update on psychiatrist appointment

[crazymama30]

psychiatrist remains confused by difficult child. We are going to try Inderal and Focalin, the Focalin was the best of the stims, and we are hoping it will be better in the combination. There are definite mood things going on, but what do you do when mood stabilizers are not tolerated? His behaviors are not too extreme, although they feel like it to me, so I am leary of a lot of the medications like risperdal and geodon, as they can have a very tranquilizing affect. Also can cause a lot of weight gain. Is Lamictal a mood stabilizer, or an antipsychotic?

 

[oceans]

Lamictal is a mood stabilizer. Has he tried a mood stabilizer alone without the stimulants or AD's? I have read that sometimes a mood stabilizer will not work unless it is tried alone without the other medications which can cause a destabelizing effect.

 

[smallworld]

Lamictal is a mood stabilizer. I have two difficult children who take it. It has definitely stabilized and brightened their moods. It tends to help with the depressive end of bipolar disorder.

 

[crazymama30]

yes, he tried both the lithium and the depakote by themselves. I am not sure if my difficult child is more on the depressive end, it is hard to tell.

 

[Sara PA]

Lamictal is an anticonvulsant which is effective as a mood stabilizer. Depakote and Tegretol/Trileptal are also anticonvulsant mood stabilizers. Lithium is the other mood stabilizer but it is not an anticonvulsant.

 

[kris]

<font color="brown">another question for you. have they ever trialed difficult child on a combination of two mood stabilizers....still leaving out an AD or a stimulant? some people do need a mood stabilizer cocktail.

kris </font>

 

[crazymama30]

No, and after the experience with Depakote and Lithium, I am scared of them. He was horrible. He cried all the time, and I pulled him out of soccer as he attacked a team mate at practice. This is much worse than normal

 

[crazymama30]

In previous post, no he has not been on 2 different mood stablizers and no stims. Sorry