Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/28/02 5:54:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Lehman_Amie@... writes:

> Has anyone ever given their child Risperdal? Did it help? Is this one of

> the meds I have read some moms post about that when the child comes down

> off em, it's a meltdown for 2 hrs? I can't handle a 2 hr meltdown!! I

> already wanna run away most of the time. Maybe it's because I have my ass

> on my shoulders about the whole medicating issue and I'm not even trying to

> attempt to give it a fair shot--I don't know. My rant is over. Any moms

> who have dealt w/ Risperdal tho, please, your input is greatly appreciated.

> Amie

>

First of all, I'd like to second what Jacquie said - if you don't want to

medicate your child, don't. Medication administration for children is

nothing to fool around with, IMHO.

My second free piece of advice is...if this is a first time med for your

child and you aren't even sure his behaviors warrant medication, I would NOT

start with Risperdal. It is an anti-psychotic medication originally designed

for hallucinating, delusional schizophrenics and it has a serious side effect

profile, some of which can be irreversible. I can send you several links on

it that you could forward or print out for your mom to read if you'd like.

I'm not trying to scare you unnecessarily, but it concerns me that so many

docs prescribe it so easily as if it were a fairly innocuous medicine and

it's not!

Now, that said...my 5 yr. old takes Risperdal and has for about a year and a

half and it has been a wonderful med for him. He has had no rebound effects

from it (he did from Clonidine <shudder>) If that sounds contradictory to

what I said earlier, let me explain. My son has serious behavioral issues in

addition to being autistic (he is probably also bipolar) and could not

function in the school environment at all prior to being on this med. We

also tried several other less potent medications to no avail before putting

him on Risperdal.

I can't remember what your previous posts have said about the particular

behaviors your son is having or whether you've tried other alternatives, if

so, please disregard... Is your son verbal? Could some of his frustrations

be linked to inability to communicate? If so, does he use a picture schedule

or could that help? How about sensory integration? Swinging, trampoline

jumping, being rolled in a blanket....those things worked somewhat for Sam at

least somewhat, in his younger years. I can send you some links on different

things that folks have tried to aide with behavior problems before they got

to the " need to medicate " stage. Maybe that would help your mom get off your

back if you could show her some alternative info?

Hope some of this helps,

Terry - mom to Alec (11, NVLD) Sam (5, autism) and Abbie (4, PDDNOS) and wife

to Ron (44, Simply Wonderful)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/28/02 7:47:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

reynoldspm@... writes:

> His care provider wants us

> to consider Depakote or Lithium also but I do not really want to add

> more meds at this time. I'm HOPING that after we get past the first

> month of school we can taper the Risperdol back down or at least some

> because at a lower dose we have more room to work with as he grows.

> I also want to avoid as much polypharmacy as we can.

>

,

I know I'm butting in here and I apologize in advance, but I did not want to

say if you're looking at mood stabilizers there are some newer ones out there

other than Depakote and Lithium that don't require the blood draws...let me

know if you want some more info...

Terry

[Guest guest]

Amie,

We had great success with Risperdal. was on it for two years. He took

..5 once in the am and once at night. (Well, we worked up to that by last

year) It helped tremendously with focus, self-abuse, aggression, and that's

when he started " talking " too. It was great. We just took him off of it

though a few weeks back. Out of nowhere he got very paranoid and highly

anxious, it was a nightmare! I " forgot " to give him the meds for a few days

and it stopped, almost as quickly as it started. Now the anxiety is back to a

decent level. Perhaps we had just reached the peak for that drug or whatever.

He's been a little self-injurious, a bit more aggressive and a lot more " out

there " , but he's not paranoid and I can have that worry out of my head for

heart probs (they hook your kid up to an EKG once a year or so on that). As

usual, unsure whether my babble helps or not, but that's just my two cents:)

Tommi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/28/02 8:19:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time, rgr4us@...

writes:

> so if you don't have insurance that will cover most of it,

> you're gonna be forking out a LOT of cash.

>

> Raena

>

Excellent point. We have Medicaid and it pays for Sam's meds (Saints be

praised)...I wonder does the Becket Medicaid Waiver thingee pay for

meds too, for those that have it?

Terry

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/28/02 8:12:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

reynoldspm@... writes:

> YES! Please send!! I don't like what I'm reading and I don't really

> want more meds added unless, like the Risperdol, we HAVE to. The

> more I know the better choice I can make. Thanks.

>

>

>

<A

HREF= " http://home.attbi.com/~pmbrig/BP_pharm.html#stabilizers " >Psychopharmacolog\

y of bipolar disorder</A>

<A HREF= " http://www.bipolarchild.com/newsletters/0108.html " >Trileptal: A

Promising New Mood Stabilizer</A>

<A HREF= " http://www.bipolarchild.com/newsletters/0003.html " >Bipolar Disorder,

Co-occurring Conditions, and the Need for Extreme Caution

Before Initiating Drug Treatment</A>

Pubmed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed) is also a great site for checking

out meds...some of the lingo can get kind of technical, though. Do you have

the book " The Bipolar Child " ? There is a ton of info in it about meds, but I

think most of it can be found on the website (www.bipolarchild.com)...there's

supposed to be an updated version of the book out in mid-September or

October. The Childhood & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation also has mucho info

(www.bpkids.org)...

