Feds Approve Drug to Treat Symptoms of Autism

[GinaMarie]

http://cbs13.com/health/local_story_279183526.html

Oct 6, 2006 3:33 pm US/Pacific

Feds Approve Drug To Treat Symptoms Of Autism

(AP) WASHINGTON A Johnson & Johnson drug received expanded federal approval Friday to treat aggression and other symptoms of autism in children.

The new use for Risperdal is to treat irritability associated with autistic disorder, including temper tantrums, deliberate self-injury and aggression in children and adolescents, ages 5 to 16.

The approval is the first for the use of a drug to treat behaviors associated with autism in children, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Risperdal, first approved by the FDA in 1993, has been used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adults.

The antipsychotic drug is not a cure for autism, nor does it treat the condition itself, but it may provide relief for some children, according to Johnson & Johnson.

Autism is a complex developmental disability. It typically appears during a child's first three years of life, and it affects communication, social interaction and creative or imaginative play.

In 2005, the FDA declined to expand its approval of Risperdal, also known as risperidone, to include autism.

The most common side effects of Risperdal include drowsiness, constipation, fatigue and weight gain.


(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

[Jamies Mommy]

How nice to hear that the pharmaceutical (sp?) companies got FDA approval to profit off of the disorder that their vaccines most likely caused.:mad: NOT!

[Mother's Heart]

makes me sick to my stomach.

not totally fair of me, I know, and I know some actually have benefited from Risperdal....but still, it just makes me sick to think of all it, and all the harm it has/will cause.

[GinaMarie]

Thanks for your replies gals/guys :). This is all becoming new to me as we are starting to test Adam again to see if he is Aspergers or high functioning Autism. Im trying to learn all about it all. When I read the article I didnt know if it was good or not. It didn't sound real good. When I read that side effects were drowsiness, fatigue and consitipation... Wouldnt that cause more frustration for the kids causing more outbursts in them?

I've been doing quite a bit of research on Aspergers, Autism and HFA to learn about it. I think the boys school is going to refer Adam to the diagnostic center to have him tested also.

Is there any meds that DO help? He takes Adderall XR now for ADHD and the generic form of DDAVP for enuesis (bedwetting).

HUGS
GM

[Mother's Heart]

oh how I WISH the only side effects were those 'most common ones' of drowsiness, fatigue, constipation. wouldn't THAT be grand! Kids with autism often have 'paradoxical' or just inconsistent responses to meds, plus I have a REAL BIG PROBLEM with giving these types of meds to our kids to 'control' behaviours, therefore ignoring and masking the real root of the behaviours and so not dealing with it. I just think these meds create more misery than they eliminate and are HORRIBLy unfair to the kid. And the RISKs of dystonia etc is just WAY too great for me to ever consider risking. I do HAVE 4 oz of Risperdol... from the last appt we had with our beloved Autism doc.

I have to again emphasize that I don't think risperdal is unjustified in every instance and don't feel negative judgement towards parents who weigh their options and choose to go that route. It is an intensely personal and individualized decision and in some circumstances is necessary, or is a wonderful solution that provides great relief to the kid and frees them up to concentrate and live with less misery. I am just overly cautious about doing things to my kid to quell his behaviours/appearances in order to relieve the discomfort of others (ie: public/teachers/doctors) around him. Let THEM take the drugs and suffer the side-effects and have their needs ignored, instead of my kid.

Okay, Gina, I think you know me well enough to know that coming from me that is practically a tirade up there.:)...and also to know that it is not meant with any acerbity or meanness.

[Isabelle]

GinaMarie, drugs do nothing for autism, but worsen the negative features or outwards symptoms. Autistics are people-dependent, they need a consistent cool calm (preferable the same) person besides them explaining stuff to him.

My son was diagnosed with autistic features, hyperactivity and he had problems sensing when he needed to go washroom. He was given Neuroleptics or typical antipsychotics when he was just 11 and he become angry and impulsive and his bedwetting became chronic for a while. What was described much later as a "paradoxical response" to drugs due to some problems with the P450 izoenzymes or liver pathways, etc.

Then in 1997 when he was about to be 23 and for very long keeping his bed dry he was put on Risperdal. After 7 months on 1.50mg of Risperdal a day he became incontinent, needed to pee every 45 minutes, a few months later he became fecally incontinent, can you imagine his distress? That was cruel.

