13 year old in psychiatric ward for first time

[seriously]

I can second guess some reasons for the bipolar muttering. Although I would have thought he might be heading toward schizoaffective given the apparent lack of emotional reaction? I'm not sure if I'm reading too much into your previous descriptions but flattened affect sounds like it would apply to what you are describing.

1. Public masturbation
2. Manic/hypomanic rx to Zoloft
3. Possible sx of thought disorder found in his speech - I'm guessing potential presentation of loose associations/flight of ideas, circumstantiality, pressured speech based on your very brief earlier description of his speech
4. Intrusive thoughts of suicide
5. Flattened affect, if present, can be sign of depression among many other things

None of these taken together or singly are conclusive of course but are often symptoms of early onset bipolar. Most child psychiatrists want at least a year of observation or a blatantly manic episode (not drug-induced) before they will give a Bipolar diagnosis to a child or adolescent. And response to treatment is always a part of the diagnostic process. Mix of depressive/hypomanic/manic in kids is very unpredictable and it is entirely possible, although very rare, to have someone who is mostly manic/hypomanic and rarely depressed or flips only between euthymic and manic. Rapidity of switching appears to be very unpredictable in kids but typically much quicker/frequent than in most adults with bipolar.

As others have said you have a complicated kid. You are certainly covering the bases and you probably have a terrific resource there at the private school for support to tackle daytime interventions and provide relatively objective observational data on his daytime behavior/moods.

I would definitely be charting = start and stop of medications by name, activity levels and amount/quality of speech may be more helpful with him than apparent mood states as outward manifestations of mood states, unusual things like illness, day off from school, doctor's appointments - anything out of the ordinary if you have time, anxiety, whether he's had an incident of masturbation, # hours sleep, medications yes/no, OTC medications

I agree that your son is presenting with a mixture of issues that doesn't fit well into one category. But that is more the rule than not with kids who have significant mental illness and/or developmental disabilities.

I am actually wondering if maybe a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) diagnosis that is NOT autism might fit better with the apparently "autistic" symptoms and you should be looking for a direct or records review consult with someplace that is doing research along those lines. You might want to check out:

http://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/autism/information/autism.aspx
http://childstudycenter.yale.edu/autism/information/mdd.aspx
http://www.mcdd.be/index_en.htm

And hx early brain injury probably throws a serious wrench in the diagnostic works.

So I think the focus for now needs to be on symptom control.

The reservations about all the medications. been there done that. If you are really unsure about the Abilify I would ask the psychiatrist about a trial of Seroquel, given the pervasive suicidal ideation. If you're going to try an atypical then Seroquel is known for rapid response and treatment of suicidal ideation according to the psychiatrists I've worked with.

Frankly any of the psychiatric drugs can cause an increase in suicidal thinking/behavior so it's important to have him report this to you immediately. Having him in the private school during the day is a god send and I hope you are not having to work on top of everything else and can get some rest and recovering during the day when he's gone.

The same with long Q-t. I believe all the atypical's have a long Q-t syndrome warning on them. You know the deal with that so I expect you are on top of doing ekg's and monitoring, to the extent possible, the development of long Q-t. But my guess is given the severity of his symptoms, you are going to have to bite that bullet and take the risk if you find a medication that really helps his sx but increases his risk for that.

With a kid this complicated and scary due to the animal deaths, you may want to seek a comprehensive evaluation at a major research/teaching center that takes a team approach with kids like yours. Not many of those around but Yale might be one to consider. Heck, you may be within a reasonable distance to NIMH in Bethesda. If so, I would give them a call and see if they have a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) screening study or other clinical trial they might be able to fit him into. You should be able to get some assessments that way that may be hard to get without $$$ privately.

http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/detail.cgi?A_2006-M-0065.html

If you get to the point of considering enrollment in a clinical trial, feel free to PM me or post about it and I can share our experiences and the things I've learned to ask about or consider before agreeing. We have done multiple clinical trials, mostly medical but also a couple psychiatric ones, over the past several years.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

Everyone does things differently but we tend to do things one at a time with a break inbetween (unless emergency of course). So you are first coming off the zoloft... Any way to give it a break to see if coming off that medication evens difficult child out? You seem to be saying your gut thinks it is the medications that caused bi-polar kinds of symptoms.... Just wondering???

