Autism and Anxiety meds

Heather - posted on 06/24/2012

My son is on Lexpro and it's helped a lot.

Rosie - posted on 06/23/2012

Hi
I just thought i would mention that we discovered all hayfever medication increased our sons anxiety. Just something to bear in mind as we only discovered this out last summer and it was such a relief when we discovered the problem, its just something you dont think about.
Sorry but dont have advice for best meds for anxiety though. But thought this could be one of his problems to.

Take Care

Ana - posted on 06/21/2012

My daugther is 8 years old she is showing agresion i do not know if i can blame respiridone or clonidine i do not know if the dosage is fine or not i have to keep calling doctor because we are at the point that she is hitting me everywhere that we go....can someone give me some advices pleaseeeee

Susan - posted on 03/10/2011

Thanks for all the responses. I decided to give the medicine a try. The GFCF diet has done wonders for him as well but it has not helped with his anxiety. Unfortunately we do not live in an area where we can get care from a DAN doctor or biomedical doctor. His pediatrician is wonderful and so is his Neurologist. They did recommend trying straterra too Tracy so I might if this med does not work :)

Tracy - posted on 03/10/2011

I had to try many ADHD meds for my daughter, who also suffers form anxiety disorder.... Straterra @ pm was the winner! , However every child is different, as we know.....:) You just have to keep trying for the right recipe with the least amount of meds....:)

Moji - posted on 03/09/2011

Hi, my name is moji. My son, who is going to be 7 in June, was diagnosed with ASD when he was three. And he was put on one of these medications. We had to take him off it because it wasn't any help. If anything it make the matter worse with so much side effects. I find that therapy helps.

Also, the diet made things more difficult in the sense that you have to tell your child that they can't have same food as other children. It ok to put a child on a strict diet if he or she is allegic to what's in your everyday diet if not pls don't put your child and yourself through it that is my opinion. Good luck.

Diane - posted on 03/09/2011

For my son, GF/CF diet since 2001 (he is still GF/CF, in Middle School), Biomedical intervention under the supervision of his DAN Doctor (Defeat Autism Now - Vitamin/mineral supplementation based on testing results from poop, urine and blood identifying where he is deficient, as well as toxic levels that needed to be addressed, treatment of yeast and bacteria based on testing results. We used meds for awhile to help him be able to handle being mainstreamed into school, but weaned him off as his DAN doctor felt that the meds were a bandaide until testing could ID the cause of various autistic symptoms. One the causes were identified, they were addressed individually and eliminated.

Mimi - posted on 03/09/2011

My son is on .25 mg 2 times a day Tenex for his aniexty. He was losing weight and biting his nails with a change in schools. He is doing a lot better. His Dr.'s son is also autistic so I don't have to explain everything to her and she understands that I don't want to over medicate him. Tenex is an old medication but it seems to be working. He is doing great in school and is making friends.

Stephani - posted on 03/09/2011

If you are concerned that the ADHD meds are worsening the anxiety, have you looked into other alternatives to meds? Not necessarily going entirely off them, but trying diet to even out his mood swings and the more extreme compulsive behaviors?

If you eliminate all artificial additives like artificial sugars, flavors, colors, preservatives and MSG, it reduces the stress on his nervous system. These are all irritating to the nervous system and have been shown to worsen the symptoms of ADHD/Autism spectrum. You might even benefit from the gluten and casein free diet (GFCF).

I wouldn't ever recommend just quitting the meds to try the dietary approach, but you can try some changes while on the meds. I've known parents who were able to reduce and/or eliminate the meds (with the guidance of their doctor!) once they tried the dietary approach.

Just like you saw the therapy help and when it was stopped, the behaviors came back or worsened, so would the diet. It is something that would require long-term commitment, but would address the underlying cause and not just mask the symptoms. Finding the right combination of therapy, diet and/or meds, and any other intervention that helps is important. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Stephani
http://www.NourishingJourney.com

Shannon - posted on 03/08/2011

My son is on Zoloft and Methylphenidate. This combination has greatly helped with his focus, as well as his anxiety.

Jane - posted on 03/08/2011

We tried 4 ADHD meds before we settled with strattera. All gave increased anxiety.

Susan - posted on 03/06/2011

I am not sure. His Pediatrician and his neurologist both said Zoloft. He has not started yet. I am going to start him on Tuesday. Thanks for the suggestion though :)

Katherine - posted on 03/01/2011

Oh wow, that sounds like a lot of meds. Is he allowed to have Paxil? That's supposed to help with anxiety..

Susan - posted on 03/01/2011

Therapy helped somewhat. His Keppra dose is fine he has been on that dose six months now and the anxiety started really showing up towards the end of January. both the meds he is on are not new so I don't think the anxiety is a side effect from the drugs. I think it's caused by his mood disorder which I forgot to mention earlier. Now the pediatrician said he can try 1/4 a teaspoon of Zoloft a day to see if that helps.

Katherine - posted on 03/01/2011

Also his dose may need to be evaluated for the Keppra. You may want to check the side effects.

Katherine - posted on 03/01/2011

When he was doing the therapy, did it help with his anxiety?

Susan - posted on 03/01/2011

Well thanks for the comment I was not aware of that. His ADHD meds helped him immensely and now I am wondering what is going on.

Nicole - posted on 03/01/2011

The hard part is that the medicines for ADHD actually exacerbate anxiety. It's such a balancing act. Good luck.