Let me know if I can help in any way!

Terry

[Guest guest]

Amie,

First of all I would like to say that if you dont want to

medicate your child then dont. Dont do something as big as medicating

your child unless you want to do it. My husband and I didnt even

medicate Alec until we were both ready, not just one of us and we are

his parents! Anyway, Alec has taken risperdal. We really had a sucess

with it except for the weight gain. It helped him be less aggressive

and helped a bit with panic attacks and we think we saw some better

social interaction. I dont think risperdal is one of the meds that

you have to worry about a child " coming down from " . At least we never

did. Those drugs might be more like clonidine or adderall. Good luck

and if you want to talk more about it feel free to write me off

list.

Jacquie H

jacquie_harris@...

> We took Karson to the neuro today. I got pissed and left the

room. My mom is the one who wants him medicated, then she can listen

to their BS. They say he has behavioral problems. I said he is 3

and austisic, he isn't gonna be an angel 24/7. Even the " norm "

children are not angels especially at age 3. The only sentence my

mom has spoken to me in 2 wks is, " I'm gonna take you to court to

over-rule your decsion about medicating Karson. " Well, she got her

way and is still not speaking to me. She wants him medicated, she

can administer him the dose. That child will not take meds. I don't

care if it's amoxicilian, tylenol, midol(gheesh, re-read, not midol,

motrin, I think I need some midol tho), whatever--he pukes em back

up. You have to sit on him and still he doesn't get the whole dose.

Anyways, I am still highly pissed. Has anyone ever given their child

Risperdal? Did it help? Is this one of the meds I have read some

moms post about that when the child comes down off em, it's a

meltdown for 2 hrs? I can't handle a 2 hr meltdown!! I already

wanna run away most of the time. Maybe it's because I have my ass on

my shoulders about the whole medicating issue and I'm not even trying

to attempt to give it a fair shot--I don't know. My rant is over.

Any moms who have dealt w/ Risperdal tho, please, your input is

greatly appreciated. Amie

>

> If a man does not keep

> pace with his companions,

> > perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

> > Let him step to the music he hears,

> > however measured or far away

> > --Henry ThoreauGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer

download : http://explorer.msn.com

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That child will not take meds. I don't care if it's amoxicilian,

tylenol.....

Amie~ i know this doesn't have anything to do with the current med

issue, but next time he has a fever or needs pain reliever try

Fever All, they are pain reliever suppositories.... they work

wonders. Noah will not take oral meds either...but not only does he

not get to puke the med all over me , it starts working faster too!!

BONUS if you ask me ! I am also considering meds , due to Noahs

uncontrolable abusive behavior towards himself and others, so if you

decide to go with the meds, let me know how you trick him into taking

them .... :)

Amy mom to

Noah 6 Autism

Lucas almost 8 ADHD HFA

[Guest guest]

Aime, I don't know your particular situation but I'd have to see some

pretty extreme behaviors at 3 to use Risperdol. In particular

agressive behaviors. With out that I would not want to use that

medication. Three year old autists are pretty darned difficult to be

around. That's just the way it is. did use a medication at

that age for sleep called clonidine, and he took something else I

can't recall now....one that is not as common, but was good for

him....an atypical type of ADD med but requires blood tests

periodically and EKGs. He can't take the typical stimulants because

of the Tourettes. For him at that time the short dose of medication

allowed him to focus enough for school to be more effective and to

learn needed skills. He stopped taking any meds at 5, and did not

resume until May or so of '01 when he was 9. Previously medication

administration was much like you described for too. We did get

pretty good at grinding pills and hiding them in icecream/pudding,

etc that were among the few acceptable foods.

Now, about Risperdol. is on Risperdol and he is 10. In fact

we just doubled the dose last night up to 2mg a day now. Without

Risperdol he would be hospitalized or in residential treatment.

is high functioning but he is also bipolar and has Tourette's.

About a year and a half ago the tics started to become a management

problem and his behavior/moods became severe problems. Risperdol,

for him, at this time is a blessing allowing him to be with his

family, go to school, and benefit from his social therapy. Without

it his tics increase, he has more trouble sleeping, his moods swing

wildly, we have rages and manias and very yucky agressive behavior.

He becomes someone we don't know and don't want to be around. He

cannot control himself or his emotions. His care provider wants us

to consider Depakote or Lithium also but I do not really want to add

more meds at this time. I'm HOPING that after we get past the first

month of school we can taper the Risperdol back down or at least some

because at a lower dose we have more room to work with as he grows.

