How are his depakote levels?  For my ds16, I can usually tell if his lithium level falls below therapeutic due to his behavior.  How long has he been on the Abilify?  Abilify can be a tricky med.  Sometimes pdocs keep increasing the dose of AP's, looking for a better response, but more is not necessarily better.  He may need a second MS, such as lithium, or the Abilify or Depakote may have just pooped out.

Meridell is in Texas and comes highly recommended by many people.  Sometimes you can get the school system to foot the bill for residential if they are unable to provide adequate accommodations for your child in order to educate him.    Most insurance won't pay for RTC, unfortunately.  I think I would pursue the school system route.  You may need an educational advocate to help you out if you decide to pursue this.

--

Brenda,50, CABF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 16, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Trilafon, Lamictal, Seroquel, Cytomel
E, 14, BP,AS, mild hypothyroidism: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol
B, 13 & H, 10
Married 17 years to DH, 50

FROM CABF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

i think its about time for his level test again they do it about every 3-4 months...He's been on abilify about 8 months started at 10 mg then 2-3 months later psod uped it to 12 mg.. what i have read and heard is that abilify just increases the effects of the main med. we have appt this Fri with psod, so i am going to ask him for an antidepressant for his crying and his "i want to die" statments.  i really dont think he is on the corect cocktail, and i hate to keep putting him on something that's not going to work (we are on our 3rd different mixture now)... He's doing ok on the online charter school, of course he's now on probation with them because i couldnt get him to do all his work the last 2 weeks (i think due to his dad standing him up again), but he went to his dad's this weekend and today was AWSOME!! He got all his work done, including his 45 min live session in like 4 1/2 hours!!!  

Every day is a new day!!!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 14 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

ok last night was HORRIBLE!!! He raged for about 45 min and cryed for the next 2 hours.... i just really dont know what to do... he was inches away from a 2, 4 and 5 yr olds!! His 10 yr old best friend tackled him so he would run into the farm road where hthe speed limit is 65... we called the hosp he did better at but they have no beds, so i called his mhmr caseworker... we are looking into state hosp... i just dont know what to do!! i told him he knows how to calm hisself down, why did he let it get this far? all he did was tell me he's not talking to me, and sit in the chair and cry...  about every 5 min he would ask to go play with the other kids, and every time i explained to him there is consequence for every bad action just like there are rewards for every good action! not sure what else to really tell him... He would get angry again, but just hit the chair..... 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 14 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

I'm so sorry it didn't get any better after we chatted last night. Did you get to call the RTC that the insurance gave you? Or is that the one that doesn't have beds? Keep us posted. I'll be in Chat tomorrow night if you need to talk some more. ((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))--

Melissa 31, mom to Nathanial 3, BPNOS, Possible OCD, AD, SID, Asthma, Reflux
N. is on 2.5mg Abilify, Melatonin 2.5mg, and asthma meds
and to Ashlynn, 8 typical girl, no issues, lives with her dad.

yea, the one that the insurance gave me is a drug rehab not for mental .... it just made me mad... i might not be here tomorrw cause i might have to drive them 2 hours to their dad's house cause he cant come get them this weekend and i have to be at work 12 hours sat... how he always seems to ruin my plans???? i will try to make it tho...

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 14 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Sending you some hugs. Hope you are holding up. (((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))

Melissa 31, mom to Nathanial 3, BPNOS, Possible OCD, AD, SID, Asthma, Reflux
N. is on 2.5mg Abilify, Melatonin 2.5mg, and asthma meds
and to Ashlynn, 8 typical girl, no issues, lives with her dad.

thank you Melissa!! it's been good weekend around here... when he goes to his dad's it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, i still worry when he goes, but not like when he's with me!! it's been a good weekend at my house... calm and got to quit the bar!! start new job tomorrow!! things are starting to look up, i just hope i can keep up his school work!!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 14 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

If you're still looking at RTC, I highly suggest that you contact Meridell in Liberty Hill, TX.  Very good program there.  Good luck.  :)

 I have to also second Meridell.  Over the last 11 years here, I have heard nothing but rave reviews from parents who have had their child at Meridell.

