easy child's psychiatrist appointment

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
We had easy child's psychiatrist appointment. today. The psychiatrist was quite concerned with everything I told her. She had just talked to easy child's therapist and after talking to me she felt even more concerned. easy child's therapist was wondering about a mood stabilizer which was the same thing I brought up.

psychiatrist agreed it is all very complicated with easy child. Feels there is definitely a mood disorder not otherwise specified, depression, anxiety. She said she isn't ruling out Bipolar but right now we don't see enough of the mania (although I did talk to her about the article SW had linked for me showing that it won't always show as what we think of mania) sleep disturbance, pressured speech.

She wants to try increasing the Zoloft generic (doubling it) and if we don't see improvement or she goes back into how she was this weekend then she wants to try Abilify with easy child.

I said but that's and AP not a mood stabilizer. I told her I thought mood stabilizers were usually tried first. She told me that about 5 years ago that was true but there is now more evidence out there that says it is better to start with an AP. I found that to be very interesting and yet when I thought about it until difficult child was put on an AP nothing we tried helped.

She also told easy child that she can't skip any days of her Zoloft. When easy child admitted she sometimes skips a dose on weekends she said that can also have an effect.

All in all, it was a good appointment. I hope this medication increase works, I'd like to avoid other medications but I also don't want to see her where she was this weekend.

by the way, last night she just started talking with me and tonight she was quite the social butterfly for a short while. No apologies, nothing just back to her not quite so depressed self. Kind of strange.

Thanks for listening!
 

smallworld

Moderator
Sharon, my daughter A mostly presents with anxiety and depression, but had a bad reaction to an SSRI, which earned her a Mood Disorder-not otherwise specified diagnosis. She has done extraordinarily well on Lamictal with a small dose of Lexapro to further help her depressive tendencies. We haven't wanted to go the AP route -- although my other two kids take APs as a last resort -- because of the side effect profile, which is significantly worse than Lamictal. I know psychiatrists do try APs first, but when you look at the research about treating BiPolar (BP), mood stabilizers are still the medication of choice for the long haul.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
If she was skipping Zoloft doses, that could definitely mess her up. I know it does me if I miss my AD dose -- it takes several days to get back to "normal" for me.

Hope the dosage bump works, but if not, at least you have a Plan B ready in the wings.

FWIW, our psychiatrist has always tried the AP first before adding the MS and for the most part it's worked for difficult child 2.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Shad-Yep this is my easy child (I've often thought of changing her to difficult child status-for now the term easy child is used very loosely).

SW-I hadn't realized that many docs try APs first. I know I would probably feel better if we have to change medications to go to a mood stabilizer but I also really like this psychiatrist so will have a talk with her again if we need to go another route than just the AD.

Gvcmom-Thanks about saying that about skipped dosages. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it was the missed dosage that started this most recent mood. Glad to know too that the APs have worked for difficult child 2.
 
Sharon,

I didn't know either that many psychiatrists try an AP first. This is different from everything I've ever heard. However, since you like her psychiatrist, I think I would follow her advice. Sometimes I think you just have to trust that the doctor (only if you truly value his/her opinion) is making the right decision... I know this is difficult!!! Hope this makes sense - I need more coffee!!!

I'm sorry you're going through this. It is very difficult having more than one unstable child at a time. Thinking of you... WFEN
 

Josie

Active Member
I know I've told you this before, but when my difficult child missed her a/d, it was scary. One time, she even pulled a knife out of the drawer. She never did that before or after. You would think missing one pill wouldn't matter that much, but it did.

If easy child has been skipping pills, maybe all she needs is to take them every day.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Just wanted to add that my easy child should be on an AD, but she refuses.

Anyway, she was always skipping doses and it showed - BIG TIME.

Best of luck and hugs, so sorry you're going through this.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
WFEN-Thanks for the good thoughts. I agree about trusting the doctor if we value her opinion which we do. I will still talk to her and ask her to explain the reasoning again (if it gets to that point).

FOP-Thank you. I'm hoping the psychiatrist impressed on her the importance of taking them every day. I think part of the problem is that when she started on Fluoxetene she was just seeing her pediatrician who told her not to worry if she missed a dose every now and again. easy child took that too literaly. psychiatrist told her the same didn't hold true for the Zoloft.

Jo-Thanks for the hugs!

Gvcmom-Think I'll hide the phone book!:)
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
((hugs))

Sharon I truly hope the increase in medications works for her. Although I will say that Abilify and trileptol worked wonders for Nichole. Skipping medication doses can make someone worse.......went thru that with Nichole too, and finally she saw it for herself and stopped skipping doses. That's when she began to stabilize.

Keeping fingers crossed for easy child. I know how worried you've been.

((hugs))
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Sharon, fingers crossed that this medication change/increase does the trick. I know, at this age, medication compliance becomes an almost daily battle. I dangle kt's cell phone (literally) in front of her beautiful young nose & let her know I can turn it off at any time. Usually does the trick, though I'd rather something positive would work.

Again, fingers crossed easy child follows her treatment course.
 
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