I think I need the medications(vent)

Chewsie

New Member
Hi all :smile:

My difficult child has been in a 2.5 hour long tirade of screaming, throwing things, threats, tears, threats of killing himself, threats of kiling me, and on and on...all of this because I said he needed to do a little of his homework...this morning before school it was because I asked him if he wanted to take a snack.

I'm not sure how much more of this I can take..I called the psychologist who heard him flipping out..she told me to call the psychiatrist, still waiting call back and she thinks it is a reaction to the adderall XR he has been on for a few weeks. We saw something similair to this on Concerta. I'm just not sure what to do for this kid. I have no insurance so I pay out of pocket for everything. So no taking him to the ER. I can't get any assistance for him because I'm an RN and make too much money even though I only work part time/per diem...so the psychiatric docs hardly want to deal with us at all...even though I pay anything they ask for. I just want to scream right now. I have to go to my nursing job at 11 pm tonight, my boyfriend just cancelled our vacation in March, he has a business trip he has to take( I was desperate to get away), I have 50 packages to ship from my ebay sales...and this kid will not stop flipping out...I think I need medications :(. Thanks for letting me vent
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Yikes! 2 whole hrs! You poor thing. And I'm so sorry about the trip being cancelled. That's the straw that broke the camel's back. I feel for you.
Can you have a glass of wine? (I'd be sobbing in a pillow.)
It's a shame we have to do medications or think about medications to keep ourselves calm because of our difficult child, but it gets to the point where you don't really care... just to save your sanity.
Gosh, I wish I could help you.

Sometimes when my husband comes home when difficult child is in the middle of a tantrum, husband will throw open the door and command him to stop, and he does. I think a new face, a deep voice, that sort of thing helps.
Can you bring in a friend to just ring the doorbell, walk in and talk loudly? Would that be any influence? Just to change difficult child's state?
When our difficult child was a baby, we'd take him out of where ever he was, physically, and it would help. If we were in the kitchen, we'd move to the livingroom, or even outside. If he was hot, we'd make him cold. Anything to change his state.
I've even thrown the circuit breaker to make the house dark, and then fibbed that it must have been the transformer outside. That works well because difficult child is afraid of the dark.

Good luck! I'll be thinking about you.
 

Chewsie

New Member
Thank you...he seems to have stopped for the moment. I just realized how completely alone I am in all this. It sucks.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
My question is why is he on Adderall if he has a bipolar diagnosis? Even with ADHD stims and antidepressants tend to make mood disordered kids rage and get worse. I know you like your doctor and think he's nice, but I'd be concerned that he isn't on anything for the bipolar, which is a serious diagnosis. Is he getting school interventions for Aspergers? If not, he is entitled to them since he's on the spectrum. He has a lot of things going on and I'm really surprised that the doctor is putting more emphasis on the ADHD than the other stuff. in my opinion I'd get another opinion. I have bipolar II. Stimulants made me 10X worse and totally depressed. At the time they misdiagnosed me as "hyperactive." I used to rage too. I don't "get" putting kids who rage on stimulants. My experience with my own son is, if he is rageful on two stimulants, he probably is acting out due to something OTHER than ADHD--may not even really have it--and any stimulant will probably not help him. My son got aggressive and mean on stims and he isn't like that.
 

Hanging-On

New Member
I know what you're going through. I've been in, and still are, in insurance hell. Can't get insurance, but can't get Medicaid. Ahhhhh! Been there. Cancelling your vacation, ouch. I'm so sorry. However, I really don't remember what a vacation is anymore. It's been years, if not over a decade since I've had one. On the 50 pkgs to mail...WAY TO GO!!! :bravo: I applaud you. Doing all of this, and still trying and doing a business. You have to give yourself a pat on the back. REALLY! About the 2 hr rage, my difficult child did this when he took Adderal, and I just had to ride it out. Now that it's 3 yrs later, and I have more experience with rages; have you tried joking with him, redirection or misdirection (change the subject or activity), go outside to throw ball, and last thing....Benydryl (helps calm them down).
 

Chewsie

New Member
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MidwestMom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My question is why is he on Adderall if he has a bipolar diagnosis? Even with ADHD stims and antidepressants tend to make mood disordered kids rage and get worse. I know you like your doctor and think he's nice, but I'd be concerned that he isn't on anything for the bipolar, which is a serious diagnosis. Is he getting school interventions for Aspergers? If not, he is entitled to them since he's on the spectrum. He has a lot of things going on and I'm really surprised that the doctor is putting more emphasis on the ADHD than the other stuff. in my opinion I'd get another opinion. I have bipolar II. Stimulants made me 10X worse and totally depressed. At the time they misdiagnosed me as "hyperactive." I used to rage too. I don't "get" putting kids who rage on stimulants. My experience with my own son is, if he is rageful on two stimulants, he probably is acting out due to something OTHER than ADHD--may not even really have it--and any stimulant will probably not help him. My son got aggressive and mean on stims and he isn't like that. </div></div>

Hi,

He is on Adderall for the attention/hyperactivty symptoms. He doesn't ave a bi-polar diagnosis, the psychiatrist said if he got moody, dark, ragey or the adderall we would need to look at a mood disorder posible BiPolar (BP)...well he is certainly raging on the adderall. We are trying to get him an IEP, they did their evaluation, we had ours done and we have a team meeting on 3/19/07...they do not want to qualify him. I have an advocate attending the meeting the Team meeting. He sees the psychiatrist again on Friday, hopefully he will have another suggestion.
 