It's quite possible that Depakote isn't the right mood stabilizer for him.  Is this the only mood stabilizer you have tried?  You may want to consider Lamictal, which is a first line mood stabilizer with antidepressant qualities to it instead of an antidepressant.  Antidepressants can, and more often than not, worsen the bipolar condition.  Please read the current recommended expert treatment guidelines which can be found here.  Many parents have found it helpful to print these and take them along when they meet with their pdoc to use as a reference point. 

How did your son do with his dad over the weekend?

It really does get a lot better with the right med combo on board...hugs,

--

Jackie aka mom2one
Forums moderator, Family Response Team Member
Mom to Mr. 18 (dx'd at age 4), Schizoaffective, bipolar subtype, Anxiety Disorder, PDD, Cognitive Disorder
Meds: Lamictal 600 mg., Risperdal 4-5 mg., and Synthroid .150 mcg
Fish Oil and Vitamin D
IEP, Therapeutic School
Married to my best friend and rock for 21 years!

If CABF has helped you, please consider a donation! https://www.bpkids.org/donate?campaign=forums2010

meridell does not take our insurance and im sure we cant afford it.... his caseworker at mhmr is looking into where we can get him placed (or so she says).... i found a list of places that have sliding scales, but not sure where to start with them!! i guess i can look them up one at a time!

Jackie, what i understand there was no problem at his dad's this last weekend, but he did go by hisself (my 15 yr old son didnt go)...  

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

oh lordy... had to send him to bed for slamming the door and getting attitude, i could tell in his eyes that he was ready to blow his lid!! i feel like im losing it with him having all these fits out of the blue!! oh well, pdoc appt tomorrow, pray for me that it goies well and i can get something done!!! done differently!!!!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

has been a while.. his moods seem to be more often but not as bad, as in he has only hit walls or just shut down, so i guess i will talk to pdoc about upping his abilify yet again.. everytime he ups it seems to help just a little more every time... im tired of this and just want a break.. he's dad has issues with taking him for the 4 days a month of visitation because of his new family, so im stuck with them fighting all the time and my 15 yr old blaming Dyllan that dad never comes..... oh lordy, how much more can i handle?

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

well just wanted to update.... sent Dyllan to phosp 3 weeks ago when he attacked my 4 yr old and found out 2 days ago that the phosp is sending him to state hosp due to his behavior and aggresion.... so i hope this helps him, im glad it happened now before he hurts someone real bad now that my 4 yr old has broken leg and my brother is staying with us cause he got into motorcycle accident and got his leg amputated.... 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

I'm so sorry you are getting triple whammy with family crises.  Is your 4 y.o.'s broken leg due to the 10 y.o.?  That is awful about your brother.  I hope he recovers quickly.  What is the current working dx for your ds in phosp?  Have they changed the meds around?

--

Brenda,51, CABF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 16, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Trilafon, Lamictal, Seroquel, Cytomel
E, 15, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol
B, 13 & H, 11
Married 17 years to DH, 50

FROM CABF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

Rancer broke his leg on the trampoline with playing with his older 2 teen brothers... i have to laugh or ill cry!!! 

first hosp took him off the abilify, and added seroquel and lithium.. we got him transferred to state hosp yesterday and they said they will watch him for few days before they do anything with his med's...

thank you ....my brother is recovering pretty fast, im just very stressed about him staying here with the kids cause he's a bacholer for several years!!!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 10 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Abilify 12 mg, Clonidine .15 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Seroquel and lithium sounds like something worth trying.  It will take a few weeks for the lithium to fully take effect.  Make sure they're checking levels, and ask them what the level is.  Sometimes docs like to tell you labs are "fine", but you need to know actual values.

If your brother is up for the challenge, I am sure it will be fine.  They can all share their war stories with each other!

