Amsmom

[dansydd]

Thanks for your reply We started having problems with my ds around the age of three with aggression and mood swings & generally just hyper. Around 4 1/2 is aggression started getting really out of control, throwing things, hittting us, you name it. We tried all the discipline stuff and talked with psychlogists and then finally went the psychiatrist route. At first she thought the early onset bipolar was what was going on, so we treated that with trileptal & prozac and they seemed to be working for awhile and then the aggression started getting worse, so then the risperdal was added and that seemed like a miracle, but after about 5-6mos he had gained 16lbs. At the time he was 5 and weighed 89lbs. So we went off that and onto abilify, which do ok for awhile but just wasn't working like the risperdal was. By this time he was in kingergarten and his teaching keep sending notes home about him being so antsy and not being able to pay attention & his lack of focus. Well I wasn't ready for a med change so we just kinda tried the best we could to make it thru kindergarten and he did. He is so smart, funny & kind I just hate to see him going thru this. But anyway with everything that was going in in Kindergarten and then just the hyperness we have noticed at home. He isn't bouncing off the walls hyper, he is just mentally hyper like his mind is constantly changing channels, and he talks non -stop. So the psy thought maybe the adhd was causing the agression and mood swings since his mind was constantly going, so that is when we deceided to give the Ritalin a try. And so far I just don't think it is for him, he is still very hyper mentally, maybe not quite as much, but still more then when he was on risperdal. I agree with your ds doctor about rather having a happy overweight child then a sad skinny one. I just know how cruel kids can be, and I was really starting to worry about him.
Has your son seen a neurologist? I have been wondering about having my ds see one.
Well I am off to work, thanks again for your reply & the welcome:)

[Amsmom]

dansydd,
Thanks for writing back! My ds was similarly aggressive all the way back to age 1-1/2. When he was first dx ADHD and ODD (age 4), he was put on Prozac and he became MUCH more hyper. Stims were tried next with the negative behaviors I mentioned before. Depakote was the first med that really stabilized his mood. I'm not saying that Depakote is the one for your ds, I'm just saying that my ds also had trouble with Prozac and the stims.

My ds fortunately has an excellent child psychiatrist who dx'ed him and does his meds. I was not surprised when he came up with the bipolar dx, b/c he exhibited all the signs. Children with mood disorders usually have at least one parent with a mood disorder. I have clinical depression and I believe his "father", who is violent and not involved with us, is un-dx bipolar. My ds was also evaluated by 2 neurologists who came to the same conclusion as the psych.

What dosage of Risperdal was your ds on when he gained all the weight? I know what you mean about feeling bad about the weight. My ds was teased by kids in school and it broke my heart. The psychiatrist explained that Risperdal triggers a part of the brain that makes the kids feel like they are hungry when they have already eaten. My ds started on .25 mg once a day and now 4 yrs later, he is up to 1.5mg a day.Thankfully, his wt has stabilized. I tried to wean him off the Risperdal once and his terrible aggression returned, so I put him back on it (all with dr's help).
I know how difficult the med trials are. I've been through it many times.
Hugs to you! (((((((((dansydd))))))))
Keep us posted.