|
|
Post by lauries on Jan 9, 2004 16:44:55 GMT -5
My 10yo started on Strattera in July this year. It was working fine until school started. I quickly found out that it did nothing for his impulsive behavior. After many detentions & almost suspensions, I brought it up at our November appt with his psych.
He started him on a dose of .5 mg of Risperdal. It has helped tremendously.
I have been doing some research on this drug & not sure what to think of it. It is primarily prescribed for schitzophrenia.
Any ideas or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Laurie
|
|
|
|
Post by catseye on Jan 9, 2004 17:55:47 GMT -5
I did bring up risperdal to sd's psychologist at one appt... Last year got so bad, sd (then 7 first grade) had over 25 referrals throughout the year (referrals are bad!)
According to the dr, risperdal is an antipsychotic drug.. She said it was an option, but wanted us to try clonodine first... The clonodine seems to be working thus far... sd is on adderall xr 30 mg in am... adderall 10 mg in afternoon, clonodine .05 mg in am, and again at bedtime...
So anyway if you are uneasy about risperdal you could ask dr about clonodine (I forget what it is but it is not an antipsychotic)... Good luck
|
|
|
|
Post by geewiznit on Jan 10, 2004 0:50:47 GMT -5
Very small doses of Risperdal are often prescribed as a mood stabilizer for kids. My daughter tried it a couple of years ago, and it helped a great deal with her moodiness and irritability BUT she also was hit big time with one of its serious side effects---a huge increase in appetite. (Adults prescibed this drug in normal dosages can put on 20 or 30 pounds.) She was eating compulsively and gained three pounds in a week. This is a side effect that doesn't get better with time, so we regretfully dropped the medication. If this side effect does not hit your child, Risperdal could be a Godsend. (Our shrink calls it miraculous.) Another new drug, Abilify, is said to work as well as Risperdal, with fewer side effects (no weight gain), so that may be something to raise with your physician. I would note, though, that I have never heard of this medication being used for ADHD itself, just for some of the behavioral difficulties that often go along with it. Good luck to you!
|
|
|
|
Post by ohmama on Jan 10, 2004 10:57:19 GMT -5
I am also considering Resperdal for my son who has been dx'd with ring of fire adhd. We are now using Trileptal and I see no difference in him except for some side effects like nausia and he is dizzy with the higher dose that is given in the evening.
I am going to wean him from this and look into something else. Is there a website that anyone knows of to give information on these meds and side effects as well as reasons to use? Is a blood test required with Resperdal? I want to know more before I see my doctor.
|
|
|
|
Post by catseye on Jan 10, 2004 11:22:19 GMT -5
ohmama- I am not sure about risperdal, but for the clonodine sd had to have a heart test done (eeg? ekg? I never can remember)...
|
|
|
|
Post by Dad2Brooke on Jan 10, 2004 14:59:31 GMT -5
ohmama, here is Risperdal's website.
Maybe you can find some of the answers there.
Good Luck
|
|
|
|
Post by ohmama on Jan 10, 2004 15:03:20 GMT -5
Ok DAD, are you teasing me? I don't see a website address in your post.  |
|
|
|
Post by Dad2Brooke on Jan 10, 2004 15:29:27 GMT -5
Oops. (I happen to be watching 5 little girls, who are supposed to be watching The Emporers New Groove, but at the present are having a wrestling match in my living room) (BRB) (OK, they are all in there respective corners) Here is the website: www.risperdal.com/index.jspSorry. |
|
|
|
Post by ohmama on Jan 10, 2004 15:35:38 GMT -5
Wow, thanks this is great!  5 little girls? You're a brave man. |
|
lisle
Full Member
Posts: 142
|
Post by lisle on Jan 10, 2004 23:02:13 GMT -5
Hi, OhMama:
We tried Risperdal a few years ago and it was miraculous when we first tried it (my son actually listened to our requests)but it had to be increased and increased because the other meds that we were trying with it make him hyper. When we got up to 2.0 mg. from .5, I started to really worry. He was getting a little chubby in the face and starting to suck on his fingers, which may have been the beginning of tics. This drug is known for movement problems also. We are currently considering a tiny dose of Abilify, but we are worried that it is so new. Also, I have read about some people developing a lot of agitation on it. Our dr. told us that the trileptal alone probably wouldn't work. I think I mentioned that to you. I would say to try the risperdal if you start slow and stay low. If he has to be on it for a long time, you don't want to do it, as there will likely be movement problems, not a good thing.
Let us know what you think.
lisle
|
|
|
|
Post by ohmama on Jan 11, 2004 0:13:55 GMT -5
Lisle,
I think what I really need is a new doctor. I don't trust this one and I don't like him. He took a 2 minute look at the report from the Amen Clinic and said my son was bipolar (he isn't, it's close but ring of fire is not full blown bipolar). Then said the recommendations from the clinic were not what he was willing to do. He wouldn't even order the blood work the clinic suggested. He said he would prescribe Depakote and Risperdal and it didn't matter that these were not established for safety or effectiveness in children because none of the meds were anyway. I got him to prescribe the Trileptal because I needed time to find another doctor and wanted something with low risk side effects in the med family I needed.
