Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Internet Search
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Parent Support Forums
General Parenting
Need Advice ASAP
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="gcvmom" data-source="post: 305235" data-attributes="member: 3444"><p>First, welcome! </p><p> </p><p>Now you don't say specifically so I have to ask is a psychiatrist managing his medications? If not, you should take him to a pediatric psychiatrist.</p><p> </p><p>Second, don't despair about Abilify not working. There are other medications in that category that he may respond better to. And don't be alarmed if he needs more than one type of medication to manage the symptoms. Very often a mood stabilizer, typically an anti-epileptic medication like Depakote, Trileptal, Tegretol, Topomax, etc. is needed to support these kids.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to the family history, if there is ANYONE on either side of the family tree, even a generation or two down the line that has or had a problem with drugs or alcohol, then you can strongly suspect bipolar or some type of mood disorder. However, it's not a requirement to have it in your family tree to develop it. Also, if someone just has depression, or anxiety or panic attacks or... whatever, that can also lend itself to someone having a predisposition for problems that look like bipolar.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, he can have many of the symptoms of bipolar, but until there is a majority and it is observed repeatedly over time, they cannot definitively give him that diagnosis. In our case, my difficult child 2 has had various symptoms on and off since the first grade, but they didn't really come to a head until this past year, and this summer our psychiatrist finally checked the bipolar box on our superbill. Up until then it was Mood Disorder-not otherwise specified. We've tried dozens of different medications over the years, and it's only been in the last year that we think we've finally found the combo that works best for my son.</p><p> </p><p>If you aren't satisfied with the doctor he's seeing now, take him for a second opinion. You're entitled to that at the very least. You're entitled to a third, fourth or twentieth opinion if that's what it takes to get the answers you need to help your kid.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gcvmom, post: 305235, member: 3444"] First, welcome! Now you don't say specifically so I have to ask is a psychiatrist managing his medications? If not, you should take him to a pediatric psychiatrist. Second, don't despair about Abilify not working. There are other medications in that category that he may respond better to. And don't be alarmed if he needs more than one type of medication to manage the symptoms. Very often a mood stabilizer, typically an anti-epileptic medication like Depakote, Trileptal, Tegretol, Topomax, etc. is needed to support these kids. With respect to the family history, if there is ANYONE on either side of the family tree, even a generation or two down the line that has or had a problem with drugs or alcohol, then you can strongly suspect bipolar or some type of mood disorder. However, it's not a requirement to have it in your family tree to develop it. Also, if someone just has depression, or anxiety or panic attacks or... whatever, that can also lend itself to someone having a predisposition for problems that look like bipolar. Finally, he can have many of the symptoms of bipolar, but until there is a majority and it is observed repeatedly over time, they cannot definitively give him that diagnosis. In our case, my difficult child 2 has had various symptoms on and off since the first grade, but they didn't really come to a head until this past year, and this summer our psychiatrist finally checked the bipolar box on our superbill. Up until then it was Mood Disorder-not otherwise specified. We've tried dozens of different medications over the years, and it's only been in the last year that we think we've finally found the combo that works best for my son. If you aren't satisfied with the doctor he's seeing now, take him for a second opinion. You're entitled to that at the very least. You're entitled to a third, fourth or twentieth opinion if that's what it takes to get the answers you need to help your kid. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Parent Support Forums
General Parenting
Need Advice ASAP
Top