If you could lift me up and shake me, you would probably hear a rattle. This might sound like an unusual boast, given how much people usually avoid discussing their autism medication. However, I recently reached a happy medium with my prescription – a small victory that, with the aim of preparing, informing and guiding those in similar situations, I would like to share.
Is there a certain autism medication you would like to know more about? Then feel free to skip right to it using these handy links:
Risperidone for Irratibility
Methylphenidate/ Atomextimine for Concentration
Domperimine/Pizotifer for Nausea
Melatonin for Sleep
DISCLAIMER: What you NEED to know before considering Autism Medication:
Autism medication is not something you want to leap into without thinking as, while many drugs come with high points (not that kind of high), they also carry many lows. This is something I’ve experienced first hand; usually starting with a wrong prescription, and it always ends with a record of ailments that reads like a list of named occupants at Snow White’s cottage.
Additionally, these side-effects (and even the intentional outcomes) will often have wildly fluctuating results, depending on the individual for whom they are prescribed to. So, take what you read here with a pinch of salt and be sure to listen to the advice of experts before upping, lowering, stopping, taking or making brownies out of the medications mentioned.
Lastly, autism does not have a cure and most autistic people don’t want one. To suggest such a thing, no matter how honourable you think your intentions, insinuates you want to strip our community of its personality and identity. As such, the autism medication mentioned in this post is recommended for those trying to ease negative autistic quirks. However, if you still seek a cure, then might I recommend my articles on embracing autism, where you can learn how to remedy your false understanding of the spectrum?
Risperidone for Irratibility
Until my early teen years, the go-to medication for when I began demonstrating signs of aggression was Risperidone: an anti-psychotic drug which, in my variant, took the form of a fast-acting dissolve in the mouth ‘chill pill’ – a term which only rings true if you’re the kind of person that would look at someone dazed/unconscious on the floor and think ‘wow, doesn’t he looked ‘chilled?’.
Yes, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Risperidone (despite the fact that, for a while, it was the only autism medication to receive FDA approval). However, my problems with the pill didn’t stop at how it chloroformed me like the ingredient of Hannibal Lector’s soon to be supper, but also that:
- It was hard for my family to get me to take something for my meltdown, when my meltdown had already started
- Even after the medication tranquillized me chances are, when I awoke, I would still be angry – perhaps more so for having Mr Sandman put me in a chokehold
Although, my use of Risperidone was on a more ‘in case of emergency break spirit’ basis, it’s worth mentioning that many will routinely use the pill which can lead to a kind of permanent stupor. This might have been my fate had my family not reasoned that 9 times out 10 they can get me to safely without intervention – a choice that was more linked to my place on the spectrum and might not be an option for everyone.
Interestingly, upon research for this post, I discovered that, along with treating aggression, Risperidone has been used successfully to reduce acts of self-harm, hyperactivity and repetitive behaviour and, while I was less than pleased with the desired effect, things could have been worse if I had experienced any of the other side-effects i.e.
- Excessive weight gain
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
Conclusion: Respidone may be a go-to choice when it comes to supporting people with autism during meltdowns and other less than favourable quirks, but the pill itself can be draining for the person taking it. Unless neccesary, consider only using it for autistic people who are more of a danger to ourselves, rather than those around.
Methylphenidate/Atomexitine for Concentration
Methylphenidate (aka Ritalin), is an attention enhancing drug more commonly associated with ADHD. However, while I myself am part of the 75% of autistic people who have both these conditions, I am also one of the people who has come to see the medication as more of a support for spectrum life – as it helps me with:
- Obsessive behaviours
- Emotional recognition
- Non-literal thinking
- Self-expression
- Information processing
Furthermore, methylphenidate comes in both long and short release, which is ideal for when I have an engagement in a busy location that might overwhelm my senses. This, for example, might include the hustle and bustle of shopping in the city, something which the medication grants me the power to navigate with the proficiency of a black ops rescue team – if the team’s mission was to rescue a box of eggs from Tesco.
Ritalin isn’t without its drawbacks though as, before methylphenidate, I took the similarly prescripted Atomexitine: a tablet which my family will tell you zombified me to the point where I would stand vacantly in a room, staring at walls, stating that ‘I want to draw, but have forgotten how’ (spooky!).
Three trials and several years later, I have since gone from forgetting how to draw to discovering I really shouldn’t, many of my friends and family will tell you that the acute focus I now get from methylphenidate equally turns me into somewhat of a husk during the first few hours after taking it.
As well as being a bit of a party pooper, this ‘Ritalin James’ is unable to hold much of a conversation when his mind is set on something else and, while many will say that I lose my appetite, it’s more a case that I am so preoccupied that I forget to eat until someone places a plate right under my nose.
Conclusion: Ritalin can be a game-changer, especially for autistic people at school, but it gives you an insight into how boring some would be if you stipped away the thing that made us who we are. The medication itself is also highly addictive and will impact on everyone uniquely – so caution is not advised, it’s mandatory.
Domperidone/Pizotifer for Nausea
We all have our Christmas Eve traditions: some like to rewatch classic movies, some like to make calls to distant relatives. For me, Christmas Eve means that, before the minute hand strikes midnight, I am going to be ho-ho-heaving up (as my excitement and anxiety for the big day get the better of me and my weak stomach).
Over time, I have come to think of this sporadic joy induced vomiting as a bit of a talent (which I display at any moment of excitement/anxiety at any time of the year – much to my surprise). However, not everyone shares my imaginative branding and so, to resolve this, I used to take Domperidone (which I swear is medication to reduce vomiting and not the name of a Champagne).
As you might have guessed from the term ‘used to’, it was quite clear early on that Domperidone wasn’t for me (due to my vomiting response being more emotional than biological). As it happens, might have been for the best, given that Dopermine has since been banned in the US due to studies linking the pill to *checks notes* ‘a risk of death’.
Nevertheless, let it be known that I am not a quitter and so, for a short time, it should also be noted that I took Pizotifen for my non-stop vomiting: a medication which is frequently used for migraines and headaches, but can also be used to treat Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS).
According to the doctor’s reports, this ‘just made [me] drowsy’ and I have since learnt that this is one negative autistic trait I am just going to have to stomach – that’s probably a poor choice of words.
Conclusion: If you’re autistic and want to reduce vomiting, first consider altering possible environmental triggers, then look to see if any other medication could be causing the response. If this makes little different, maybe try mixing up your diet before lastly trying out any of these meds.
Melatonin for Sleep
Despite the many drugs throughout my childhood which have made me everything from drowsy to comatosed, I regularly struggled getting some shut-eye at night (like many other autists). This comes as a result of the autistic body loving to hold the production of my melatonin to ransom – a natural sleep aid which tells our bodies to shut off when the sun goes down.
Thankfully, what the autistic body limits, the pharmacist can make up for and, as such, I’ve been in the business of controlling my own melatonin levels for years.
Melatonin isn’t completely flawless though, as it often meant I was tad bit drowsy in the mornings and, that’s nothing compared to the nights of Giger-esque dreams which usually comes with it. Nevertheless, I can’t complain really, as although rare, some who take the drug report side-effects including:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Conclusion: Depending on your location and the relatively low risk of melatonin, this easily purchased/prescribed pill is one which those with sleep issues may want to try. However, as stated at the top, make sure to get professional advice before making a self-prescription – what do you mean you didn’t read my disclaimer at the top!?
Carry on the Conversation:
There was SO many stories and reports which I had to cut or leave out of this article today but, if you would like to hear more, let me know in the comments below and I will look at doing more focused pieces on individual autism medications.
As always, I can also be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.
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Thank you for reading and I will see you next week for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
