Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi there I have two sons age 8&10. Both have autism and combined type ADHD. We have gone down the route of medication but it's not working out great. Both are home educated due to school anxiety.
Son 8 suffers a lot with anxiety and OCD, I feel like the stimulants have made this worse. It hasn't affected his appetite.
Son 10 , it has made him more withdrawn and killed his appetite totally. He has ARFID so I am very worried it turns into an eating disorder.
Wondering if anyone else has been in this situation, psychiatrist wants to try non stimulant medication now but I'm wondering if this is all worth it? Any words of wisdom? Thanks.
On Bunny's note what I can offer is what I've learned, how I've responded and supplements which have helped in the last 30 years.
Many Autistics, and in my experience, have various gut-health issues and dietary restrictions (including unknown allergies we spend a lifetime working out). I've found something between mostly FODMAP-Paleo the most helpful. It took me 27 years to recognise issues with gluten and after a year being GF, I found I could have milk again (which I'd been off for nearly a decade). Over the years, my body has rejected brassicas, almost all grains and legumes. I know others looking at more ancient diets, but who knows if it's the pesticides and GMOs which we're rejecting as no one is doing that research. I know I'm not alone in discovering difficulty with mineral and vitamin absorption so have taken a multi most of my life. Along with other helpful things for digestion and had to mind sugar, which can further inflame the gut.
ADHD and Autism share what's been suggested as the Theory of Monotropism: monotropism.org - a sense of everything all at once, hyper-focus/inertia, hyper-signalling, biological stress-related-anxiety (which I've read a great deal of new research on) and often hyper sensory (sometimes autistics can be hypo-sensory). These differences in perceiving and understanding the world can thrive in the right conditions. From what I understand and have read in peer reviewed research, all of these 'hyper-functionings' are due to ones biology having less internal Inhibition.
ADHD differs from Autism with several Biomarkers, one of which means stimulants should technically help with an internal sense of balance. And this is why I don't believe it's useful for the AuDHD diagnostic to exist. Autism has a very specific difference in communication.
But I've found certain natural supplements which act as Nootropics helpful to lessen stress/anxiety. I personally take a mushroom based supplement which boosts immunity, as the immune system is connected to the gut, thus to the brain. I've also spent a great deal of time sharpening my "hyper-senses", so to identify things which are assaulting my biology such as unnatural light sources (LEDs) frequencies, noise levels and acoustics, VOCs and unnatural fibres (polyesters, which are a form of plastic). I've also had to learn to exit stressful situations and learn how to properly problem solve.
Hopefully this helps!
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