I was told that it can take up to six weeks but most people see results at about three weeks. The reason we saw results so quickly with my son was because he had come off of a combination of medications that made him extremely irritable/aggressive. He ended up hospitalized because of Abilify/Lithium. The doctor took him off of it and the next day, he was okay. He started him on Invega and his temper seemed to improve. He's still having issues ODD/CD but I am working on that with him because there's no such medication that makes a kid comply with rules, lol. He and I are really working on following directions the first time and I use a timer a lot when he starts to get angry. I pull him from whatever is aggravating him and I give him 5 minutes to calm down. If he's calm by then, I let him go back to doing whatever he was doing before. If not, I set the timer for a little longer until he seems more relaxed. During this time, I talk to him about things that usually make him laugh because it takes his mind off the "triggers". I also talk to him about ways to prevent his temper from exploding (which he never uses because he's too impulsive). His meltdowns are very mild now that he's on Invega so its much easier to work with him. At school, they say he's doing okay so far (he's only been back a week). He still gets angry but he's not throwing desks or cursing people out. We have a reward system at home that he gets to play his computer/Wii if he's had a good day at school. He must have his chores and his homework done before he can have any of his privileges. In the mornings, he can have play time as long as he's completely dressed and ready to go beforehand. He seems to be doing really great with this because I only had to remind him once this week to brush his teeth before he could get online. Sorry for the long post, I wasn't sure what behavior issues you were having with your son so I thought I'd post some of my "behavior techniques" that I use in case it might help you. You probably already use these, lol. I am still at the learning stage when it comes to being an assertive parent and trying to keep my difficult child on a routine. I always thought that I could raise him the same way my friends with children raised theirs but with his "issues" I realize I have to be more involved and stay in control. Well, now that I've taken up enough of your time, lol. I hope this helps. Invega does seem to be doing really well for my son. He did pretty good with Risperdal so this is not a surprise. As far as costs go, can you contact the manufacturer to see if you qualify for any kind of assistance? We have Medicaid because I am not working but I do know how expensive insurance copays can get (We had Blue Cross Blue Shield up until December when I left my job). Good luck to you and please let us know how everything is working out
I forgot to ask if your difficult child was on any other medications. My son was also on Vyvanse but the doctor wanted to address his temper and then worry about his hyperactivity. We will probably put him back on the Vyvanse in a few weeks. In children who are bipolar, stimulants usually increase irritabilty and aggression so I am hoping that the Vyvanse doesn't "undo" the effects of the Invega.