If on drugs he was aggressive and occassionally self-injurious on Risperdal and worse on Zyprexa he banged his head non-stop.

So if you child has already ADHD and bedwetting problems, there is a strong chance that Risperdal even at small dose, with time, might complicate his problems.

As Mother's heart says there is far more adverse effects that are not mentioned. My poor boy lost control of his body, he became stiff what is called drug-induced parkisonism and he couldn't understand what's going on. This is also known as chemically restraining a person. The person loses interest on things that gave him pleasure. Also loses initiative to care for himself. Ultimately that is the goal of using drugs on the disabled to make them submissive and easy to care for or doing a lobotomy by prescription. This is not only cruel but criminal.

Some parents write that their children "benefit" from small dose of Risperdal but when hormones start to kick in, watch out! They might develop problems controlling their emotions, no mentioning unexpected metabolic changes. In reality, nobody knows the long term effect of Risperdal.

Now at home he is 2 months and 3 weeks off all drugs, he is much mellow but still a long way to go to recover... if ever.

Editing: I forgot to add that photophobia, seizures and/or "drug-induced psychotic seizures) are also part of the adverse effects of these drugs.

[cckids]

We have had good luck with risperdal with one of our sons, he is 5 1/2 and he's been on it for almost a year now- he was highly aggressive towards peers smaller than him, constantly melting down, growling at people, and difficult to redirect. With the risperdal, he is mostly happy, sing-songy, and the meltdowns are better-and he's responding to taking time-outs on a chair now. Our older son (Aspergers, bipolar, psychosis when manic) did not do well with risperdal though--he had problems with urinary frequency, enuresis, and fixating on food.
The boys are gentically cousins, but it goes to prove that each person metablizes a medication differently. Our youngest can't take any anti-histamines (especially benedryl) because he flies into a psychotic rage for 6-8 hours with sever motor agiation, but no one is out there screaming about the terrors of benedryl.

[peglem]

Psych meds can be dangerous, no doubt about it. But I know the desperation of having to do something- I tried all those natural things, diets etc. It is also dangerous to have your child uncontrollably bashing their heads on the hardest surface they can find and violently attacking everyone in the house. You have to use medications causiously and for the benefit of the child. And, for children who have seizures- which cause brain damage over time- what do you suggest? Go for the brain damage because it happens "naturally?"

[Mother's Heart]

I say again, It's still a viable option, but a choice not to be made lightly. I'm one who has a child who has been years down the road of violent (VIOLENT!) head-banging and constant intense aggressive violence towards others in the home. We chose to manage another route.

I also have chosen both to refuse seizure meds, and at another time to choose to medicate seizures, but once having dealt with the apparent source(s) of the trigger, chose to remove him from seizure meds AMA. Five years later he has yet to have that dreaded "Big One" the neuro so direly warned us about. Hasn't had any. Seizures come in all shapes and sizes, and for a variety of reasons. Some can be handled without meds, or with alternatives to neuroleptics, and some cannot. There are still two camps about whether seizures actually cause brain damage or not.

my personal experience 10 years after my last seizure medication, and last seizure, has led me to the conclusion that the meds appear to have caused me more loss of cognitive function (short-term and long-term) than the actual seizures did. Impossible to completely separate one from the other....but this is how it seems to me. A lot of seizure management depends on trial and error and the nature of the seizures, how they and the meds affect the quality of daily life.

I don't say go for the brain damage, but look for sources of the problem, rather than masking it. If the drugs treat the source, then the drugs are worthwhile. If they mask the problem and thus may prevent detection/treatment of the source of the problem...then I say think about it carefully before jumping into using the meds. You have to weigh both sides

[Isabelle]

GinaMarie:

I have to edit my previous post. What it happens was specific to my son he has a very paradoxical response to drugs as was written by the group home physician. The generalization that "meds do nothing for the autistic" came from an expert in autism from Austria, Vienna and from Europe, in general. where the rights of the adult autistic are protected by law designed specifically to prevent the excessive use of tranquilizers and diagnoses of psychiatric disorders, etc. Also, Europe doesn't allow any pharmaceuticals to market a drug saying that it corrects brain chemicals.
Adding, and I believe what Dr. Wakefield found out that in many cases the aggression and self-injurious behaviour on some children comes from pain in the gastrointestinal system and even GI disorders cause dementia like "schizophrenia", "psychosis", "depression", etc.

