difficult child just has an anxiety attack but he told me about it first!

[TerryJ2]

difficult child knocked on my ofc door about 45 min ago, and when I opened it, he was in tears, his face was all red, and he was sweating. He said he was really, really depressed and didn't know what to do with-himself and he was walking around in circles.
I took him downstairs and gave him an Impiprimine and 1/2 of one of my xanax. (Seemed like it would work faster than the clonidine he takes.)
He had an ice pack on his neck and was pacing and I told him that pacing was a good idea.
He sat down and talked for a min about how everything was going well at (computer) camp but now he can't talk to any of his friends (and he made new friends) and he doesn't know what to do with-himself, and he doesn't want to go to juvie and his girlfriend can't come over, and he's bored and his mind is going all over the place. I told him he could do one online game on the computer and he yelled, "I tried that and it doesn't help! I don't know what's wrong!"

Then he got up and started crying and screaming and holding his head and yelling, "I don't know what's wrong with me!"

I stayed in the room with-him and called the psychiatrist and they put me right through. Apparently he's not in the ofc on Mondays but at least I was able to talk to him. He said not to give him any more xanax, but to go ahead and give him a clonidine. He said he'd give him a scrip for seroquel and I'd get it tonight, and also to give him two lithium at bedtime instead of one. (That would make 3 a day.)
He also asked what precipitated this, and I told him that difficult child was at camp all last week, that he had a meltown on the way home, that he was okay yesterday, but right now he was bored, that his girlfriend couldn't see him because her mom wasn't giving her a straight answer about what their schedule was, that difficult child was grounded off of gaming, and that we rec'd the court summons today.

I sat with-difficult child on the couch and he covered himself with-a blanket. Every now and then he opened his eyes and looked at me and I asked him how he was doing and he said he didn't know, and heaved a big sigh and readjusted the ice pack (herbal with-lavender). He tossed and turned and then settled down. I did a little project in the kitchen where he could hear me, and then sat down on the couch next to him. He opened his eyes and I told him he seemed calmer. He said "I don't know," but he was no longer agitated and tossing and turning and seemed sleepy.

I am very glad he came up and told me instead of just trashing the house. I'm thankful for small favors!

I told him what the dr said and he did not want to take another lithium. He thinks that's what's making him wiggy. He could be right. Unfortunately, it would help if I gave him two tonight and then if he was even more agitated tomorrow, we'd know for sure. Then again, it's more likely the confluence of events, plus the medications. And maybe he is truly addicted to gaming and his frontal lobes can't hack the withdrawal.

What do you all think about adding seroquel to the mix? I'm liking what the clonidine does. And I want a regular, everyday antianxiety medication that is consistent.

I'm going back downstairs to see if difficult child is asleep.

 

[recoveringenabler]

God bless you Terry for all you go through with your difficult child and how some of your days go. I have so much admiration for your remarkable willingness to continually show up for your boy. And, I have so much compassion for your son and all that his brain puts him through on a daily basis, sometimes I just feel so sorry for these kids and what they have to deal with too, sigh............you're in my thoughts.....

 

[TerryJ2]

Thank you. He is truly suffering today. This is the kind of stuff you can't fake.

 

[TerryJ2]

I just looked up Seroquel (sorry, even though a lot of you have posted about it, I couldn't remember) but it is used for bipolar and schizophrenia. Why can't we just use klonapin? This looked just like an anxiety attack to me! I am going to talk to the dr at length on Wed. I am not convinced that difficult child is in need of seroquel.

For those of you whose kids do not have a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder or bipolar, and who use seroquel, does it work anyway?

 

[recoveringenabler]

It's the hardest thing to watch someone you love suffering, for me that is the very worst possible scenario. I'm sorry you're going through this, I am saying a prayer right now for your difficult child to feel better............Hugs to you............

 

[BusynMember]

Very possibly could be akathesia, which is why you were told not to give him anymore.

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akathisia /ak·a·this·ia/ a condition marked by motor restlessness, ranging from anxiety to inability to lie or sit quietly or to sleep, a common extrapyramidal side effect of neuroleptic drugs

 

[TerryJ2]

It could very well be, MWM, but the psychiatrist told me to give difficult child MORE.

I have an appointment with-the therapist in 45 min. difficult child spent half an hr following me around the house and screaming at me to call his girlfriend and talk to her mother so they could get together. I went outside and he followed me half a block just in his socks and shorts. He used to be embarrassed about public outbursts but now he doesn't care.

He ran out of Concerta and I am scrambling to get that scrip filled (we didn't count correctly when he was at camp, and the psychiatrist had a family emergency so can't go to his ofc to actually create a paper scrip) and that may be adding to it. I am waiting for the pediatrician to call me back.

 

[TerryJ2]

Okay, I'm picking up the Concerta scrip at 8:30 in the a.m. and difficult child will just have to take it 3 hrs late.
I do not want to give him any more lithium until I see how he behaves tomorrow after he gets the Concerta.

In the meantime, I'm going to go cry on the therapist's shoulder, with or without difficult child.

