Geodon help!!!!

[blueyezzz11]

My 16 yr old daughter has been on Zoloft for about 4 yrs now, she  was diagnosed with bipolar last year in Feb 09 when she got baker acted and was put on abilify for 10 months. These medications did nothing for her except the abilify made her gain 40 pounds. Then she was baker acted again in Dec 09 and the Dr put her on Geodon. My first gut instinct told me not to allow her to go on this med but after talking with the Dr I agreed. Before she could go on it she had to have an EKG which was normal. She started on 40mg and have moved up to 40 mg in the morning and 120 mg at night. She was a walking zombie!!!! Last week out of the blue she had a very bad panic attack ( she has never had these before). I took her to the ER because I had no idea what was happening to her. She was shaking uncontrollably, hyperventilating, scared, light headed, slight chest pain....after 4 hours in the hospital I was told she had a panic attack.. she also had a abnormal EKG... the EKG shows that she possibly had a mild heart attack in the anterior part of her heart (inverted T waves). She told me last week she had really bad chest pains while in school. My first thought was that the Geodon she was taking caused this. I spoke with the Dr the next day and told him my concerns  about the panic attack, the abnormal EKG and her being a zombie. I told him I do not want her taking this med anymore. He basically stopped this med cold turkey. Her last dose of Geodon was Saturday... by Sunday night she wasn't feeling well... Monday morning she went to school and somehow made it through the day.. Monday after school she said her stomach hurt really bad, she was dizzy, she had the shakes, she cries if you look at her, and she just felt ******.... The Dr did prescribe another med for her Trileptal.  She has been taking this since Monday night. She didn't go to school Tuesday due to the severe withdrawl symptoms and last night she started with feeling completely numb inside and her stomach feels raw. Today (Wednesday) she still feels numb and her stomach is killing her... My question is.... Is what she experiencing withdrawl from the geodon? Is it possible she had a heart attack last week while taking the Geodon? As a mom I don't see my daughter as being bipolar... I see my daughter as being a depressed and very disrespectful teenager who has a very bad anger problem when she is told no. I have told the Dr, counselors, etc that when she gets her way life is great in my home but when she is told no...... all hell breaks loose and the whole house suffers from it. I am completely at my wits end with her and this medication (which I feel is not needed). She has been baker acted twice in the last year due to cutting herself. My daughter is one of these kids that will run with a diagnosis, and use it as a excuse for every bad thing she does, or use it for every bad decision she makes. She has always been the kid who wanted to be different  then everyone else. She goes to group therapy and now hears voices (which she says she has been hearing for a year now, but not even the counselor or Dr new about them), she has become paranoid at times. She is just plain DISRESPECTFUL, LAZY, RUDE!! She does what she wants, when she wants!!!!!!!!! I have 2 younger children who are being affected by her, and are not getting the attention they deserve from me because my days and nights are always consumed with her. It's not fair to my other children at all. I need someones help ASAP. I am so at my wits end... I am looking for a place to send her away for a year and get her the help she needs to become a "normal" kid again. Please, please, please, if anyone could give me some input or answers it would be so greatly appreciated!! Thank you, Stacey

[Gnil]

Hi, it is very frustrating for You!!!!  But!!!! How frustrating for your daughter????
No one Understands?????  THAT is how SHE FEELS!!!!!!
You put it down to rude, etc.???  Because YOU can not SEE this illness YOU!!!!  CAN!!!! not understand it????
YOU can not stick a plaster on it and all BETTER!!!!!!
I am afraid, anyone who cuts themselves, is crying out desperatly FOR HELP!!!!!      AND YOU ARE NOT LISTENING!!!!!????
I know with other children in the house it is hard because this takes up all your time and they also suffer!!!!
I AM BI-POLAR and MY MOTHER never believed that I was ill???
I tried suicide 3 times NOT NICE For the FAMILY EITHER!!!!
If you can not talk to HER get PROFESSIONAL HELP for HER. This also gives you a little respite, although you also have to work with the Professionals.
It unfortunately takes time to come right, and is not an easy overnight fix, which NObody!!!!!  will ever UNderstand!!!!!
Med's Are needed, and Therapy!!!!
No child acts up IT IS A DESPERATE CRY FOR HELP!!!!!
I KNOW!!!!!
PLEASE HELP HER BEFORE YOU have to attend to her FUNERAL!!!!!