I also want to avoid as much polypharmacy as we can.

[Guest guest]

> I know I'm butting in here

Please do!!

and I apologize in advance, but I did not want to

> say if you're looking at mood stabilizers there are some newer ones

out there

> other than Depakote and Lithium that don't require the blood

draws...let me

> know if you want some more info...

YES! Please send!! I don't like what I'm reading and I don't really

want more meds added unless, like the Risperdol, we HAVE to. The

more I know the better choice I can make. Thanks.

[Guest guest]

> > First of all, I'd like to second what Jacquie said - if you don't

want to

> medicate your child, don't. Medication administration for children

is

> nothing to fool around with, IMHO.

>

> My second free piece of advice is...if this is a first time med for

your

> child and you aren't even sure his behaviors warrant medication, I

would NOT

> start with Risperdal. It is an anti-psychotic medication

originally designed

> for hallucinating, delusional schizophrenics and it has a serious

side effect

> profile, some of which can be irreversible. I can send you several

links on

> it that you could forward or print out for your mom to read if

you'd like.

> I'm not trying to scare you unnecessarily, but it concerns me that

so many

> docs prescribe it so easily as if it were a fairly innocuous

medicine and

> it's not!

>

> Now, that said...my 5 yr. old takes Risperdal and has for about a

year and a

> half and it has been a wonderful med for him. He has had no

rebound effects

> from it (he did from Clonidine <shudder>) If that sounds

contradictory to

> what I said earlier, let me explain. My son has serious behavioral

issues in

> addition to being autistic (he is probably also bipolar) and could

not

> function in the school environment at all prior to being on this

med. We

> also tried several other less potent medications to no avail before

putting

> him on Risperdal.

>

> I can't remember what your previous posts have said about the

particular

> behaviors your son is having or whether you've tried other

alternatives, if

> so, please disregard... Is your son verbal? Could some of his

frustrations

> be linked to inability to communicate? If so, does he use a

picture schedule

> or could that help? How about sensory integration? Swinging,

trampoline

> jumping, being rolled in a blanket....those things worked somewhat

for Sam at

> least somewhat, in his younger years. I can send you some links on

different

> things that folks have tried to aide with behavior problems before

they got

> to the " need to medicate " stage. Maybe that would help your mom

get off your

> back if you could show her some alternative info?

This is almost exactly what I was going to say... takes this

med, too...but we tried several others first. Follow your gut...he's

your child, not your mom's. If you honestly believe meds are

appropriate (and three is awfully young if he isn't seriously hurting

himself or others), try to find a doc who is more conservative.

Risperdal is also not cheap...a one month supply for runs over

$600---so if you don't have insurance that will cover most of it,

you're gonna be forking out a LOT of cash.

Raena

[Guest guest]

So what's the deal? You gonna start charging now too????

;-) Penny

>>>>

My second free piece of advice is...

<<<<<

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/28/02 10:52:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

nospam@... writes:

> So what's the deal? You gonna start charging now too????

>

> ;-) Penny

>

>

ROFL! As much as I like to give advice, that might just be a fairly

lucrative way to supplement our income....trouble is, I can't imagine anyone

who would actually pay!

Terry

[Guest guest]

Thank you Terry. That was quite educational. I've done much reading

allready, and had found the bp kids site, but negotiating around to

find what you don't know you are looking for is not the easiest thing

to do!

I am pretty set that I do not want to use Lithium with Chris. There

is a very strong family history of thyroid disorders and the lithium

could set him off. Bad choice. There is also some family history,

and his own mild history of seizure activity so looking at some of

the newer neuroleptics might be a better choice than the tradional

first line meds.

I am familiar with the BP child book but do not have it. I can see

that it is going to be required reference in our home library,

especially with concerns about JJ and Gail also. JJ I think bears

very close observation for COBPD if not PDD features. Gail...she's

atypical whatever she is. Sigh. COBPD could be a possiblity though

with her nonresponsiveness to treatment and her moods and behaviors.

Not to mention more family history of mood disorders.

Now I know why my family tree is so sparsly populated...I just didn't

have sense enough to take a hint.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/29/02 3:41:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

reynoldspm@... writes:

> I am pretty set that I do not want to use Lithium with Chris. There is a

> very strong family history of thyroid disorders and the lithium could set

> him off.

From what I'm reading on some of the bp kids lists, that does happen.

Several of the kids are also on Synthroid for at least the time period that

they're taking Lithium. Scary, huh?

>>>>JJ I think bears very close observation for COBPD if not PDD features.

Gail...she's atypical whatever she is. Sigh. COBPD could be a possibility

though

with her nonresponsiveness to treatment and her moods and behaviors. Not to

mention more family history of mood disorders.<<<<

I am hearing a good bit about a co-morbidity of Bipolar and PDD and in fact,

there are several kids on the lists that have both. Most were diagnosed

bipolar 1st and subsequently found to be PDD. There's a gal on the CABF

message boards who writes about some of the things to look for as bipolar

issues in a PDD/autistic child if the autism diagnosis came first...things

like no improvement in behavioral stuff as the child makes great improvements

in the other areas (social, language, play skills). This is Sam, to a tee.