[peglem]

Isabelle, your description of what happened to Danny w/ the drugs is very scary. But, it sounds to me like the drugs were used abusively- for the benefit and convenience of the caregivers who had no personnal stake in his health. I'm certainly not advocating for jumping to drugs as a solution...nobody wants to give these things to their children. But, I do think loving parents use these drugs very carefully with the well being of the child as the top priority. I'm in a very tough place right now with my child- but won't go in to that right now. I've tried many many behavioral and natural solutions- Still, at 12 she is so disfunctional that she can't even dress herself. Without medication, constant explosive rages- and she's so miserable! I haven't told my Disneyland story- its a heartbreaker. I held off for a long time, but she seems to be getting relief from the medication- not drugged into a stupor. I'm happy for the people that can manage this without drugs and perhaps I feel a little guilty, even now about giving them. It feels worse when people strongly disaprove of their use- makes me feel like a bad mom.

[Isabelle]

Please, Peglem, I am not trying to make you feel guilty. I am just relating our experience and experts findings. If drugs is the only route, you know your child and you are her mother.

Yes, that's exactly what happened.. for the convenience of caregivers. We were deceived. I am sure that you know all the adverse effects, WE DIDN'T KNOW! Watch for any behavioural changes, abnormal movements, obstinations, meaningless sounds, funny walking, getting stuck on erasing or perfecting artwork or homework, metabolic changes, putting on weight, incontinence, etc.

I am sure too that you know these warnings to reduce adverse effects if you decide for long-term use of drugs. Monotherapy is far better than polypharmacy. Less is better. These drugs tend to interact unexpectedly with everything and anything and if she gains weight the drug acts differently, the same during her periods and finally it tends to accumulate causing "behaviours".

This tendency to accumulate means that could be given less often, could be every three days or once a week instead of every day reducing the chances of permanent damage. Also, if it is possible ask your doctor for a MRI of her brain and another one after a year.

If the drug causes untolerable adverse effects and you decide to take her off, it has to be ever slowly because the withdrawal symptoms could be as bad or worse.

[peglem]

Actally, most of the side affects you listed to watch for are the problems she has without the meds. I'm beginning to believe that my daughter has a movement disorder attributable to untreated strep. I think, while the autism label did get her services, it has been a grest disservice to her, in that new behaviors or regressions were always dismissed as part of the autism. But I have never heard of a single autistic child that has the kind of extreme problems that my daughter has been dealing with. Once again, we have been hooked up with a neuro consult. This time, I'm going through Barrows Neurological Institute. We were always referred to Phoenix Children's hospital before and have never been taken seriously there. Last time we were sent because my daughter's pediatrician wanted scans done to make sure she was not causing brain damage with her head banging. I was told by the neurologist that she won't bang hard enough to hurt herself. Everybody who has ever witnessed one of her episodes believes that she may be causing serious damage. And there's plenty of external indications of damage. Oh, never mind- I'm going to try Barrows, but can't get an appointment until December. Allergy testing was a washout. The only thing abnormal on her blood work was ASO titers- Anyway, I'm being extremely careful with meds.

[GinaMarie]

{{{{{{{{{{Peglam, Isabelle, CC, & CJ}}}}}}}}}}
Peglam,
You arent bad for medicating (or NOT medicating) your child. We are doing what we feel is RIGHT for our kids..

All my boys are diagnosed as ADHD.. YET it took a LONG time before I put them on meds because "FRIENDS" constantly put down meds and said how you shouldnt "DRUG" you kids and so on.. Yet the teachers were telling me how the boys were acting and doing and I saw it at home.. I TRIED it and BOY what a change.. They weren't DRUGGED OUT like people said (EVEN THIER DAD).. He was sooooooo against giving them drugs for it.. (we were seperated when I did it... NOWWWWW... when he takes the younger ones for a day.. He tells them to get thier "chill pill" (as I call it)... My second oldest... It helped him bring his grades from C-'s and struggling. We almost put him on special ed... To honor roll for almost 2 yrs before graduating 8th grade.. :)

Keep doing what you are doing when it helps her. Dont listen to others when they dont know what is best for her.
HUGS
GM

[Isabelle]

Peglem, my son has become attached to his boxing helmet, he only takes it our for a shower, it really never gave him 100% protection but it did protect a bit. He was on 7.50mg of Zyprexa and his headbangs had became so strong that at after one episode he needed 13 metal staples to close his head.