[Bonz88]

Oakland county MI has a program specifically for teens at Havenwyc hospital.   They have housing across the street.

[blueyezzz11]

Snakenstien... My daughter has had issues with her dad for many many years now... they are 2 peas in a pod and he was verbally, emotionally and mentally abusive to her for quite a few years... at times physical... this is why she started taking zoloft in the first place due to her depression with her dad. I did divorce him for quite a few reasons and yes what he did to her was one of the reasons. I thought that with him gone she would be better but she is actually worse now. She and I have a very open communication and she will tell me anything. Yes at times I do yell and scream because I am human. I try to talk to her about getting some drive and turning the negatives into positives and all that good stuff. She has been seeing counselors for 5 years now and tells them what they want to hear. It has been very very difficult dealing with her. I have done EVERYTHING I can possibly think of to help her. As far as Baker Acting her, the first time I had no choice she cut her whole entire body from chest to legs.. the second time she asked to go because she couldn't stop cutting and hurting herself.. she cut over 100 times on the inside of her arm wrist to elbow. Trust me I don't think Baker acting does anything for them honestly and that is really the last place I wanted her to go. As of yesterday she is back to wanting to kill herself and now cant be left alone for even a second until this new med Saphris kicks in. It was me to agree to never leave her unattended or send  her back to be baker acted again... of course I chose to keep my eyes on her at all times!!  I love my daughter with all my being and will do anything to fix her. I just don't know where to go from here!!! I feel like I have run out of options! Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated!

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Geodon can indeed cause withdrawal symptoms such as this.  I also had chest pains like my heart was being ripped apart and my doctor also took me off of it immediately but the second time I did not have withdrawal symptoms unlike before when I was suddenly taken off of it due to horrible doctor planning.  Geodon also had a sort of zombifying effect on me as well but this went away and the benefits were actually worth that.

[ILADVOCATE]

Geodon can cause heart arrythmia. That doesn't mean she had a heart attack. Any medication when suddenly changed has withdrawal symptoms but if a person has signs of heart arrythmia from Geodon due to physical safety and side effects that are specific to Geodon a psychiatrist might change it immediately. Its essential to understand that the way she is acting is because of her psychiatric disability not a decision. She needs a psychiatrist who follows up more appropriately and a psychologist as well to help her with her emotional needs as well. It might help to find out more about how to help her and her disability as well. NAMI friend and family support groups can be essential in that regard.

[Snakenstein]

Well, children aren't born bad, so theres obviously something causing these outbursts and cry's for attention. I think you should talk to her, corner her when she acts like this and be as calm as possible, because she will only respond negatively to any yelling or negative tones. Ask her, why does she act like this? Why is she so volatile? And ask her about the voices. Start sitting her down, and talking to her. No matter how mad at her behavior you are, children will never respond kindly to any negative reinforcement. This includes you yelling at her. I know it might be hard when she starts to put you at your wits end, but dont let your personal anger towards her show, you'll just be making it even worse.

Usually, when a child seeks attention they are lacking or hurting somewhere else. How is she doing in school? Ask her that. Try to figure out what upsets her. Children aren't pre-wired to be brats. Maybe she wants a little positive attention from you. Hopefully, if you talk with her calmly, ask her to talk about her feelings she'll stop the outbursts. Because all those are feelings, she feels she cant express simply in calm words.
Also if she resists talking at first, be as patient with her as possible, tell her you just want to help and that you care about her. Once you form that initial bond, you'll have it for a long time. Instead of lashing out, she'll start talking to you. Putting her in a hospital to let other people deal with her wont help, your her mother and even if kids dont want to admit it, their parents mean the world to them. She will look up to you, and look at you as an example until the day she dies. You are the most important thing in her life.

I know these things because I wish they were what my mother would have done when I was having behavioral issues as a child. I was just getting bullied and isolated at school. And instead of asking me what was wrong, she hit and lashed out at me. But with that, I know what not to do as a mother. Calmness and communication are key. With this, she'll always look to you as a calm and rational figure.