 

[welcometowitsend]

Oh ugh Terry. What an awful day you and difficult child are having. I'm so sorry to hear this.

I don't have any answer with regards to the medications but I hope someone else will be along to give you some insight on that one.

You handled yourself so well.

When you mentioned possible withdrawal from the video games it got me wondering if maybe it really is withdrawal. That agitation, restlessness, inability to focus on anything seems like he was seeking some serious stimulation and couldn't find it. Video games are so stimulating to the brain which is why ADHD kids often get addicted to them. The images come at them faster than any other form and it really gets the brain going. Combine that with everything else and I can see why he was so agitated.

Hugs - I hope this evening and tomorrow are better.

 

[Andy]

WOW! What a day! I hope this becomes the breakthrough moment difficult child needs to turn things around.

I also do not have knowledge of medications so can not help there.

Kids addicted to video games have used them to hide from reality. We would think they are just games but they are very controlling. When my difficult child gets into his games, he can turn ugly. Angrily shutting out the world and beating himself up because he is unable to meet his goal but unable to walk away until he does. It got so bad the other night that I unplugged his t.v. So he couldn't play. He had told me he wanted to stop but couldn't. The games have controll over the player.

It is so hard being a teen and harder yet being a difficult child teen. Yesterday was too hot to be outside and difficult child has a hard time finding things in the house to do. We need to get that stuff that helps loosen wall paper so I can get him going on taking paper down in the bathroom and then he can paint the walls. He likes those kinds of projects but gets overwhelmed with cleaning so yesterday I gave him a choice of rooms and together we spent time cleaning with me giving him very specific instructions on what needed to be done step by step.

My difficult child is having an anxious day. He has been driving on a permit for almost a year. Today I set up his final behind the wheel time with his instructor for the end of August and his drivers test for the first day of school (first day he is eligible). He is so scared of failing or doing anything wrong that it has him in a tizzy. He is also getting nervous about the AP History class he enrolled in on his history teacher's recommendation. I told him that if he thinks it will be too much that he can back out at anytime. He wants to do it though. I know he will enjoy it and do well IF he gives it the time it needs.

What is the latest on the facility you are lining difficult child to go to? Does he know about it yet? How did he respond if he does know?

Does he like to cook? Can he be in charge of some meals? Would have him spending time looking up recipes and creating meal plans?

 

[DammitJanet]

Terry, I dont think klonopin would be a good drug for your son. You dont want him on a drug like that long term. He is simply too young. Buspar maybe.

Seroquel does have some anti-anxiety help. It may be just the ticket. Before adding the extra lithium I would want to know how much he is on and get a lithium level. Can you take him to the hospital and do a blood draw for the level? His levels should be between 600 and 1000 I think but check the internet because its been a while since I did lithium levels. If he is too low or too high it could cause issues. Especially if its too high.

 

[BusynMember]

It could very well be, MWM, but the psychiatrist told me to give difficult child MORE.

I have an appointment with-the therapist in 45 min. difficult child spent half an hr following me around the house and screaming at me to call his girlfriend and talk to her mother so they could get together. I went outside and he followed me half a block just in his socks and shorts. He used to be embarrassed about public outbursts but now he doesn't care.

He ran out of Concerta and I am scrambling to get that scrip filled (we didn't count correctly when he was at camp, and the psychiatrist had a family emergency so can't go to his ofc to actually create a paper scrip) and that may be adding to it. I am waiting for the pediatrician to call me back.

I don't k now what to tell you...lol. psychiatrists ALWAYS say more, more, more. That's been my own experience with my own self. If he starts acting even edgier and can't sit still and says he feels like jumping out of his skin or says his body is racing...take him seriously. Akathesa is NOT a panic attack. It's a bad reaction to medication and it feels horrible. I had it once the day of my son's eighth grade graduation. The doctor gave me Valium and told me to take one an hour so I could sit through the ceremony, and it helped a lot. I never took that medication again.
I had a lot of bad side effects to Lithium. Watch your son. This drug does produce some pretty bad side effects in some people. Sonic was on it for three years and he wet his bed every day of those three years and not once since. That's but one possible side effect. Worse is the stuff I had...I felt like a walking zombie, like I was in some sort of dream. I became suicidal. Guess what the psychiatrist said? "More! More! More!" Being an adult, I didn't listen and I went to somebody new who took a blood level which showed I was at a toxic level. Has your son had a level drawn?

Good luck with all this. I hope it helps him more than it did me or Sonic.

 

[TerryJ2]

Thank you all!

We gave difficult child the regular dose of lithium. He slept a lot last night and this a.m. He is very listless and depressed. I think a lot of it is worrying about juvie and court on the 1st.
I do think that the lithium, combined with-the lack of concerta, set him off. He was truly out of his skin.
I have the Seroquel scrip and will give it to him later this afternoon.
The concerta is really helping. He is much better.
He is also talking to friends from his camp.
I'm still looking for an Residential Treatment Center (RTC) or something.