Kathryn Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I just got a letter about a study in which we could participate "about biomarkers (genes in the blood) as predictors of efficacy and safety in response to risperidone and aripiprazole for the treatment of irritability in Autistic Disorder." the study involves 12 weeks of treatment and ten visits to the clinic downtown. ODS fits all the criteria. We've been waiting to get into a doctor to discuss this very problem for a year now. I've not yet talked to DH about this. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with/knowledge of these medications that could tell me about them firsthand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) I'd ask on the special needs subforum if you haven't already but I'll bump this up with an inexperienced thought. A doctor wanted to put my son (also spectrum) on risperidone at one point. We decided against it but I can't remember exactly what our thinking was. I faintly recall concerns with coming off of it. I hadn't heard of aripprazole for autism but it looks like it might really help in this study. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/6/1533.abstract I guess my question would be why not pick the safer one--maybe Abilify instead of Risperdal--and try just that first via his regular doctor? He definitely gets the medication (is there a placebo group in the study you're considering?) and if it works you may end up with just one medication. If he's on both in the study and it works it might be a situation where you just continue to take both not knowing which is really doing the most good. Edited October 24, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Thank you. I'll ask over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Ds has been on risperidone for years. Best thing the doctor ever recommended. He went off of it for a bit, and the Jekyll/Hyde came back. He has had no ill side effects. Not while on it or off. When he went off, he went back to having issues like he had before taking it but that was because the medicine actually worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Ds was on Risperdal for a few years, and is now on Abilify for the last 2 years. He takes such a small dose, and for many spectrum kids a small dose is all that is needed. For that reason we have to use the liquid. I would be concerned about starting dosages being involved in a study. I'm a big believer in starting out as small as possible and slowly increasing or decreasing if necessary. He gained weight on both meds, and is hungry all the time. I don't see any positive effect on his behavior, but it helps with his tics, which is why we are staying with it. Risperdal made his tics a lot worse, which is why we switched. When he was on Risperdal, his highest dose was .25 ml if I remember correctly. His current dose of Abilify is 1 ml. Perhaps at a higher dose it would be more effective with his behavior issues, but I don't want to increase. Maybe his behavior would be worse without it and I don't realize how much it's helping. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Ds was on Risperdal for a few years, and is now on Abilify for the last 2 years. He takes such a small dose, and for many spectrum kids a small dose is all that is needed. For that reason we have to use the liquid. I would be concerned about starting dosages being involved in a study. I'm a big believer in starting out as small as possible and slowly increasing or decreasing if necessary. He gained weight on both meds, and is hungry all the time. I don't see any positive effect on his behavior, but it helps with his tics, which is why we are staying with it. Risperdal made his tics a lot worse, which is why we switched. When he was on Risperdal, his highest dose was .25 ml if I remember correctly. His current dose of Abilify is 1 ml. Perhaps at a higher dose it would be more effective with his behavior issues, but I don't want to increase. Maybe his behavior would be worse without it and I don't realize how much it's helping. :tongue_smilie: The part in bold: this is the experience my friends have had with their son. I believe he still takes it but it has not been the magic medicine they hoped it would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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