--

Brenda,51, CABF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 16, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Trilafon, Lamictal, Seroquel, Cytomel
E, 15, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol
B, 13 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM CABF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

i have been pretty busy around here getting Rancer to dr's getting leg taken care of and getting ready for his first time in school, which tomorrow is his first day :)

Dyllan is still in the state hosp, they havent changed med's, but i did talk with a nurse (pretty often due to him being restrained several times a week), but she said that his lithium level is in the thereputic range, but on the low end and will bring that to the pdoc attention... His behavior hasnt changed at all... im so worried that he's in the wrong place, but then i think what would be happening if he was here.... The state hosp is 3 1/2 hours away so we havent went to visit i dont wanna take the little one with us, but now that my inlaws are back in town i want to go up there this next weekend if we can afford it, but we also have a 90th birthday party for gramma on Sat that we really need to go knowing that her health is deterorating (spelling???)... i want to go see him, but on the other hand when we go he will beg for us to take him home and i dont like dealing with that topic...

im at a loss of feelings... i dont know how to feel , stressed is the best i can come up with... 

how long do you think they should leave him on the lithem & depakote combo before they realize it's not working? it's been over 5 weeks now, and his behavior hasnt changed.... i know that i wish for the impossible!! 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Lithium 300mg, Seriquol 200 mg, Clonidine .1 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Becky -- PLEASE hang in there - it took my son closer to 6-8 weeks for the lithium to make any difference. And when he went off Abilify - he also made improvements. Lithium has been amazing, so if he is on it -- give it the full time to work -- all kids are different, but if it works, you will know. Night and day. Praying for you.

--

Heather (41) Cymbalta; Ambien, Propranalol
DS (10) BP, ADD, SPD, ANXIETY: 1800 mg Trileptal; therapeutic level of Lithium; Clonidine for sleep; DH (40); DD (8); DS (4); Dog

oh... I got to talk to Dyl today!!! first time in 5 wks!! he had 4 good days so they let him have a phone call...he sounds so happy!!!! i have so missed this part of him!!! i just am in aww at listening to him!!!! i hope it stays this way .. they even have him in public school and he said he likes it!! wow he has never liked school and he wants to play football, and he has never liked playing football before!!!! it's almost like a different child!!!!  i hope im not counting the chickens before they hatch!!!  

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Lithium 300mg, Seriquol 200 mg, Clonidine .1 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

BECKY--- Your words brought tears to my eyes-- because I know EXACTLY what you are talking about-- I couldn't have said it better - AND I PRAY it keeps getting better for your son. THAT IS EXACTLY how we described what was happening to our son when we knew the lithium was working-- HE JUST SEEMED HAPPIER-- HAPPY! Like all this mud had been washed away and I had my beautiful boy back-- he is so much more himself-- the sweet, charming, loving kid he was before this ugly mood disorder reared it's ugly head. I pray for you and us all, that we, and our kids find their PEACE!

Heather (41) Cymbalta; Ambien, Propranalol
DS (10) BP, ADD, SPD, ANXIETY: 1800 mg Trileptal; therapeutic level of Lithium; Clonidine for sleep; DH (40); DD (8); DS (4); Dog

Becky that is awesome news!  You may see even more improvement over the next month.  I'm glad you were able to hang in there and give those meds a chance to take effect.  I know that waiting is so hard, though.  I'm glad you got to talk to him.

--

Brenda,51, CABF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Trilafon, Lamictal, Seroquel, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM CABF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

update:   Dyl came home Sunday, been home now 48 hours and the bickering between him and Rancer is killing me!!!!!!! Dyl's med's have been changed to Lithium 100 mg 3x day, Seriquol 100 mg 3x day, and Prozac 20mg 1x day... he has been doing good (but it's only been 2 days).. i got upset today and raised my voice at both boys, Dyl didnt respond well, he got that look and i said something about it's time for his med's and he started to run away from me, so i calmly asked him to come talk with me and to take these pills cause the capsul started to stick to my hand, he took them and  we sat and talked about that mom's get upset too and just want everyone to get along for 5 min and i would be not mad anymore (it only calmed down about 5 min for the whole day - thank goodness they are in bed now!) .. after our talk he chilled for the rest of the day... i know i probly shouldnt have yelled but dang the tattling from both them was driving me crazy...

