Re: Antidepressants introduced but now ADHD is worse

[Guest guest]

Hi

My son is 12, had early childhood special ed for language delays and sensory issues, and eventually received the AS diagnosis at age 8. He is not hyperactive but has BIG attention issues, and has been on a low to medium dose of stimulant medication since age 8 (first Focalin, recently changed to Concerta when he learned to swallow pills). That has helped his attention a LOT. Over the past few years, he has developed more anxiety issues, as his devel ped predicted often occurs with preteen and teenage AS kids. He recently added Zoloft, increased up to 50 mg daily, and that has also helped tremendously. So for my AS boy, a combination of lowish dose stimulant medication and antidepressant/antianxiety meds has been a very successful combination. I have often wanted to increase the stimulant medication, but our devel ped said that often anxiety creates attention issues, and starting/adjusting the Zoloft has indeed been quite effective.

Good luck!

Peggy, mom to Connor, 12 AS

In a message dated 12/29/2010 8:22:02 A.M. Central Standard Time, kristenwallen@... writes:

Hello all,Recently my son has been taken off his Bipolar meds as the pdoc seems to think his issues stem from his Aspergers, Anxiety & Sensory Integration Disorder.We tried NO meds and within a week he was a blubbering mess, cried at the drop of a hat and was quickly depressed along with extremly anxious.The Antidepressants are a miracle as far as his emotional ups and downs and he doesn't seem sad and actually smiles and hugs us now! But on them he is so hyperactive, I mean he never stops wiggling, drumming and bopping around. I know he HAS to be on the antidepressants as we saw what happened while off them and it was scary but this hyper mood is driving us crazy. We tried Adderal once but he claims it just made him feel jittery, didn't calm him down like it's supposed to do.I'm curious if there are others out there that have had simular issues one antidepressants? I HATE to add something to calm him down and all the bipolar meds did was completly numb him emotionally and actually seemed to cause more anger/rage so I don't think they would be an optin anyway.Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!

[Guest guest]

- I don't have much time to write, but you could google antidepressants

and bipolar. I'm curious if you have bipolar in your family...and that is part

of the reason they put him on bipolar meds in the first place. I have bipolar

and my son does, too. Often people see bipolar and autism on a spectrum.

Anyway, with bipolar, or when someone is predisposed to bipolar, antidepressants

make it worse, especially can lead to a more " manic " type behavior, which could

manifest as hyperactivity.

Another thought is that the AD dose is too high. Some AD's can have an " adverse

effect " and cause what they call " activation " which would include the

hyperactivity you see - this effect having nothing to do with the bipolar issue.

Some people on the ASD spectrum cannot take AD's or need them at a very low

dose. I heard Temple Grandin speak on this once.

Stimulants (ritalin, adderall, etc) will do the same thing as mentioned in the

first paragraph with someone that is predisposed to bipolar.

Check with your pdoc definitely....I hope he/she will lower the dose of the AD's

or get him off right away, and possibly consider Intuniv or Tenex or maybe even

an antipsychotic again (the bipolar med). Many people on the ASD spectrum take

AP's.

Have to go - Leah

>

> Hello all,

> Recently my son has been taken off his Bipolar meds as the pdoc seems to think

his issues stem from his Aspergers, Anxiety & Sensory Integration Disorder.

> We tried NO meds and within a week he was a blubbering mess, cried at the drop

of a hat and was quickly depressed along with extremly anxious.

>

> The Antidepressants are a miracle as far as his emotional ups and downs and he

doesn't seem sad and actually smiles and hugs us now! But on them he is so

hyperactive, I mean he never stops wiggling, drumming and bopping around. I know

he HAS to be on the antidepressants as we saw what happened while off them and

it was scary but this hyper mood is driving us crazy. We tried Adderal once but

he claims it just made him feel jittery, didn't calm him down like it's supposed

to do.

>

> I'm curious if there are others out there that have had simular issues one

antidepressants? I HATE to add something to calm him down and all the bipolar

meds did was completly numb him emotionally and actually seemed to cause more

anger/rage so I don't think they would be an optin anyway.

>

> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

> Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!

>

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

We are in the early stages of medication, but I just wanted to validate that our son did very poorly on Abilify (causing rages also). Dylan is a very anxious child with ADHD, PDD and OCD. We have not tried antidepressants, but Ritalin helps his hyperactivity greatly. We will be looking into an antidepressant, escp. since I hear it helps with OCD.

