Started My Medication This Week.

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Good luck on meds. I really hope it helps, and you live a happy, productive life!

I can't take meds because they just make me feel high. I don't really get any benefit out of them.

 

[Kalinychta]

I definitely have the over-sensitivity problem, it's life ruining and why I self-medicated for so long. I don't know that the anti-depressant helped with that problem. I take a mood stabilizer, Lithium, and that accomplishes that clearly, immediately, and dramatically. The anti-depressant, as far as I can tell, only helped directly with depression and anxiety.

Good point. Some can have long term effects (groggy, sleepy, weight gain/loss, etc). I had to try a few before finding the one that had benign effects (for me). But it improved my personality by removing much of the detrimental anxiety/phobias. Or as Fino pit it allowed the real me to surface.

Thanks, you guys. This conversation has been so helpful. I scheduled an appointment with a psychiatric nurse practitioner today.

 

[Kalinychta]

For me, I only really want to address the anxiety and depression with the medication. I don't think I'm so bad when I'm not sad or constantly worried. Everything else, I figure I can just pick up some helpful coping skills. I firmly believe I can have a good life while on the spectrum, I just have to make my own way. I am on a journey of acceptance of that part of me.

Keep us updated on how it’s going for you.

 

[Els]

Well, I guess I’ve heard people say that antidepressants made them feel like a zombie (numb, dull, colorless, etc.). I’m afraid to feel like I’ve been lobotomized.

Go slow and increase slowly. Antidepressants had a very bad effect on my nervous system even at the lowest dosages. We just don't match at all.
But anxiolitics work really well for me. Just go slow, maybe even slower than what's recommended and see for yourself how you feel and how you increase. How you feel is the most important thing.
I'm also allergic to many things, and some anti histaminics make you calmer/feel sleepy as a side effect. Instead of an anxiolytic, I sometimes prefer taking an antihistaminic - at night if I've got an insomnia (althrough I didn't have one for some years now), taking an anti histaminic was enough for me. Some substances have calming side effects. There's even an anti histaminic (can't remember the name through) used both for anxiety and allergies. I've been prescribed that rather than anxiolytics at first. I don't take any of those things on a regular basis through, only when I'm tired to deal with myself and need a break.
On a more regular basis, I think antidepressants would be recquiered, but they have very bad side effects on me. Just start slowly, there's no need to rush anyway, and see what fits you and what doesn't. You won't necesserily end up being a zombie and they might be helpful. The point isn't for you to transform into a zombie anyway just try things and see what helps and what doesn't, but it's worth trying to help yourself if you feel you need it

 

[WoodWorkingJoel]

Best advice, follow your doctors instructions and if you feel that you need to change anything discuss it with them first.

 

[Kalinychta]

@Els Thank you for the advice. I’m really nervous about that, actually. It imagine it takes a great deal of patience to find the “cocktail” that works best.

 

[Fino]

@Els Thank you for the advice. I’m really nervous about that, actually. It imagine it takes a great deal of patience to find the “cocktail” that works best.

That is very true. I only found the medication that helped me most (Adderall) by trying it recreationally and feel so "normal" and peaceful that I knew I should take it medicinally. Sadly doctors had never suggested it. I'm not suggesting recreational drug use, but if there's some way for you to be involved in the process then that might help. For example, with that, I learned that medications which target dopamine are the only way to fix my depression. I had been offered serotonin medications for about a decade!

 

[Els]

@Els Thank you for the advice. I’m really nervous about that, actually. It imagine it takes a great deal of patience to find the “cocktail” that works best.

You must find a correct doctor you can discuss with, so that he/she can make a proper diagnosis and guide you to find the right meds and follow how you're doing.
There are also chances that everything works fine with no or little search
The diagnosis part is very important so that you don't take meds that aren't for you, and the follow up is important as well.
I hope you'll find

 

[Kalinychta]

That is very true. I only found the medication that helped me most (Adderall) by trying it recreationally and feel so "normal" and peaceful that I knew I should take it medicinally. Sadly doctors had never suggested it. I'm not suggesting recreational drug use, but if there's some way for you to be involved in the process then that might help. For example, with that, I learned that medications which target dopamine are the only way to fix my depression. I had been offered serotonin medications for about a decade!

Do you have any idea why the dopamine-targeting meds worked but not the seratonin ones? That’s actually really interesting...isn’t Adderall prescribed for ADHD? ADHD and autism both cause executive dysfunction. So I wonder if there’s a connection there re: why Adderall helped you.

 

[Fino]

Do you have any idea why the dopamine-targeting meds worked but not the seratonin ones? That’s actually really interesting...isn’t Adderall prescribed for ADHD? ADHD and autism both cause executive dysfunction. So I wonder if there’s a connection there re: why Adderall helped you.

I always assumed it was a matter of individual brain chemistry, that the deficits causing my negative emotions were related to dopamine and not serotonin. I don't know enough about the science involved to say much more than that.

And that is interesting. I know there's a connection between ADHD and Autism, but I don't know how much the cross-over of medication use has been explored. It's unfortunate how little is known.