Janna

New Member
Hi there,

I was wondering the same thing as MidwestMom.

I can tell you from experience, if your son has a mood disorder, even if it's Mood Disorder, not otherwise specified and not Bipolar, any stimulant is going to probably make him worse.

My son, Dylan, has trialed them all. Every single one sent him spiraling. If you didn't have luck with the Concerta, now the Adderall, I would suggest taking a 2nd look at the medications.

Can I say that if your son is unstable on medicine, his "flipping out" is probably not his fault.

Dylan had many consecutive days of 3 hour rages. I'm talking 3 hours PER RAGE and many PER DAY. I never, ever thought I'd make it through until he got that Bipolar diagnosis and the right medications.

Try to hang in there. I understand the insurance issue. Can you contact your local welfare office and see if you can get some type of low cost insurance? I work full time, and my kids didn't have insurance, and they offered me something else, where I only pay a minimal fee and they are covered. It's nice.

I know how much it sucks. Screaming, raging kid. Maybe you need a 2nd opinion. I dunno. I'm sorry.

Janna
 

kris

New Member
<span style="color: #663366">yikes! sounds like life is very tough for you guys right now.

i agree with-the others that the stimulant is probably the cuprit here. i'd be talking to the psychiatrist about a mood stabilizer when you meet with-him friday. this is the second stimulant trialed & you've gotten the same results both times. the evidence seems pretty clear that there is some kind of mood disorder. can you place a call to the psychiatrist's nurse & request d/c~ing his stimulant??

kris
</span>
 
I also agree with those that said the stimulant is probably making things worse. It's horrible when you have to endure difficult children's rages!!! I'm all too familiar with them!!!

It seems like when it rains, it pours... Please take care of yourself :bath:, etc...!!!

I hope you get the help difficult child needs when he sees the psychiatrist at the end of the week. Update when you can... WFEN
 

neednewtechnique

New Member
I am of the same opinion as MidwestMom on this one, with everything else going on, it seems strange that the ADHD is the PDR's bigger concern. That really is the BIG battle we are fighting with our PDR. The ADHD stims seem to make the behaviors worse!!! But she is more concerned with making sure that is properly treated than taking into account the other behavioral issues that are being escalated by the ADHD medications. It's like I mentioned in my, well, fifty page intro, I know that they say like, 65 percent of kids with behavioral disorders also suffer from ADHD, so it isn't an uncommon thing, you would think that these PDR's would know how to handle this dilemma of the ADHD medications working AGAINST you with any treatment you seek for the behavioral issues. From what I understand, mood stabilizers like Seroquel, when used in conjunction with the ADHD medications, will help with the behavioral issues and combat the HORRIBLE side effects of the stims they give for ADHD. Of course, every child is different and this may not always work, but it may be something to bring up at your next appointment!
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Just sending prayers that your difficult child is calm and you are snoozing away with pleasant dreams.

Hugs.
 

Chewsie

New Member
Thank you everyone!

We stopped the Adderall and while the temper tantrums continue at least the suicidal ideation has stopped. Of couse now the school is sending home notes on his behavior plan about how he can't work quietly, can't sit still, very verbal...well no kidding..better that than pulling his hair out, slamming his head into the classroom door, and repeatedly threatening to off himself, us, and his classmates. I feel like writing back..pick your poison. We have an upcoming team meeting to try and get him an IEP and I'm trying not to be jaded and mad but geeze it should not be this hard.
 

needabreak

New Member
if you want to scream go right ahead.sometimes it helps.i hope everything gets better.while i say prayers for my difficult child ill send some your way.
 

neednewtechnique

New Member
As far as the IEP and them not "wanting" to qualify him, I don't know about your state, but in our state, there was new legislation passed (and with a bit of investigating, I think this was actually a FEDERAL legislation, so it should apply in your case as well, no matter what state you are in) the new and improved version of the "no child left behind" act, which isn't really improved in very many ways, if you ask me, does have one VERY helpful article in it. This article will qualify your difficult child for special education services, even if he isn't "qualified" through an IEP, simply because he has ADD/ADHD/ADDH (not sure which the concerta is treating in your case, but i have never really been able to tell the difference between the three anyway). If they choose NOT to "qualify" him, that means that he cannot be placed in full time special education classes, but that new legislation will still allow him some of the benefits of special education. He should have access to the special education teachers, as well as the ability to spend any "study hall" or free period time with that teacher to work on problem areas. Check this out, I think you will be surprised at what the schools have to do if you ask for it!! Good luck with this, it is not an easy thing to go through, as our difficult child, even before moving in with us, has been IEP'ed every year and has never "qualified" but has been recently offered all this other help because of the new legislation.
 
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