Fear of medication

Autistic people can be sensitive to medication, or may experience it differently to how it is meant to work.

I've had difficulty with different medications, either anti-depressants or low-dose anti-psychotics that autistic people tend to be given to help with thoughts/moods.  Usually made me too drowsy and/or more withdrawn, it took a long time to find something that worked without too much negative effects. 

Please don't feel like you have to answer, but out of interest, what medication did you find worked in the end? My teenage daughter has tried sertraline, fluoxetine, and aripiprazole, all of which seem to have made her worse rather than better. Her anxiety and sensory overload is so bad she hears terrible voices almost constantly, making school impossible. I believe we need to give up on all medication but she's not so sure.

I had a bad experience with aripiprazole myself, and Respiridone which is commonly given to autistic people.

What worked best for me is Promazine, and can take it up to 4 times a day if I need to.  It is sedating so I have a low dose otherwise I wouldn't get much done.

Psychiatrists can be funny about you suggesting a particular medication, but its worth trying, or try other ones and see if anything else might help.

Medication can help if anxiety and sensory responses can't be controlled another way, but it might be she needs help to manage her thoughts/feelings more than anything.  Mindfulness might help, maybe CBT techniques to think more healthily, and interests and positive sensory experiences she can turn to to feel better.  Things that might help with the voices is she if shouts 'stop!' or 'not now' as taking control of what's going on can help.  Also make fun of them, laugh at what they say, and that might reduce any bad effect they have.

Thank you!

Thank you!