difficult child 2 is so. dang. tired.

gcvmom

Here we go again!
He was up until well after midnight yesterday (which was technically after 1am in light of the time change). Very tired this morning, but managed to stay awake in classes (last week a teacher sent him home because he was falling asleep in 2nd period).

husband has been giving him 1/2 a bottle (1 ounce) of that 5-hour Energy Drink stuff to see if would counteract the sedation he's been battling with his medications. It does seem to help -- makes him a little jittery, and a little bouncy by the end of the afternoon. And then today he just crashed after he ate some dinner. Got about 4 math problems done and just could not go any further. I let him nap for about an hour and a half and woke him up at 8:30pm to try to finish his homework (and take his medications). He got half the stuff done. Now it's about 10pm and past his usual bedtime by about an hour, so I sent him to bed, even though he's got more work to do.

We go back to see the psychiatrist next Monday. I don't know about this energy drink -- I really don't like giving it to him, but it does seem to give him more focus and more energy -- he's not moving so lethargically when he takes it. I did try 1/4 of a 10mg Focalin tablet on Saturday -- he was able to focus, but his reflexes were still slowed. Maybe it's time to try cutting back the Seroquel XR. I tried that a few months ago and he just couldn't handle it.

Life is too dang complicated with this kid. :(
 

flutterby

Fly away!
He's probably crashing after the energy drink wears off.

psychiatrist cut my difficult child 2's Seroquel back to 50mg. Thank goodness. They're too young to sleep their lives away.

I hope you can find a solution for difficult child 2.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Gcv,
I hope the doctor can find some solution for difficult child - he's got to be miserable. My difficult child's best friend is having the same issues right now. difficult child said her head is on her desk in many classes during the day. Her parents and doctor are trying to find the right medication amounts to avoid seizures without creating a zombie.

Hope things get resolved real fast.

Sharon
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
He's probably crashing after the energy drink wears off.


I wondered about that, too. But the label says it's only got a cup of coffee's worth of caffeine in a whole bottle, and he takes 1/2. Plus, he took it at 8am and the crash came at 7pm. I realize some kids can take 12 hours to process some things out of their system, but I have my doubts about this being the case for him.

I was just reading an e-article about vitamin supplements for bipolar. They do recommend the B vitamins, but in careful dosing because some of them can induce mania in certain people. I see a bit of this in difficult child 2 on this energy drink, which is loaded with B's.

Our psychiatrist actually suggested we give him Mountain Dew in the morning a few years ago when he was having trouble staying awake and alert in the mornings. Maybe that would be better...

Some people just have no idea how easy they have it with their kids. Can't stop the medications because he becomes manic. Can't continue the way he is because he's missing out on too much.

Anyway, maybe we can tweak the Seroquel and make an improvement in this issue....

Thanks!
 
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