can you say something about how consciousness is for you?
>
> I don't think medication is necessarily indicated for high functioning autism.
>
> Do you think the role of meds with you will be symptomatic, to control aspects of consciousness you find difficult?
>
> I don't think there are any wonderful ones.
> Low dose SSRIs to tone down the emotional weather?
>
> If (and I know nothing about you) the main difficulties you face relate to interaction with others and therefore(?) loneliness, can there be a med for that?Yes, I am completely unable to make friends - and therefore I'm severely lonely. I cannot "read" people's emotions or feelings at all unless they are clearly spoken to me.
I've been on all SSRIs and they just made me very suicidal. Then when I came off of them, the withdrawal syndrome lasted for more than 5 years. I also think I've sustained some kind of brain damage during the Withdrawal syndrome because I now have severe, suicidal insomnia.
Posted by SLS on January 18, 2011, at 6:19:23
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 1:25:15
Hi G-man885858.
I think it will be good for you to continue to interact with people here. It is just the beginning, so give Psycho-Babble a chance to serve your needs. I have met people with Asperger's Syndrome. They experience things very much as you have described. It must be very frustrating and perhaps saddening. You probably feel isolated from the rest of the human race. You probably like people but have trouble attracting them. One person I met created in his mind a set of algorithms for identifying emotions in others and rehearsing appropriate responses.
Don't give up the fight. People live productive and rewarding lives with Asperger's. Aside from drugs, behavior modification and other psychosocial techniques are often employed.
Good luck.
- Scott
Posted by sigismund on January 18, 2011, at 6:54:50
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 1:25:15
Is Aspergers a psychiatric condition?
I do not believe autism is.
I heard about this man from Denmark who had a son with autism or Aspergers and he set up a software company so his son would have repetitive high value work to perform.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8153564.stm
I've never been very good at friends myself. I don"t know about that.
Posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 14:05:56
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 1:25:15
What is your supplement regimen like? If you have one that is.
Have you been to all the Asperger's/Autism websites for ideas on medication or supplements?
Imminst.org and Mindandmuscle.net might be two good places to go to ask people for advice.
Posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 14:24:48
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by sigismund on January 18, 2011, at 6:54:50
Sigismund, sorry to hear you have not been good at making and maintaining good friendships. Relationships of all kinds are what make life fulfilling and worthwhile. The basis for making life a happy one is healthy positive relationships.
I think asperger's and autism are both considered to fall into the category of behavioral illness, I'm not sure about mental illness. I remember studying autism spectrum disorders in my abnormal psychology class.
Posted by sigismund on January 18, 2011, at 14:53:32
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » sigismund, posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 14:24:48
I do the intensive long term ones well. It's the social ones that are difficult. The family stuff is good. I do not cope well with light friendly social interaction.
Posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 15:12:58
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » morgan miller, posted by sigismund on January 18, 2011, at 14:53:32
Gotchya.
Posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 15:13:43
In reply to Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 17, 2011, at 21:53:22
G-man, have you ever tried oxytocin therapy?
Posted by BetweenDreams81 on January 18, 2011, at 16:07:02
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » morgan miller, posted by sigismund on January 18, 2011, at 14:53:32
Oh, I can definitely relate to that! The superficial talk gets me all the time and I just have not a thing to say relative to the 'conversation'...get fidgety and have to leave. It's Great for client relationships! <sarcasm>
Posted by BetweenDreams81 on January 18, 2011, at 16:15:16
In reply to Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 17, 2011, at 21:53:22
Glad you posted here...it isn't easy to go through difficult situations especially when you feel alone.
1. What are you good at?
2. What gives you great pleasure?
3. What types of things do you relate to?
I cannot imagine what it is like to not recognize emotion because I am not in your shoes, but I can imagine that it makes you feel isolated.
Are there programs that can help train your mind with repetition to understand what different emotions look, sound, and feel like?
