Autism, tourettes and ADHD, non-stimulant ADHD meds and autistic adult

Posted by dellavicent @dellavicent, Jul 4, 2022

Hi. I am the mom and legal guardian of my 32-year-old autistic son. He has tourette's - like tics and ADHD as well. He was diagnosed by a psychopharmacologist at Emory University when he was 12 to discern if he had ADHD or if it was just typical manifestations of autistic behaviors. He was prescribed slow release methylphenidate which worked well for almost 20 years until his slight tics became extreme causing physical pain because of intensity. After several months as it worsened we had a physician wean him off of the methylphenidate at which time the ticks lessened to a manageable degree that does not cause pain. However, his ADHD now has returned to the level of intensity that it was before medication, if not worse. His focus and attention span cause him to be significantly impaired compared to before weaning off of the stimulant. Has anyone had any similar diagnosis that was successfully treated with a non-stimulant ADHD med? Or does anyone know of a specialist such as a psychopharmacologist that is experienced with autism specifically where medications are concerned? We live near the Georgia Florida border but would travel if needed.

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@dellavicent, might Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville be an option for your son?

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Thanks Colleen. He is covered by Medicare since his father is deceased. I believe I will have to find someone in Georgia for them to cover it but I will pay if that ends up being where he needs to go. I am going to contact Emory in Atlanta today. I may go ahead and inquire with Mayo as well just to see who is available that's considered qualified.

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@dellavicent, have you heard of "Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (GTS) it's a disorder in which co-morbid obsessive-compulsive (OC), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism symptoms occur in up to 60% of patients, suggesting shared etiology."
Here is the link: The relationship between tics, OC, ADHD and autism symptoms: A cross-disorder symptom analysis in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome patients and their family members: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137472/

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@amandaa

@dellavicent, have you heard of "Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (GTS) it's a disorder in which co-morbid obsessive-compulsive (OC), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism symptoms occur in up to 60% of patients, suggesting shared etiology."
Here is the link: The relationship between tics, OC, ADHD and autism symptoms: A cross-disorder symptom analysis in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome patients and their family members: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137472/

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Thanks Amanda. I have heard of that and discovered it while researching the relationship between the different disorders. I will definitely look at that link.

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