im not putting him in school just yet, missed the internet school enrollment deadline .. so i am homeschooling him for at least the next 8 weeks to just see for myself how he is doing, and if i think he's behavior is under control i will enroll him for 2nd semester... with this school district treating him like a criminal (he has never been in jail), i believe this is the best for him and me!! any homeschooling advice would be greatly apreciated!!!! he's has done what i have asked him to do and acts excited about it.. he's even on his 3rd chapter book (the Percy Jackson series)... 

he seems so different, im just scared to think everything is going to be ok, cause that's usually the time everything falls apart!!!! 

and thank you all for the words of hope and encouragement... 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Depakote 1000mg, Lithium 300mg, Seriquol 200 mg, Clonidine .1 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

i spoke too soon....i was trying to be calm and talk to him about being so mean to his 4 yr old brother (yet again)!! well, he lost it when i asked what the nurses did at the hosp to help him calm down, there was fist flying and head butting... it lasted about 30 min.... oh will it ever stop??? when he finally calmed down, he was of course crying and i do know that they said hot showers help him after a episode, so he is now in one!!! 

im worried that he's going to get to the point that we have to live in fear and we cant find the help for him... and poor Rancer, why should he suffer this way...??

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter in college
Tyler, 18 y/o son in jail, undiagnosed
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 100mg 3x, Seriquol 100mg 3x, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

When my dd first came home from the phosp the first time things were good for about a week.  And then we were right back where we had been.  I called every mental health resource I could find for assistance and support.  What I found most useful for the long term was the NAMI Basics course which then connected me with other NAMI support resources.  Please check for a local chapter offering this class.  It is taught by parents or children with mental illnesses for parents of children with mental illnesses.  They provide a ton of information about the illness and the struggles and the challenges.  They teach you how to talk to  your kids and develop crisis plans.  But most importantly they provide hope.

Here is a link to the NAMI Texas site:  http://www.namitexas.org/affiliates/

Good luck and remember to breathe.

--

Karenj

Self: as sane as I can be everyday
A - DD (17yo) well adjusted, high functioning, motivated, successful, waiting patiently to go away to college
M - DD (13yo) Mood Disorder NOS (dx 4/2011) ADHD (dx 2nd grade), dumb high IQ, mainstream education with IEP/BIP, Seroquel 200mg twice daily - morning and bed time; Lamictal 50mg - morning (increasing slowly as needed)
BF - Live in boyfriend of 5 years, supportive and learning more every day
EX - Ex-husband, divorced since 2002, family history of bipolar, unpredictable and sometimes explosive

Becky,

The transition home is often difficult.  It helps if you keep activities simple and stresses low.  Is there a way to put some separation between him and his brother?  Even without BP, siblings are going to butt heads (sometimes literally).

There is a homeschooling support group here at TBMF.  Click on "Support Groups" under the "Connect" tab above to request to join.

Also, that is a low dose of lithium.  Were they aiming for a therapeutic blood level, or subtherapeutic?  When do you get blood levels again on the Depakote and lithium?  Did they start the Prozac in the hospital?  AD's can trigger instability in people with BP (not always, but it happens), and a lot of times it takes 3 or 4 weeks for it to happen.  Just something to be aware of.

--

Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Trilafon, Lamictal, Seroquel, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

been a couple weeks since i have been on ..... he has been doing SOOOOO much better!!! the boys butt heads, but he has come to understand that it is normal and that Rancer worships the ground he walks on.. lol ... and he now is able to go play with friends when they get home from school if he is done with his lessons.. it has been so "almost" smooth that i let him go to church with one of his friends tonight... which also gives him couple more hours away from Rancer and with friends... i hope that im not jumping the gun, but now that being home is on the norm for him now, when he starts to get upset, i start to talk with him as calm as i can but firm, and explain what i was saying or asking for , and wasnt asking more then i know he can give, and he will respond to me and we will sit and discuss what happened and why he started to get upset... i love the response thing, it is so much better then being looked thru and ignored....im really hoping it at least stays this way even if it dont get better, he has only hit the floor/wall 2 times in the last 3 weeks, i think i can live with that after the last few years....

and i had a typo on his meds, his lithium is 300 mg 3 times a day,,,, so it's 900 mg daily... sorry bout that guys... 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

That's wonderful news!  I will keep my fingers crossed that things continue to improve.

