Medications That Are Used to Treat Autism and ADHD,

Autism and ADHD have many similar characteristics of one another. Many children who are diagnosed with ADHD may very well have autism. Because these two conditions coincide with one another, there are medications used to treat both. These medications for autistic children, as well as those with ADHD, have a calming effect and will help your child focus. This is a positive thing for most because it aids in helping a child be able to focus in the classroom. However most of these medications do come with side effects. In this article I will talk about each of these medications, the positives and the negatives of each of these.

My son, as I have stated, is a highly functioning autistic child. He has been on just about every medication out there to control his hyperactivity and to help him focus while in school. Some of the medications that he has been on are Focalin, Focalin XR, Adderall, Metadate, and recently his medication was changed to Concerta. These medications can help your child but they do carry side effects.

The very first medication he had to take was Adderall. He had to take this pill twice a day because it was not a time-released capsule. This caused him to "chill" out and he was able to focus. But in a sense it took away the spark on his face and seemed to make him tired. He also began complaining of stomach pains about two weeks after taking this medication. His appetite had also been affected and he began loosing weight. So I took him back to the doctor where he was then put on a different medication.

The second medication he was put on was Metadate. This was a time-released capsule that was given to him once a day, usually in the morning at breakfast. This had the same effects after two weeks of taking it as Adderall did. This time though he ended up getting headaches and it seemed it made his stomach hurt worse, affecting his appetite. Also, this drug was known to stunt a child's growth. He was taken off of Metadate and it was after this second time that I gave up on medications. It seemed the side effects were not worth it. I hated seeing my child so bright and outgoing become a child who just seemed tired and non-respondent to things. To me I would rather him be bouncing off the walls than to see him almost sedated.

He was off of medication for almost two years. It was hard because he wasn't doing well in school and he was having trouble staying in his seat and focusing in the classroom. I knew I had to take him back to get him put on something else because he needed to learn what he was being taught in school. This time though I scheduled him an appointment with a psychiatrist. She evaluated him and then prescribed Focalin. Focalin is a time-released capsule that he took once a day. He was monitored monthly to every other month for weight, height, and side effects of the medication. For a while this medication seemed to work. The only real side effect he had from it was being unable to go to sleep at night. Sometimes he complained of stomachaches and headaches but it was nothing like the other pills. He continued with this medication for three years.

My son recently began having stomach pains, vomiting, and headaches. This could be due to other things besides medication. His medication was recently changed again to see if it could possibly be causing these symptoms. This time he was put on Concerta. Concerta is a 12-hour, time-released capsule. She mentioned that this medication is well tolerated by children over the other medications. She also mentioned that this could help him sleep better at night or possibly can make it worse. It wasn't known which one until he was able to take it for a while. Concerta could still cause headaches, stomach pains, and decreased appetite.

All these medications can be helpful to your child but at the same time cause them to have side effects. If you have a child who is autistic or ADHD and are taking any of these medications, it is important that you discuss the positives and negatives of these drugs. Always be aware of your child's body and mood after taking these drugs. If you notice changes that aren't normal then seek the advice of your physician.