Matthew was home for the 4th of July weekend, just a few days after his psychiatrist replaced one the medications that helped manage his aggressive behavior with another-Riperdal.
“A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that risperdal not only decreased aggression in individuals on the spectrum, but also reduced repetitive behaviors and increased social interaction – all with limited side effects. I’m seeing great results with several of my patients on the spectrum.”
I was skeptical. I had two friends whose children had tried the drug, and while their behavior improved greatly, they gained weight. A lot of weight.
“Yes,” said Matthew’s psychiatrist, “Weight gain is a side effect with this group of medications, but not always. Matthew is a slender guy. I think he’ll be alright.”
When Matthew got home on Friday night, he ate his regular homecoming meal: roast chicken, potatoes, string beans and peach pie for dessert. The next morning he ate 3 waffles and 6 pieces of bacon. Lunch two hours later was a medium cheese pizza. He just about polished off the guacamole that I had prepared for a 4th of July barbecue, then ate 8 large slices of steak, 3 helpings of salad at least one baguette. He left plenty of room for dessert.
I decided to contact Dr. Fred Volkmar, the Director of the Child Study Center and a Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology at the Yale University School of Medicine to find out what his experience with risperdal was. I had met him when Andy, Matthew’s younger brother, took a class from him his sophomore year. He referred me to his colleague, Dr. Lawrence Scahill, the true expert on this topic.
Dr. Scahill told me that weight gain is a common side effect with risperdal.
“The mechanism appears to be directly related to appetite. So what a person eats is very important.”
He said that many families have discovered that it is best to keep high carbohydrate food junk food out of the house to avoid a daily struggle.
The good news is the medicine seems s to be working well. Matthew seems more reasonable on risperadal, and a lot more interactive. I’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, let’s just hope he develops a taste for celery!
Laura
Laura Shumaker is the author of A REGULAR GUY: GROWING UP WITH AUTISM
and a contributor to A CUP OF COMFORT FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
She writes each Friday for 5 MINUTES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS.