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Have you ever been put on antidepressants?

Have you ever been on Anti Depressants because of the stress of having and AS child/partner?  

194 members have voted

  1. 1. Have you ever been on Anti Depressants because of the stress of having and AS child/partner?

    • Yes.
      108
    • No.
      52
    • Used Herbal medication to help.
      18
    • Refused when offered medication by the GP.Used to be on Anti Depressants but are not on them right now.
      16


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Last year, I was placed on Citalopram, started on 20mgs, went up to 60mgs. I just wasn't handling my son's condition too well, I stopped sleeping (when I say 'stopped', I was getting 2hrs a night). I was tearful a fair part of the day, when my son kicked off, I would end up locking myself in the bathroom and crying. My skin was pasty, my appetite wasn't there and I was thinking that my son would be better off without me, a lot of the time.

 

Citalopram helped me, first by regulating my sleep, which in turn helped me clear my head out and I was then able to take my son under a wing and deal with him in a more appropriate manner. I had actually gone into a full melt down by the time I had been seen by the dr, I was like a living zombie, it was a horrible time.

 

I had my prescription up'd to 60 on a gradual scale and by that point, I felt fully functional (although, these tablets make you feel pretty crappy when you start off on them or have the amount put up/down or stopped). After 5 months, I felt that I did not need them anymore and the dr took me off Citalopram, bad 2 weeks though, felt sick, dizzy and headaches but as they cleared my system, I felt somewhat human again.

 

I don't see this as a weakness, we've all be pushed to breaking point at sometime or another, gaining help helps you x

 

Not taking them myself, the Doc has suggested my Son take them because he isn't coping with school the home or outside on the street.. and seems permanently stressed. He is already on Risperidone and there is cross issues with Citalopram isn't there ? He's really bad at present, school seems pointless at this stage and for all intents and purposes just a day centre not an educational establishment, I am quite angry at this situation because it seems to me the Medicos and SS are dumping the care on the school in the day time and medication at night whilst no-one is really attempting to offer therapy or clinical examination to get to the root (If possible), of the problem. The school is doing a lot of care but apparently NO teaching of educational academics. I think it is time I called it... pull him out of school and insist on clinical intervention (Hospital ?). I'm loathe to do this but it DOES seem they want him in a total breakdown situation before they will act or offer real help, which from my view amounts to cruelty. At 18 they will dump us anyway..... I've attended 13 agency meetings since xmas and absolutely nothing has come from any of them, so I refused to attend any more until they start offering..... I've better things to do with my time they keep them in waste paper writing useless reports.... If he quits school NOW (Age 16), what options are there ? all have agreed further education (College etc), is no longer an viable option... the prospect of work is ludicrous.... his social worker is as much use as a chocolate teapot, and is awaiting 'advice' from others who are offering none. Even the NAS has backed off because he will not cooperate on any level with them, so 'respecting' his space I suppose it is one in the eye for the inclusive aspect, it is never going to happen.......

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How about home schooling? My brother had a bad episode of M.E when he was 14 and lasted till he was 17. In his last year, the government supplied him with a home-school tutor. He managed to sit his English and mathes GSCE's, could this be an option?

 

Citalopram is widely used for people with anxiety issues, not sure about crossing it with other meds, as I do not have experience with that.

 

I would have thought they would use a mood stabiliser, rather than an anti-d, like they would with Bi-polar, has a better effect than anti-d's. Could you speak to a GP about that?

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How about home schooling? My brother had a bad episode of M.E when he was 14 and lasted till he was 17. In his last year, the government supplied him with a home-school tutor. He managed to sit his English and mathes GSCE's, could this be an option?

 

Citalopram is widely used for people with anxiety issues, not sure about crossing it with other meds, as I do not have experience with that.

 

I would have thought they would use a mood stabiliser, rather than an anti-d, like they would with Bi-polar, has a better effect than anti-d's. Could you speak to a GP about that?

