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side effects to medications
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<blockquote data-quote="Loving Abbey 2" data-source="post: 137087" data-attributes="member: 4845"><p>Wow! so many replies!! LOL! I'm not sure where to start but I'll try to hit on them all. Lithium levels are drawn every 3-6 mos. Her levels have been low so that is why we finally increased last month-details below. </p><p> </p><p>I will not under any circumstances hosptialize Abbey (except for a life and death situation). It's not a judgement on parents who do, it's because of her history. He dad died when she was 2 1/2 and she has had attachment issues. Over the last year or so she has finally become comfortable that I'm not going to leave her too. She can only tolerate one night out on a sleep over with my aunt who we used to live with, or her grandmother. She wouldn't be able to handle a hospitalization. </p><p> </p><p>So here are her current medications:</p><p> </p><p>Lilthium 300 mg am, 450 mg at bed (this was increased 1 mos ago from 300 mg am and pm)</p><p>Seroquel 100 mg at bed with planned decrease to 50 mg</p><p>Abilify 7.5 mg am (an increase from 1 mos ago from 5 mg)</p><p>Propranolol 10 mg am, 10mg at 2pm (added for tremors 1 mos ago)</p><p>Senna Laxative 8.6 am</p><p>Miralax 1 tsp am</p><p>Singular 5 mg bed (works the best for her allergies)</p><p>Levothyroxine 88 mcg</p><p> </p><p>I was called today by her school because she had another headache that she went to the nurse for a couple of times so they called. I had my aunt pick her up early since I was over an hour away. I then called her psychiatrist. He was out until Tues. so they had the covering psychiatrist in the same office call me. He had her file and went over the medications and my concerns. He told me to change the medication doses to see if it didn't help (all the changes were lower). He said he found that Abilify at the dose she was on can result in irritability and the Lithium dose may be accounting for the headaches. He did mention any of these medications may be causing the cloudiness. So here are the changes:</p><p> </p><p>Lithium 300 mg am and pm</p><p>Seroquel 50mg a bed</p><p>Propranlol discontinue</p><p> </p><p>He told me to decrease the Abilify to 2.5 mg, if she continue to tremor or continued to be irritable after a few days, then discontinue and add 1/4-1/2 of a 25 mg tablet of Seroquel. He seemed to think a very small does of the Seroquel might be more effective than a larger one. </p><p> </p><p>She is on Abilify and Seroquel because a few mos ago her behaviors were increasing and an increased dose of the Seroquel was making her very tired all day and hard to get up in the morning. So the psychiatrist suggested we decrease the seroquel until gone and add and increase the Abilify. this was so she wasn't without medication. As for the two laxatives. This last year shhe was in a bad cycle of diarrah and constipation, resulting in encoprisis (cause yet to be determined-that's a whole other thread in Natural treatments). the pediatrician GI put her on both, we are slowly lowering the Miralax (she was on a full cap-lloked like 1/4 cup and now on 1 tsp) and is doing okay with that. </p><p> </p><p>As for the Asperger's stuff. I have really looked at this several times over the years and she is primarily bipolar. He dad was BiPolar (BP). Much mood disorder in both families. Pre proper medication she would hallucinate, night terror with vivid memory of gory content (never exposed to anythign other than PBS), rage for hours, manic, NEVER slept!!!!, I could go on for hours on all of her symptoms. the book The Bipolar Child could have been written just about her. She has always been social but has some difficulty navigating social situations especially with peers her own age. This has improved quite a bit with some really good social skills groups provided by the school. I can't say enough good things about her school. </p><p> </p><p>As for the sleep study, I had looked into it in the past and they wanted her off of all medications for it and I wasn't willing to do that at that time. She was already in a partial day program and again I wasn't going to hospitalize her completely. </p><p> </p><p>The only real support I have is my aunt who we used to live with and she is currently providing all the support she can. She picks up Abbey every friday and watches her until I get there (I work late on Fridays), and on other days if a late meeting comes up, she also will bring her to school if I have an early meeting, and about once every month or two she will take her for one overnight so I can go out like an adult. I really can't ask for more. </p><p> </p><p>My job is very demanding. I am very much looking forward to leaving. I will be leaving at the end of August because I'll be going back to school for a PhD--maybe I'll finally be able to modify difficult child's behaviors! </p><p> </p><p>And finally what has she been on? It'd be easier to say what she hasn't been on. Here's a list off the top of my head: </p><p>trileptal-built up tolerace too fast, </p><p>tegretol-some blood level started looking bad, </p><p>depakote and clonidine-both were discontinued suddenly because she fell asleep at preschool and they couldn't wake her up, then hallucinations later that day, </p><p>risperidal and Zyprexa-didn't help and I think made her much worse actually...I'm pretty sure there was more but I can't remember right now. </p><p> </p><p>Seroquel and Lithium were like actual gifts from god! As SRL noted Abbey had some pretty extreme behaviors and even more extreme reactions to medications. I have a 5 page document that notes all the negative reactions to medication introducations, increases, decreases and changes, over the course of a couple of years. So while I am sooooo happy that Seroquel and Lithium helped, it's the side effects that I don't find acceptable at this point since they are interferring with her functioning. I was talking to my aunt tonight about this when I went to pick up Abbey and she reminded how bad things really were. </p><p> </p><p>That scares me even more. I so do not want to put her or me through that again. I just can't stand seeing her on all of these medications with all of these side effects. And it seems like the lists just keep getting longer. I'm glad the covering psychiatrist understood my concerns was willing to make adjustments. </p><p> </p><p>I guess a small part of the issue is that I still have that little bit of hope that this is not a life long struggle for her, that she doesn't have a mental illness, or my favorite that outside people say "she will grow out of it". <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/felttip/brokenheart.