I know nothing about medications, and am here to begin learning how to feel better and get a grip on my life again...so in that respect we are in the same boat. It is all about connecting the dots (I think?)
...and please do not take the comment from Eric to heart...
Posted by jane d on January 18, 2011, at 16:54:09
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 1:25:15
> > If (and I know nothing about you) the main difficulties you face relate to interaction with others and therefore(?) loneliness, can there be a med for that?
>
>
>
> Yes, I am completely unable to make friends - and therefore I'm severely lonely. I cannot "read" people's emotions or feelings at all unless they are clearly spoken to me.
>
> I've been on all SSRIs and they just made me very suicidal. Then when I came off of them, the withdrawal syndrome lasted for more than 5 years. I also think I've sustained some kind of brain damage during the Withdrawal syndrome because I now have severe, suicidal insomnia.Sigismund has a point. You don't treat autism or aspergers with meds (or hormones or vitamins). There is no med that can make you understand people. You can treat the symptoms of other problems such as depression that aren't unique to aspergers. If you're suicidal you need to treat that. The meds that you use to treat it will be the same ones that people without aspergers use.
This doesn't mean you can't learn to interact with people more successfully. There is a lot of work being done with aspergers children to teach them rules for social situations. These are the same rules other children are learning and following without thinking about it. There's less for adults unfortunately but you may be able to find something or adapt something originally developed for children.
Who diagnosed you as having autism/aspergers? Was it someone who specialized in that? If so, can they point you to someone who can work with you on social strategies? If they didn't specialize in autism you may want to consult with someone who does.
There are also peer support groups specifically for adults with aspergers. Have you tried any of them yet?
Good luck,
Jane
Posted by sigismund on January 18, 2011, at 17:04:50
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » G-man885858, posted by jane d on January 18, 2011, at 16:54:09
As people with autism and Aspergers age, they can learn their way around their disability to some extent and (maybe even? whatever this means) develop a theory of mind.
The problem can be that it is a developmentally related condition, which is why feeling and being useful and a part of things is important.
Posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 17:17:41
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » G-man885858, posted by jane d on January 18, 2011, at 16:54:09
>Sigismund has a point. You don't treat autism or aspergers with meds (or hormones or vitamins). There is no med that can make you understand people.
There are medications/vitamins/hormones(oxytocin) that may make somone with asperger's or autism feel much better, which can help a lot with improving the ability to function socially. This makes perfect sense to me.
Posted by bleauberry on January 18, 2011, at 17:23:30
In reply to Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by G-man885858 on January 17, 2011, at 21:53:22
> Hey everyone,
>
> I'm a 28 year old male and I was JUST diagnosed 3 months ago with High Functioning Autism (Or Asperger's syndrome). Does anyone have any experience with this disorder? What are good medications for this condition?
>
> ALL THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!!
>
> THANKS!!All I know about this topic is:
1. Those who have success usually try a lot of different strategies to find what works for them. That usually means psych meds are only a tiny sliver of everything else they are doing, if any psych meds at all.
2. Psych meds that can work span the entire spectrum. Stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiseizures, all of them. Purely experimental trial and error. Which actually is always the case with these meds anyway for whatever reason they are prescribed.
3. Diet can be a huge factor. For example, eliminating dairy products shows benefits in many patients. Identifying by trial and error any other foods that help them feel better, or make them feel worse, is worth the effort. Gluten is also a common offender. Neither of these are the cause of the symptoms, but aggravate the symptoms.
4. Many patients and moms of patients have had improvements with chronic low dose frequent dose chelation. That is, DMSA and/or ALA to remove lead and mercury.
5. Vitamins and minerals become much more important than for the average person. Trial and error to identify which ones are most useful.
6. A bountiful choice of medicinal plants are available for specific symptoms.
Posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 18:48:27
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » G-man885858, posted by jane d on January 18, 2011, at 16:54:09
> > > If (and I know nothing about you) the main difficulties you face relate to interaction with others and therefore(?) loneliness, can there be a med for that?