 

We don't USE our GP at all, he is pretty useless, so he just signs prescriptions nothing else, everything is done via the consultant who we now see every few weeks... I will certainly ask about alternatives. I didn't at the time because I had to read up on medications and effects, the medical people do not always tell you everything, Citalopram had a very negative write up from its own manufacturers all sorts of dire warnings and no stated safety data. It raised more questions than answers, in that either the Doc is not reading the manufacturer descriptions, or, our son is a lot worse than she is saying in using medication intended for adults. Either way I see her again next week and she will get the 3rd degree... I won't put stuff in my son's body without knowing why or what it is. As far as home schooling this just isn't an options, I fought 7 years to get him in special school, 2 years time they will all abandon support for us and him. Next week an 'agency' meeting is not going to go as smooth as they expect. I will be asking the school if they will STOP offering care at school so I can ask for clinical care instead. Our son is not receiving anything educational and is being taught in virtual isolation as it is, so whether home education would improve that.... I am grateful for the school help but the medical and SS areas are pushing the school to do their job and this is preventing real help coming in my view. His mum and I are very concerned he is receiving no education at present and they have abandoned further educational options already. I don't fault the school wanting to help, it is a question of is it the right thing they are doing, for us or our child.

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How about home schooling? My brother had a bad episode of M.E when he was 14 and lasted till he was 17. In his last year, the government supplied him with a home-school tutor. He managed to sit his English and mathes GSCE's, could this be an option?

 

Citalopram is widely used for people with anxiety issues, not sure about crossing it with other meds, as I do not have experience with that.

 

I would have thought they would use a mood stabiliser, rather than an anti-d, like they would with Bi-polar, has a better effect than anti-d's. Could you speak to a GP about that?

 

As well as antidepressants (Duloxetine and Mirtazepine), since my most recent admission to psychiatric hospital in January I've also been put on a mood stabiliser / anti-psychotic, Quetiapine 300mg. The psychiatrist felt I might have been showing signs of psychosis because, when asked if I heard voices, I said no but I had a song loudly playing over and over in my mind 24/7 which I couldn't get rid of. (For what it's worth, the song was Lovely Head by Goldfrapp. It's gone from my head now but I've deleted it from my iPod for fear of it getting stuck in my head again).

 

I'm certainly not psychotic but I take the Quetiapine anyway because it deals with my anxiety symptoms very effectively. The problem is, it knocks me out! Recently, my alarm sounded at 6.40am as usual. I hit the snooze button, then didn't wake up until 3.30pm! If you don't mind feeling whacked out all the time, it's great but it's not so good if you have responsibilities like work.

 

I've been told it's difficult to get a Quetiapine prescription because 28 tablets cost the NHS about £180. Yikes! I'm sure there must be other mood stabilisers that are cheaper and less sedating.

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As well as antidepressants (Duloxetine and Mirtazepine), since my most recent admission to psychiatric hospital in January I've also been put on a mood stabiliser / anti-psychotic, Quetiapine 300mg. The psychiatrist felt I might have been showing signs of psychosis because, when asked if I heard voices, I said no but I had a song loudly playing over and over in my mind 24/7 which I couldn't get rid of. (For what it's worth, the song was Lovely Head by Goldfrapp. It's gone from my head now but I've deleted it from my iPod for fear of it getting stuck in my head again).

 

I'm certainly not psychotic but I take the Quetiapine anyway because it deals with my anxiety symptoms very effectively. The problem is, it knocks me out! Recently, my alarm sounded at 6.40am as usual. I hit the snooze button, then didn't wake up until 3.30pm! If you don't mind feeling whacked out all the time, it's great but it's not so good if you have responsibilities like work.

 

I've been told it's difficult to get a Quetiapine prescription because 28 tablets cost the NHS about £180. Yikes! I'm sure there must be other mood stabilisers that are cheaper and less sedating.

 

This is a worry, increased use of medication with my son is depressing me ! I am not sure if in a permanently state of being zonked out of it is how I want my son's need addressed, are there alternatives to medication ? I was under the impression anti-depression tabs were ONLY short-term until the cause was ID'd or other means were employed to assist the user coping with things, not as the sole solution ? I've asked for assessment and counselling they only seem interested in medication... are the medical people just being lazy ?

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This is a worry, increased use of medication with my son is depressing me ! I am not sure if in a permanently state of being zonked out of it is how I want my son's need addressed, are there alternatives to medication ? I was under the impression anti-depression tabs were ONLY short-term until the cause was ID'd or other means were employed to assist the user coping with things, not as the sole solution ? I've asked for assessment and counselling they only seem interested in medication... are the medical people just being lazy ?

