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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by seeknsolace on May 8, 2004, at 9:00:58
My son is 12 years old, symptomatic of ODD. It's getting out of control.. me, being bipolar and forcing myself to stay in control dealing with my son, having an explosive, uncontrollable personality has got me at my limit. He's been symptomatic his entire life, now getting worse with age, especially reaching the teen years.
He is in therapy, after his last outburst, I told his therapist what happened.. this along with many other factors, his therapist recommends he gets analyzed by a psychiatrist to see if meds would benefit him.
I'm hesistant, I've always knew something wasnt in balance with my son. I thought we could overcome this ourselves.. people would say he's ADD, well he's not, but come to find out he's ODD. Still I would disagree with them, refusing to be "weak".
Now, I cant take it any more and also fear for my son's well being. Bipolar runs in the family, my son is saying things like "I want to kill myself" all the time. Dont most kids say that, but knowing how I felt at 12/13/14 I wish someone had intervened then, because even at 29.. the thoughts of wanting to die come in my mind.. I want my son to not live like i did.
So, anyone have any experience with pediatric psychiatric drugs, what is good, what is not.. I know it depends, but I want to go into this with having knowledge of what to expect. Also, another main concern.. my son is about 40 pounds overweight, I know meds can cause weight gain, this being the case.. any ideas what we should avoid?
Thanks.
Posted by SLS on May 8, 2004, at 9:49:17
In reply to any advice on what a good med is for a child?, posted by seeknsolace on May 8, 2004, at 9:00:58
Hi.
Since bipolar disorder is so familial, perhaps a dual diagnosis needs to be considered. I know bipolar disorder can look different in children than it does in adults, and is difficult to differentiate from ADHD. Perhaps taking this into account will help with the choice of whether medication is indicated and which to choose. The presence of bipolar disorder might explain things if his ODD seems to be particularly difficult to treat with psychotherapies. Perhaps a mood stabilizer like Depakote or Trileptal would be useful (just thinking out loud - pay no attention). I know that the cousin of Trileptal, Tegretol, is often a successful treatment for adults with aggressive disorders. I think there is trend towards the overuse of psychotropics in children, however this might be one situation for which it is indicated.
I found this on Google:
http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=957938
"According to the book, The Bipolar Child, teens with bipolar disorder can experience mood shifts from very elated to very depressed several times in a day, making it nearly impossible for these teens to concentrate and get anything done. These mood shifts can cause symptoms that are similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and therefore this is just one more diagnostic dilemma for the therapist. Other research shows that teens with ADHD can also present in a very similar way as those with either conduct disorder or ODD. The possibility that both conduct disorder and ODD may be a component of ADHD or bipolar disorder is being researched. Therefore, both bipolar disorder and ADHD as well as conduct disorder or ODD are processes that the psychiatrist/therapist must take into consideration when attempting to diagnose a teen who is displaying severe behavior problems, such as those listed above. The psychiatrist/therapist may resolve the problem of overlapping behaviors and disorders by assigning more than one diagnosis to a child (dual diagnosis). And as many parents have discovered, because distinguishing among these disorders can be quite difficult, their child may receive one diagnosis from the therapist or psychologist and a different diagnosis from the psychiatrist. This only further adds to the concerns of the parents, leaving them to wonder if anybody at all knows what is really going on!"
I wish I could help you more. I'm sure there is someone here who can.
- Scott
Posted by Rainee on May 8, 2004, at 11:17:23
In reply to any advice on what a good med is for a child?, posted by seeknsolace on May 8, 2004, at 9:00:58
My friends son has the same thing he is 11 finally she got him to a good DR and is on meds. he is ODD and bipolar some OCD to the mix and some form of Autism. The Dr took him off Ritalin and put him on trileptal for now. The school is having a cow becuse he can't sit still and learn and he is so defiant. I think meds are in order.
find a good child DR a specialist if you can because these disorders in children can be tricky.Best wishes.
Rainee
Posted by harryp on May 8, 2004, at 15:04:59
In reply to any advice on what a good med is for a child?, posted by seeknsolace on May 8, 2004, at 9:00:58
Sounds like you have a really tough situation!
You definitely should get your son evaluated by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. He could be suffering from bipolar disorder. Suicidal threats always have to be taken seriously.
In addition, I would strongly recommend some form of family therapy. I personally think family therapy is indicated WHENEVER a child is having a serious problem, because a kid's troubles affect everyone in the family and usually cause communication breakdown. Being able to discuss things with your son with an experienced "referee" present could really make family life better for both of you.
Individual therapy for your son would probably help too.
The first thing to do is find out what you're dealing with. The suicidal threats worry me and you should definitely see a psychiatrist (child and adolescent specialist if at all possible) for a diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
Posted by seeknsolace on May 8, 2004, at 15:45:39
In reply to Re: any advice on what a good med is for a child? » seeknsolace, posted by Rainee on May 8, 2004, at 11:17:23
> My friends son has the same thing he is 11 finally she got him to a good DR and is on meds. he is ODD and bipolar some OCD to the mix and some form of Autism. The Dr took him off Ritalin and put him on trileptal for now. The school is having a cow becuse he can't sit still and learn and he is so defiant. I think meds are in order.
> find a good child DR a specialist if you can because these disorders in children can be tricky.
>
> Best wishes.
> Rainee
Thanks Rainee. My son doesnt have problems learning, a teacher said he's in the top 10% of the smartest kids in his entire school. He just refuses to do any work, is disruptive in class. He's been in detention at least 30 times since the beginning of the school year. He is sent to intervention almost daily, mostly because of the above reasons stated. At home he talks to me like you wouldnt believe, like I'm absolute trash. The latest incident was this past week, he was suspended from school for one day, for not cooperating in class. I came home, grounded him from the computer til end of the year, he blamed me for his suspension and went to his room.. flipped his bed upside down, threw over his dresser and shelves. He takes so self responsibility, blames everyone else. Defiant 24/7, has hit me twice in the past.. his dad was a violent man.. and the list just goes on. I just hate the idea of having to be medicated.. I know what an ordeal it is. I've seen kids on ritalin before.. it suppresses them, suppresses their personality and identity. But if its an option, then its better to say 5 years from now, my son does make a suicide attempt.
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