I am going to follow what "Seriously" and others have suggested about charting things, behaviors, medications, etc...and see what happens. I am going to ask the clinical psychologist tonight about waiting a day or two with the medications.
Already my son says he has reduced thoughts of suicide and has has not had Zoloft yesterday and today. We will see. He was starting to talk funny and this, too, has reduced after two days without Zoloft.

Part of what confuses me is he says he feels suicidal, then a half an hour later talks about going to a golf tournament in November, or seeing a movie that is being advertised. Could this be REALLY rapid cycling? Maybe it is autism -- he does tend to grab onto ideas presented to him, and apply them over and over. For instance, the vocab learned and behaviors witnessed in the hospital are showing up over and over now that he has seen/heard them.

He is saying he is sad/angry because his grandmother moved away, he is saying that he is sad/angry because his dad and I divorced when he was 1, and he is saying that he is sad/angry that he got bullied in public school 4 years ago. These could all be true, but we have talked a lot about his feelings -- over the last several years -- regarding these issues, done reading about it, role-playing, written it down, and communicated in many ways about the feelings he had and might one day have. I don't know what more I could have done to help him with these feelings. It seems so strange that he is now telling his school counselor that he wants to kill himself because his grandma moved away.

At any rate, I will see if it is okay to wait a tiny bit and see how he feels and is behaving before we try the Abilify.
I would like to see if he can go a day or more without wanting to die. Bless his heart, he does tell us when he feels this way, which is wonderful. We need him to feel safe when telling us things, which he now does.

I want to holler a big thank you to you all, yet again. I would be navigating this poorly without out your help.

 

[seriously]

Look up Intrusive or Unwanted Thoughts

Seen in many, many mental illnesses and even in people who are not considered mentally ill

 

[buddy]

I really admire how you are going through this. He is so blessed to have you.

I don't know what more I could have done to help him with these feelings. It seems so strange that he is now telling his school counselor that he wants to kill himself because his grandma moved away.

I hear all of the time that my difficult child just doesn't let things go. I always knew that but now everyone sees it. He is mad at a kid and can't get along with him even one day because he remembers in 3rd grade being pulled to the ground by the coat and kicked around for what the other kid saw as breaking a rule on the playground. (kid still provokes him and is a big part of why the bus has issues, but mine is the louder one who gets in trouble, one honest and observant teacher clued me in)

He is still mad at me for saying "poop freak" one time (it was a silly thing but he didn't like it). He was maybe 7 but he still tells me he is going to "tell on me to his teachers". Oh yeah, he can call me a n-word, b-word etc., but I couldn't say poop freak. And the reason I wont let him be in all day sp. ed classes is exactly what you said, he picks up every word, every behavior and in our case he will do it longer, louder, less sneaky-so teachers always catch him, and more frequently.

So as mine has mentioned suicide too this year (he has been talking to the psychologist about it, and to me too so we are clear he just wants to have a re-do and come back not autistic so we are reviewing the PERMANENCE of death) I am paying attention to this thread closely and really do think you are amazing.

 

[alongfortheride]

Regarding your daughter...my guess is that because she asked for a stimulant, that sent up red flags of drug seeking given the fact that she is a teenager.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

Look up Intrusive or Unwanted Thoughts

Seen in many, many mental illnesses and even in people who are not considered mentally ill

Funny, I was just telling him about intrusive thoughts yesterday or the day before. I wanted him to know that you can think them, and it can come into your mind against your will, but it doesn't mean you have to act on them, or that they are real. They might be here just for a season, like company you don't really want to have but you have to accommodate for a little while.
I didn't want him to think that because they were "showing up" in his mind, he had to act on them.
That was the best I could do.

And Buddy, ( I don't know how to multi-quote) "So as mine has mentioned suicide too this year (he has been talking to the psychologist about it, and to me too so we are clear he just wants to have a re-do and come back not autistic so we are reviewing the PERMANENCE of death) I am paying attention to this thread closely and really do think you are amazing."

That meant a lot. I really don't feel very amazing. I feel like if I was a BETTER parent, then I would have a mentally healthy child. Don't we all think that at times?

But, what you said about autism and making sure they get it with death -- we went there several times this week.
It is not a video game. You don't get another life. I am pretty sure we are NOT done talking about that. We have used a lot of analogies. I really hope they are working.

I really am exhausted.

 

[keista]

I was happy to Abilify rxed for him. (Again, I'm not a Dr) When son hit his depression at 13, we went for medications and we got a NP as a prescriber. He immediately suggested Abilify. I was shocked that he would suggest something so heavy duty, BUT he said that it's been used quite successfully for "treating" autism. ?????? Say what????? Well, not really treating it, but helping to reduce the frustration levels, that leads to anger, violence, and as for my son, depression. OK, we'll try it. For him it has been a dream come true. He felt better the very first day he took it. He even asked me if this was supposed to make him feel happy, because we had never specifically discussed that. Yeah, it is. He was on 2 mg for 2 years and we just upped him to 5 because his frustrations levels began gradually increasing in the last 6 months.

on the other hand DD1 may be some where on the bipolar spectrum. We tried Abilify for her, but it was a flop. Never calmed her at all, only agitated her. Ultimately in my opinion it's why she was Baker Acted. Regardless, Abilify is a good "try" for bipolar disorders and I don't regret trying it on her.

Anyway, your psychiatrist was talking bipolar, and you think maybe Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and Abilify could be good for both.

I feel like if I was a BETTER parent, then I would have a mentally healthy child.

Absolutely, positively NOT TRUE. Mental illness is an illness. Using that logic, if you were a *better* parent your kids would never get sick. Seriously, can you make that claim? I can't. You are doing an amazing job. Yes, we all often feel like we "could do more", maybe we could, but as long as we are doing the best we can (and it sounds like you are), that is all we can do. Our kids are better for it, regardless of the results.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I feel like if I was a BETTER parent, then I would have a mentally healthy child.

OK, where's the shot-gun. Full of... oh, popcorn, maybe - something that won't kill ya but might wake you up.

Would you make this same statement about a medical problem?
as in: "I feel like if I was a BETTER parent, then I would have a physically healthy child."
???

If you were one of the parents out there actually doing the things that cause medical problems of any kind - physical, mental or emotional - then it is highly unlikely you would be coming to this board. THOSE parents do not want help. YOU do. Some of the difficult child kids on this board have problems caused by "bad parenting"... but not by the current parents, who are on this board. Know what I mean??

Therefore, go to the mirror and repeat after me:

I am NOT a bad parent.​

You ARE the parent of a very challenging kid. That isn't the kid's fault. But it sure isn't YOUR fault either.
We are all learning how to be "better" parents - great to have people to bounce things off of, share experiences, learn from.
And as we improve our parenting skills, it sometimes does have an impact on our difficult children.
But its definitely at best only ONE of many elements, and definitely NOT the key driver.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

I was happy to Abilify rxed for him. (Again, I'm not a Dr) When son hit his depression at 13, we went for medications and we got a NP as a prescriber. He immediately suggested Abilify. I was shocked that he would suggest something so heavy duty, BUT he said that it's been used quite successfully for "treating" autism. ?????? Say what????? Well, not really treating it, but helping to reduce the frustration levels, that leads to anger, violence, and as for my son, depression. OK, we'll try it. For him it has been a dream come true. He felt better the very first day he took it. He even asked me if this was supposed to make him feel happy, because we had never specifically discussed that. Yeah, it is. He was on 2 mg for 2 years and we just upped him to 5 because his frustrations levels began gradually increasing in the last 6 months.

on the other hand DD1 may be some where on the bipolar spectrum. We tried Abilify for her, but it was a flop. Never calmed her at all, only agitated her. Ultimately in my opinion it's why she was Baker Acted. Regardless, Abilify is a good "try" for bipolar disorders and I don't regret trying it on her.

Anyway, your psychiatrist was talking bipolar, and you think maybe Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and Abilify could be good for both.
Absolutely, positively NOT TRUE. Mental illness is an illness. Using that logic, if you were a *better* parent your kids would never get sick. Seriously, can you make that claim? I can't. You are doing an amazing job. Yes, we all often feel like we "could do more", maybe we could, but as long as we are doing the best we can (and it sounds like you are), that is all we can do. Our kids are better for it, regardless of the results.

Well, thank you. Reading this makes me feel better. I have only read a few positive testimonies about Abilify. It is our first night on Abilify -- he is on 2 mg. I cannot sleep because I worry about the suicidal thoughts that came on him so suddenly after the 6 days on Zoloft. So, I am on the board reading.

We saw the clinical psychologist tonight and it was a very good experience. I trust him. He asked great questions, was amazing with my son, and best of all -- he has a plan! Yay! Someone has a plan, and it's not me!

I also mentioned my daughter's and son's experiences with the psychiatrist, and he works very closely with three psychiatrists and treats many patients with medications. Although he disagreed with the psychiatrist on some issues (treatment of my DD1), he agreed that 2 mg of Abilify will be a good try for my GFC son.

I worry about side effects. We have always done natural treatments of anything we can -- diet, biomedical, orthomolecular approaches, so this is hard.

Gross side note on caring for mentally ill child during a crisis:
I was thinking of how I suddenly hated my hair. It wasn't feeling good or looking good. It was ratty on the ends and I thought that it was time to get it cut short. I just kept putting it up. I almost made an appointment to bob it off, then I realized that I hadn't washed it in six or seven days!!!!!! I popped into the bath a few times, but my hair is thick and takes forever to detangle and dry, so I have been skipping it. Oh, and my pants are all tight. Wake up call to take care of myself.

Goodnight, all.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I worry about side effects. We have always done natural treatments of anything we can -- diet, biomedical, orthomolecular approaches, so this is hard.

I understand the worry about side effects. Just remember... its a fine balancing act. You want to get maximum intended effect, with minimum side-effects. The "right" combo of medications, timing, dosage, combinations... is totally unique to the person taking the pills.

The image that helped me alot was... What if my kid was diabetic? Would I have an issue with giving him Insulin, if that was required? But Insulin has all sorts of side effects, and has to be managed very carefully, and all those blood-sugar tests multiple times per day... BUT... what Insulin does to the body, other medications do to the brain.

If the problem is caused by brain chemicals/hormones being "out of whack", then... sometimes it takes other chemicals to bring the brain back "in balance". And yes, its tricky. But when it works really well... the kid ends up leading an "almost normal" life.

Most important thing is to have a really good psychiatrist who you can work with - and it sounds like you have that.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

OK, where's the shot-gun. Full of... oh, popcorn, maybe - something that won't kill ya but might wake you up.

Shoot me with m&ms. Please. And thanks! I know this, I am just grieving. I foresee a lifetime of mental illness, residential treatment, etc...that's what folks are saying anyway, and although I eventually accepted life with autism, this is new to me and it is taking time to sink in. My lovely little boy whom I tried so hard to help is now walking an even harder, rockier path, and he seems to be changing before my eyes, and I don't like it. It breaks my heart.

I guess that doesn't matter now. We have what we have and we have to do the best we can, and not lose our senses of humor in the process.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I foresee a lifetime of mental illness, residential treatment, etc...that's what folks are saying anyway,

That's what WHO is seeing?

Its MUCH too soon to be going there.
These kids go through MASSIVE changes in the next 10-12 years... up to about age 25.
You won't really know until you get "there".

But yes - it does kinda whollup you sometimes. We felt that way when difficult child was 13. By the time he was getting close to 15... we don't see the bleak future at all.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

I understand the worry about side effects. Just remember... its a fine balancing act. You want to get maximum intended effect, with minimum side-effects. The "right" combo of medications, timing, dosage, combinations... is totally unique to the person taking the pills.

If the problem is caused by brain chemicals/hormones being "out of whack", then... sometimes it takes other chemicals to bring the brain back "in balance". And yes, its tricky. But when it works really well... the kid ends up leading an "almost normal" life.

An "almost normal" life? That is wonderful. I don't think I have heard that yet, since we started this last week. My almost normal dreams for him has gone from finding a job that that he liked -- like being a fingerprint tech at the sheriff's office, or working at his current school (grads often do).....to living with us or perhaps a group home, and working with my husband's small business, to giving away our much loved doggies and not ever being able to leave him alone, then an institution or prison with him left with raging tardive dyskinesia.

I pray for an almost normal life. That would be a gift. I was assuming it was going to be bad from this point forward. If there is only some hope. I think I will try to sleep now. Thanks......

 

[seriously]

It is so normal to grieve. My experience is that each time one of our difficult child's fails to reach a "milestone" in the typical way I tend to feel at least sad and have to be careful not to assume that they will never reach that milestone in a way that works for them. It is really hard to know exactly what to expect at this stage and it is entirely possible that some aspects of the current troubles will improve.

I think the most negative expectations on your list may be as unrealistic as something approaching what most people would call normal. I don't have a crystal ball but our difficult child 1 had many of the same issues you are describing in terms of academic failure, public masturbation, inappropriate affect (although he never killed animals that we know of), probable brain injury in utero due to in utero fractures. Reflecting back to his early adolescence when things began to go horribly wrong I think it would have been helpful for us to have someone say - you know, this isn't looking good and it would be a good idea for you to start thinking about this differently. He's not going to be "normal" and you need to adjust your expectations and meet him where he's at - which was not anywhere approaching "normal".

If we had been able to do that sooner we might have had a better outcome. But you never know.

Our difficult child 1 is 28 and he is happy with his life. We are amazed he is still alive and at his remarkable ability to land on his feet (so to speak) no matter what. I doubt most people would be happy in his place - homeless, so severely physically disabled he requires help with all tasks of daily living and in constant pain, drug and alcohol addicted, mentally ill, largely illiterate. His jaw is wired together right now after he broke it severely and it's uncertain if it will ever heal. He's had multiple broken arms and legs over the past 3 years including one memorable 4th of July when he turned up at ER with 2 broken legs, 1 broken arm, skull fracture and a raging infection that had his BiPolar (BP) 210/170 and his heart rate at 165. He was in ICU for 3 days and in long term acute care for 8 weeks.

I imagine you will be surprised to hear me say that he is doing better than he was for a long time. He has managed to find an IHSS caregiver who has adopted him into her heart and has stuck with him no matter what difficult child 1 has put her through (thanks in large part to her own codependence but we are not looking that gift horse in the mouth). He has stopped using crystal meth for the most part which means he is almost human again. When he was on crystal meth he was completely psychotic and in terrible danger all the time from assault by other users. One or two of us go to see him every 3 or 4 months - he lives a couple hours drive away - and our visits are now largely pleasant, as long as they last just a few hours and we have something to do like the movies.

He is certainly doing better than he was at age 17 when he was attempting suicide on a frequent basis in our home, running away for days at a time thanks to his power wheelchair and threatening/attempting to hurt us and his much younger siblings almost continuously.

This is the context I bring to our conversation.

I try to find a way to hold hope/high expectations while doing my best to work with the present reality and prepare for the future that this present reality suggests is most likely with our difficult child 2. Don't know what else to do and I don't always know how to perform that tightrope walk. We are hearing Residential Treatment Center (RTC) from every single professional we are working with except one who I think is just too stubborn to give in. LOL Plus she knows that we have no $$ or resources to pay for Residential Treatment Center (RTC) so isn't ready to push an option she knows will only be on the table if difficult child 2 gets violent to the point someone in the family is seriously hurt.


Not sure if any of that ramble was helpful but it's the best I have to offer. I know that your child and family are not ours but I don't think it would be right to tell you it's all going to be OK (OK meaning normal).

But maybe that's OK too - or will be eventually.

Hugs

 

[susiestar]

I haven't read anything but wanted to post about the zoloft. I really HATE seeing this used in teen males. My son and several other boys who's moms were here at the time ALL had greatly increased violence and depression at 3-4 mos into taking zoloft. I learned tonight that a doctor trialed it on Wiz just recently and it happened again. He could feel himself getting violent the way he used to be and called and informed them that it was going away NOW and he wanted his prior antidepressant back. Seems the doctor changed it for not good reason, or likely because he had stock in the company making the generic version, knowing his doctor (who has been known to brag about that but I have no control - he has lived with my parents since age 14 for the safety of all of us.).

For a long time I thought it was just our boys, but I have seen it mentioned on this forum and on some others when looking into zoloft. Docs blow it off, or have with me and those who I have asked about it on other boards. But it scares me. I hope the doctor has changed the medication and that you are getting some real help.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

I haven't read anything but wanted to post about the zoloft. I really HATE seeing this used in teen males. My son and several other boys who's moms were here at the time ALL had greatly increased violence and depression at 3-4 mos into taking zoloft. I learned tonight that a doctor trialed it on Wiz just recently and it happened again. He could feel himself getting violent the way he used to be and called and informed them that it was going away NOW and he wanted his prior antidepressant back. Seems the doctor changed it for not good reason, or likely because he had stock in the company making the generic version, knowing his doctor (who has been known to brag about that but I have no control - he has lived with my parents since age 14 for the safety of all of us.).