The other thing she mentions is behavior modification making things worse

instead of better, also Sam.

There's a good book called " Survival Strategies for Parenting Children with

Bipolar Disorder " by T. Lynn. He writes about bipolar, Asperger's and

Tourettes. Some of it is a bit difficult for me to relate to with Sam as he

is still so young and impaired in his comprehension due to the autism factor,

but it might be worth a look-see for you with your older children...

>>>>Now I know why my family tree is so sparsly populated...I just didn't

have sense enough to take a hint.

<<<<

Ha! I hear you there...

Good luck...and let me know if there's anything else I can do!

Terry

[Guest guest]

Thanx Terry---I would love the links. Karson is a parrot--he doesn't say what

he wants or know how to express it. He goes to ESE Pre-K everyday wk day from

8:40-2:40 and does wonderfully at school. Then when he came home the first 2

wks, he was very violent towards his sister. Grabbing her head and pusshing her

down, running into her, she has become terrified of him. He hasn't displayed

those actions since tho--I think it was a big change for him to go back to

school. My mom keeps him in the afternoons--I work, and that was also a change.

She was on me about medicating him, and refuses to speak to me still even after

she got her way. I am not pleased w/ this whole idea--I think 3 is a bit too

young. My hubby doesn't care either way--the wonderful support he is--gag.

Thank you for giving me some info tho. I really appreciate it--Amie

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

In a message dated 8/28/02 5:54:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Lehman_Amie@... writes:

> Has anyone ever given their child Risperdal? Did it help? Is this one of

> the meds I have read some moms post about that when the child comes down

> off em, it's a meltdown for 2 hrs? I can't handle a 2 hr meltdown!! I

> already wanna run away most of the time. Maybe it's because I have my ass

> on my shoulders about the whole medicating issue and I'm not even trying to

> attempt to give it a fair shot--I don't know. My rant is over. Any moms

> who have dealt w/ Risperdal tho, please, your input is greatly appreciated.

> Amie

>

First of all, I'd like to second what Jacquie said - if you don't want to

medicate your child, don't. Medication administration for children is

nothing to fool around with, IMHO.

My second free piece of advice is...if this is a first time med for your

child and you aren't even sure his behaviors warrant medication, I would NOT

start with Risperdal. It is an anti-psychotic medication originally designed

for hallucinating, delusional schizophrenics and it has a serious side effect

profile, some of which can be irreversible. I can send you several links on

it that you could forward or print out for your mom to read if you'd like.

I'm not trying to scare you unnecessarily, but it concerns me that so many

docs prescribe it so easily as if it were a fairly innocuous medicine and

it's not!

Now, that said...my 5 yr. old takes Risperdal and has for about a year and a

half and it has been a wonderful med for him. He has had no rebound effects

from it (he did from Clonidine <shudder>) If that sounds contradictory to

what I said earlier, let me explain. My son has serious behavioral issues in

addition to being autistic (he is probably also bipolar) and could not

function in the school environment at all prior to being on this med. We

also tried several other less potent medications to no avail before putting

him on Risperdal.

I can't remember what your previous posts have said about the particular

behaviors your son is having or whether you've tried other alternatives, if

so, please disregard... Is your son verbal? Could some of his frustrations

be linked to inability to communicate? If so, does he use a picture schedule

or could that help? How about sensory integration? Swinging, trampoline

jumping, being rolled in a blanket....those things worked somewhat for Sam at

least somewhat, in his younger years. I can send you some links on different

things that folks have tried to aide with behavior problems before they got

to the " need to medicate " stage. Maybe that would help your mom get off your

back if you could show her some alternative info?

Hope some of this helps,

Terry - mom to Alec (11, NVLD) Sam (5, autism) and Abbie (4, PDDNOS) and wife

to Ron (44, Simply Wonderful)

[Guest guest]

Thank you Amy--I will keep those suppositories in mind. If we find a trick, I

will let you know. Amie

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

That child will not take meds. I don't care if it's amoxicilian,

tylenol.....

Amie~ i know this doesn't have anything to do with the current med

issue, but next time he has a fever or needs pain reliever try

Fever All, they are pain reliever suppositories.... they work

wonders. Noah will not take oral meds either...but not only does he

not get to puke the med all over me , it starts working faster too!!

