difficult child started on new medications (AGAIN!) today...

[AprilH]

Hi all-
First off, I am sorry to read the sad news about Kanga. I don't know what I will do if my son's situation gets any worse. I did get the green light from his psychiatric's to take him to a Group Home tomorrow; I have to go to the county mental health office with him first. Anyway, he has been given a new medication to try and an old one to try again, and the other dose increased. The Vyvanse has been increased to 50mg, one every morning, he has been given Risperdal to try again, the disolvable 1mg tab every night, and Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 150mg tabs twice daily. He has not taken the Trileptal before; has anyone's difficult child's tried it and if so, what was the experience like? I have the nagging feeling that these medications will make my son a drugged 'Zombie' and I'm not too cool with that. I just don't know anything anymore...

 

[sandman3]

Hey April,

I'm glad you are able to get more help quickly. With the medications, keep in mind that most of them will produce the "drugged, sleepy" effect initally until their little bodies adjust to it.....I've never forgotten the first time I gave my son a medication, freaked me the heck out! I want to say we tried Trileptal before, but I honestly can't keep track of all the different things we've tried. I tend to remember the one's with the horrid outcome and not the others so at least I can say this one is "not memorable" for me. Not that it will help you at all! I hope tomorrow goes as well as it can for you, keep me posted.

 

[pepperidge]

April,

here's my experience for what its worth. My son does great (and he had some rages before...) on a combination of Adderall, Risperdal and Lamictal. He tends to the depressed and anxous end of the spectrum. He takes .25 Risperdal in the moring and .5 in the evening. That seems to have mellowed out his anxiety and some of his anger.

The Adderall does wonders for him--he is like a different kid (though the rebound is not very pleasant). We had a bad experience with Trileptal though--he got quite manic and aggressive on it. we d/c after a week I think. With changing so many medications it will be difficult for you to figure out what is going on. I wonder if you could try the increase in Vynase and the Risperdal and hold off on the Trileptal for a week or so? The improvement in Vynase should be pretty clear almost within a day or two, and Risperdal should work pretty quick too. You might want to ask about 2 times a day dosing on the Risperdal. We used the quick dissolving pill--called it the emergency pill!

I know some people have had good luck on Trileptal, but it seems that relatively few here have found it to be very effective. Maybe I am wrong about that, but that's the impression I get from reading the board.

Anyway, good luck. hugs