Are you NOT taking medication?

[tree]

This may not be a compelling question.
But I was wondering, are there people here
who aren't taking any prescription medications?

There are discussions about what drugs are or
aren't working for people, and while I don't feel
"left out," I was starting to feel like I was in the
minority.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. lol

If you aren't using prescription medication for
anything, are you considering doing so? How does
it happen that you don't? Is it because you
can't afford to? Or think you'd be worse off for
using medication? Or there aren't any medications
that would do you any good? Or there are no
medicatable situations in your life?

Thanks.

 

[Judge]

Not one. The few I take are all OTCs. Ibuprofen, Loratidine, Nexium OTC and liquid antacids. That's about it right now.

A conscious decision I made decades ago. But it's not something to be advocated to just anyone either...

 

[AsheSkyler]

The only prescription I have aside from contact lenses is for my lazy thyroid. I've always worn my contacts, they're very vital to me not accidentally killing myself by tripping over something minute on the floor. But I've only ever been on medicine for the thyroid for three months out of the minimum of 10 years I've had thyroid issues. Not because I feel it's unnecessary, I can see the logic in having to supplement for malfunctioning hardware. I just can't afford it. The medicine itself is cheap, I can get a 90 day supply on the $4 plan at Walmart. It's the labwork! Supposedly this local clinic my husband goes to for his diabetes only charges $20 or $30 for bloodwork which includes the TSH test I need, but in the past when I've had labwork performed on my pieces without my permission it's ended up in a $500 bill. So I'm very nervous to try to get back on it even though I need to because I've had some of the worse symptoms acting up lately.

Now if I ever got prescribed psychiatric drugs like for depression or anything, aw hell naw. If that doctor didn't sit down with me for a week straight for me to explain my entire situation for any little mood they didn't approve of, then they are automatically not qualified to declare me depressed or anything else. Yeah, I'm worn down, tired, irritable, and don't sleep well, but that tends to happen when you have lopsided hormones and a toddler! I always find the idiots that don't grasp the concept of "symptom overlap".

 

[BigTimber]

I have in the past, but I've never felt that they worked for me, even when I was taking them long term. Now I only take hormones (for transgenderism) and a multivitamin. Exercise and a healthy diet hasn't cured anything, but its done more for me than any pill.

 

[King_Oni]

I roam the streets unmedicated

I'm not particularly fond of being forced something and having to depend on something to function (however that might be defined). Luckily I've spoken to plenty of professionals during and after my diagnosis who sided with me and don't think meds would help me much and the problem is of a totally different nature.

Being both on the spectrum and being diagnosed with ADD, therapist always thought that being on Ritalin or anything would probably make me a lot more introvert and in a sense "more autistic" which seems to be just as much of a problem. The notion that I might lose some more "obsessive" interests and lose a sense of self are not worth it, according to therapists. And since I, for most part, don't suffer from my Asperger's on a personal level, the only reason I'd end up taking meds would be for employment purposes, but since that doesn't guarantee any success either, there's really no need for me.

Well, there's that, and the fact that I'm already at a stage in life where I've had enough time to make stupid decisions, that even taking meds wouldn't help me make them right anymore anyway.

Edit: I want to add; while not strictly "prescription meds" I've toyed around with some drugs and while amphetamines, much like they could be found in AD(H)D meds (or perhaps even more potent than those), I've had my bouts of so-called hypergraphia, where I ended up writing 120 pages on a single day in a single go. And while I like that kind of extreme productivity, it's not like it makes me more sociable... in fact, after such a day I'm so burned out by anything usually, I don't want to hear or see any people for at least a week. So in essence, and yet again, something a therapist talked to me about; what might be good for me personally, might not be good for me socially (or in the bigger picture; employmentwise)... it's one of those situations where personal wellbeing is a total mismatch on how society works.

 

[clg114]

I did not take regular prescription until my late fifties. I have three prescriptions, two for my heart and one for heartburn. I also take several over the counter supplements for heart health.

 

[RidingDutchman]

I dont have any medication, never had any and want to keep it that way.

Knowing the usual effects and side effects of most common anti depressants and mood altering medications i really want to keep off of them for as long as possible. As long as I can keep suicidal thoughts to nothing more as that I'll keep off of anything.

If I really start wanting to do things like that or really start to struggle without seeing any other option, I'll look at medication but for me therapy is the thing I want to use. I'd rather fix my problems myself and have them fixed, instead of hiding the symptoms (for as far as this is possible)

 

[watersprite]

I do not take any prescription medication. I don't want to and hope I never need to do so. Occasionally I take an acetaminophen, or Ibuprofen, but not often. I take some supplements for brain and cardiovascular health.
I drink coffee and tea every day, and some wine or brandy now and then.

 

[Suzanne]

Sadly I am and hate it but, currently there is no choice. I have to take medicine for severe GERD and without it, I would end up in hospital!

Other than that, it is all natural. I take: Gingko Biloba for bad leg circulation; I use charcoal to ease bloatedness ( but not working these days, rather annoying).

When I start on the road of the menopause, I know I will get all the nasty symptoms, but discovered a herb that can counteract the affects and so, will go on that.

I HATE chemicals inside me.

I will take paracetamol for headaches and cramps and am blessed that they work.

Oh and I was on Prozac for nearly 16 and it was only me taking courage and doing cold turkey that got me to a place of complete understanding that the tablets were causing depression; severe headaches that rendered me in bed for 2 days and violently sick and I HAD to sleep often and oh, the horrible weight gain! I appreciated after this, that I had social depression and thus, should never have been put on them to begin with.