> >
> >
> >
> > Yes, I am completely unable to make friends - and therefore I'm severely lonely. I cannot "read" people's emotions or feelings at all unless they are clearly spoken to me.
> >
> > I've been on all SSRIs and they just made me very suicidal. Then when I came off of them, the withdrawal syndrome lasted for more than 5 years. I also think I've sustained some kind of brain damage during the Withdrawal syndrome because I now have severe, suicidal insomnia.
>
> Sigismund has a point. You don't treat autism or aspergers with meds (or hormones or vitamins). There is no med that can make you understand people. You can treat the symptoms of other problems such as depression that aren't unique to aspergers. If you're suicidal you need to treat that. The meds that you use to treat it will be the same ones that people without aspergers use.
>
> This doesn't mean you can't learn to interact with people more successfully. There is a lot of work being done with aspergers children to teach them rules for social situations. These are the same rules other children are learning and following without thinking about it. There's less for adults unfortunately but you may be able to find something or adapt something originally developed for children.
>
> Who diagnosed you as having autism/aspergers? Was it someone who specialized in that? If so, can they point you to someone who can work with you on social strategies? If they didn't specialize in autism you may want to consult with someone who does.
>
> There are also peer support groups specifically for adults with aspergers. Have you tried any of them yet?
>
> Good luck,
>
> Jane
>Jane,
My original psychotherapist said that I have all the symptoms of Aspergers because she actually read them all to me straight from the DSM-IV manual (Bad eye contact, Inability to read nonverbal social cues, inability to read body language, etc.) Then she referred me to an Autism Spectrum specialist who works in an Autism Clinic. I had 3 full evaluation sessions with the diagnostician, and she completely CONFIRMED that I have High Functioning Autism.I hope this answers any uncertainties you may have had, Jane.
Posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 19:25:03
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » G-man885858, posted by jane d on January 18, 2011, at 16:54:09
Jane,
I hope I didn't sound rude in my reply to you. Sometimes I may sound rude even though I totally don't mean to be rude. I have a tendency toward bluntness and "Brutal" honesty which can be interpreted as rudeness.
Posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 19:55:24
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » G-man885858, posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 14:05:56
> What is your supplement regimen like? If you have one that is.
>
> Have you been to all the Asperger's/Autism websites for ideas on medication or supplements?
>
> Imminst.org and Mindandmuscle.net might be two good places to go to ask people for advice.In my whole history, there have only been two meds that have totally ELIMINATED my suicidal thoughts. All the rest of the meds I tried have just worsened my suicidal thoughts. These 2 meds are:
1) Starbucks Caramel Macchiato - I know it may sound a little silly, but Caffeine works WONDERS for my depression!!!! I've tried other types of coffee like Dunkin donuts, and none others work at all except Starbucks.
2) Non-XR Adderall - This is the only medication that I was EVER prescribed that actually did its' job. Unlike caffeine, Adderall is actually calming and makes me listen, pay attention MUCH BETTER, and improves my eye contact too! I am also able to read & comprehend large text passages ---- things that I am usually unable to do.I always have these nasty, suicidal, intrusive thoughts that I cannot distract myself from no matter what I do: Watch a movie, play a game, read a book ---- NOTHING gets rid of these intrusive thoughts. If I'm in a conversation with a person, everything the person says just goes in one ear and out the other because I cannot get rid of these intrusive thoughts that obstruct my concentration and attention.
Posted by Solstice on January 18, 2011, at 20:48:13
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » morgan miller, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 19:55:24
> 2) Non-XR Adderall - This is the only medication that I was EVER prescribed that actually did its' job. Unlike caffeine, Adderall is actually calming and makes me listen, pay attention MUCH BETTER, and improves my eye contact too! I am also able to read & comprehend large text passages ---- things that I am usually unable to do.
>
> I always have these nasty, suicidal, intrusive thoughts that I cannot distract myself from no matter what I do: Watch a movie, play a game, read a book ---- NOTHING gets rid of these intrusive thoughts. If I'm in a conversation with a person, everything the person says just goes in one ear and out the other because I cannot get rid of these intrusive thoughts that obstruct my concentration and attention.
Asperger's is often accompanied by other conditions. Your descriptions of the effect Adderall has indicates that it relieved classic ADHD symptoms. Intrusive thoughts can be caused by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which can be responsive to a number of different medications. If you have a psychiatrist, you may want to raise these issues with him or her. If you don't have a psychiatrist, I'd suggest looking for one that has a special interest in Asperger's and its co-morbid diagnosis'.I am impressed with the interest you have in taking control of the things that interfere with your optimal functioning.
Solstice
Posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 21:25:10
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » jane d, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 19:25:03
G-man, you didn't sound rude at all. And honesty is a good thing, though in some cases if honesty is used here, you may get a warning and eventually blocked.
So have you been through any type of intensive therapy for an extended period of time?
Do you take any supplements that might at least give you some support? I'm thinking of things like fish oil.
I think Blueaberry brought up some good points that diet modifications and suppelements could at least help you feel a little better.
How do you respond to exercise? I'm thinking more of moderate to intense exercise.
Posted by jane d on January 19, 2011, at 1:00:04
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » jane d, posted by G-man885858 on January 18, 2011, at 19:25:03
> Jane,
>
> I hope I didn't sound rude in my reply to you. Sometimes I may sound rude even though I totally don't mean to be rude. I have a tendency toward bluntness and "Brutal" honesty which can be interpreted as rudeness.No. It was fine. For my part, I didn't intend to sound as though I was challenging the the acuracy of your diagnosis. I wasn't. I was just wondering whether you had access to someone who could point you towards more specialized help if you decided that was a good idea. I'm glad you do.
Posted by G-man885858 on January 20, 2011, at 23:44:38
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's?, posted by morgan miller on January 18, 2011, at 15:13:43
> G-man, have you ever tried oxytocin therapy?
Morgan,
Yes, I have tried Oxytocin therapy - I think it totally didn't absorb into my system at all cuz I felt absolutely nothing. I tried a refrigerated, sublingual lozenge-type thing.
I also tried Fish oil, Epsom Salts, My GP prescribed AndroGel (because my testosterone was too low), and MANY other supplements. NONE OF THESE WORKED AT ALL!! Especially the Androgel - it just made me severely, bedriddenly tired!!
I do, however, think that these supps may not have worked because my thyroid is deficient. I've read that the Thyroid is the "master gland" and if it's underactive, then all other endocrine functions will not work properly.
Do you think that a deficient thyroid may be the reason why all these supplements may not be working for me?
Posted by morgan miller on January 21, 2011, at 13:38:19
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » morgan miller, posted by G-man885858 on January 20, 2011, at 23:44:38
Well if your thyroid was messed up enough, you may have felt so bad that you couldn't feel the positive effects of other things as much.
I would at least take fish oil and figure out what dose and what ratio of EPA to DHA works best for you. Fish oil is good for so many things it's kind of a no-brainer to keep taking for the rest of your life.
You may want to go to a good endocrinologist and ask them about oxytocin. They may have some ideas on better delivery systems and other ideas on hormone therapy.
I would not stop searching for herbs and supplements that may be able to at least help you some. You never know until you keep searching for and trialing these things. It can be a huge pain in the *ss though.
Posted by morgan miller on January 27, 2011, at 22:13:19
In reply to Re: Any suggestions for adult Asperger's? » morgan miller, posted by G-man885858 on January 20, 2011, at 23:44:38
Hey G-man. I thought this thread on Imminst.org might be helpful.
http://www.imminst.org/forum/topic/44467-supplements-for-autism/
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.