As with any illness, disease or disorder, there are a number of medical options available to help control these symptoms. It is important to remember that none of these drugs will be "cure" Autism; simply, they help control some of the effects of the disease. There are advantages and disadvantages of each drug, as they have side effects and benefits. When you choose to medicines to effectively treat autism, your doctor may make recommendations, but given that autism is a disorder which varies from one person to another, you must use drugs very carefully, look see how the body responds to treatment.
First of all, take into account the safety of the drug. Some may not be used in children or persons under a certain weight. Make sure that the dosage is easy to understand and until you choose a drug or other discover how it is administered (pills, injections, liquid, etc.). This is important if you are not comfortable with some methods, such as injection of yourself or your child. Also know how safe the drug is to people with autism. If you have small children at home, you'll want to ensure that the drug is not fatal if it gets into the wrong hands. What to do when this happens, just be careful.
Also examine the side effects of the medications that you are considering. While they can be very fort to control aggression, reactivity, hyperactivity or other autistic tendencies, they can also cause sedation or other side effects such as nausea or dizziness. Carefully evaluate your options before you start one of these treatments, or you could find yourself with bottles of ten pills, each taken to counteract the effects on the other. Also remember that drugs can have long-term effects. What you or your child has become dependent on drugs? Will you be tolerant? How it will affect the body over time? All these are important questions to ask your doctor before starting any medication.
You can research the numerous studies on these drugs at your local library or on the Internet. Publications such as journals and magazines of health care are probably the most recent and reliable, while you can get some information on the World Wide Web, so prudent to tips you find without first consulting your doctor. He or she may also be able to provide you with literature on drugs available for autistic patients options. Do your research on the many choices before making decisions, and you will be able to better control your health.
