{"id":7604,"date":"2018-07-02T05:00:32","date_gmt":"2018-07-02T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=7604"},"modified":"2018-06-28T12:47:12","modified_gmt":"2018-06-28T19:47:12","slug":"little-evidence-for-ssri-use-in-anxiety-and-compulsions-in-asd-my-interview-on-nourishing-hope-for-autism-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/little-evidence-for-ssri-use-in-anxiety-and-compulsions-in-asd-my-interview-on-nourishing-hope-for-autism-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Little evidence for SSRI use in anxiety and compulsions in ASD: my interview on Nourishing Hope for Autism Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of the reasons I\u2019m so passionate about participating on summits like The Nourishing Hope for Autism Summit<\/a>\u00a0and sharing the powerful nutritional interventions is due to the fact that medications such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed in ASD \u2013 and the research and clinical evidence shows that children and adolescents with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) are more vulnerable to the side effects.<\/p>\n

This paper, Psychopharmacological interventions in autism spectrum disorder<\/a>, makes the following conclusion:<\/p>\n

Psychopharmacological treatment of core and associated symptoms in ASD is challenging, in large part because ASD presents in many different ways. Furthermore, children and adolescents with ASD are more vulnerable to the side effects of psychopharmacological intervention than their age-matched, typically developing counterparts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This paper, Pharmacotherapy of emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder in children and adolescents<\/a>, supports this, stating there is little evidence to support the use of SSRIs in ASD:<\/p>\n

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are often used in clinical practice to target anxiety and compulsions; however, there is little evidence to support its use in this population. There is a great need for further research on the safety and efficacy of existing psychotropic medications in youth with ASD.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And this paper published a few months ago, An update on pharmacotherapy of autism spectrum disorder in children and adolescents<\/a>, concludes that<\/p>\n

Overall, the evidence is limited for pharmacotherapy in children with ASD, and side-effects with long-term use can be burdensome.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Much of this also applies to adults with ASD and in my interview I talk about the psychiatric medicine concerns within the ASD community and the high incidence of anxiety, aggression, irritability and OCD in this population.<\/p>\n

We also discuss the following nutritional solutions in my interview (appropriately titled: How to calm anxiety, and eliminate aggression and OCD) –<\/p>\n