This is the same doctor who calls himself an expert in ADHD. He prescribed Adderall first and thought it was only ADHD we were dealing with. Now he says bipolar. I think he's nuts and needs to take the Risperdal himself.
Guess I'm pretty disgusted right now. I looked at the Risperdal site and don't like the side effects. I'm just not convinced my son could benefit from this med.
|
|
|
|
Post by geewiznit on Jan 11, 2004 3:03:44 GMT -5
ohmama, I don't think you are going to find anything on the official Risperdal site regarding use of this med for purposes other than as an anti-psychotic, because that is all it is officially okayed for by the FDA. Like a zillion other meds, it is frequently prescribed for "off label" purposes by knowledgeable docs. If you don't trust your doc, this is not the time to be experimenting. But I also don't think you can expect him to simply accept the recommendations of the Amen clinic. He really can't and shouldn't substitute anyone's else's judgment for his own, since he will be responsible for the results. And Amen's work is not exactly standard medical practice--he's really doing his own thing. Perhaps the clinic can recommend a local doc that follows its concepts?
My recollection is that my daughter had an EKG before starting the Risperdal to be sure there wasn't any pre-existing heart issue. She wasn't on it long enough for me to know whether further EKG's were necessary. I don't think you should be overly fearful of this med. Tons of kids are on it. It could be the "miracle" you're looking for, who knows?
|
|
|
|
Post by catatonic on Jan 11, 2004 9:06:18 GMT -5
You might want to look at the overview of Risperdal in Clinical Toxicology Review here: www.maripoisoncenter.com/ctr/9611risperidone.htmlAlso, the very detailed FDA MedWatch report on Risperdal safety: www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2003/risperdal_PI.pdfBecause this medication may cause diabetes and tachycardia (among other things), blood sugar tests and EEG ought to be conducted before use. Also recommended are ongoing body movement tests ("abnormal movement determinations"), since it can also cause irreversible tardive dyskenesia. |
|
|
|
Post by AustinsMom on Jan 11, 2004 14:36:24 GMT -5
Ohmama-there is a certain thought among some psychiatrists in particular that views bipolar as being the underlying cause of a whole host of pediatric issues, including ADHD. They think there is a wide range of severity of bipolar and ADHD is one manisfestation. Our pediatrician referred us to a psychiatrist who she believed was very skilled in medication management, but it soon became apparent that he was of that ilk. It was very frustrating to work with someone who has such a different frame of reference and we didn't stay with him. I wanted to choke him on more than one occasion, so understand your frustration. It is truly a miracle to find a medical professional who has the time to listen to your concerns and shares your point of view. I have yet to find one....I hope your search is successful.
|
|
|
|
Post by ohmama on Jan 11, 2004 23:40:14 GMT -5
Austins mom & Geewiznit,
It amazes me that the most difficult part of this whole issue is finding a good doctor. So many posters here have that problem.
What I discovered about the Amen Clinic is that the doctors there have a genuine concern and take time with you. I was not rushed in and out. After 3 days of testing, brain scans, and evaluation, when discussing medication I was told it would be best to start with one that has the least side effects and if it didn't turn out to be the best we could move up to something different in that same med family to accomplish what we are after. I was told if I wanted to stay with natural alternatives they would be glad to work with me on it. I was also told that I could expect better results with meds because of the seriousness of what we were dealing with. I was treated with such respect I felt awkward. It seemed to hold to the promise to "first and foremost do no harm". Something that I can see is not on the mind of all doctors.
In contrast my sons doctor who I refer to as Nuts, who by the way has referred many patients to this clinic, seems to favor the shot gun approach with medication. His judgement was flawed from the start in making an incorrect and incomplete diagnosis two years ago and giving what he now calls a bipolar child a stimulant med. Shouldn't he have been aware of this possiblilty by giving a throurogh examination as was done at the clinic? I guess not, he didn't seem to have the time. The evaluation he did was a joke in comparison with the professional service I received at the Amen Clinic.
So this doctor took the correct evaluation that I gave him and a copy of the brain scans and decided to ignore the recommendations but accepted the diagnosis. Actually he didn't even do that properly as he kept refering to the dx as bipolar saying it was the same thing. It was all so obvious once I had that clinic to compare it with that this doctor couldn't care less about my son. He was so unprofessional I was embarrased for him.
If this is Standard Medical Practice, and it does seem to be...I'll take some place like the Amen Clinic any day. If I do end up using Risperdal it won't be by those who are known for typical standard medical practice, now that I know the difference.
|
|
