Pdoc put DD, 18, on Equetro about 8 to 10 weeks ago.  They keep increasing dosage after checking her free carbazamepine (sp) levels and saying she has room to increase.  Since the very start, well except for days 2 - 14, DD has not shown any improvement and in my opinion has become more hateful, aggressive and almost emotionally removed from caring about hurting anyone else.   We have hung in there week after week while they keep increasing and I finally got hold of main pdoc a couple of weeks ago (oh and DD was eating even MORE voraciously than before which I didn't think was even possible).  He finally said to go ahead and reduce Equetro from 500 mgs to 400 mgs and increase Saphris by 15 mg's at night (she was on 10 mg in a.m. and 10 mg in pm). 

Still haven't noticed much change.  I do know DD ran out of Saphris last week while at first week in college and she called freaking out on Thursday becuase her 'nightmares have returned'....she has issues with sleeping and nightmares/terrors and something about Saphris seems to help with this but I think that may be about all it is doing. 

The best combo DD has ever been on was Lamictal, Abilify and Seroquel for years but about 1.5 years ago everything came to screeching halt..as she neared 18?....and the became unstable.  We tried removing 1 of them at a time, putting one back..about every possible combination until it seemed that NONE of them were doing anything anymore - together, alone, with just 1 of the other meds, etc. - this was a 6 month 'drug balance dance' and finally we stopped them all as nothing was happening except more weight gain.

Tried Geodon after that..again..first 2 weeks..improvement...then BOOM...bad again...med increased...bad behavior increased..finally pulled plug on that after another exhausting few months.  Have also tried Topomax, Risperdal, Risperdone, Clonodine, Tenex, etc. - and probably several more I haven't listed over this 9+ year battle.

What makes me the angriest is the pdoc and nurse practicioner can't even return a call...even weeks later.  Pdoc was highly recommended by my pdoc who is VERY well respected and the best doctor I have ever found (he won't treat under the age of 21 though)...the pdoc he recommended I was very hopeful about because he used to be an internist as well....and DD has a chronic illness (chronic Epstein Barr virus) so he does get the connection between the immune system/chronic illness and bipolar and has demonstrated this on many an occasion.

Sorry, frustrated..DD had first week of college and she came running home this weekend..tired..and completely unstable....nurse practicioner didn't want to change meds since DD was starting college and when DD told me this I was like 'what?  but the meds aren't helping!!'.  DD has not yet learned to advocate for herself despite countless hours of coaching...

This is why  I did NOT want DD going to college to begin with - at least anything more than community college..she is NOT stable..but NO..husband knows better...all DD needed was to 'get out on her own' and everything would magically be ok.  Uh huh...not working..but hey, we just took out a 20K loan that we can ill afford because husband signed for it. 

I am so MAD!!  Dealing with this disorder is HARD enough but not having your doctor's office respond after weeks when they know she is unstable and struggling...if seriously beginning to make me furious!!