--

Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Trilafon, Lamictal, Seroquel, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

ok... well, tues before thanksgiving break, Dyllan put his foot down to go back to public school, so tried to explain why i wanted to wait, he wasnt having it, so i enrolled him that day..... so he has had 6 days of public school, and i have had to pick him up early 5 of them... today was by far the worse.. i have bite marks with bruises on my arm and he kicked my back so hard where i have a pulled muscle im having a hard time getting up and down from the chair, not to mention sitting....

the cops came today and talked with him, of course it was after he calmed down, all that did was make him cry..... they did say the next time they were taking him to juvy, but this time they just wanted to send us to his caseworkier with MHMR.... so we did that, his caseworker tried to talk to him and Dyl just got mad and covered his ears and moved his chair to the back wall of the office, but we were told that this time he was sending us home, but next time they would send him to the hospital again..... 

i feel like im back at square one, and feeling more hopeless then i have ever before... i was really hoping this was it, that these meds were the trick.....

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Have your discussed home schooling again with Dylllan?  Sounds like things were going great but school was the trigger.  

UPDATE:

Dyllan had real bad day yesterday at school lasted only 40 min!! so this morning we were discussing his coping skills and what we would work on not to repeat it, he started getting very angry, so i decided not to let him go to school and called the school to let them know, that's when all hell broke lose.... he started kicking the back of my seat so i stopped the car got out opened his door acted like i was going to pull him out and locked the child lock on his door, got back in and started driving home.... was bout 2 blocks from the house he reached around put his arms/hands around my throat and started to pull back as hard as he could so i pushed the break cause i couldnt reach to put it in park.... we sat in the middle of the road hopeing someone would come upon us to help me..... this whole time my youngest was in the back seat with him crying.....

i reclined the seat to block his legs and get his hands off me so we could make it home....... i climbed over front seats and got in back with him talking to him why he was acting this way and told my youngest to go inside the house with his uncle.... Dyllan started yelling and hitting me,,, i got his hands restrained and he started bitting me on my back several times... so i grabed my phone and somehow actually was able to get his caseworker on the phone on speaker, so he could hear everything, wanting me to drive him up there, when i was explaining that we were still in the car Dyllan sunk his teeth in my back so hard that i have never had that pain.... he's caseworker called the cops and shortly after the cops got here, his caseworker got here.... they held him at the sheriffs office till MHMR found him a bed... 

i dont know why it has been getting worse by the day!!!! i havent changed his schedule or the way his med's were being given at the hospital... im so stressed.. i told the cops that with his size and the level of aggression that im ready to grab my youngest and run to car to lock ourselves in to protect us..... and im worried that the only way he can live and be stable is institutionalized..... 

i just wanted to share what happened.... and get it out.... 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Becky,

I know I don't post often...well, hardly ever, but I wanted to know that you and your son are in my prayers.  I know this must be the hardest thing and I am sure you feel torn.  Right now, you have to make sure everyone is safe.  I don't know what else to say...my prayers are with you and I hope you find the help you need to get your son back!  ((((HUGS))))

--

L Anxiety, Lexapro
Mom to:
T (16) Mood disorder (Depression, Anxiety, OCD, BP, SA?), Zoloft 150 mg., Abilify 20mg., Trazadone 100 mg.
Also has hypoplastic left heart syndrome (open heart surgery 3X), Lisinopril, Aspirin
10th grade-currently going to school online at home.
J (13)
J and C (10)

thank you so much... i feel that's the only thing i can do is pray!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Becky,

I'm so sorry things got so awful.  Did you go to the doctor about those bites?  Human bites are nasty and can get infected very easily.

I would definitely have them look at the Prozac.  AD's can trigger cycling, mixed states or mania in people with BP.  It is often not an immediate reaction, but steadily builds up over a few weeks.  There is also room to add in an AED MS such as Lamictal, Depakote, Trileptal or Tegretol.

Thanks for letting us know how things are going.  Please keep us posted on his progress in phosp.  If they can't get him stabilized you may want to ask about RTC placement.

