Saturday, September 24, 2011

A Note about my Medications: Part Two

In my last post, I discussed the medications I have been taking for the past eleven years and how they have changed my life.  After many long years of stability and success, I am now looking at changing many current combination of medicines: Mirtazapine, Risperidone, and Concerta.  For one thing, I will be twenty five in less than two years.  After that time, I will no longer be covered by my parents insurance.  I don't know how I will be able to afford monthly refills of all those medications after that time.

Another reason for removing the Mirtazapine and the Risperidone lies in a side effect of the Risperidone: significant increase in appetite.  I have been struggling with my weight for almost half my life now.  I never had a problem with my weight before the Fox Center, and before I was prescribed with these medications.  My appetite is strongest in the evening, right around the time I take the Mirtazapine and the Risperidone.

I have an appointment with the psychiatrist who prescribed me with these medications in two weeks time.  I have discussed changing around the medications before.  It is not something that I can just stop abruptly, particularly the Mirtazapine.  As with any antidepressant, suddenly stopping the medication can cause withdrawal symptoms to return.  That is the last thing I need this close to finishing college.  I will update my readers on this change so that they can follow my experience living with autism.

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