For a long time I thought it was just our boys, but I have seen it mentioned on this forum and on some others when looking into zoloft. Docs blow it off, or have with me and those who I have asked about it on other boards. But it scares me. I hope the doctor has changed the medication and that you are getting some real help.

He was on Zoloft for about 6 days. He experienced mania, intermittent suicidal thoughts, inability to sleep. After day 4, at doctor's suggestion, we cut the dose in half to 12.5. The second day on that I had to get him from school because he was thinking about suicide.

The new doctor, who didn't like him on Zoloft, gave him Abilify yesterday morning. We started it last night and were up most of the night. He had auditory hallucinations, that at one point, when my husband and I fell asleep for a few minutes, left him screaming in the dining room.

I'm guessing ....it's the Abilify??? I think we need to stop this, too. I think I have mentioned on the board that my kids and I all get very heavy side effects from medications. It seems like a real sensitivity. I can even taste when Tylenol hits my system.

 

[seriously]

None of you needed that. I am so sorry.

But I am very sensitive to the atypicals as well - 40 mg Geodon gave me the kinds of reactions most people on it don't get until they've been at the max dose for a long time.

I am wondering if he needs to be in the psychiatric hospital for medication changes at this point. But only if your new psychiatrist is sure he will get good care from the inpatient docs or if he clearly a danger to self/others. Did you call the on-call doctor if there is one?

Do you know what the dose was on the Abilify? Not that he should stay on that, but if the doctor really thinks another atypical might be good then the dose he started Abilify with could be a guide on how much NOT to give him.

If the new medication comes in liquid form, then you might ask about doing that if it would allow you to start with the smallest possible dose - probably a fraction of the typical lowest starting dose.

The atypicals have looked very good in most of the clinical trials dealing with many different mental illness presentations including early onset bipolar.

I'm not sure if you already understand this but this is going to be an extended trial-and-error process with the medications. There will be times when he will have to wash out of one medication before starting another, when different formulations of a drug will be tried, when trial of up to a month is needed to see if milder side effects like nausea go away on their own.

My experiences have led me to have some "rules" about this process:

1. I never let a doctor start me or my kid on an extended release form of a medication. OMG horrible side effects for an extended period of time???

2. I generally insist on starting at the lowest possible dose - or even half of that if I can divide the smallest pill. And we titrate him/me up very slowly, perhaps at twice the normal schedule for increasing doses.

3. Unless it's an emergency, we don't start a new medication in the middle of the week. I usually start a new medication on Fridays so if I have big problems I won't be alone to drive and care for our kids. If your husband is at work all day then you may want to do the same with your difficult child so if he has a bad reaction there are two of you there to handle it. The drawback to this is that there is no psychiatrist on call over the weekend so I will have to use my best judgment (with or without input from the pharmacist) if I have big problems.

4. I use the same pharmacy for all our medications if possible and I will change pharmacies in a flash if I think the head pharmacist isn't a really good one. I pick up prescriptions when I am pretty sure I will be able to see the head pharmacist for a consult if I need one.

5. I make sure everyone - primary care doctor, pharmacy, psychiatrist, school, etc. - has an updated list of medications, doses, and allergies (including "sensitivities") as soon as possible. Our pharmacy has caught more than one interaction that needed to be double checked before the drugs were taken together or when it was on someone's allergy list. But they rely on you to report sensitivities to them.

 

[buddy]

i really am exhausted

i bet!

 

[Steely]

Whew....I read all the posts. Yay. OK. Well welcome, and I am sorry you have had such a crummy week, month, year.

I will skip all the things I would have said 3 days ago when this post started, and zero in on your son's reaction to Abilify. My son, who has bi-polar, had the same reaction. He was up for something like 3 days without sleep on Abilify - he was literally out of his little mind. HOWEVER - the other anti-psychotics worked miracles for him. So - yes - no SSRIs for your difficult child like Zoloft or Prozac - but I think an AP other than Abilify might really help your difficult child. They help slow down the thinking so that it does not become muddled and distorted, and so that they can truly process a thought and react appropriately.

Anti-psychotic are medications like Abilify (the newest one) - but better ones for us were Seroquel, Zyprexa, and Riserdal. I would keep working with this Dr and just tell him - Abilify made my son have auditory hallucinations, so NEXT AP please.

 

[keista]

When was his last dose of Zoloft? That still has to exit the body and can have withdrawal effect, yes even after just 6 days. Yes, it could also be the Abilify.