Presc meds for depression & ADHD

[camismom]

I am exploring the possiblity of Adolescent Onset Depression with Cami. For some reason... I can't explain it... I am worried about adding another presc med to what she already takes for her ADHD. Do any of you have exprerience with your child taking a stim med for ADHD along with a presc med for depression. Thanks to some wonderful info from Anne, I'm looking into St. John's Wort as well.

[Sorka]

St John's Wort is great.. but don't take it yourself if you are on' the pill'... unless you want another little bambini!!!
If not for that I would be taking it.. just to even out Mommy's mood.

hehhehe

Denise

[camismom]

I think I'll head out and get some of this SJW in the next couple days. In researching it the side effects seem far less than the ones associated with presc meds. The only thing I don't like about it is the sensitivity to sunlight. We do spend quite a bit of time in the sun on hubby's boat in the Spring and Summer.

[songwriter]

Christy-
Please take the time to research St. Johns Wort as some depression meds taken along with this herb can make things worse. If your gut feeling is cautious, pay attention to that.
Try searching: St.johns wort depression medications
I remember seeing a link here somewhere to a site listing which herbs can be safely taken with meds and which can not . Although I dont have time to find it right now.

Paul

[camismom]

Thanks Miles.... rest assured I am doing my research. Cami is not currently on anything for depression. The only thing she takes is Ritalin LA for her ADHD.

[camismom]

Well, I started Cami on SJW a couple days ago. I am starting out on a low-once a day dose and will go from there if need be. Will keep y'all posted about how she does. Right now she is out of school and away from the main stressor in her life... so it's hard to tell. School starts back next week.... we'll see after that.

Oh! She's also scheduled to see a psych this Thursday evening.

[finnmom]

for this to help her, and I hope the psych will help her too. you´re right; it´s better get this on and going before school start´s again. You´re doing a great job as a mom!!! I dont know about SJW, but if it´s no harm to try, then why not.... you can always stop if you dont like that, right!

Keeping my thump´s up for this to work!!!!

[bransmomma]

My 4 1/2 year old son just started Celexa last night. He is already on Concerta (36mg) during the day and Risperdyl (.5mg) at night. So we also added 1ML of Celexa last night. The doctor thinks my son has other issues aside from ADHD like anxiety and obesssive disorder. I haven't noticed anything good or bad yet but it's probably too soon to tell. I'm worried because he is only 4 and on three different meds now. I just want to find the right one to help his moods and behavior.

[gabrielsmom]

Hi Camismom:

I took St. John's Wort for about a year and it was wonderful. I really hope they work as well for Cami.

Keep us posted and Good Luck

Joshua

[camismom]

She IS doing better .... problem is she isn't taking it like she should. It is forgotten sometimes.

[AnneM]

Christy ... is she on a "once a day" tablet for SJW or a "more than once a day" tablets ? I know SJW more often than not comes in a "2-3 times a day" type ....

We found Sam a "ONCE a day SJW" which he takes every morning with his Concerta ... He can then FORGET about pills for the rest of the day ... it sure is MUCH easier than anything he has to take more often than just once in the morning!! ...

[camismom]

She has a once a day, but has been taking it in the evening with dinner. I don't know if it is a side effect, but she tends to fall asleep easier taking it with dinner. We just haven't got used to remembering an evening pill. She also isn't taking it to her dad's because she doesn't want "her nosy step-mother" to know she is taling it or why. Apparently, according to Cami, her sm has rummaged through her bag on many occasions.

[Cheryl]

Christy:
Sounds like SJW is a great alternative to try before another prescription med. I'll be really interested to see how it goes. My ds starts Concerta for the first time after we get back from Spring Break and SJW sounds like it might help, too. Whether depression was a component in how he acts is always been in the back of my mind. (He's ADD but pretty quiet). What are your daughter's symptoms that made you think of depression? You're a great Mom for doing all the research to help her out!

[camismom]

Thanks Cheryl. Cami has a very low self esteem for starters. The ADHD is a huge factor in that. Everything comes as a struggle for her. Though she is a very pretty girl, she doesn't see it. She feels like she fails at everything she does. She has a couple good friends, and a few more that ring the phone off the hook, but again doesn't fully see it. She feels like everyone hate her. She does struggle in school and with other things she tries. She was also very emeotional, quick to cry, and quicker still to just go into a tangent over the smallest thing. She was dealing with school struggles, making F's, a bully problem, etc. The icing on the cake and the obvious flag though was a dabble/experimenting with self injury. She is doing alot better now, though we still have a ways to go.

[Cheryl]

My heart goes out to Cami (and to you)! You have a lot to deal with. I can't even think what is actually going on in our kid's heads and how anxious, confused, and frustrated it must be. My ds has a smooth as a baby's bottom bald spot on his head from pulling out his hair. He is super sensitive about it and unfortunately it is toward the front. He says he doesn't care but how stressed he must be to pull out his own hair. So far we haven't found a med to help and it perplexes and saddens me everytime I see it.
(My ds and his brother are upstairs having World War III as I type this :.
Just a couple of ideas about self-esteem issues since mine doesn't have any either. One time in a psychologist meeting they asked me to name his academic strengths and I just sat there thinking as hard as I could but couldn't come up with even ONE thing - there literally weren't any. Later I realized I had to readjust my thinking and he does have academic strengths of his own that for him are definite strengths. I play those up but what has really helped was to tell the teachers to play it up, too. His strength is creative writing and even though his punctuation is not up to par he is so creative and writes a great story. We all talked about it in conference and his language arts teacher is tough on him but is sensitive to keeping his positive image about his writing. Maybe he'll be a writer (with spellcheck) one day. It gives us something to talk about careerwise and he can feel like he at least has an option for a future career. Also, his caseworker lets me email successes he has at home and she innocently asks him about them in a general way at school and he gets an added boost. If he has a good baseball game (though he never thinks so) I'll email her and she'll just say how is baseball going and he gets to tell her something good. He would never bring anything up on his own even if asked. I'll ask her to bring up the score or if he had any hits, etc. It works on all sorts of things and she has gotten to know him and seems to really care about helping his self-esteem.
Cami is lucky to have you. Keep looking for the positives - they're in there somewhere and let others know about her strengths, too. Maybe go with a fresh strength she might not have realized. I know a lot of times a medication is needed instead of just words but I just thought I would tell you a couple of things that are working for us. These kids have to have someone watching out and supporting them more than anyone else and it sounds like you are doing a great job. You should feel good about that. I'll say a prayer for Cami that she will feel your support and know that she is dearly loved - I can tell!