I think we're heading into our third hypomanic Spring...

[gcvmom]

if difficult child 2's behavior trends are any predictor.

He has been irritable the past two days. Woke up early on Saturday morning (8am) on his own, which is very early for him -- he would sleep until noon or later if I let him on the weekends. Sunday I woke him at 11am because he had things he needed to do. Didn't sleep well last night he reported today. Exploded a couple of times at easy child last night and this morning. This afternoon when I picked him up after school he was also very talkative and hyper and was refusing to go to basketball practice. Very negative attitude -- almost hostile. Earlier in the school year, the hyperactivity would only be there if he missed his afternoon dose of Seroqel XR. The past week or so it's been there almost every day. The negativity has not been typical, although it pops up occasionally. It surprised me this time, I guess. Maybe it's the sleep issue.

I gave him 200mg of regular Seroquel at 3pm. He was considerably settled and with a better attitude by the time I dropped him off for practice at 4pm.

I saw him again at 6pm and he was still on an even keel.

By 8pm, he was starting to wind up again. He wasn't finished with homework and he was just wandering around, getting into things, acting silly, not concentrating. But then after a half hour of my repeated requests/nagging to sit down and finish, he finally did sit down and got the work done.

Next, we needed to put a costume together for a event at school tomorrow, and he was like a man on a mission, talking very loudly and just bulldozing his way through an attempt to "create" this costume out of a table cloth and some fabric scraps.

I was on the computer looking for examples for the costume when I turn around and he's standing there in his underwear trying to wrap the scraps around himself! I dug out a larger, old white tablecloth instead. He would not hold still so I could help him pin the fabric, and he kept talking and talking and some of the things he was saying were just not well thought out and a bit out of touch. When he gets like this, he tries to sound like an authority on something but it's all just baloney he's guessing at and/or making up. But he was very confident and very convincing about it all! To me that smacks of early grandiosity.

Finally, I had to tell him to just STOP. But he just couldn't. I had him take his evening dose of Seroquel XR and did my best to help him finish the garment despite the fidgeting and talking and obsessing and ugh -- it was exhausting!

After sending him off to bed, he was still up for a half hour fiddling around with stuff, lights on, etc. Where is the SWITCH to turn him OFF when he's like this?! He finally was quiet about 15 minutes after I turned out the lights again. I'm sure the Seroquel XR had kicked in.

I talked to the psychiatrist a little over a week ago about some of the stuff that's been going on with him (the ripped jacket, the impulsive decision to make friends with the jacket boy who bugs him, and then the change in that decision, the afternoon dose of Seroquel XR not holding him, his consistent demerits for talking, blurting out, difficulty concentrating, distracted, etc.). At the time, psychiatrist said he didn't want to rock the boat yet by adding Trileptal, but ya know what? I think the boat's already starting to rock a bit.

I left an update for him on Friday but have not heard back. I plan to call again this Friday with another update.

I don't think difficult child 2 will last until June without something else to keep things steadier. This all just feels like the same unravelling he went through last year and the year before that. Same time of year, too.

Ugh. Makes me think I should keep him in a dark room!

 

[Fran]

gvcmom, sounds like my difficult child when the medications weren't holding or he wasn't keeping to the schedule. We found the ages of 11 through 15 a very difficult time with medications. The onset of puberty just magnified and sped up everything in difficult child's personality.
He will still get "wired". To me it feels obvious because I am so aware of his moods and behaviors. It's probably not as noticeable to someone else.
It definitely starts a tingle in my "spidey sense". LOL. Fortunately, with years of practice, difficult child will go and try to get him self a bit more collected. We haven't required medication changes or increases for quite a while.
It's a terrible sense of dread and exhaustion when you can not help him turn himself off. They aren't very nice either.
Good luck. Hope the doctor can help you figure out what works for your son.

 

[gcvmom]

To me it feels obvious because I am so aware of his moods and behaviors. It's probably not as noticeable to someone else.
It definitely starts a tingle in my "spidey sense".

Fran, I think that sums up my feelings about this very well.

He was very excited this morning about the social studies program he's in today. Much more energetic than is usual for him in the morning!

I'm hoping to get my video camera charged so I can tape him during the performance. It should be very telling to see him "in action" at school today.

You're also right about the dread and exhaustion this puts us under as parents. The need to be vigilant wears on you after a while.

 

[house of cards]

I think I am right there with you. This is the lovely time of year my difficult child steals like Bonnie and Clyde, it has spilled over to school for the last 2 years...oh joy.

 

[DammitJanet]

There is something to be said for that darkened room. I actually attempt to keep my room dark year round. It might mean I need a lamp on when I am in there sometimes but I can turn the lights off and just watch tv without other light.

You might want to try room darkening shades and have him spend some time in his room.

medications can also play a part. I know, I know.

 

[butterflydreams]

I'm sorry that your difficult child is irritating you so much, I hope you get some relief soon. I find this interesting though, because my difficult child is showing some hypermania too. We have been going along really smooth since his last hospitalization last month. This new medication combo really seems to be doing the trick, but in the last couple of weeks we have seen some of the behaviors that you are mentioning. Then yesterday all of a sudden his anxiety raised its ugly head and he wouldn't go to school. Today same thing.

Good luck and best wishes.

 

[gcvmom]

You know what they say, HOC: Misery loves company!

Janet, his room is already very dark as it faces north, and he's got blinds on the windows... BUT, I just realized he also keeps a nightlight on (fear of dark thing) as well as a light on for his lizard's cage. I'm going to make sure those get turned off as soon as he's asleep and see if that helps at all. I might even try a sleep mask for him -- I think he'd be fine with it.

BD, sorry to hear you're seeing similar issues with your difficult child. The one good thing about my difficult child's issues is that they've been manageable so far and haven't even come close to requiring hospitalization. Although I thought I was going to commit myself a few times! Some of his impulsive actions had me jumping out of my skin for fear he'd do something to really hurt himself (accidentally, of course).

Sometimes I think the hardest part is dealing with other people's reactions to his behavior. They look at him as if to say, "What the heck is wrong with you?" People I don't know, I don't worry about. A few of my friends who know me well already know what's wrong and understand. It's all the people in between who are the challenge: teachers, administrators, extended family members (even husband at times), other parents, other kids, etc.

People just don't understand what "mood disorder" means. And if I say it's a form of bipolar, they still don't understand because there's an extreme stereotype of the adult version that everyone thinks of when you say that.

Sometimes I think it's just easier to say he's got severe ADHD that doesn't respond to typical treatments. At least they can get their head around that.

Blah.

 

[lizzie09]

Hello GCV MOM

I havent huge experience so I diont comment often.
But my son 22yrs had regular odd bouts exactly the same time every year going back to 2005 and this time it was thought to be Bi Polar.

I couldnt undertstand how almost to the minute every 12mths for a period of 3mths duration these things would happen. It must be a feature in disorders like these to occur annually

Seroquel does the job for us plus the Mood Stabilizer Epilim (depakote you call it in USA) Hes on a relativelyu small dose 3 x 25mg plus 500 mg MStabiilizer.

So far the non stop exhausting talk is gone and foolish behaviiours also

I am so sorry for you as it does my head in when it starts and its so odd its scary too