 

In my experience, NHS psychiatrists have only one function which is to prescribe medication according to their short-term findings. They don't have the time to work out what the underlying issues are. If you're lucky enough to be referred to an NHS clinical psychologist, they're the ones who dig deeper to try to ascertain the underlying problems and can offer cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.

 

Adam

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Hi Adam I totally agree with all my son's psychiatrist does is prescribe medication and that's it. My son has been away having a mental health assessment for over 4 months now but it hasn't really achieved anything, the psychiatrist there has just changed his anti-depressant medication for another one and reduced and stopped the other meds he was on. However my son's deteriorated considered considerably when his other meds were taken away. I have lost faith completely with NHS psychiatrists :(

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Hi Adam I totally agree with all my son's psychiatrist does is prescribe medication and that's it. My son has been away having a mental health assessment for over 4 months now but it hasn't really achieved anything, the psychiatrist there has just changed his anti-depressant medication for another one and reduced and stopped the other meds he was on. However my son's deteriorated considered considerably when his other meds were taken away. I have lost faith completely with NHS psychiatrists :(

 

 

Mine has been with the psychiatrist since September last year no therapy or counselling or real attempt to find out what triggers things has been done, its just 'are the tablets working ?' Unless we have some idea there is just no way of preventing more issues is there ? Then I find the classic put down being offered aka "Oh lots of Autistics are the same and do that...accept it.." When I've attended the school and found that was NOT The case... whilst some traits are similar every child is DIFFERENT.

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My depression eased once my vitamin D levels went above 70.

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Mine has been with the psychiatrist since September last year no therapy or counselling or real attempt to find out what triggers things has been done, its just 'are the tablets working ?' Unless we have some idea there is just no way of preventing more issues is there ? Then I find the classic put down being offered aka "Oh lots of Autistics are the same and do that...accept it.." When I've attended the school and found that was NOT The case... whilst some traits are similar every child is DIFFERENT.

 

You've reminded me of what I find most puzzling about the NHS services I receive. I've been a psychiatric hospital inpatient three times. While on the ward, I'm under the sole care of an NHS psychiatrist, whose role seems to be purely diagnosis and medication prescription. However, I'm also an outpatient with the clinical psychologist (same hospital) who has no prescribing authority and whose services are, therefore, entirely complementary to the psychiatric side. And yet, they don't seem to have a system of communicating with each other or sharing each other's findings. My psychologist has to ask me what medication I'm on, while the psychiatrist has to ask me if my AS diagnosis has been confirmed!

 

To be fair to the NHS, nobody there has ever sought a cure for the AS. With medication, the psychiatrists have been trying to mitigate my associated problems: major depressive disorder, suicidal ideation, acute anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder and attachment disorder. Of those, the suicidal ideation problem is what has landed me in psychiatric hospital three times.

 

NHS psychiatrists are there for medication prescription - nothing more. NHS clinical psychologists look at the 'here and now' symptoms and try to treat them as best they can - like a sticking plaster. It's all they can afford. The thing is that my (non-AS) problems go back to a troubled childhood but if you want therapy to deal with historical stuff, the private sector is the only way to go.

 

Adam

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You've reminded me of what I find most puzzling about the NHS services I receive. I've been a psychiatric hospital inpatient three times. While on the ward, I'm under the sole care of an NHS psychiatrist, whose role seems to be purely diagnosis and medication prescription. However, I'm also an outpatient with the clinical psychologist (same hospital) who has no prescribing authority and whose services are, therefore, entirely complementary to the psychiatric side. And yet, they don't seem to have a system of communicating with each other or sharing each other's findings. My psychologist has to ask me what medication I'm on, while the psychiatrist has to ask me if my AS diagnosis has been confirmed!

 

To be fair to the NHS, nobody there has ever sought a cure for the AS. With medication, the psychiatrists have been trying to mitigate my associated problems: major depressive disorder, suicidal ideation, acute anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder and attachment disorder. Of those, the suicidal ideation problem is what has landed me in psychiatric hospital three times.

 

NHS psychiatrists are there for medication prescription - nothing more. NHS clinical psychologists look at the 'here and now' symptoms and try to treat them as best they can - like a sticking plaster. It's all they can afford. The thing is that my (non-AS) problems go back to a troubled childhood but if you want therapy to deal with historical stuff, the private sector is the only way to go.

