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Is it Lithium Time??
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<blockquote data-quote="firehorsewoman" data-source="post: 555860"><p>Hi, JKF. I'm sorry that things are so difficult for you and your son. My difficult child son is much younger than yours but I do have some experience with lithium as well as antipsychotic medications to share with you in case it might help.</p><p>My difficult child has displayed out of control anger, defiance and violence from a very young age. He was asked to leave the first three preschools that he attended. His second day of kindergarten resulted in me being met by the principal when I came to pick him up. He had been on Trileptal since age two for seizures which is a mood stabilizer but was also put on Risperdal by his epileptologist at three years old after a 24hr EEG monitoring video documented his violence towards me and the medical staff. He did very well on Risperdal+Trileptal for several years but the doctors took him off Trileptal because he outgrew his seizures. </p><p></p><p>After that time when my son was 4 1/2, his father and I divorced, and my son was taken off of Risperdal because of very high serum prolactin levels. Then he was started on ADHD stimulants because his father preferred the diagnosis of ADHD vs the ODD (he had been diagnosed with both disorders via neuro psychiatric evaluation done twice three years apart at same hospital) and believed at that time that all he needed was ADHD medicines and not a mood stabilizer. The doctors really didn't know how to handle our disagreement regarding medications so they just kept trying all of the ADHD options out there. </p><p>Fast forward to this past July after three years of my son talking about suicide (yes this started at five years old and yes I repeatedly reported this to his psychiatrists) and behaving violently my ex-husband finally admitted that he sees those behaviors and hypersexuality in his home as well as me reporting that I see them in mine. He was also getting in trouble for saying inappropriate sexual stuff in school. My son was taken off of Adderall and Concerta and started on Lithium alone in July of this year. His diagnosis was amended to include Mood Disorder-not otherwise specified, his psychiatrist is reluctant to officially call it Early on-set Bipolar but that is what she tell us she suspects. In addition to his past rapid mood cycling the extreme hypersexuality both in the home and at school was a red flag for young kids with early onset bipolar.</p><p></p><p>Since starting Lithium we have had zero days of suicide talk and only two short lived violent episodes in three months. The hypersexuality has decreased by about 80%. That has been a huge success for us. Not that everything is perfect, it is not. My son is still an extremely difficult child in many ways. He is also still having problems with conduct at school and also still having problems concentrating. We are just this week cautiously adding in an ADHD stimulant again to see if this helps with the ADHD now that the lithium has appeared to have stabilized his mood. He has had no side-effects from the lithium thus far. In regards to the frequent lab tests we are used to that from other medications he has been on in the past.</p><p></p><p>Once again, I know that our situations are not identical, but posted to give you some feedback on lithium in case it helps you at all. I agree with Susiestar that the "Bipolar Child" is a great resource. I truly hope that your son gets some help soon! My thoughts and prayers are with both of you.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="firehorsewoman, post: 555860"] Hi, JKF. I'm sorry that things are so difficult for you and your son. My difficult child son is much younger than yours but I do have some experience with lithium as well as antipsychotic medications to share with you in case it might help. My difficult child has displayed out of control anger, defiance and violence from a very young age. He was asked to leave the first three preschools that he attended. His second day of kindergarten resulted in me being met by the principal when I came to pick him up. He had been on Trileptal since age two for seizures which is a mood stabilizer but was also put on Risperdal by his epileptologist at three years old after a 24hr EEG monitoring video documented his violence towards me and the medical staff. He did very well on Risperdal+Trileptal for several years but the doctors took him off Trileptal because he outgrew his seizures. After that time when my son was 4 1/2, his father and I divorced, and my son was taken off of Risperdal because of very high serum prolactin levels. Then he was started on ADHD stimulants because his father preferred the diagnosis of ADHD vs the ODD (he had been diagnosed with both disorders via neuro psychiatric evaluation done twice three years apart at same hospital) and believed at that time that all he needed was ADHD medicines and not a mood stabilizer. The doctors really didn't know how to handle our disagreement regarding medications so they just kept trying all of the ADHD options out there. Fast forward to this past July after three years of my son talking about suicide (yes this started at five years old and yes I repeatedly reported this to his psychiatrists) and behaving violently my ex-husband finally admitted that he sees those behaviors and hypersexuality in his home as well as me reporting that I see them in mine. He was also getting in trouble for saying inappropriate sexual stuff in school. My son was taken off of Adderall and Concerta and started on Lithium alone in July of this year. His diagnosis was amended to include Mood Disorder-not otherwise specified, his psychiatrist is reluctant to officially call it Early on-set Bipolar but that is what she tell us she suspects. In addition to his past rapid mood cycling the extreme hypersexuality both in the home and at school was a red flag for young kids with early onset bipolar. Since starting Lithium we have had zero days of suicide talk and only two short lived violent episodes in three months. The hypersexuality has decreased by about 80%. That has been a huge success for us. Not that everything is perfect, it is not. My son is still an extremely difficult child in many ways. He is also still having problems with conduct at school and also still having problems concentrating. We are just this week cautiously adding in an ADHD stimulant again to see if this helps with the ADHD now that the lithium has appeared to have stabilized his mood. He has had no side-effects from the lithium thus far. In regards to the frequent lab tests we are used to that from other medications he has been on in the past. Once again, I know that our situations are not identical, but posted to give you some feedback on lithium in case it helps you at all. I agree with Susiestar that the "Bipolar Child" is a great resource. I truly hope that your son gets some help soon! My thoughts and prayers are with both of you. [/QUOTE]
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