BONUS if you ask me ! I am also considering meds , due to Noahs

uncontrolable abusive behavior towards himself and others, so if you

decide to go with the meds, let me know how you trick him into taking

them .... :)

Amy mom to

Noah 6 Autism

Lucas almost 8 ADHD HFA

[Guest guest]

I agree, 3 yr old autistics are hard to be around--even the " norm " 3 yr olds

aren't pleasent. This neuro wanted to med Karson at 17 mos when he was found

out to be PDD. I said no, thanx. I think it was paxil then. He had just

started his ST and OT and I wanted to see how that went. He did wonderfully in

thsoe programs. I just think they're all med happy in that office. And that

DR. is supposed to be the best in this area, as he sees hundreds of austisic

children, sure he has credentials--I'm just not pleased. sigh. Thanx for your

input. Amie

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

Aime, I don't know your particular situation but I'd have to see some

pretty extreme behaviors at 3 to use Risperdol. In particular

agressive behaviors. With out that I would not want to use that

medication. Three year old autists are pretty darned difficult to be

around. That's just the way it is. did use a medication at

that age for sleep called clonidine, and he took something else I

can't recall now....one that is not as common, but was good for

him....an atypical type of ADD med but requires blood tests

periodically and EKGs. He can't take the typical stimulants because

of the Tourettes. For him at that time the short dose of medication

allowed him to focus enough for school to be more effective and to

learn needed skills. He stopped taking any meds at 5, and did not

resume until May or so of '01 when he was 9. Previously medication

administration was much like you described for too. We did get

pretty good at grinding pills and hiding them in icecream/pudding,

etc that were among the few acceptable foods.

Now, about Risperdol. is on Risperdol and he is 10. In fact

we just doubled the dose last night up to 2mg a day now. Without

Risperdol he would be hospitalized or in residential treatment.

is high functioning but he is also bipolar and has Tourette's.

About a year and a half ago the tics started to become a management

problem and his behavior/moods became severe problems. Risperdol,

for him, at this time is a blessing allowing him to be with his

family, go to school, and benefit from his social therapy. Without

it his tics increase, he has more trouble sleeping, his moods swing

wildly, we have rages and manias and very yucky agressive behavior.

He becomes someone we don't know and don't want to be around. He

cannot control himself or his emotions. His care provider wants us

to consider Depakote or Lithium also but I do not really want to add

more meds at this time. I'm HOPING that after we get past the first

month of school we can taper the Risperdol back down or at least some

because at a lower dose we have more room to work with as he grows.

I also want to avoid as much polypharmacy as we can.

[Guest guest]

Thank you Reana--My mom doesn't see it that way tho. It really pisses me off

and I'm in a funk I can't get out of. If all truths be told, I think she is the

one who needs medication, not my 3 yr old. Amie

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

> > First of all, I'd like to second what Jacquie said - if you don't

want to

> medicate your child, don't. Medication administration for children

is

> nothing to fool around with, IMHO.

>

> My second free piece of advice is...if this is a first time med for

your

> child and you aren't even sure his behaviors warrant medication, I

would NOT

> start with Risperdal. It is an anti-psychotic medication

originally designed

> for hallucinating, delusional schizophrenics and it has a serious

side effect

> profile, some of which can be irreversible. I can send you several

links on

> it that you could forward or print out for your mom to read if

you'd like.

> I'm not trying to scare you unnecessarily, but it concerns me that

so many

> docs prescribe it so easily as if it were a fairly innocuous

medicine and

> it's not!

>

> Now, that said...my 5 yr. old takes Risperdal and has for about a

year and a

> half and it has been a wonderful med for him. He has had no

rebound effects

> from it (he did from Clonidine <shudder>) If that sounds

contradictory to

> what I said earlier, let me explain. My son has serious behavioral

issues in

> addition to being autistic (he is probably also bipolar) and could

not

> function in the school environment at all prior to being on this

med. We

> also tried several other less potent medications to no avail before

putting

> him on Risperdal.

>

> I can't remember what your previous posts have said about the

particular

> behaviors your son is having or whether you've tried other

alternatives, if

> so, please disregard... Is your son verbal? Could some of his

frustrations

> be linked to inability to communicate? If so, does he use a

picture schedule

> or could that help? How about sensory integration? Swinging,

trampoline

> jumping, being rolled in a blanket....those things worked somewhat

for Sam at

> least somewhat, in his younger years. I can send you some links on

different

> things that folks have tried to aide with behavior problems before

they got

> to the " need to medicate " stage. Maybe that would help your mom

get off your

> back if you could show her some alternative info?

This is almost exactly what I was going to say... takes this

med, too...but we tried several others first. Follow your gut...he's

your child, not your mom's. If you honestly believe meds are

appropriate (and three is awfully young if he isn't seriously hurting

himself or others), try to find a doc who is more conservative.

Risperdal is also not cheap...a one month supply for runs over

$600---so if you don't have insurance that will cover most of it,

you're gonna be forking out a LOT of cash.

Raena

[Guest guest]

It does help, Tommi. Thank you--I wanted parents advice on the drug and how

there kids responded and you helped:). I know all our children are different,

even tho they're the same<--get that? lol We just all have different chemical

make up. What works wonders for one won't do the same for the other and I need

to read from moms, not docs, but moms who deal w/ this and their children:).

