Just so tired of this !!!!!!!!

jannie

trying to survive....
easy child is at it again....

He has been in his room since 6:00 !!!!! He has NOT done his homework. He has NOT showered....and he is staying up all night. It is so hard to get this child to budge when he sets his mind to it....He's actually just reading....which is a miracle because for most of the entire year I could not get him to read for pleasure and now all of a sudden for the past two weeks he is reading.

Yesterday he would not go to school....after leaving him at home for a few minutes to drop of difficult child I returned home and somehow convinced him to come into the car with me....I could not get him out of the car...I had to get someone from the school to come to my car and get him inside...

He was on abilify since September...We stopped it over spring break because it didn't really seem to be helping and his anxiety was awful. Without the abilify he has been much less anxious but quite hyper...However, the school is saying they are seeing the old easy child back...They felt like he has been depressed all year with the abilify (he was only on 2.5 mg) He's been back in therapy for the past three months!!

The doctors and I decided to stop the abilify and try Zoloft to deal with his anxiety--and possibly some mild depression. I didn't begin it right away because I wanted to see how he was without any medications...After the past two days I'm ready to begin it tomorrow. I do know that if he really has a mood disorder than Zoloft can make things worse, but the doctor thought it was worth a try...

difficult child had a bad night as well !!! It never ends !!!!!!!
 

smallworld

Moderator
Jannie, I'm sorry you're having such a bad time with both boys. My only recommendation with the Zoloft is to start slow and go slow (with difficult child 1, we started at 6.25 mg and moved up in 6.25 mg increments -- unfortunately, he had his manic reaction at 25 mg). You may be able to contain a bad reaction more easily if you're not at a really high dose.
 

jannie

trying to survive....

Thanks Smallworld !! I always count on you for replies !! :cool:
I have to check the prescription, but I believe he said to give 12.5 mg for the first week and then 25 mg. Does dosage have anything to do with weight?

I'm not even certain it's what he needs, but I do know that stimulants will cause him to have tics (he already has some mild ones anyway and I don't want to make them worse). He has bad side effects with the Straterra...Tenex didn't really do much---
 

smallworld

Moderator
Generally, antidepressant dosing is not weight-based. Because my kids are such medication reactors, our psychiatrists ALWAYS start at lower-than-recommended dosing. I never have a problem with this because the only downside is that it takes longer to reach a therapeutic level. With slow dosing, you really get a sense of whether the medications are helping or hurting.
 

jannie

trying to survive....
I just checked and it's actually to start at 25 mg and go to 50 mg after a week...so just curious from others...what dosage does your child take of zoloft?

I did just googled and several website said that a typical starting dosage is 25 mg so this does make me feel a bit better.
 

EB67

New Member
Is he staying up all night because he wants to or because he's hyped up and unable to settle to sleep? I ask because my son Seb (7 and a half) would stay up for HOURS reading (until 2 in the morning at times). He said he couldn't relax and he would just read and read and read...

The lack of sleep may days at school worse than they already were. The neurologist of all people suggested 3mg. of Melatonin one hour before bedtime. I didn't think it would work, but it does. I would consult a doctor before using it, I guess, though it is over the counter. It (along with meditation CD) has meant the difference between a good night's sleep and the up all night reading business.

The medication dance is so difficult as an intended help can so often set off an undesired effect due to a different problem / issue/ diagnosis. Good luck finding the right fit. I'm dancing that dance right along with you...
 

smallworld

Moderator
As I said, our psychiatrists are ultra conservative, but that has helped when we've run into bad medication reactions.

Good luck.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Jannie,
So sorry things are so rough right now. I don't have any advice as far as Zoloft is concerned because no one in my family has taken it. easy child takes the generic of prozac for her depression. It has really helped-not a total cure but definitely a help. Mostly I just wanted to send some hugs your way tonight.
 
I am personally on Zoloft, for depression. I started at 25mg and am up to 200mg.

See, these things confuse me. I thought Zoloft was an Anti-depressant, not an anti-anxiety.

When I began to show signs of anxiety, doctor put me on Topomax as well. :doctor:

The combination works pretty well for me. Guess as long as it works, I shouldn't question, eh?
 

jannie

trying to survive....
Ella-
He's not really staying up all night. He is just saying it. He actually fell asleep tonight by 10:00. A few weeks ago I gave him melatonin. It worked quite well...He wouldn't take it tonight.

My fingers are crossed that he wakes up and does his work in the morning.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
Off the subject a little..how do you guys get your kids to read. That use to be a strong point with difficult child, but the last two or three years he has refused to pick up a book. He'll read the paper (sports section) but reading anything at all is a big fight. Do they read on their own or do you have to push them a little? Since this last testing showed that as a weak point, I am wondering if I should demand he read or just avoid the fight and let it go.
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
Jannie,

Have you told your kids that they're not allowed to tag team you? Only one is allowed to have a bad night at a time? Just teasing... I say that to my kids in jest. They just roll their eyes.

Crossing my fingers that you see some improvement with the new medication.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
jannie,

I'm not going to enter the medication discussion. Just wanted to let you know that I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this next step for difficult child helps.

I know the double difficult child dilemma. Can get very ugly.
 

EB67

New Member
It worked quite well...He wouldn't take it tonight.

I have a great delivery method for melatonin-- my son will not take ANYTHING that isn't seamlessly mixed into orange juice.

There is a company called Natrol and they make a liquid form of melatonin. The flavor is described as "raspberry vanilla"-- it is mild and blends very well with juice. One dropper = 1mg.
 

EB67

New Member
Off the subject a little..how do you guys get your kids to read.

For Seb reading is his ADHD hyperfocus piece-- he does it on his own and it's a little over the top actually.
 

jannie

trying to survive....
In regards to reading....I stopped asking him to read...I pretended it was no longer a daily reading assignment..somehow he just started reading again. by the way-he only reads nonfiction/encyclopedia fact finding things like Guiness Book Records, World's Grossest things, sports facts, etc. Also...he started reading again when I took him off of the abilify...no idea if it's related, but this is what I've seen.

Update: He got up this morning and with a few reminders did his homework and was ready for school :hammer: Thankfully because if he didn't do his homework, then I don't think he would have gone to school !!!!
 
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