 

Adam

 

I Perhaps see things slightly differently as I don't accept Autism is an mental health issue, MH Issue is an further complication that can happen to anyone really, but I don't see autism that way, I accept their difference and the fact autism is their norm, I'm not saying it is easy to manage !! At least some psychiatrist has made some attempt to find out what is going on even if they don't understand joined up thinking, but I haven't seen that yet. As recently as last week at an agency meeting, the school and complained the others never worked with each other, in fact only myself as a parent was interacting with them all, and was having to update them all too...

Edited by MelowMeldrew

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I personally feel, from experience, that anti depressants are very dangerous for people with asperger's. I was put on a course of them in 2008 and subsequently partook what I consider to be the most dispicable group of actions I've ever taken. This ended in a few admissions to a psychiatric ward of which I ended up straight back in after discharge until the treatment was stopped. I am very ashamed of my actions from around this point in my life and as a result I would strongly oppose the idea of anyone else I meet with asperger's taking them.

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It's very dangerous to assume that the reason you reacted badly to antidepressants is your AS, and to then extrapolate that others with AS should not take them. For me, they are a necessary evil that I will probably have to take for the rest of my life, as I am too unstable without them.

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It's very dangerous to assume that the reason you reacted badly to antidepressants is your AS, and to then extrapolate that others with AS should not take them. For me, they are a necessary evil that I will probably have to take for the rest of my life, as I am too unstable without them.

 

 

I agree that posting an opinion on subjects as important and potentially life changing as this is somewhat of a faux pas, then again any response to a question such as this which is predisposed should be considered dangerous as it may directly affect the decisions made of a reader. I suppose I would not be comfortable with the idea of someone with AS being put on anti depressants on a whim by their gp, of course in hindsight I should have mentioned that I wasn't diagonsed at the time and was passed of as just being depressed. That said I would oppose the notion but would never intervene, although I'd likely offer to discuss my experience with them if only so they have information from boths sides of the coin.

 

Judging by the number of views (12742 Views) this is an important topic form many people with AS and it wouldn't be unreasonable to argue that where there no posts on negative experiences this thread would be far more dangerous.

Edited by 31770

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I've noticed that since my son was put on Citalopram his behaviour has got worse and he is reverting to behaviours that triggered his major meltdown again. I mean to ask for them to be withdrawn. I was told these would help calm him but they have undone the effectiveness of the Risperidone he used and we are approaching square 1 again. I am hoping they aren't using him as a test pilot for their guesses ! It's possible the side effects are making things worse so I called in the nurse tomorrow to grill her on the tablets again.

Edited by MelowMeldrew

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Sorry to hear of the problems you are having with these tablets. Glen is in a residential care home now (it was a very difficult decision but I felt I just could not manage him at home anymore). After a bad start, i.e. testing the boundaries, being very aggressive, not washing, not eating etc Glen has now settled down and things are going quite well. They are reducing his meds which seems to be having a big improvement which just shows that too many meds can make the person much worse behaviour wise than none at all. Let me know how you get on.

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Sorry to hear of the problems you are having with these tablets. Glen is in a residential care home now (it was a very difficult decision but I felt I just could not manage him at home anymore). After a bad start, i.e. testing the boundaries, being very aggressive, not washing, not eating etc Glen has now settled down and things are going quite well. They are reducing his meds which seems to be having a big improvement which just shows that too many meds can make the person much worse behaviour wise than none at all. Let me know how you get on.

 

 

More meetings planned ! I must have done at least 9 over the last 3 or 4 months. I dread even the suggestion of residential given the wholesale abuses that appear to be going on with our kids in residential homes, I think I'd rather take care at home than do that, at least he will get care by someone who wants to care for him. The main issue of the abuse cases brought was the fact NO THERAPIES were applied at all and it was all abuse or drugs given. I'm arguing against medication now because it seems to me it is the cheap option to providing real support. They are just upping the dosages lately and an assessment for Occupational Therapy doesn't seem to have suggested anything. I am also getting concern the school isn't managing him too well, yet there is no aggression involved. We're sunk really if the school gives up... and now the DWP has withdrawn his DLA, and his care allowances too, so we are battling them on his behalf as well... it's just a never-ending fight isn't it ? :(

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Why has the DLA and care allowances been withdrawn, I don't understand??

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