Thanx--Amie

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

Amie,

We had great success with Risperdal. was on it for two years. He took

..5 once in the am and once at night. (Well, we worked up to that by last

year) It helped tremendously with focus, self-abuse, aggression, and that's

when he started " talking " too. It was great. We just took him off of it

though a few weeks back. Out of nowhere he got very paranoid and highly

anxious, it was a nightmare! I " forgot " to give him the meds for a few days

and it stopped, almost as quickly as it started. Now the anxiety is back to a

decent level. Perhaps we had just reached the peak for that drug or whatever.

He's been a little self-injurious, a bit more aggressive and a lot more " out

there " , but he's not paranoid and I can have that worry out of my head for

heart probs (they hook your kid up to an EKG once a year or so on that). As

usual, unsure whether my babble helps or not, but that's just my two cents:)

Tommi

[Guest guest]

-Amie~

I had lunch with my lawyer friend today, and I asked her about the

situation with your mother threatening to take you to court over not

wanting to medicate your son. She said your mother has no legal

claim, and is blowing a lot of hot air. Hope this helps...

Amy mom to Noah and Lucas

[Guest guest]

Aime,

I am working on the meds issue with too. He is 4, and I have pushing it off

for a year., I just simply was not comfortable medicating my 3 year old. We have

tried behaviour therapy, which helped marginally, but not enough. is doing

some major regression here lately, and unfortunately, I'm thinking we'll end up

on Riasperdal. Not that it is a bad medication, it's just making me deal with

the severity of his problems, despite his DX. I guess I was just really hoping

it would be solved with a low key med. I think you should go with your judgment

and tell your mom the same thing I have told quite a few of my family members,

and " well-meaning " people who seem to think they know better than me.

" F*** off. He's my kid, I'll do what's best. Deal with it, or leave. Door's over

there. Don't let it hit you in the a** on the way out. "

(I think I am one of the most intolerant and least nice people on this list when

it comes to comebacks to ignorant morons...ask about the Publix Lady......)

" It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous

that you realize just how much you love them. "

- Agatha Christie

, frazzled mom to:

, PDD-NOS, ADHD, Mixed Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder, 4

, NT, Terrible Twos, but adorable none-the-less, 2

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

Aime, I don't know your particular situation but I'd have to see some

pretty extreme behaviors at 3 to use Risperdol. In particular

agressive behaviors. With out that I would not want to use that

medication. Three year old autists are pretty darned difficult to be

around. That's just the way it is. did use a medication at

that age for sleep called clonidine, and he took something else I

can't recall now....one that is not as common, but was good for

him....an atypical type of ADD med but requires blood tests

periodically and EKGs. He can't take the typical stimulants because

of the Tourettes. For him at that time the short dose of medication

allowed him to focus enough for school to be more effective and to

learn needed skills. He stopped taking any meds at 5, and did not

resume until May or so of '01 when he was 9. Previously medication

administration was much like you described for too. We did get

pretty good at grinding pills and hiding them in icecream/pudding,

etc that were among the few acceptable foods.

Now, about Risperdol. is on Risperdol and he is 10. In fact

we just doubled the dose last night up to 2mg a day now. Without

Risperdol he would be hospitalized or in residential treatment.

is high functioning but he is also bipolar and has Tourette's.

About a year and a half ago the tics started to become a management

problem and his behavior/moods became severe problems. Risperdol,

for him, at this time is a blessing allowing him to be with his

family, go to school, and benefit from his social therapy. Without

it his tics increase, he has more trouble sleeping, his moods swing

wildly, we have rages and manias and very yucky agressive behavior.

He becomes someone we don't know and don't want to be around. He

cannot control himself or his emotions. His care provider wants us

to consider Depakote or Lithium also but I do not really want to add

more meds at this time. I'm HOPING that after we get past the first

month of school we can taper the Risperdol back down or at least some

because at a lower dose we have more room to work with as he grows.

I also want to avoid as much polypharmacy as we can.

[Guest guest]

--I was in S. Alabama today visitng realitives and my cousin is a speech

pathologist and told me Karson should also be in behavior therapy. She gave me

some great info and I am thankful I got to see her this weekend. She also got

to see Karson full force in a restaurant and how rude some ppl actually are.

