branbran

New Member
Thank you all for the input. I spoke to her therapist today and her doctor. I actually thought it was going to be a fight, but good news, my difficult child will be getting a neuropsychologist exam, MRI and an EEG. She will also be taken off the Concerta and starting Lamictal. The doctor says she wants to leave my daughter on the Lexapro for now. I mentioned to her that I learned kids with BiPolar (BP) really shouldn't be on antideppressants. She said she is not convinced my daughter is actually BiPolar (BP). She seems to think its just Conduct Disorder. That is very hard for me to believe considering she was hospitalized 8 times and all 8 times was discharged with the BiPolar (BP) diagnosis. Every doctor and therapist my daughter has seen over the last 4 years has said it is BiPolar (BP). Besides her mood swings are so apparent, she switches from rage to laughter in seconds. Pretty scary. Hopefully we will see some improvement with the new medications. I'm glad I won't be there when she finds out she will no longer be taking Concerta!!! That oughta be fun.

I have learned alot from all of you, thanks for the education!!!
I'll let you know how it goes.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Good luck with the medications. That's the combo my easy child/difficult child 2 is taking, and she's done well. But we tried Lamictal first and then added Lexapro because she was still depressed.

Remember to start low and go slow with the Lamictal. Otherwise, the risk of the dreaded Stephens-Johnson rash is greater.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
I've told psychiatrists many times over "I don't care what you call it - treat it!" :smile:

Hope you see a difference on the new medication regimen. :warrior:
 

Sara PA

New Member
Don't focus on that antidepressants-aren't-good-for-kids-with-BiPolar (BP) too much. A kid doesn't have to be bipolar to react badly to an antidepressant. The reason that none of the newer antidepressants are approved for use by children and adolescents are that the clinical test conducted by the manufactures haven't shown that they are either safe or effective. Antidepressants can cause a form of bipolar disorder called antidepressant induced mania/bipolar. It's not in the current DSM but it was in the one before this one and it will be in the next one.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
CD is sort of like ODD. It's kind of a "catch all" when a child's mental illness or neurological disorder has not been treated right and is so out of control that the doctors think the child has no conscience. That's pretty serious. in my opinion, it's also probably wrong--it's not even supposed to be dxd. before age 18 and is usually a co-morbid, again like ODD. I'd try to push for bipolar medications and talk them out of the antidepressant, however there is a serious withdrawal effect from all antidepressants. He will probably seem considerably worse before he finally stabilizes. Bipolar has a much better prognosis than conduct disorder. Conduct disorder is essentially sociopathetic, and, in my opinion, some professionals jump to this conclusion way too fast.
 

branbran

New Member
I agree - this doctor has only seen my daughte while on the Concerta, she has been out of control the entire 3 months she has been at this Residential Treatment Center (RTC). So the doctor is basing her opinion only on the past 3 months. She hasn't seen my daughter while she is stable on the right mood stabilizer. We haven't found the right combo of medications as of yet, however she has done much better in the past while on different medications (other than Concerta). Let her get off the stimulants and on a mood stabilizer, then let the doctor form an opinion!!! God I hope she is wrong about Conduct Disorder!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks
 
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