Seroquel and Concerta medications for Aspergers
Hello and welcome to this week’s Aspergers article. I’ve been burning the midnight oil a little of late and getting some information together for the new big project, specifically for parents of girls with Aspergers. The stat’s have Aspergers pegged largely as a male issue but I know from the survey I carried out a while ago there are a number of you with Aspie girls to look after. This is an area that I have probably neglected in the past so I’m working hard to make up for lost time! Here’s this week’s question:
Question
I would like to know the long-term side effects of Seroquel and Concerta medications.
Answer
Just as a precursor to this question (as it covers medication) I need to point out that I am not a doctor or medically trained individual and any information in this article is for information purposes only. You must seek appropriate medical advice from an approved health care practitioner for medical diagnosis and treatment. OK boring legal jargon out of the way let’s get on with the article …
Seroquel is an antipsychotic medication that changes the chemical activity within the brain. It treats the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression), which are psychotic disorders.
Be aware that the following is a comprehensive list of possible reactions to Seroquel. It is rare that most or all of these symptoms will occur.
As with most other medications, there are side effects when taking Seroquel. This medication might cause high blood sugar, diabetes, and suicidal thoughts. Also, Seroquel might cause impairment of thoughts or reactions to external events, and it is not recommended to take Seroquel if you are going to operate a motor vehicle. Another side effect of Seroquel includes adverse reactions if alcohol is consumed.
Please be careful if you are also taking medicine for colds/allergies, sleeping pills, muscle relaxants, or antidepressants. You can become sleepy if Seroquel interacts with these medications.
You will need to contact an emergency medical facility if the following reactions occur: difficulty breathing, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worse symptoms such as: mood or behaviour changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself.
Concerta is widely known to be a medication that treats Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While Concerta offers a number of advantages over pre-existing ADHD medications, it has side effects that you should know about.
Concerta is taken once a day because it is a timed-release medication. It comes in capsule form, and it has an outer coating of medication that quickly dissolves when swallowed. The medicinal effect of Concerta lasts twelve hours, and the following need to be considered when taking this medication:
It should be taken in the morning hours. If a dose is skipped, wait until the following day; otherwise, your sleep/wake cycle will be affected.
A dose of Concerta cannot be adjusted. Any change in milligrams must be done with a new prescription. Also, a Concerta capsule cannot be mixed with food; this will prevent the proper release of the medication.
Concerta is not recommended for people with digestive problems.
A comprehensive list of Concerta side effects includes: abdominal pain aggravation, aggression, anxiety, depression, hostility, insomnia and prolonged sleepiness, loss of appetite, increased coughing, nervousness, sadness, drug dependence, dizziness, headache, tics, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infection, vomiting, allergic reactions, increased blood pressure, and psychosis.
Concerta is not recommended for children under the age of six or pregnant women.
Also, Concerta may be habit forming.
Enjoy your day.
Dave Angel.
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Amphetamines for autistics are awful! So are giving severely sleep deprived people amphetamines to keep them even more awake. Sure that helps them pay better attention temporarily but it is burning the candle at both ends and wears out the adrenal glands. There are always reasons for poor quality sleep and those reasons need to be determined and dealt with. As for antipsychotics, I was chemically strait jacketed this way for two years and it kept me nice and calm and quiet and “well behaved” but that way I could not fight and fuss for things to be done about many problems that were not delusions or hallucinations but REAL. My method of complaining about these things may have been non neurotypical but that did not make the complaints invalid. I should have been believed and assisted in my fight instead of being treated like a nut case and tranquilized to shut me up. Those problems included undiagnosed hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue, parents to far along the spectrum themselves who were seriously neglecting me, and doctors who were doing the same due to my coming across as “weird.” I had clinical depression, undiagnosed migraines that I often had 24/7, the usual autistic gut and digestive problems which were causing undernourishment, sleep apnea which I knew I had but could not get anybody to believe me for decades, severe allergies that were out of control due to my Mother’s OCD hoarding of rotting food and garbage and the usual social difficulties which were not social phobias but very real. I didn’t need professional reassurance that people weren’t REALLY out to get me because they really WERE because I was innocently coming across as rude and weird to them. I needed social training not to be taught positive thinking and to quit fussing about “nothing.” Yes, I could not respond to the doctor’s facial expressions. Yes, didn’t even know I was supposed to be making eye contact with the doctors. Yes, I had no friends but the neighborhood dogs and so forth, yada yada, but my problems were real and should have been really dealt with. We autistics need help and accommodation for our sensory issues, and other very real problems, not to be tranquilized so we can’t function. Now I take an antidepressant called Surmontil that does not lower REM sleep. It really helps as do many supplements that help me get what limited sleep I can. Antipsychotics and amphetamines damage us. Nutrition, antidepressants and social training can help us as can supportive therapy. It really is a “Jungle out there.” for autistics. Our tigers are real and there really often is an “elephant in the living room” we can see that others can’t.
Comment by Elizabeth Hensley — October 7, 2008 @ 8:27 am
children who fall on the Autism Spectrum must be very careful when prescribed medication, especially antipsychotics! My son was 7 when he was diagnosed with A.S. but what led to the diagnosis was his severe OCD and anxiety. Following testig and the recommendation of his therapist we saw a doctor who put my son on Clomipaprim he steadily got worst and worst, but ever time I brought it up to the dr. he increased the medication!! Finally when my son started having suicidal thoughts and hear noises in his head! I found new help. Now 5 years later he takes prozac to control his OCD (beautifully) and previously Risperdal which worked great for anxiety, but made him tired and gain alot of weight. He now uses Abilify and I could never have been more pleased. He is a much much happier, clear thinking and more energetic. Had it not been for the severe OCD, I would have not gone with medicine at all. Finding the right one is the key…..Also a doctor that actually listens..
Comment by Sue Petrochko — October 7, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
My nine year old aspie son is currently having some sessions with an occupational therapist for his angry outbursts. Initially he came out of these sessions very angry and difficult but I have persevered and they do seem to be helping him with understanding and controlling his social behaviour. It was suggested to me by his paediatrician (he sees a different one each time we visit!) that he might benefit from taking respiradone (usually used for schizophrenia) or Methylphenidate (used in the treatment of ADHD). Having read the uses and possible side affects from the net, plus the opinion of Elizabeth Hensley, I am convinced that this is not the right course to follow for my son. Change of diet and his sessions with his occupation therapist seem to be helping him enormously, plus he takes melatonin, (a natural hormone found in the body) to help adjust his sleep patterns. A different approach with informed choices has really helped him so far and the thought of giving him anti-phsycotic drugs fills me with horror at the damaging long term effects these drugs can impose on the individual. I would love to hear some positive comments from anyone who has had any experiance with them.
Comment by Ms J L Patterson — October 8, 2008 @ 4:51 am
thank you for your comment. I am being told by teachers that my child is also ADD ? I think it is just part of aspergers. I do not want to medicate him unnecessarily so I was struggling with the decision. He makes A & Bs and As in conduct so I don’t see the problem? What could be causing the ” good ” vs ” bad” days?????? He says to his sis. Don’t look at me or stop talking to me. The school won’t help because they say his grades are fine. Where do I go for help ?
Comment by Beverly Brown — October 8, 2008 @ 5:52 am
This is for Beverly Brown. Your child sounds like he’s managing okay without medication so why risk making things worse. My son has mild Asperger’s and the developmental pediatrician who diagnosed him says he doesn’t like to medicated kids like that because they do just fine without drugs. I think you should talk to the doctor who diagnosed your son as having Asperger’s to ask where to start looking for help and tell him the teacher’s concerns. Good luck!
Comment by Monica Dixon — October 10, 2008 @ 8:26 am
Bev Brown, I work as a Behavior Specialist and it sounds as though some Social Skills training will help your son. It is usually available with your child’s school Guidance or Psychologist. It will really help him with learning control of his emotions and that way your good days will seem to outweigh your bad. It also does not include meds. it will just take consistency. Good luck to you.
Comment by Suzy Composky — October 16, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
Fish oils are safe, they provide omega 3 and 6 (brain food), this helps with concentration, sleep as well as apetite…
Comment by Lisette — October 20, 2008 @ 7:27 am
Oh yes !! I have a trick that helps with behaviour… I have two aspie kids, a boy 8 and a girl 3 … when they decide that its a good time to show me just how well thier vocal cords have developed and that they can get angry too … I take the child and put them in the carpeted hallway, lie them on thier backs and walk away …that way they can scream, kick and go as beserk as they like without getting hurt, when it becomes silent, I then go and ‘test’, what I do is gently rub the upper arm with my finger.. if the child jerks away, I walk away and come back a few minutes later (note: do not speak or try to make any other contact- do not ask any questions) I keep going with this procedure, when I go back and rub the little arm and the child doesnt jerk away, 9/10 times they will put their arms out to me and then I know its okay,this is when I explain to them what happened and why they had this ‘time-out’, the amazing thing is that in the beginning the temper tantrum starts and can go on for a long time and now we are down to about 3 minutes and its all done !!! it works!!! and then I usually get a cuddle (even a very short one).
Comment by Lisette — October 20, 2008 @ 7:43 am
Just a serious FYI about seroquel.. It has also been linked to high blood sugars in people who have never had diabeties b4. PLEASE be sure that your dr. makes sure to checks your sugar regularly. There currently is a huge lawsuit agaist seriquel because of this.
Comment by wendy — October 23, 2008 @ 2:39 pm