Finally got in to see the psychiatrist for the first time on tuesday last. Took long enough! But I wasn't particularly impressed. We had earlier mailed him a detailed journal of difficult child's behavior that we'd kept over a two week period. He did not appear to have read it. I told him about the family history of bipolar disorder and told him about what we'd witnessed in difficult child that led us to conclude that difficult child is bipolar, too. He, on the other hand just observed difficult child's happy-hyper (what I call it when he's completely out of control but not angry or violent) for half an hour as difficult child tore up his office, repeatedly got into things that he was told not to get into, and ran off down the hallway every chance he got, and calmly announced that difficult child just had a severe case of ADHD. I said but what about the violence? He said that when difficult child got calmed down on the right ADHD medication we ought to see a reduction in the violent behaviors as well. He sent us on the way with a prescription for a stimulant drug, and the advise that if it worked, we ought to see improvement within an hour of his taking it.
So the next morning, difficult child took it, and we saw no change in his behavior. It was an almost textbook day for him, with periods of being very good and sweet, periods of being ordinary little boy naughty, and a couple of short, violent temper tantrums. Until evening, after the 12 hour medicine had supposedly worn off--then we saw the real efects. difficult child couldn't stop talking. At all. For hours. At 12:30 am I sent him downstairs because his chatter was keeping me awake (husband was still up downstairs). At 3:00 am, after more than 5 hours of non stop chatter, husband took difficult child out to an all night McDonald's. difficult child was exctied about staying up all night, but after eating he felt sick to his stomach and very tired--only he still couldn't sleep. He finally fell asleep at 4:30 am.
So we called the doctor and he suggested switching difficult child to another ADHD medication called temex, which does not have the stimulant. So far today has been another ordinary day, with difficult child pretty out of control (but nothing horrible). He seems very distratcible and rather more hyper than usual, but nothing out of his normal range. There hasn't been any violence so far, but since he isn't violent EVERY day anyway (sometimes he goes for as long as a week between episodes--not very often, but it has happened)--does that mena that the medication is working or just that it isn't a violent day? So my question for you all is this--are there going to be any surprise side effects from this one? And how long should we let him continue on it if he continues acting normal (normal for him, which would be rather wild and out of control for a "normal" child)?
psychiatrist has said that if none of the ADHD medications seem to work, he'll consider letting difficult child try a bipolar drug. Don't get me wrong--I'd far rather difficult child be ADHD than bipolar, because I've seen what bipolar has done to my sisters in law. But if he is ADHD, shouldn't the ADHD medications work?
Cheers!
Celise
So the next morning, difficult child took it, and we saw no change in his behavior. It was an almost textbook day for him, with periods of being very good and sweet, periods of being ordinary little boy naughty, and a couple of short, violent temper tantrums. Until evening, after the 12 hour medicine had supposedly worn off--then we saw the real efects. difficult child couldn't stop talking. At all. For hours. At 12:30 am I sent him downstairs because his chatter was keeping me awake (husband was still up downstairs). At 3:00 am, after more than 5 hours of non stop chatter, husband took difficult child out to an all night McDonald's. difficult child was exctied about staying up all night, but after eating he felt sick to his stomach and very tired--only he still couldn't sleep. He finally fell asleep at 4:30 am.
So we called the doctor and he suggested switching difficult child to another ADHD medication called temex, which does not have the stimulant. So far today has been another ordinary day, with difficult child pretty out of control (but nothing horrible). He seems very distratcible and rather more hyper than usual, but nothing out of his normal range. There hasn't been any violence so far, but since he isn't violent EVERY day anyway (sometimes he goes for as long as a week between episodes--not very often, but it has happened)--does that mena that the medication is working or just that it isn't a violent day? So my question for you all is this--are there going to be any surprise side effects from this one? And how long should we let him continue on it if he continues acting normal (normal for him, which would be rather wild and out of control for a "normal" child)?
psychiatrist has said that if none of the ADHD medications seem to work, he'll consider letting difficult child try a bipolar drug. Don't get me wrong--I'd far rather difficult child be ADHD than bipolar, because I've seen what bipolar has done to my sisters in law. But if he is ADHD, shouldn't the ADHD medications work?
Cheers!
Celise