--

Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

i have already talked to the therapist about placing him in RTC, but we have to find one that will take our insurance and switch his SSI to them so that his medicaid will remain in effect and they keep the SSI money but i dont have to pay much or at all..... so im praying for help from someplace !!!!!!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Best of luck with all this.  And keep us posted about how things are going.  Are you okay?

--

Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

My daughter cannot take abilify - causes rages - klonopin - causes rages - depakote - causes rages.

She is unstable right now, probably due to meds, but I know she cannot take those three.

Believe it or not, others are in the same mess.

--

Pilgrim, dd 20 , BP, PDD, PTSD; risperdal, and other meds being trialed.

im ok... really nervous bout him coming home, not sure if he is stable enough... but they did move his release date back cause of a rage he had yesterday... they have took him off the prozac and seraquol, kept him on lithium and added respiridol, not sure of the mg's of either.... he has been on respiridol couple of years ago, didnt help.... 

talked to insurance today, the program we are in (thru hubby's work) will pay 2 days of RTC to every day they are inpatient during coverage, so his stay in the state hosp doesnt go in there.... so as of right now, since he has been in hosp for 5 days, they will pay for 10 days of RTC.... so i feel screwed !!!

the hosp also put on his diagnoses BI Polar, not mood disorder..... and they want to test him for asbergers (or however it's spelled) - i have always thought there was something else wrong, but not sure how to put my finger on it.....

at this point i dont know what i need to do, but call every RTC i can find online and repeat the story a hundred times to try to get help for him...  WE CANNOT GO ON LIVING THIS WAY - in fear for me and my younger son!!!

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium and Respiridol... not sure of mg's yet
Rancer, 4 y/o son

You may want to read up on Asperger's Syndrome in the meantime.  There are several good ones out there, and there's also the OASIS website.   It's helpful to understand how your child is perceiving the world and those around him, which often guides his behavior.  AS kids perceive things very differently from others.  And they have a strong need for order, routine and predictability.  We discovered that many of ds15's meltdowns were related to these issues, and once we had a better handle on it we were able to greatly decrease the triggers for his rages.

--

Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

It sounds like you are making progress.  Your in the phospital, they are making progress on the medical aspects, it was extended because of  the situation, insurance is paying, and they will also pay for follow upat a RTC.  All of this is far better than our insurance and phospital stays.  The RTC should give a chance to get through some of the med withdrawals, do some med tweaking, and it will give you another week or so to prepare for him.  

I hope your using your time wisely now so that when he comes home, you will be in a better space to deal with him.  Some things to think about may be:  Do you need to find a new pdoc?  Do you need to arrange things more optimally with the school?  Does he have a therapist?  Are you in therapy or taking any kind of parenting classes?  Do you have all the help you need?  Have you looked at your diet and read the CAM postings and Naomi's book?   Do you have a safe haven for your other kids when things turn bad? 

Best of luck,

--

Daughter 7 BP/violent rages. Unsuccessful with multiple meds. Now reasonably stable for last 3 Months (with a few regressions) on Intuniv + Restrictive diet + True Hope's EMPowerPlus & AminoPowerplus + NAC + Q10 + low dose lithium (no more fish oil).

i have looked for new pdoc, hopefully in jan  the new insurance can help get us a new one.... 

i called the school today, the special ed said that he has no  symptoms of anything other then his mood instability... my question is wouldnt the hospital know more then a lady that works with special ed at this crappy school system that has once claimed he was just spoiled???

i have set his appt up with a therapist, but with his history at therapy, he dont talk with them at the appts... his last therepist he went to for a year and half and never once did he speak to her besides telling her the names of family members, where they live and what grade he was in; after that the fight was on, she finally stated that he's not ready to talk about his actions and that it might take time, so we mutually agreed to try again at a later date; i think she was tired of him throwing her furniture...

i have taken a class for parenting a child with agressive behavior, there answer was to give in to the child as long as they were good, only reward good behavior... to use time out for bad behavior -- this was thru CPS...