GooD Luck,

Cathleen

From: <kristenwallen@...> Sent: Tue, December 28, 2010 7:38:35 PMSubject: ( ) Antidepressants introduced but now ADHD is worse

Hello all,Recently my son has been taken off his Bipolar meds as the pdoc seems to think his issues stem from his Aspergers, Anxiety & Sensory Integration Disorder.We tried NO meds and within a week he was a blubbering mess, cried at the drop of a hat and was quickly depressed along with extremly anxious.The Antidepressants are a miracle as far as his emotional ups and downs and he doesn't seem sad and actually smiles and hugs us now! But on them he is so hyperactive, I mean he never stops wiggling, drumming and bopping around. I know he HAS to be on the antidepressants as we saw what happened while off them and it was scary but this hyper mood is driving us crazy. We tried Adderal once but he claims it just made him feel jittery, didn't calm him down like it's supposed to do.I'm curious if there are others out there that have had simular issues one antidepressants? I HATE to add something to calm him down and all the

bipolar meds did was completly numb him emotionally and actually seemed to cause more anger/rage so I don't think they would be an optin anyway.Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!

[Guest guest]

The greatest improvement in reducing hyperactivity in autistic kids

is with risperidone (55% reduction in hyperactivity) however

unless your son is also aggressive it is unlikely they

would want to prescribe it. Ritalin, concerta etc (methylphenidates)

helped reduce 33% of ADHD symptoms in autistic kids but the

dose has to be kept low to avoid side effects (much lower than

ADHD). Tenex was the next in lowering hyperactivity at 25%

reduction. The next class of drugs is experimental, the

use of meds use to treat parkinsons called amantadine did have

a trial of autistic kids 5-19 years old and saw a 20% reduction in

hyperactivity.

The pediatric studies of SSRI's prozac, zoloft, lexapro

may have a side effect of hyperactivity. HOWEVER !!!!

people respond differently to these drugs. Mayo clinic

even has a DNA sensitivity test available thru labs.

If he is hyper on prozac he may do better on lexapro.

etc.

The older TCA anxiety med anafranil does not increase

hyperactivity and for bipolar patients it does

not set off manic episodes in the way SSRIs do,

but there are other side effects sometimes

increased irritability. This drug was mainly

used for OCD.

There were no studies of lithium use in autistic patients.

There is so much more on the use of anticonvulsant drugs

in autistic kids for mood stabizing, depakote etc. Good

response, sometimes sedating.

All this info is from Dr. Hollander's book on the

clinical treatment of autism.

Hope this helps.

Pam

>

> Hello all,

> Recently my son has been taken off his Bipolar meds as the pdoc seems to think

his issues stem from his Aspergers, Anxiety & Sensory Integration Disorder.

> We tried NO meds and within a week he was a blubbering mess, cried at the drop

of a hat and was quickly depressed along with extremly anxious.

>

> The Antidepressants are a miracle as far as his emotional ups and downs and he

doesn't seem sad and actually smiles and hugs us now! But on them he is so

hyperactive, I mean he never stops wiggling, drumming and bopping around. I know

he HAS to be on the antidepressants as we saw what happened while off them and

it was scary but this hyper mood is driving us crazy. We tried Adderal once but

he claims it just made him feel jittery, didn't calm him down like it's supposed

to do.

>

> I'm curious if there are others out there that have had simular issues one

antidepressants? I HATE to add something to calm him down and all the bipolar

meds did was completly numb him emotionally and actually seemed to cause more

anger/rage so I don't think they would be an optin anyway.

>

> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

> Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!

>

[Guest guest]

Pam, thanks for posting this. It is so helpful. Leah

> >

> > Hello all,

> > Recently my son has been taken off his Bipolar meds as the pdoc seems to

think his issues stem from his Aspergers, Anxiety & Sensory Integration

Disorder.

> > We tried NO meds and within a week he was a blubbering mess, cried at the

drop of a hat and was quickly depressed along with extremly anxious.

> >

> > The Antidepressants are a miracle as far as his emotional ups and downs and

he doesn't seem sad and actually smiles and hugs us now! But on them he is so

hyperactive, I mean he never stops wiggling, drumming and bopping around. I know

he HAS to be on the antidepressants as we saw what happened while off them and

it was scary but this hyper mood is driving us crazy. We tried Adderal once but

he claims it just made him feel jittery, didn't calm him down like it's supposed

to do.

> >

> > I'm curious if there are others out there that have had simular issues one

antidepressants? I HATE to add something to calm him down and all the bipolar

meds did was completly numb him emotionally and actually seemed to cause more

anger/rage so I don't think they would be an optin anyway.

> >

> > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

> > Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!

> >

>