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Post by dansydd on Jul 15, 2004 8:22:54 GMT -5
First off, I want to say hello & I am so glad to find this site. My ds is 6 and we have been having problems with him for about the last three years, first the dx was early onset bipolar and we tried different meds without alot of luck. Risperdal was the only one that seemed to really help, but he put on alot of weight. Now we are going the stimulant route,(thinking maybe he has adhd, and not early onset bipolar) yesterday was his first day of Ritalin La it seemed to work ok, he was alot less hungry which is actually good in his case, but then around 4pm yesterday the rebound of the medicine wearing off was terrible. And now today he had his medicine around 7:00am and it is now almost 9 and he seems more hyper then ever. I am just so stressed out & confused maybe this isn't working, my understanding is that you should start to notice in about 30-45min it has been almost two hrs now. He didn't eat anything besides the applesauce we sprinkled it in, does not eatting make a difference?? Sorry this got so long, I would love to hear any feed back. Thanks
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Post by catseye on Jul 15, 2004 9:33:45 GMT -5
Welcome to the board!
my sd is on adderall xr, which I believe ritalin La is supposed to be the same theory of long acting?
Anyway with her adderall xr, sd also gets a "booster" pill of just plain adderall between 3:30-4:00 it really helps with the rebound affect you are seeing... We really only use it, when there is homework (to keep the concentration on), or an after school activity of some sort... Otherwise I throw her butt outside and tell her to RUN RUN RUN there! LOL
I would suggest asking the dr, about a booster med... As for the appetite suppression, that would be another to aske the dr about... 2 things I have seen happen with appetite suppression is 1. dr orders something else, to counter that side effect (remeron or something like that) 2. the parent elects (as we have) to just not give the medication on say the weekends (since in our situation it is NEEDED for school mainly), lets the kid eat everything in the house, the supression during the week isnt as concerning... Good luck
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Post by Amsmom on Jul 15, 2004 9:54:40 GMT -5
dansydd,
Welcome to the forums. We are so glad you are here. This is a very supportive, caring community and I think you will be glad you are here as well!
May I ask what was involved when the dx went from bipolar to adhd? My son who is 8 was dx with adhd at 4 and with bipolar at 7. Children with mood disorders are usually unable to take stimulants as they increase the negative behaviors. We tried several stims with my son, all with negative outcome. He went on Risperdal about 4 yrs ago and it has drastically decreased his aggression. At first it did cause weight gain, which I was concerned about. The dr said he would rather see a chubby, happy child than a thin, angry, sad child. My son's weight is now within normal limits. He also is on Depakote for mood stabilization. Are his meds evaluated by his pediatrician, a psychiatrist or a neurologist? Best of luck to you dansydd. Keep coming back, we are here for you.
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Post by MomX2 on Jul 15, 2004 11:54:49 GMT -5
I'm not sure what I can say to help but maybe I can share some of what I've been told. There seems to be some discrepancy over the diagnosis of Bi-polar Disorder in children. Some doctors are concerned it's becoming the new fad and is being diagnosed too early when maybe the child has a different type of mood disorder or even a personality disorder. First ADHD became well known and then suddenly dozens and dozens of kids were diagnosed with it. Now the ADHD medications haven't helped many of these kids and they're starting to say well what about Bi-polar Disorder? It might make more sense to come to the understanding that something is different with a child but we don't often know what. If the medications aren't helping you may have the wrong medication, the wrong amount or the wrong diagnosis entirely. There seems to be very little understanding of mood differences in children or adults which could lead to a lot of misdiagnosis.
Your experience with giving your child stimulants is all too common. Loss of appetite and rebound seems to happen a lot. Generally if the medication works you know it and you're very happy with it.
I was making some notes about other medications recently. One used to help children diagnosed with aggression and who don't respond well to ADHD medications is Buspar. Another one that has been used successfully in adults to treat Bi-polar Disorder is Abilify. It doesn't have as many of the severe side-effects such as weight gain. There haven't been studies on children but it is being prescribed for children currently. I often feel like I'm taking a risk no matter what medications we choose for our child.
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Post by Amsmom on Jul 15, 2004 18:59:21 GMT -5
Momx2,
I don't think you are speaking about all dr's dx-ing bipolar too easily, but I feel the need to explain my son's bipolar dx. I know that there are many dr's out there who dx adhd way too easily as an explanation of a "spirited child". I know that bipolar is also now being dx too quickly these days. I'm fortunate to have an excellent child psychiatrist for my ds8. My ds was dx as ADHD/ODD at age 4. He had been physically aggressive, hyper and defiant for over 2 yrs at that time. As my ds grew, I noticed that he had frequent and rapid mood swings. I work in the mental health field and recognized a possible mood disorder. When my ds was 7, I asked his psychiatrist if he thought that there was indication of biploar disorder. He showed me the criteria and asked me what I thought. I responed that I felt my ds met the criteria for early onset bipolar. The dr agreed. He didn't dx it too quickly or force the dx on me. Again, I don't think you are saying that all dr's say bipolar as a catch-all dx, but I wanted to share our story.
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Post by MomX2 on Jul 19, 2004 17:37:08 GMT -5
I remember several years ago I read an article about a 4/yr/old who was finally diagnosed with early onset Bi-polar. It was a chilling story to read because this child stood on the end of a pier and was threatening to jump (suicide). I would never have thought a child that young capable of thinking that way.
So many of these disorders seem to have so many overlapping symptoms that it's hard to tell what's really going on.
I wish one of these doctors could explain to me what the difference is between Bi-polar Disorder and Premenstrual Dyphoric Disorder in girls/women. Both involve extreme mood swings that cycle. PMDD seems to cycle much faster (about ever 2 weeks). I would like to know because it may effect teenage girls and may even effect preteen girls before they even start their first menstrual cycle.
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