medications anyone? HELP!!

[nvts]

Just talked to the Dean of Students at difficult child 1's school. They're getting worried. He's always been a big talker when it comes to frustration. "I'm going to kill (insert professional here).

Yesterday, during a meltdown, he blew up saying he was going to kill the bus driver if he didn't get to go on the bus. This meltdown was directly in relation to an issue that he's had with the para all year long.

He calmed down, was quietly walking with the dean to the dismissal table and talking with him. As he passed the table that the para was sitting at with other students, he made sure that he got her attention, looked right at the dean and turned around and slammed a pen into the padding on the wall (it's the gym) and it went into the padding covering 1/2 the length of the pen.

The dean is getting worried for difficult child 1 (the deans a good egg - I really believe he's concerned for the individual students over the student body). He's worried that difficult child is starting to move from posturing to possibly doing something to someone.

I put a call into his p-doctor. She'll be calling me back. difficult child is an aspie - do any of you have suggestions (I know we're not docs, but I'd like to get a feel for what's a good idea vs. a bad idea for medications.) as to what I should consider. He's taking oxcarbazipine (trileptal) and I haven't seen any changes except he's gotten more and more mouthy with me.

He was on abilify, but he had almost all of the side-effects and Concerta was a stimulant that was making him more aggressive.

Help! For the first time, I hung up the phone in tears.

I'm so tired.

Beth

 

[crazymama30]

I wish I had some magic words of wisdom. If the trileptal is not helping, I would think it would be time to move on especially if you have given it plenty of time to work. there are plenty of other medications to try, but I am not sure about what is best to use with aspergers.

Hugs, and hope something helps soon.

 

[smallworld]

Has he ever taken an SSRI antidepressant?

 

[nvts]

Smallworld! I'm embarrassed to say I don't know what that is. I listed the only things he's taken so far except for Buspar. Is that an SSRI?

Thanks!
Beth

 

[smallworld]

Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil. They treat anxiety and depression.

If you're not comfortable with that class of medications, what about Seroquel?

 

[nvts]

Hi Smallworld, It's not that I'm uncomfortable with any particular class of drug, it's just that I feel so bloody stupid about all of this, I feel like all I've done is make one bad decision after another. Whether it's school placements, bussing, therapy, medical professionals or medications., it just feels like I'm screwing everything up.

He's supposed to transition into middle school in September and wants to go a less restrictive environment. He says that he acts like this because he always feels afraid so he tries to act tough to try and let the others know that he's not intimidated by them. Almost 3/4's of the class are in with emotionally disturbed diagnosis and the other 1/4th is Aspergers/Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)/Autism. This is out of 8 kids.

That's why I wanted some help looking into this. The psychiatrist herself is as flaky as any breakfast cereal that I've had, and I just don't want to go into this in a reactive mode. I'd like to speak to it sensibly.

Thanks for listening to my whine!

Beth

 

[smallworld]

Beth, what does the placement look like for next year? Is there any way you can get him into a program with mostly AS kids?

I ask because my son is currently in a program with 80 percent AS/High-Functioning Autism (HFA) kids and 20 percent ED kids. He really feels like a fish out of water. Maybe your son feels that way, too.

Is there any way you can locate a psychiatrist who specializes in medicating kids on the Spectrum? They do exist, and you may get better results than dealing with flaky psychiatrist.

Hang in there.

 

[helpangel]

So far Seroquel is what worked best with both girls as far as controlling aggression and keeping the potty mouth under control. Wow started thinking back at all the medications we've trialed since 1999 there have been quite a few! Both girls had trouble with aggression from the stimulant medications. Angel had to discontinue Abilify & Risperdal because of side effects, AD's severely clouded caution (many dangerous situations involving high places). We didn't have luck with Trileptal either but I think the other medications that were being used with it were the problem. Whatever medications you decide to try a good rule of thumb is only to change one thing at a time; the most confusing of the medication trials were when 5 or 6 medications at a time and a psychiatric hospital would change 2 or 3 at same time then discharge. Good luck with this and I hope you find the magic combo soon.

 

[Steely]

Oh boy. Your post sounds like Wiped Outs post. It is that end of the school year craziness that our difficult children get. Yuck.

He might benefit from an AP like Seroquel or a very small dose of Zyprexa, just to get him through until the end of the school year. That would be my suggestion, as those medications help slow the thinking down, and help kids like ours, organize their thoughts better.

Hugs.