I feel like i dont have any help .... his caseworker with MHMR tells me to search for placement, the hosp tells me he needs RTC and gave me 2 places to contact (neither take our insurance or his SSI medicaid) ... so that leaves me doing all the calling and getting info ....

i dont know what CAM or Naomi's book is.... i really dont have time right now with all my looking up RTCs and calling them with the whole story god knows how many times the last 2 days, getting my 5 yr old occupied and to and from school, and normal household chores, ect.... i will look it up after supper is done tonight if i can get Rancer to bed.....

i have talked to another parent of Rancer's classmate that i have known for 6 yrs, and she lives like 4 blocks away... she told me to call anytime that i need to her to come get him ... for school or just to get him away from the aggression....

im just so stressed..... i just want him to get help, i even talked with a RTC in OK today for like 45 min, they have issues with over state lines, but he said if there is anything he can help with to call him back... i feel like he gave me more info in the hour then the hosp or MHMR has in the last few years.....

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Becky,

I hope you and Dyllan are doing better today.  Keep posting how your all doing. 

Any parenting class that calls for time outs, may not be relevant to kids like ours.  I know I loose my temper with our daughter, but any punishment does not work, especially when a rage is building. 

For an introduction to CAM, I would read the posts on the CAM forum. 

Brian

--

Daughter 7 BP/violent rages. Unsuccessful with multiple meds. Now reasonably stable for last 3 Months (with a few regressions) on Intuniv + Restrictive diet + True Hope's EMPowerPlus & AminoPowerplus + NAC + Q10 + low dose lithium (no more fish oil).

Thank you, im little flabbergasted right this minute...it's like these professionals want to tell me a lot of BS, saying yes he needs help, but you have to find it.... when i call the long term facilities, they want to know what his clinicals say, well i dont know cause he's in the phosp, so i have to call the hosp back and get the info then call the RTC back tell them, they ask for something else and i have to do the calling all over again.... they refer him to RTC, but wont help me get him in one, MHMR here is the same way, they dont know crap.... we had a meeting they call a CRCG twice in the last 3 years and both times i was told that the only way the members of the meeting could help is when he gets put on probation.. now tell me, would they put a downs syndrome child on probation? no they wouldnt so why would they put a child with a different mental disorder on probation?

i feel the only place i can turn is to this website, but no offense to anyone here, this place has helped me with alot, but it's not going to get Dyllan the help he needs... ya know.... but we are all just parents and every state is different in the way things are ran, so im just little put out with TX and the way they are doing the disabled children that need the help and i have no idea how to get this changed ....

Sorry about my venting session!! thanks for listening ....

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

ok.. i talked to Dyllan tonight, it doesnt sound like he knows he's getting out tomorrow.... we talked about how his aggression is not acceptable, and asked if he has realized that it got REAL bad when he went back to public school.... he said yes and that he wants to homeschool for the 2nd semester... 

i read some kinda old post on here and am going to try something someone mentioned.... make it understood that hitting is unacceptable, so he can do whatever he wants (scream, stomp, curse, etc) as long as he doesnt hit anyone!!! and when he has a rage i will not have any emotion (this will take some time to get it, i will have to leave notes on the walls to remind me or something...)... will keep telling him when he calms down we can talk, without emotion from me..... 

i hope i can do this, im very nervous... and i have got to get it in his head that he cannot put his hands on me (or his teeth), especially when im driving the car!!!!!!

praying for strength!!--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

I pray for strength for you.  For me, when it gets hard to remain emotionless, I walk away.  To the porch, another room, sometimes I walk the dog.  This causes dd to become even more enraged, but I will not put myself out there for abuse.  

I am scared about the car for you too.  Maybe you can insist that he sits behind the passenger seat with his seat belt on at all times.  That way you will have at least a few extra seconds to pull over if you need to.  I understand insisting is difficult with our kids.  But I would tell him he cannot ride with you otherwise.  Then you have to mean it.  Your safety is important.  And you cannot keep him safe if he is attacking you while driving.

Also please look up your local NAMI chapter.  They have a lot of support and resources that can help you to navigate your state mental healthcare system.  They also have a class for parents of mentally ill children that is taught by other parents who are in the same boat.  Its called Basics.  The class helps you with basic system navigation, collaborative problem solving, basic knowledge on the illnesses and medication to treat them, and a fair amount of how to keep moving forward through all of the difficulties.  I found the class invaluable just for the experience of sitting around a table with several other people experiencing the same nonsense on a day to day basis.