Unfortunately when his doctor demanded a helmet or face a fatal outcome he was physically forced to wear it instead of making a fun thing to wear one, so his attachment and, probably awareness that he needs one.

It is possible to talk, prepare her for the use of a seizure helmet? A fun one with colors, flowers, signatures and whatever she likes? All smiles and even mom or sister wearing different hats, helmets, to make it fun like dressing up?

[Isabelle]

Writing when I have a few minutes, reading one moment, running to do something back and forgot what I wanted to write.
In this year I got something in my throat I felt sick and tired, later my son started to make gulping sound and then made a gesture and said 'throat hurts' and then punched his face and bit his arm and it became infected and the gulping sound was a wheezing sound that didn't let him sleep time to call 911 and he was given an antibiotic that cured the infection and wheezing sound but was not found reason to test for strep, no fever, no swollen glands, no red throat. The infection could be from amy germ in the mouth I was told.

[peglem]

Yes, it could be a viral infection-which should not be treated with antibiotics. Allie was asymptomatic for strep- but tested positive. Its a $20 test. Strep is especially prone to turn autoimmune- untreated it can lead to rheumatic fever, all kinds of movement disorders (tics, chorea), rheumatoid arthritis, kidney problems. If the autoimmunity attacks the basal ganglia in the brain it can cause anorexia, OCD and sydenham's chorea. I don't understand why they treated your son with antibiotics without a positive strep test. Anyway, strep is something you need to be very careful about- can turn very nasty. Maybe they didn't test him because they thought he would be difficult to swab and were going to treat with antibiotics anyway.

[paulmoosberg]

i have gained 50 pounds and am very tired. seems i hit on all of the side effects. i have a great deal of constapation but i have uped my dose of fiber (phsyllium husk) to help. but the resiprodal does help with the tantrums and the confusion. plus my wife says she notices a great big difference since i have been taking resiprodal.

[cckids]

Paul,
If you are experiencing that many side effects, I would talk to the psychiatrist about trying something else.

About the head banging, you do need to be careful with it. I work at a mental hospital and with our autisitc kids sometimes they do hit the wall hard enough to really hurt themselves when they are angry. Being out of control is just that, rational thought is not occurring at that time. We've had 9 &10 year old kids put holes in 1 inch drywall. It hurts and it can cause long-term injury if not prevented. Helmets do help, both to protect the head and deter the behavior.

[paulmoosberg]

i can't help feeling the need to bang my head. but on resiprodal i seem to not carry out the thoughts into reality. i still feel like i want to but something just helps me not? make any sense? i know i have banged my head on anything from drywall to metal polls. i don't know why i think of the loss of control and pain but i know i don't do it on resiprodal.

i heard albify is a drug that helps the confusion and tantrums? i think someone said how it has less side effects than resiprodal on the old braintalk one. maybe someother people can tell me what they have expirienced using albify?

[peglem]

Abilify did absolutely nothing for my daughter. No side affects-no effects.

[cckids]

it makes sense, helping with the impusle control. our oldest is on abilify, he had a lot of problems with the risperdal including weight gain and complaining of upset tummy all the time, wetting the bed, some daytime incontinence and urgency. he's on abilify now and doing well. our younger has been on risperdal for almost a year and he has not had any side effects. he's also on trileptal to help "slow him down" instead of flapping his hands he jumps incessantly or skips all over.

[Isabelle]

The only thing I know is that my son on occassional drugs he occassionally banged his head. On Risperdal 1.50mg every day didn't bang his head, but incontinence drove him crazy then he became confuse, became impulsive child-like behaviour, body shakes, hand shaking (finger tips hurting), lack of intitiative, lying on the couch, lack of creativity no interest on art work or playing videogames and the most serious adverse effect stiffness/parkisonism.

He didn't put a lot of weight, his face became rounded.

When the doctor finally tried to reduce Risperdal he went into a non-stop head banging. They it was try again slower and the withdrawal symptoms were so severe he looked like he was receiving electrical shocks and of course banged his head.

When he was stuck he would do over and over for hours trivia action totally out of it, if I interrupt him he tried to head butt me, followed by severe head bangs. As time went by while off Risperdal his abnormal movements/parkisonism became more severe, after 2 years and 17 supplements his movements started to become normal when administration demanded to be put back on Risperdal again against our objections.