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Bipolar and ADHD Meds
My 12 year old son is Bipolar and ADHD. He is on Adderall XR, Abilify, Zyprexa, and Clonidine. I have read that the Adderall can make the bipolar symptoms worsen. At this time, he is completely out of control, stealing, lying, fighting, and failing school. He is getting into fights at school and at home. He is deffiant and disrespectful to everyone he is in contact with. What med combination is best for a child with both disorders?
I would try Strattera, instead of Adderall as it is not a stimulant. I hope he is in counseling.
My son is 4 and has been diagnosised with ADHD, OCD, ODD, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder and bipolar. He has been through every one of the meds for ADHD and they just seem to have made his BD worse! When I talked to his therapist about it, she informed me that ADHD meds will fuel the BD. He was on Risperdal, Zyprexa, and Singular while taking the ADHD meds. He is currently on Abilify and Zyprexa at this time, but we are currently changing his meds. Good luck!
Thanks for your help. I didn't type some of the history of the meds. My son was on the regular Adderall, but his attention span and concentration was so bad, she put him on the Adderall XR with the regular Adderall. That still didn't seem to work, so now he is on Adderall XR 30mg in the morning and Adderall XR 20mg at noon. It isn't working either. We did use the caffeine when he was on the Ritalin a few years ago. He seems to have trouble with the carmel coloring in dark pop, but Mt. Dew helped some. My son's "crash" ends up being one mood swing after another. The evening are his worst time. He is very agitated, irritable, and always ready to fight. He gets off the bus after school and is wound, jumping all over. He takes .01mg of Clonidine as soon as he gets home. Then we start into the fighting. He fights for about 15 - 30 min. and then all of a sudden he is the most calm, rational child ever. Then, we go into the depression. This may happen 2, 3, 4 times after school until bedtime.
We have one other issue that I am wondering if anyone else has experienced. He likes to wear either his sisters, or my bras, underwear, swim suits, and certain shirts. He says that he likes they way they feel. I know that hypersexuallity is a symptom of bipolar, but I don't know if this fits into that catagory or what. He likes to wear them at night when he is going to bed. I am so concered about it. I have an older son with bipolar, and we have never experienced this with him.
I really appreciate all of the responses and time taken to post comments. Sometimes it feels like you are going through things that no one else has any idea about. It is nice to hear that others do know what it is like and are willing to share what has helped them.
We have one other issue that I am wondering if anyone else has experienced. He likes to wear either his sisters, or my bras, underwear, swim suits, and certain shirts. He says that he likes they way they feel. I know that hypersexuallity is a symptom of bipolar, but I don't know if this fits into that catagory or what. He likes to wear them at night when he is going to bed. I am so concered about it. I have an older son with bipolar, and we have never experienced this with him.
I really appreciate all of the responses and time taken to post comments. Sometimes it feels like you are going through things that no one else has any idea about. It is nice to hear that others do know what it is like and are willing to share what has helped them.
Oh yes, I forgot one thing! I have also found that during the "crash" time of the Adderall, that small amounts of caffine help ease the sudden drop, and helps to calm the irritability. So maybe try a half a can (more or less, depending on what he tolerates, Mom knows best!) of Mountain Dew, or something in the late afternoon/early evening timeframe, it will keep the "up" a little longer, and leave the "crash" for bedtime. As for myself, I find that a Frappiccino or a cup of hot tea (I probably spelled that wrong!) works well. (I don't like regular coffee...eeew!)
My son (8) has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, and I am also ADHD and Bipolar myself. i was told that the Adderall can bring out some of the bipolar. Currently, I am on Adderall, for ADHD, and Lamictal for Bipolar, as well as Cymbalta (right now changing to Prozac so I can get a generic, though). I think the combination of the Lamictal and Adderall have been doing well for me. I'm not sure exactly what role the Cymbalta played in it, but I actually felt even better once they started me on the Adderall. One thing that I did notice for my son is that the doctors were quick to increase the Adderall to 20 mg a day. If your son is on that much, Adderall, maybe you could try reducing the Adderall. My son is on 5 mg twice a day, and he is not taking any other medications, but this dosage alone has changed his moods some, and he can be very angry and tempermental at the end of the day, I believe as a result of the "crash" that comes from Adderall.
ADHD and Bipolar have very similar traits, as you probably already know. I noticed that Mandy0079 says that her son is on Lamictal as well, so maybe it is the combination of Adderall and Lamictal that compliment eachother well.
I most certainly believe in the lowest dosage possible of Adderall, I am 28, and not small by any means (uuugh) and I am on 10mg twice a day of Adderall. (not the XR, because my insurance only covers generics). That dosage is enough to make me irritable in the evenings from time to time, especially if I forgot to take the Lamictal the night before. I know that if it's enough to effect my moods with the bipolar, that it certainly is possible for it to effect a smaller child in a more pronounced way.
I hope you get things under control. Most important is to talk to your doctor, (well, your son's doctor) of course, and try to change medications only one at a time. I say this from my own personal experiance, being switched from medication to medication. It's basically the same as a food allergy. Its much easier to determine which effects what when you add/illiminate one thing at a time. Also, remember to give meds time to "kick in" they sometimes will take a week or more for the minor side effects to wear off and the medicine to actually start working.
It's a tough spot you're in, Roey6. I would say start by reducing the Adderall, and see where that goes. Maybe instead of the XR, you could see your doctor about the regular Adderall, in a lower dosage twice a day. This way, it's much easier to keep track of the effects, because it's not the one that lasts all day. My son has the 10 mg blue tablets, and we cut them in half and give him 5 in the morning, and the other 5 he gets at lunchtime at school. The doctor perscribed it to him this way, so that if the 10mg a day was not enough, he could be increased to 20, but if the 10 a day works well (which it seems to) then he can just continue it that way.
I hope things work out for you! Keep trying!
ADHD and Bipolar have very similar traits, as you probably already know. I noticed that Mandy0079 says that her son is on Lamictal as well, so maybe it is the combination of Adderall and Lamictal that compliment eachother well.
I most certainly believe in the lowest dosage possible of Adderall, I am 28, and not small by any means (uuugh) and I am on 10mg twice a day of Adderall. (not the XR, because my insurance only covers generics). That dosage is enough to make me irritable in the evenings from time to time, especially if I forgot to take the Lamictal the night before. I know that if it's enough to effect my moods with the bipolar, that it certainly is possible for it to effect a smaller child in a more pronounced way.
I hope you get things under control. Most important is to talk to your doctor, (well, your son's doctor) of course, and try to change medications only one at a time. I say this from my own personal experiance, being switched from medication to medication. It's basically the same as a food allergy. Its much easier to determine which effects what when you add/illiminate one thing at a time. Also, remember to give meds time to "kick in" they sometimes will take a week or more for the minor side effects to wear off and the medicine to actually start working.
It's a tough spot you're in, Roey6. I would say start by reducing the Adderall, and see where that goes. Maybe instead of the XR, you could see your doctor about the regular Adderall, in a lower dosage twice a day. This way, it's much easier to keep track of the effects, because it's not the one that lasts all day. My son has the 10 mg blue tablets, and we cut them in half and give him 5 in the morning, and the other 5 he gets at lunchtime at school. The doctor perscribed it to him this way, so that if the 10mg a day was not enough, he could be increased to 20, but if the 10 a day works well (which it seems to) then he can just continue it that way.
I hope things work out for you! Keep trying!
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