Re: Re: Question concerning meds

[Guest guest]

Jacquie,

As I'm sure Terry posted and I know I posted, we put off meds for Sam for a

long, long time until last year, right around this time, Gloria, his most

excellent teacher called and told us she could not do anything with Sam

anymore. Her entire morning was filled with watching after Sam and she was

having to ignore the other kids. We agreed it was unfair.

What happened next was the trials and tribulations of finding the right meds

and/or the right combination of meds.

From what I understand about meds for our kids, they're as varying as our

kids. Indeed, what works for one might not work for the next. Sam is now on

an anti-psychotic, Riderdal .25 a.m. & p.m. (the p.m. has just been added in

the last month or so). Before this, it was a combination of different

things, including Risperdal. Sam would do good, then not so good.

In truth, with just the Risperdal, we have seen a great change in Sam.

(refer to earlier posts). Sam has had fewer melt downs, though they still

come they are less in severity. We just started him on Topemax to try and

stabilize his mood a bit more.

I don't know if any of this helps. In short Jacquie, I think it will be a

trial thing for .

I wish you luck....

Ron, who wishes he had all the answers...

[Guest guest]

jacquie, aaron,

you're coming to find out what those of us with older children have been trying

to tell those of you with younger. it NEVER gets easier. it changes, but it

doesn't get easier. that's the way it is with any child, but with ours it's even

more apparant. that's not to say to give up hope, but just to keep in mind that

autism is a LIFELONG struggle. i'm sorry i can't be more positive for you. i

know how much it hurts to think things are getting better and then something new

pops up. it's also the reason that so many of our kids end up on some type of

meds at some point. i don't want to say it's inevitable, but it seems to be.

well, i'm guessing i might get blasted by some of you for this depressing

message, but that's just the way i've seen it. i'll keep you both in my mind and

hope you find something to help.

love gina

" Isn't it wonderful how each of us on this earth was created just a little bit

different? " - Linus

" I gave up trying to understand people long ago. Now I just let them try to

understand me. " - Snoopy

[Guest guest]

>

> We've been laboring under the illusion that everything has been

> perfect for him; back in school, more verbal than ever, generally

> flourishing.

That's been our recent experience, too! Verbally and expressively he has

exploded, so we've been riding the wave of that...but with each day, as he gets

more expressive and 'present', these other things are increasing as well.

> In free-time, he paces, mutters unrelated-phrases incessantly, stims,

> and jumps from one activity to the next. At computer time, he repeats

> the phrases from his favorite program, " Dr. Seuss's ABC's, " even when

> they're using a totally different program. In speech, he constantly

> turns and yells across the room to the other kids, " Good job! Good job

> everyone! Good Job a! " And half the time, a's not there...

We're getting a lot of this sort of thing, too. Delayed echolalia all over

again.

>He'll no

> longer wear long pants unless they are baggy enough to be rolled up

> above his knees. He only wants to wear his little brother's shoes,

> which are 4 sizes too small. The most recent was that he didn't want

> to wear new socks, which evolved into not wanting to wear clean socks.

YES! We are facing this!!! Only it's entire outfits! We used to let him sleep

in the day's clothes when it got bad, but that evolved into wearing the same

thing for 3 days and 3 nights...so now we put him in PJs at bedtime, and if

we're not there as soon as he wakes up, he dresses himself in his clothes from

the day before! He has even attempted to re-don his days old clothing when he's

fresh from a bath.

What the hell?

> It's unbelievably frustrating to feel like you've finally *arrived*

> somewhere after months and months of slogging through the marshes,

> just to find out that your're still miles away...

I see it more as out of the marshes, into the desert... :-)

> We're going to try to see the neurologist next week; I'll definitely

> let you know what comes out of it.

Thanks - I appreciate that!

And thanks for letting me know I'm not alone with this one -- it helps to have

somebody going through it at the same time.

Jacquie

mom to , 5

Parenting Autism moderator

" Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until

it is faced. "

-- Baldwin

[Guest guest]

> jacquie, aaron,

> you're coming to find out what those of us with older children have been

trying to tell those of you with younger. it NEVER gets easier. it changes, but

it doesn't get easier. that's the way it is with any child, but with ours it's

even more apparant. that's not to say to give up hope, but just to keep in mind

that autism is a LIFELONG struggle. i'm sorry i can't be more positive for you.

, when did you get the impression *I* was living in la-la land??? Me -

queen of the pessimists!

Sorry to rain on your parade-raining! :-P

Jacquie

[Guest guest]

> , when did you get the impression *I* was living in la-la land??? Me -

queen of the pessimists!

Sorry to rain on your parade-raining! :-P

Jacquie <

" Isn't it wonderful how each of us on this earth was created just a little bit

different? " - Linus

" I gave up trying to understand people long ago. Now I just let them try to

understand me. " - Snoopy

[Guest guest]

>Have you also talked to his

> teacher or kara to see what they think?

> Thea

Not yet. I only realized that this was a pattern on Friday evening. I'm going

to talk to both of them on Monday. If it's just at home, then I'm going to

accept that he is bored to tears.

Jacquie

[Guest guest]

My guess is that when he was more

> in " his own world " he didnt get as effected by the environment. Now,

> the doc put down ADHD as a secondary diagnosis

Perhaps this is what is going on with Mr. Putt too. Today he ran away from

me in the church parking lot. Not really running away, giggling and wanting

me to chase him, same as yesterday's horrible event.

I will have gray hairs soon if this new game doesn't stop.

Salli

[Guest guest]

> My guess is that when he was more in " his own world " he didnt get as effected

by the environment. Now, the doc put down ADHD as a secondary diagnosis <

thea, you are absolutely right! this is the same thing that happened to kailey.

the more she came " out of her shell " the more apparant her anxieties and such

were. she didn't start meds until she was 6yo. i never wanted them for her, but

when she was too afraid to even step one foot out of the house, i knew it was

time. and now that her anxieties are much more under control, and she has become

that much more outgoing and such, now she's having hyperactivity issues. i

haven't told you all yet, but i finally started her on her ritalin a month or so

ago. i don't personally see much difference with it, but the school does (they

weren't complaining, btw), so we are keeping it for the meantime. well, now that

her hyperactivity is a little more under control, some paranoia is coming out

again, with phrases such as " EVERYONE thinks i look stupid " , " EVERYBODY puts me

in jail " (her explanation for punishment), " i'm afraid of EVERYTHING " . so now we

have increased her paxil again.

like i said earlier. it's a NEVERENDING cycle, once you get one thing

controlled, something else pops up. but oh well, what can we do but keep

fighting, huh?

gina, 30, ny, single crazy mom to...

kailey, 7, autistic and then some

trevor, 21mo, speech delay

" Isn't it wonderful how each of us on this earth was created just a little bit

different? " - Linus

" I gave up trying to understand people long ago. Now I just let them try to

understand me. " - Snoopy