I am frightened of chemical meds, because of what damage they can do to the body. My husband arrives home with a huge bag of meds ( following the French way) and said that this med was to counteract the side effects of that and this one, to counteract the side effects of the one used to counteract the side effects of the first one and so forth and I am looking at him, marveling how he just ACCEPTS it all!

In one month, I got my cholesterol levels down, my blood back to normal; normal tension and all without medication!

 

[Progster]

I'm not taking any prescription medication either. I took Sertraline for a while, but I didn't stay on it very long. On days when I have low mood, I drink herbal tea as a pick-me-up. I have St John's Wort, which is effective against low to moderate depression.

 

[watersprite]

King_Oni well said: "it's one of those situations where personal wellbeing is a total mismatch on how society works."
I'm fairly certain I'd fit in and function better in society on meds, but I choose not to because of the side effects and more importantly because I like my aspie-self and I want to be who I am & live life without some doctor's input.

 

[Mia]

I take nothing, once in awhile herbal teas for sleep. Ramping down anxiety and or sensory difficulties at times with exercise and herbal remedies. My GP dislikes me, because I won't take any of his pills, the feeling is actually mutual. If I had any sort of difficulties I would likely go to a naturopath instead of the pill doctor.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I have just been given prescription painkillers for a foot injury, but other than that I'm not on any meds, because I don't need any! I took SSRIs for severe depression and social anxiety for about a year when I was a teenager, but therapy and a complete lifestyle change improved my mental health enough that I came off the drugs quicker than the psychiatrists expected, and I now no longer even see a psychologist.

While I still experience quite a lot of anxiety I have learnt how to cope with it well enough to go about my day with few problems. I wouldn't take meds unless I was at the point where I was unable to leave the house or considering suicide again, as I think that dealing with the cause of the problems and how you cope with the issues is far better than just managing the symptoms with drugs.

 

[Warmheart]

Zero meds, only glaucoma eyedrops.

I treat my anxiety, turbo-mind, PTSD, and focusing issues via Eastern, not Western, medicine.
It is cumulative, not quick-fix, and requires dedication, time, discipline.

Tai-ji -- significantly eases anxiety, relieves PTSD
Reiki -- expands big picture view of world, improves compassion/perception of people's feelings
Zen meditation -- improves emotional regulation, compassion, eye contact

Energy arts (using our own bio-energy/ki/prana) totally kick butt!

For me personally,
1.) Eastern energy medicine re-balances me, but med side-effects un-balance me. Fussy Aspie somatic system! For me, natural ideally is better.

2.) Empowerment is good for my overall wellness. A daily discipline is no quick-fix, but my improvement is my responsibility. It feels better if I consider wellness to be mainly in my power to facilitate, instead of external rescue from a bottle of meds and a med prescriber. I want to feel empowered, not dependent, so daily practices rock!
Time, determination, and dedication in application of Eastern energy medicine arts bring my over-sensitive system needed balance.

 

[camerartus]

Just a thought. Just because you have aspergers doesn't mean you have problems that require medication. Everyone is different and has different needs.

 

[clg114]

Just a thought. Just because you have aspergers doesn't mean you have problems that require medication. Everyone is different and has different needs.

You are 100% right. All of the meds that I take have everything to do my age and nothing to do with Asperger's.

 

[ancusmitis]

Unmedicated ADHD here as well. I used to be pumped full of all kinds of drugs as a kid, but I got away from that. Then I became a drunk, and that really sucked. Now I'm clean and dry. I used to be vehemently anti-psychiatry, but now I'm a little more open-minded. People say it works for them, who am I to argue? But apart from anti-biotics and similar things, I have never had any use for meds.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I don't take meds because I'm unfamiliar with them, I don't know if (or think) I need them, they're expensive, and right now in my life there would be parental involvement, which is the last thing I need.

 

[Datura]

I was on SSRIs for a very long time, but recently I have gotten to the point where I am not taking any mind altering pharmacuticals. I am trying to take a path more simmilar to Warm Heart, that of self discipline. If I can find an effective medication for my focus and memory issues (I seriously suspect I have ADD) then I will take it. These issue hinder me severely.

I also take asthma medication when the air is bad or I have a cold, and hormone replacement, because I don't make my own.

 

[royinpink]

I'm very sensitive to medication (like apparently a lot of people on the spectrum). I follow the 'Temple Grandin dose' (1/4-1/2 the starter dose for SSRIs and tricyclics) or maybe even lower with Zoloft, only 12.5mg a day. I cannot go to a higher dose--it makes me tired and muddled.

I will probably go off it soon due to changing circumstances and trying to get health coverage. I am not sure if it has done that much good or if it was mostly life circumstances that helped me. I did notice that (after the initial side effects passed) I seemed to be a bit less compulsive (I could 'let go' more easily) and more confident and hopeful. However, I don't feel that way so much anymore. But again, this could be life circumstances. I'm not coping well with my return home. It's been a pretty crazy year.

Weirdly, other effects I noticed were being more anxious (my anxiety is a bit weird though--when super anxious, I shut down which seems to people not familiar with ASD like I'm sleepy, apathetic, or depressed rather than stressed out) and having less overwhelming emotions. This can be a good thing, because unmedicated, if I feel something, I feel it like 200% and it's all-consuming and distracting.