Venlafaxine

My cat is called Penny & is just over a year old, but still definitely thinks she is a kitten. She is Black & White, looking very much like the cat on the Felix cat food brand, even down to white stripe on her forehead. I live on a busy road where a cat was run over right outside my house a few years ago, so she is a pampered housecat who always get lots of attention from myself & anyone who visits.

Thanks Northern Geek, most neurotypical people think I'm more than a bit of a crazy cat lady as I help my Mum foster kittens too. 

Asbo (yes, great name for a cat) found me - he was a stray. Mum's house cat Jack was adopted from the SPCA and he's a tripaw.

QuirkyFriend, I don't think your last comment is crazy at all, the thought of what would happen to my beloved cat is what keeps me going through the bad patches too.

I've only had her for almost a year now, but if I hadn't adopted her from the local cat rescue centre last July, I honestly don't know how I would have coped. Last year was an especially difficult time for me & she did more to help me through it than any of the medication I have been prescribed.

Melita, I hope you've found some support and help with your son.

I'm a long term user of Venlafaxine, for me it is lifesaving, but I've observed that in my family there are those who do well on SSRIs (e.g. Prozac) and those who don't but do well on Venlafaxine. 

The other thing I've recently observed is sometimes people prescribing these drugs assume that a poor response needs an increase in dose. My SIL worked out recently she does better on 5mg fluoxetine, when the starting dose for adults is 20mg. 

I had a horrible time with suicidal thoughts just over 2 years ago after mucking around with my meds because my GP was worried about some of the funny side effects I get. I've since learned a lot about suicide prevention work and would encourage you to find out about things like safety plans for your son. I "accidentally" created one during my worst period through acknowledging that my death would distress my cat! It sounds crazy but I felt that he was worth living for.

I'm currently on Venlafaxine, but at least for me it seems to help suppress suicidal thoughts, anger etc.

I'm in my fifties & have been on several different antidepressants over the last four years (they all seem to burn out after a while). None of them have had any real effect on my mood, but they have helped with the racing negative thoughts & destructive images that used to make my life unbearable.

It would be nice to have an anti-depressant that made me feel better about myself, but at least Venlafaxine seems to create a buffer in my head that significantly turns down the volume of the destructive negative thoughts & lets me hear myself think.

Everyone seems to react differently to mental health drugs, but I asked my doctor whether the fact that they don't ever seem to alter my mood at all was due to being the ASD spectrum. He thought it might be, as people on the spectrum have slightly different brain chemistry & are more likely to react differently.

I know several people who think that anti-depressants that actually made me feel worse have pretty much saved their lives, so it's a bit hit & miss for doctors to predict the best one for each patient.

I hope you find the right medication soon.

I have had erectile dysfunction because of it... Not the same thing of course.

Thanks Margaret, that's really interesting - yes, he is very chemically sensitive, and just seems to have become more fixated on not wanting to be here, it's too hard, he'll never make it in adult life and achieve his dreams - the transition from uni to adult life is a major cause here. The stress of uni led to a breakdown so add a feeling of failure to the mix..... Finding a specialist in the Aspie transition field is also very hard.

YES!  I was on Venlafaxine for about 8 years - 8 years of high suicidal thoughts.  These have lessened since coming off Venlafaxine, but is that just because I'm feeling better and so was brought off the drug.

However, it is used for people who are feeling suicidal.  I'm just not sure it is good for autistic folk.  I've done reading about it for my PhD, and there is no evidence about use in autism - but there is eveidence of using it as a good antidepressant for suicidal people.

Is there an out of hours mental health number to phone - Here in Kent you can use Mental Health Matters and they contact the team if there is cause for concern, or you can phone the team directly.

Keep safe yourself, Margaret

Thanks, Ferret - I've tried everything, but the support just isn't there - he wouldn't go to A+E. It's quite a complex situation - I have called 111 before but there are no specialist advisers or doctors available. I'm really asking if anyone here has experienced a worsening of suicidal thoughts on medication with their ASD children.

any concerns you have regarding medication side-effects, particularly relating to thoughts of suicide, please contact the NHS out of hours service in your area immediately. just don't suffer in silence. explain your situation and concerns. don't leave it unattended.