Good luck and keep us posted.

--

Karenj

Self: as sane as I can be everyday
A - DD (17yo) well adjusted, high functioning, motivated, successful, waiting patiently to go away to college
M - DD (13yo) Bipolar I (dx 4/2011) ADHD (dx 2nd grade), dumb high IQ, mainstream education with IEP/BIP, Seroquel 200mg - morning 250mg bed time; Lamictal 150mg - morning
BF - Live in boyfriend of 5 years, supportive and learning more every day
EX - Ex-husband, divorced since 2002, family history of bipolar, unpredictable and sometimes explosive

thank you Karen.... im praying for the best and expecting the worse!!!! 

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/mood disorder, with a side of ODD & IED,
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Seriquol 300 mg, Prozac 20mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

Day one... started his home schooling today, not really knowing where he's at we are just reviewing the first half of the books i got to try to  see where he is, i told him that he will only have school when his little brother is in school, but during the christmas break we might try to work on some to get caught up cause i know he didnt do a lot of school work when he was in school and at the hosp.... 

my only concern is he worked about 2 hours, his stomach started to hurt, which has been issue for a week at the phosp so i told him to go lay down for a while to see if it settled (he said he wasnt hungrey)... HE SLEPT FOR 3 HOURS.... im not sure how to deal with him sleeping like this and trying to do his school work.... any advice? trying to get the most part done while my 5 yr old at school, cause he likes to distract Dyllan (just wanting to play)...

thanks

--

Becky - mom of 5:
Brittany, 20 y/o daughter LVN student
Tyler, 18 y/o son
Connor, 15 y/o son
Dyllan, 11 y/o son w/bipolar NOS, with a side of ODD, IED, ADHD and depression
daily med's Lithium 900mg, Risperidone 4mg, and Clonidine 0.2 mg
Rancer, 4 y/o son

 No advice, but keep it up.

Brian

--

Daughter 7 BP/violent rages. Unsuccessful with multiple meds. Now reasonably stable for last 3 Months (with a few regressions) on Intuniv + Restrictive diet + True Hope's EMPowerPlus & AminoPowerplus + NAC + Q10 + low dose lithium (no more fish oil).

I would suggest going very slowly with the school work for now.  He is still very ill, and his ability to concentrate and learn is probably limited at best.  You can include watching educational TV shows or outings to parks/museums as educational.  I wouldn't worry about trying to "catch up" on missed school at this point.  It would just be another stressor.  He may end up being a year behind, but that's okay if he has a chance to get some control over the illness.  Is the clonidine new?  It can make them very sleepy.

--

Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50

FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.

Our son has missed out about two years of school.  It has been quite the ride.  I have come to realize that him feeling good is way more important then the school work.  I stressed myself about him not being in school, doing the school work, interacting with kids, doing extra activities(sports), etc.  I still do some days.  The real important thing is to love them where they are at and just work at the level they can work.  If it is five minutes of reading that day.  Then that is OK.  Find what he loves to do and then build his education around that.  My son loves to read and be read too.  So we visited the library weekly picking up tons of books.  He did not like them all and that was OK, we read what he was interested in.  We spent hours reading while he built up his self esteem.  We still have a long way to go but I have learned slow is the best way.  Let you child take the lead.  Ask them what they want and can handle.  Let them in on the disucssions, desision making.  Our son in now in school half days and we are slowly building it up.  He is doing well considering.  Still have rough days, still has days he does not attend at all.  The school is finally working with us.  The two things to concentrate on when teaching is working is math and english.  So if you are going to teach them anything concentrate on those two.  That is what we did when we could do any school at all.

Best to you.  It is a hard road to walk.

Gayle

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Gayle - Rhuematoid arthritis, married and stay at home mom - From Canada
10 year old son - Sensory Modulation Disorder9low registration)depression, low self esteem,
empower plus, omega 3, Vitamin d, grape seed extract, meletonin. PS
He was suspended from the public school system for a year.
Suspension lifted december 2, 2010. YEAHHH Working at intergrating him back into school fulltime. He attends afternoons only.
17 year old son
26 year old daughter, married, one daughter