Some lady came up to me and asked me if I could quiet my son, so she could enjoy

her meal. I said no, I don't think I can. He is autisitic. Maybe u could

explain it to him? Anyways, I have been under huge stress lately and I lost it

and cried. My whole family was pissed that bitch had the nerve to come up and

say it. Please do share your story about Publix. She was talking about those

nary cards--make my own, like I told her Sissi had done and just hand em to ppl

when they stare or say rude things and " assume " shit. Usually, I can be bitchy

depending on the day I have had, but today I was w/ family--have been under

stress and feel really defenseless alot lately. I would love some of your tips

tho--coz as Karson gets older, or when I can get through to him just how to

behave in restaurants--I'm not asking for an angel, but just no screaming

throwing and crying. But I need some good insults to keep in my mind. There

was another drug I was gonna ask about, but I left my notes in my stepdaddy's

car. It starts w/ a Z and my cousin said it doesn't have as many dangers

associated w/ it. I have been reading up on risperdal and I don't think I like

the long term effects that drug can cause and not ready to take that chance w/

my son who is already gonna have a hard life. Thanx --I am definately

gonna look into behavior therapy and try to get him off this risperdal. I still

think 3 is too young--for my child. Amie

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

Aime, I don't know your particular situation but I'd have to see some

pretty extreme behaviors at 3 to use Risperdol. In particular

agressive behaviors. With out that I would not want to use that

medication. Three year old autists are pretty darned difficult to be

around. That's just the way it is. did use a medication at

that age for sleep called clonidine, and he took something else I

can't recall now....one that is not as common, but was good for

him....an atypical type of ADD med but requires blood tests

periodically and EKGs. He can't take the typical stimulants because

of the Tourettes. For him at that time the short dose of medication

allowed him to focus enough for school to be more effective and to

learn needed skills. He stopped taking any meds at 5, and did not

resume until May or so of '01 when he was 9. Previously medication

administration was much like you described for too. We did get

pretty good at grinding pills and hiding them in icecream/pudding,

etc that were among the few acceptable foods.

Now, about Risperdol. is on Risperdol and he is 10. In fact

we just doubled the dose last night up to 2mg a day now. Without

Risperdol he would be hospitalized or in residential treatment.

is high functioning but he is also bipolar and has Tourette's.

About a year and a half ago the tics started to become a management

problem and his behavior/moods became severe problems. Risperdol,

for him, at this time is a blessing allowing him to be with his

family, go to school, and benefit from his social therapy. Without

it his tics increase, he has more trouble sleeping, his moods swing

wildly, we have rages and manias and very yucky agressive behavior.

He becomes someone we don't know and don't want to be around. He

cannot control himself or his emotions. His care provider wants us

to consider Depakote or Lithium also but I do not really want to add

more meds at this time. I'm HOPING that after we get past the first

month of school we can taper the Risperdol back down or at least some

because at a lower dose we have more room to work with as he grows.

I also want to avoid as much polypharmacy as we can.

[Guest guest]

The youngest of my children, , who is more severely autistic

than the other 3, is now off all meds except for Trazadone at night

for sleep. I sure hope the Risperdal & Paxil work better for others

than it did for . Both worked great at first, like a miracle.

After a few months, the good effects disappeared, and the troublesome

behaviors set back in. Then came the mouth tics. We also tried

Zuprexa (spell?) that one actually made him violent (first time ever

for ), doc kept saying she wanted him to get to the full

doseage, that the behaviors might temper out. No thanks. He is

better now than he's been in years. We still have to watch out for

him running, he's not biting his arm as much now. Still no speech at

all, but seems to be using his signing more often than before. I

sometimes wonder is there is a med out there that will work. That's

what happened with us with the Risperdal. Hope others have a better

experience.

Laurel

http://autismfamilycircle.com

> --I was in S. Alabama today visitng realitives and my cousin

is a speech pathologist and told me Karson should also be in behavior

therapy. She gave me some great info and I am thankful I got to see

her this weekend. She also got to see Karson full force in a

restaurant and how rude some ppl actually are. Some lady came up to

me and asked me if I could quiet my son, so she could enjoy her

meal. I said no, I don't think I can. He is autisitic. Maybe u

could explain it to him? Anyways, I have been under huge stress

lately and I lost it and cried. My whole family was pissed that

bitch had the nerve to come up and say it. Please do share your

story about Publix. She was talking about those nary cards--make my

own, like I told her Sissi had done and just hand em to ppl when they

stare or say rude things and " assume " shit. Usually, I can be bitchy

depending on the day I have had, but today I was w/ family--have been

under stress and feel really defenseless alot lately. I would love

some of your tips tho--coz as Karson gets older, or when I can get

through to him just how to behave in restaurants--I'm not asking for

an angel, but just no screaming throwing and crying. But I need some

good insults to keep in my mind. There was another drug I was gonna

ask about, but I left my notes in my stepdaddy's car. It starts w/ a

Z and my cousin said it doesn't have as many dangers associated w/

it. I have been reading up on risperdal and I don't think I like the

long term effects that drug can cause and not ready to take that

chance w/ my son who is already gonna have a hard life. Thanx --

I am definately gonna look into behavior therapy and try to get him

off this risperdal. I still think 3 is too young--for my child. Amie

>

> Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

>

> Aime, I don't know your particular situation but I'd have to see

some

> pretty extreme behaviors at 3 to use Risperdol. In particular

> agressive behaviors. With out that I would not want to use

that

> medication. Three year old autists are pretty darned difficult

to be

> around. That's just the way it is. did use a medication

at

> that age for sleep called clonidine, and he took something else

I

> can't recall now....one that is not as common, but was good for

> him....an atypical type of ADD med but requires blood tests

> periodically and EKGs. He can't take the typical stimulants

because

> of the Tourettes. For him at that time the short dose of

medication

> allowed him to focus enough for school to be more effective and

to

> learn needed skills. He stopped taking any meds at 5, and did

not

> resume until May or so of '01 when he was 9. Previously

medication

> administration was much like you described for too. We did

get

> pretty good at grinding pills and hiding them in

icecream/pudding,

> etc that were among the few acceptable foods.

