has any one had a child hospitalized 5150 or 5250?

rosebud71

New Member
Hello, I found this sight today and it seems really great. I have three children ages 14,10 and 9. My special one is my nine year old. A week ago last sunday I had to take him to E.P.S and they put him on a 5150 hold. Now hes on a 5250 hold because he is still a danger to others and even though they have him on so much medications he is still so hyper. Ive have been fighting for this child since he was 4 years old. I have been trying to get nuro testing for him but nobody wants to listen. I just got informed that hes going to be held for another 7 to 10 days. Ive been crying myself to sleep at night asking myself how could this have happened to such a little boy , what did I do wrong. I never thought I would say this but I miss him so much. He has been diagnosed with ODD, ADHD ,and BIPOLAR DIS. Has anyone delt with this and if so how did you handle it.
Sighned
MISSING MY BOY
 
G

guest3

Guest
1st.
you take a deep breathe and know that you've come to a "safe" place.
2nd
educate yourself and advocate for your child as much as you can, it is hard in the beginning, I am still learning new things every day. And oh are there loop holes!
3rd
faith (of your choice) is what got me through. I missed my son so bad last week it hurt, but now that he's home, I realize how calm and peaceful it was here without him, bittersweet, take care of yourself now and don't feel guilty.
 

rosebud71

New Member
coladine and seriqul and stratera and he is still hyper and getting into fights he has to be kept in a room by himself because he cant get along with roommates. Im not sure if I spelled the names of his medications right.
 

rosebud71

New Member
Thanks I pray everyday . Ya my household has been very calm and I feel guilty for enjoying it because of where he is at.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Welcome! I'm glad you found us.

Have you read much about treating bipolar disorder? You might want to check out the treatment guidelines
http://www.thebalancedmind.org/sites/default/files/treatment_guidelines.pdf

In general, children with bipolar disorder should not take stimulants or antidepressants (like Strattera) because those medications can make them much, much worse. In addition, medications like Clonidine have been known to induce mania in kids with BiPolar (BP). Furthermore, kids with BiPolar (BP) generally are treated with a mood stabilizer (Depakote, Lamictal, Lithium, Tegretol and Trileptal), sometimes in conjunction with an atypical antipsychotic like Seroquel. Seroquel on its own cannot counter the bad effects of Strattera or Clonidine. In fact, the only way to get rid of those bad side effects is to wean your son from Strattera and Clonidine.

Please ask the prescribing doctor about the medications being used to treat your son.
 

rosebud71

New Member
For the past 3 years hes been on so many diff medications. I find that stimulants give him ticks that are painfull for him . He was on concerta zyprexa and risperdal prior to being put on these others but I find nothing helps with the rage. Thanks I will check out that sight. I can never have to much knowledge when it comes to my children.
 

smallworld

Moderator
But has he ever been on a mood stabilizer WITHOUT a stimulant or antidepressant? Both stimulants and antidepressants can cause rage.
 

rosebud71

New Member
No he has never been off of ADHD medications. They say he has sever ADHD they also told my the ones hes on now are not stimulants. I wanted him off because of the ticks he gets so they told me these are to take place of stimulants.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Sometimes bipolar mania can look like severe ADHD. If your son has bipolar disorder, you need to stabilize his moods before treating ADHD. Strattera is not a stimulant, but it is an antidepressant and can make kids with bipolar worse.
 

oceans

New Member
It amazes me that kids get diagnosed with bipolar disorder and are never put on a mood stabilizer. I am hoping that with this hospitalization your son will be put on a mood stabilizer and taken off the other medications so that he might have a chance of getting better.

My son was hospitalized for three weeks and one hospital and then transferred to another for three more weeks. It is really the best place for them to be when they are not stable. They will be on a structured scheduled, do therapy, get evaluated, and trial medications. It is a chance for him to get stable and be able to come home.

