obsessive compulsive symptoms

Has anyone had any luck with natural, herbal or homeopathic meds for treatments of OCD within the autism spectrum?

If so would you share? I am thinking about trying St. John's Wart or Naturarelief for my 28 y/o Autistic son. He is doing very well but was recently taken off of Sinequan due to tardive dyskinesia symptoms. He is much happier and more alert but is struggling with OCD and lack of self control.

Welcome to IAN, Bearlake60, and thank you for posting.

I'm sorry to hear that your son on the autism spectrum is having a difficult time with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) - that can be such a struggle.

I took a look at the medical literature for you, and there is still very little there regarding "complementary and alternative" (CAM) treatments for OCD.

Reviewing CAM treatments for autism, researchers Levy & Hyman state that these are in widespread use, but that "most treatments have not been adequately studied and do not have evidence to support their use." See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18775371?dopt=abstract

Similarly, via a survey of patients with Tourette's syndrome, other researchers noted widespread use, often without the knowledge of the general physician: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19705358?dopt=abstract

As you hear from others what CAM treatments they may have tried, keep in mind that, just as with any kind of medication or intervention, response is individual. (Basically, what works for one person may not for another.) You may also want to let your physician know you're trying CAM for your son, just to make sure nothing negative is known about any approach, and that the CAM treatment has no known interaction with anything else your son might be using.

You may also be interested in our article on what to consider as you evaluate any new treatment - a kind of "apply scientific principles at home" approach: http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/therapies_treatments/evaluating_treatments

I hope families who have tried treating OCD in a non-traditional way will share their experience with you here.

Everyone: keep in mind that families of children participating in the IAN Research can report on treatments they use, including complementary and alternative ones, to help researchers learn more.