>

> Now, about Risperdol. is on Risperdol and he is 10. In

fact

> we just doubled the dose last night up to 2mg a day now.

Without

> Risperdol he would be hospitalized or in residential

treatment.

> is high functioning but he is also bipolar and has

Tourette's.

> About a year and a half ago the tics started to become a

management

> problem and his behavior/moods became severe problems.

Risperdol,

> for him, at this time is a blessing allowing him to be with his

> family, go to school, and benefit from his social therapy.

Without

> it his tics increase, he has more trouble sleeping, his moods

swing

> wildly, we have rages and manias and very yucky agressive

behavior.

> He becomes someone we don't know and don't want to be around.

He

> cannot control himself or his emotions. His care provider wants

us

> to consider Depakote or Lithium also but I do not really want to

add

> more meds at this time. I'm HOPING that after we get past the

first

> month of school we can taper the Risperdol back down or at least

some

> because at a lower dose we have more room to work with as he

grows.

> I also want to avoid as much polypharmacy as we can.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'll see if I can drag the post out of the archives..If not, I'll rewrite it..

gimmie a bit....

" It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous

that you realize just how much you love them. "

- Agatha Christie

, frazzled mom to:

, PDD-NOS, ADHD, Mixed Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder, 4

, NT, Terrible Twos, but adorable none-the-less, 2

Re: Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

--I was in S. Alabama today visitng realitives and my cousin is a speech

pathologist and told me Karson should also be in behavior therapy. She gave me

some great info and I am thankful I got to see her this weekend. She also got

to see Karson full force in a restaurant and how rude some ppl actually are.

Some lady came up to me and asked me if I could quiet my son, so she could enjoy

her meal. I said no, I don't think I can. He is autisitic. Maybe u could

explain it to him? Anyways, I have been under huge stress lately and I lost it

and cried. My whole family was pissed that bitch had the nerve to come up and

say it. Please do share your story about Publix. She was talking about those

nary cards--make my own, like I told her Sissi had done and just hand em to ppl

when they stare or say rude things and " assume " shit. Usually, I can be bitchy

depending on the day I have had, but today I was w/ family--! have been under

stress and feel really defenseless alot lately. I would love some of your tips

tho--coz as Karson gets older, or when I can get through to him just how to

behave in restaurants--I'm not asking for an angel, but just no screaming

throwing and crying. But I need some good insults to keep in my mind. There

was another drug I was gonna ask about, but I left my notes in my stepdaddy's

car. It starts w/ a Z and my cousin said it doesn't have as many dangers

associated w/ it. I have been reading up on risperdal and I don't think I like

the long term effects that drug can cause and not ready to take that chance w/

my son who is already gonna have a hard life. Thanx --I am definately

gonna look into behavior therapy and try to get him off this risperdal. I still

think 3 is too young--for my child. Amie

[Guest guest]

How does your son react to the Tazedone, and what dose? We tried that with ,

but MAN it kept him up ALL NIGHT!!! Plus, we were getting really bad aggression

and other behavior problems. I discontinued the Trazedone after 5 nights...I

needed sleep, and so did ...lemme know...

" It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous

that you realize just how much you love them. "

- Agatha Christie

, frazzled mom to:

, PDD-NOS, ADHD, Mixed Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder, 4

, NT, Terrible Twos, but adorable none-the-less, 2

Re: Risperdal/Risperidone

The youngest of my children, , who is more severely autistic

than the other 3, is now off all meds except for Trazadone at night

for sleep. I sure hope the Risperdal & Paxil work better for others

than it did for . Both worked great at first, like a miracle.

After a few months, the good effects disappeared, and the troublesome

behaviors set back in. Then came the mouth tics. We also tried

Zuprexa (spell?) that one actually made him violent (first time ever

for ), doc kept saying she wanted him to get to the full

doseage, that the behaviors might temper out. No thanks. He is

better now than he's been in years. We still have to watch out for

him running, he's not biting his arm as much now. Still no speech at

all, but seems to be using his signing more often than before. I

sometimes wonder is there is a med out there that will work. That's

what happened with us with the Risperdal. Hope others have a better

experience.

Laurel

http://autismfamilycircle.com