Hang in there! It can get better!!!
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
in my opinion you should go over to the Bipolar Kids board and sign up. I learned a lot there (my son had a misdiagnosis, however I still learned a ton when I chatted there). Also you may want to read "The Bipolar Child" by Dimitri and Janice Papalos. Childhood mania DOES look a lot like "severe, rageful ADHD." However stimulants and antidepressants (and Staterra is an SNRI antidepressant) often, if not usually, make bipolar kids way worse, even with co-morbid ADHD, if that's what it is. I'd seriously get another opinion. Straterra can cause LOTS of trouble for kids with bipolar, even with a mood stabilizer. A mood stabilizer often can not offset the stimulation of drugs like Ritalin or Adderrall or Straterra. There are no ADHD medications that are not stimulating. If you've never tried a mood stabilizer without a stimulant or antidepressant, in my opinion, you could look for a psychiatrist who may recommend that. I personally would rather have an inattentive kid than a hyper, rageful one. Many parents of BiPolar (BP) kids choose not to medicate the ADHD due to how angry it makes their kids. I'll post another link for you. By the way, your child isn't on a mood stabilizer. Seroquel is an anti-psychotic. So is Risperdal and Zyprexa (my son was on both).Often they just don't work as well as mood stabilizers. The mood stabilzers are: Lamictal, Lithium, Depakote, Trileptal, Tegretal.

http://www.bpchildresearch.org

 

rosebud71

New Member
I would like to thank everyone so much. I will contact his doctor . so many of you are telling me the same thing It wont hurt to look in to the mood stabilizers.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Just wanted to add my welcome. You will find much support here. My difficult child also has severe ADHD as well as Bipolar. We found for him he couldn't take any stimulants or Straterra. Clonidine for my difficult child actually helps.


Be sure to take care of yourself while he is in the hospital. It's important for you to recharge. I hope that they can be convinced he needs neuro-psychiatric. testing.

Know that you have found a safe and supportive place. You are not alone.
 

Sunlight

Active Member
I forced my son into a psychiatric ward at age 14. he was behaving dangerously and I was scared. it turned out to be drug related, however, I was glad I sent him to the hospital. that way I learned more about him that I did not know.

your son will be back very soon once they get him stable. rest up and let the docs figure things out for a while. I know it is hard and it was one of the saddest times I ever had with him.
 

rosebud71

New Member
I just got off the phone with his social worker after discussing his medications and she told me that Seroquel is a mood stabilizer as well as a antipsychotic drug. Can I please get some feed back on this please.
 
Hi and welcome,

My daughter has similar issues as your son, and ALWAYS went into mania-major when on Antidepressants or Stimulants, even Strattera ended her up in the psychiatric hospital.

2 summers ago, she was hospitalized for 5 weeks. They took her off all her medications slowly and then waited to see what was really her and not medication reactions. Then they started Depakote, waited till her levels were good, then added Tripleptal, then tried adding an antidepressant but she went manic within 2 days!! So, even on a good Mood Stabilizer, my daughter cannot take stims or AD's.

2 years later, she in on Depakote, Trileptal, Abilify, L-Thyroxine (for hypothyroidism) and Septra (for kidney issues). And she is the most stable she has ever been. Yes, we still have issues, but she is starting to take the time to stop and breath before lashing out (most of the time, LOL).

Having a child in a psychiatric hospital is so very difficult, but after the 6th hospital stay, I am now knowing it will most likely be necessary to go this route every once in a while to keep her stable.

I would ask psychiatrist if they would consider a complete medication wash. Take him off all medications, slowly of course, while he is in a safe hospital environment. Then start with a mood stabilizer such as Depakote, Lithium, Trileptal, Tegretol or a combo might be needed. See how he does on just a mood stabilizer, maybe he really doesn' have ADHD, they ruled that out from my daughter, it was mania caused from incorrect medications.

I know this is alot to deal with when you are sad and worried. Just take it one day or even one hour at a time. He is safe where he is, now you need to rest up for when he is released.

Hugs,
Vickie
 

oceans

New Member
Anti psychotics are sometimes used as a mood stabilizer, and I think that some are approved for that use. The problem is that they do not always work well, or for an extended period of time. It is much better to get Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, or Tegretol on board....especially if the antipsychotic is NOT working! From what you have described...the antipsychotic is certainly not working. Sometimes it is very important to be stable first on a mood stabilizer first before something like a stimulant is even considered!
 
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