Is this possible??

pepsichic9115

New Member
difficult child went to the psychiatrist yesterday and was prescribed Celexa because the psychiatrist said she is obviously depressed. I know she seems depressed, but I dont think that is the root of the problem. I honestly think that she is bipolar. I talked to the psychiatrist a little about it, but she thought starting with an anti-depressant was a good place to start.

She took 5mg last night and 5mg tonight. The psychiatrist suggested Celexa in hopes that it would help her sleep.

Is it possible that if she is really bipolar like I think, that this medication could already be throwing her into a mania?? Or is it more likely that its just part of her normal cycle? She has been talking non-stop all day long. She is very irritable and more defiant that what I have seen her be in a couple weeks now.

Thanks for any insight.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
YES it's possible. You may want to get a second opinion. Antidepressants can really mess up somebody who is bipolar. I've had the beginnings of bad reactions to antidepressans with the first pill sometimes. Is she taking anything else?
 

susiestar

Roll With It
As she has only taken it for two days I would call the doctor ASAP and insist that she come off of it. withdrawal shouldn't be an issue after just 2 days of treatment.

The answer to your question is a wholehearted YES!!!!!

If you are thinking it may be bipolar, go and get the book "The Bipolar Child" either at the library or the bookstore. It is invaluable. It describes how various medications act on a child who is bipolar.

The book also described how children who are thought to be bipolar should be handled with regard to prescriptions. And it is ammo you can use with the doctor. I took it to the psychiatrist who thought my son was bipolar and said, "If he is bipolar why would we be adding antidepressants and not following the guidelines and stabilizing his mood first?"

Our doctor got VERY quiet and then said that we should continue with the treatment in place. He didn't answer, but he also quit saying my son was bipolar (many docs explored this previously and he just isn't - but if he was I would fight to follow the guidelines because they exist for a reason!)

I hope you can get this doctor to truly help you. I am sorry you are having this kind of trouble on top of the other stuff.
 

klmno

Active Member
Yes, it is possible. It is also possible that an AD can cause hypomania/mania-like reactions and she not be bipolar. psychiatrists seem to start with AD's before mood stabilizers (MS's) though so what your psychiatrist did is typical. I would suggest putting a call into the psychiatrist right away to report all signs you are noticing. Write them down for future reference, too.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
It's possible. It's also difficult to work as a team with psychiatrist if you are "undermining" decision he's making on behalf of your difficult child. I know this won't go over big with the board so bare with me.

psychiatrists, as a whole, are an arrogant bunch. AND they are mostly there today to be medication managers. Rarely, do they have the time to diagnosis ~ it becomes a hit or miss with medications.

Saying that, I'd suggest you ask psychiatrist for a mental health evaluation, or a neuro pysch evaluation. It's not the end all, be all ~ but these evaluations give you a good direction treatment wise. There are some therapist's who specialize in evaluations these days (not necessarily neuropsychologists ~ therapist's with further training).

This is the reality of mental health care these days. In the meantime, share your concerns in a calm manner with psychiatrist. Ask him/her all of the side effects you should be watching for; ask psychiatrist if possibly there is a mood disorder in play.

I'm just sharing this with you from past experience. The minute I suggested bipolar I lost a valuable team member. Our current psychiatrist now respects my concerns & I respect his knowledge ~ it's taken 6 years to achieve this.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I agree with Timer lady. Try to ask the psychiatrist for a therapist who is good with evaluations. I think you get the best evaluations from someone who sees you week in and week out.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I agree with Timer about the neuropsychologist. As a psychiatric patient myself for thirty years, I've gotten nothing much from therapist evaluations. I love NeuroPych evaluations because they are so intensive. I don't think you should go along with your doctor just because he's a doctor. AD's can be very dangerous. If you think the psychiatrist is all wet, in my opinion trust your Mom Gut. Find somebody else.

Get a neuropsychologist evaluation. Bipolar is hard to diagnose and it is normally TEN YEARS from your suspicion that either you or your child has it until it is diagnosed. It can also sometimes be Aspergers--they can mimic each other. So I'd definitely do the neuropsychologist to cover all bases. You don't want your kid on the wrong medications and any professional can make a diagnostic error. Trust me, I know first hand.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
they are mostly there today to be medication managers.

Timer Lady, how discreet of you. I just call them drug pushers, LOL!

I went through Prozac and Zoloft, knowing they wouldn't work with-my difficult child, not because he's bipolar, but just because we've been through so much, I know what works with-his metabolism. I asked for Imipremine right off the bat, and the dr pooh-poohed it. My difficult child lost 14 days of school because I had to jump through her hoops. We are now doing well on Imipremine, up to 40 mg and no headaches or stomachaches. It hasn't changed his personality that much, either. He's evened out a bit, but still, he is who he is. (I think that's a good thing. I think. ;) )

We use a talk-therapist for "real" therapy, and a psychiatrist for the drugs. Period.

Best of luck, pepsichick!
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Timerlady is right about psychiatrists in many cases. We have seen quite a few of them, but only two were worthwhile. It is really HARD to tell ahea of time if you will be able to work with a doctor - any kind of doctor.

Sadly, treating mental health issues is more an art than a science. Some docs are very gifted and some are just not. That is why it is CRUCIAL to communicate with other parents and to read as much as you can on the problems you are facing. I used to keep a copy of the treatment protocol for medicating bipolar with me when i saw a doctor. I got it off of a website for child and adolescent psychiatrists - from the acreditation board for the docs.

I NEVER had a doctor explain why we should go straight to stims and antidepressants if the diagnosis is bipolar??? A couple had never bothered to even THINK about a reason!

Luckily for Wiz (I guess) is that he is clearly NOT bipolar. Aspie ALL the way, that is Wiz. He has a lot of depression also, but it comes from knowing he is "different" (HIS words, not mine).

Just don't fire the current psychiatrist until you have had an appointment with another psychiatrist. The new one might be worse, so you don't want to burn any bridges or go without medications for any length of time.

The Bipolar Child explains in depth the effect of medications on mood disorders. It is a very worthwhile addition to the home library, in my opinion.
 

pepsichic9115

New Member
Thank you all for your input.

I went to the library yesterday to get The Bipolar Child and their copy has mysteriously disappeared. The library in the next town has a copy but I cant get a card--so I will have to sit there and read it, which I will probably do if I can find the time. I was also able to find out where I could find it for sale locally since I dont buy online.
 

klmno

Active Member
I would sincerely hope that a psychiatrist would not rx only an AD to anyone with a BiPolar (BP) diagnosis. But to clarify what I wrote earlier about some psychiatrists starting with an AD, it is my understanding that sometimes a kid shows no signs of being a difficult child- BiPolar (BP) or anything- until the onset of puberty/pre-adolescents, then in many cases, the first sign of BiPolar (BP) is a depressive state. This is what happened in my son's case. Something did occur that would cause situational depression and since anxiety and depression run in my family, he was initially given a diagnosis of depression with a rule-out of BiPolar (BP) and started on an AD. Like I said, I have read that this is not uncommon and sometimes it does turn out to be BiPolar (BP). Given all the facts in my son's case and with the family history, I would have been appalled if they had started out with a BiPolar (BP) diagnosis and put him on MS's right away. Of course, that was also before I was aware that BiPolar (BP) and depression might work more on a spectrum than a clearcut "either/or" chart.
 
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