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":brokenheart:" title="brokenheart :brokenheart:" data-shortname=":brokenheart:" /></p><p> </p><p>If you've gotten this far through this post-THANK YOU!! I know it's long!!!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Loving Abbey 2, post: 137087, member: 4845"] Wow! so many replies!! LOL! I'm not sure where to start but I'll try to hit on them all. Lithium levels are drawn every 3-6 mos. Her levels have been low so that is why we finally increased last month-details below. I will not under any circumstances hosptialize Abbey (except for a life and death situation). It's not a judgement on parents who do, it's because of her history. He dad died when she was 2 1/2 and she has had attachment issues. Over the last year or so she has finally become comfortable that I'm not going to leave her too. She can only tolerate one night out on a sleep over with my aunt who we used to live with, or her grandmother. She wouldn't be able to handle a hospitalization. So here are her current medications: Lilthium 300 mg am, 450 mg at bed (this was increased 1 mos ago from 300 mg am and pm) Seroquel 100 mg at bed with planned decrease to 50 mg Abilify 7.5 mg am (an increase from 1 mos ago from 5 mg) Propranolol 10 mg am, 10mg at 2pm (added for tremors 1 mos ago) Senna Laxative 8.6 am Miralax 1 tsp am Singular 5 mg bed (works the best for her allergies) Levothyroxine 88 mcg I was called today by her school because she had another headache that she went to the nurse for a couple of times so they called. I had my aunt pick her up early since I was over an hour away. I then called her psychiatrist. He was out until Tues. so they had the covering psychiatrist in the same office call me. He had her file and went over the medications and my concerns. He told me to change the medication doses to see if it didn't help (all the changes were lower). He said he found that Abilify at the dose she was on can result in irritability and the Lithium dose may be accounting for the headaches. He did mention any of these medications may be causing the cloudiness. So here are the changes: Lithium 300 mg am and pm Seroquel 50mg a bed Propranlol discontinue He told me to decrease the Abilify to 2.5 mg, if she continue to tremor or continued to be irritable after a few days, then discontinue and add 1/4-1/2 of a 25 mg tablet of Seroquel. He seemed to think a very small does of the Seroquel might be more effective than a larger one. She is on Abilify and Seroquel because a few mos ago her behaviors were increasing and an increased dose of the Seroquel was making her very tired all day and hard to get up in the morning. So the psychiatrist suggested we decrease the seroquel until gone and add and increase the Abilify. this was so she wasn't without medication. As for the two laxatives. This last year shhe was in a bad cycle of diarrah and constipation, resulting in encoprisis (cause yet to be determined-that's a whole other thread in Natural treatments). the pediatrician GI put her on both, we are slowly lowering the Miralax (she was on a full cap-lloked like 1/4 cup and now on 1 tsp) and is doing okay with that. As for the Asperger's stuff. I have really looked at this several times over the years and she is primarily bipolar. He dad was BiPolar (BP). Much mood disorder in both families. Pre proper medication she would hallucinate, night terror with vivid memory of gory content (never exposed to anythign other than PBS), rage for hours, manic, NEVER slept!!!!, I could go on for hours on all of her symptoms. the book The Bipolar Child could have been written just about her. She has always been social but has some difficulty navigating social situations especially with peers her own age. This has improved quite a bit with some really good social skills groups provided by the school. I can't say enough good things about her school. As for the sleep study, I had looked into it in the past and they wanted her off of all medications for it and I wasn't willing to do that at that time. She was already in a partial day program and again I wasn't going to hospitalize her completely. The only real support I have is my aunt who we used to live with and she is currently providing all the support she can. She picks up Abbey every friday and watches her until I get there (I work late on Fridays), and on other days if a late meeting comes up, she also will bring her to school if I have an early meeting, and about once every month or two she will take her for one overnight so I can go out like an adult. I really can't ask for more. My job is very demanding. I am very much looking forward to leaving. I will be leaving at the end of August because I'll be going back to school for a PhD--maybe I'll finally be able to modify difficult child's behaviors! And finally what has she been on? It'd be easier to say what she hasn't been on. Here's a list off the top of my head: trileptal-built up tolerace too fast, tegretol-some blood level started looking bad, depakote and clonidine-both were discontinued suddenly because she fell asleep at preschool and they couldn't wake her up, then hallucinations later that day, risperidal and Zyprexa-didn't help and I think made her much worse actually...I'm pretty sure there was more but I can't remember right now. Seroquel and Lithium were like actual gifts from god! As SRL noted Abbey had some pretty extreme behaviors and even more extreme reactions to medications. I have a 5 page document that notes all the negative reactions to medication introducations, increases, decreases and changes, over the course of a couple of years. So while I am sooooo happy that Seroquel and Lithium helped, it's the side effects that I don't find acceptable at this point since they are interferring with her functioning. I was talking to my aunt tonight about this when I went to pick up Abbey and she reminded how bad things really were. That scares me even more. I so do not want to put her or me through that again. I just can't stand seeing her on all of these medications with all of these side effects. And it seems like the lists just keep getting longer. I'm glad the covering psychiatrist understood my concerns was willing to make adjustments. I guess a small part of the issue is that I still have that little bit of hope that this is not a life long struggle for her, that she doesn't have a mental illness, or my favorite that outside people say "she will grow out of it". :brokenheart: If you've gotten this far through this post-THANK YOU!! I know it's long!!! [/QUOTE]
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