Re: Re: Anyone using Lamictal as a mood stabilizer?

[Guest guest]

Lamictal is one of the best mood stabilizers. I just prescribed it for a 2 year old child today for epilepsy, when several other options caused severe behavioral issues. Rash risk is your biggest risk, otherwise it is tolerated SO well and generally improves behavior. It takes forever to work up to a therapeutic dose....

Debra Balke, M.D.

( ) Re: Anyone using Lamictal as a mood stabilizer?

I am surprised but "not alarmed" the MD would perscribe Lamictal for a 7 year. There have been so many studies of AS kids on rispedal forbehavior issues. However I have an adult family member in the extended family who's mood was stablized on Lamictal. It workedwhen other meds did not (even lithium). It is such a shamewe have to go thru all this trial and error. There is no blood testing for Lamitctal like there is with other anti convulsants like Depakote but there is some rare skin rash you have to be on the alert for. I thought it was not perscribed for kidos under 14y. But there are probably good reasons your doctor prescribed it.I hope you have the good luck my brother in law did stablizing mood. It sounds like your son is totally overwhelmed in the aftercare.Good luck,Pam >> Hi all!> > My 7yo DS's dr is starting Lamictal in hopes of getting some relief from behavior issues. The list of medications we have tried is extensive and the available list is dwindling. Currently, we have had some success with 2mg of paxil and 3.75mg of zyprexa. But, it does not seem to be helping as much as we would like and we can't increase those or we get wretched behavior issues. DS has comormid anxiety. When he is anxious due to change/transitions, he gets very impulsive. He tends toward behaviors that he knows is wrong but doesn't care. No punishment has worked, no reward for good behavior has worked...he just does not care. He is very close to getting kicked out of after school care. They have been incredibly tolerant and I mean incredibly. He has hit kids and counselors, flushed objects down the toilet, pulled poop out of the toilet and smeared it, tried to run away. He loves the program however so it is confusing to us. He does this stuff at school as well including telling teachers to shut up, that they are stupid, etc. He hears this language from older kids and just jumps on it because he knows it upsets people and he gets attention, albeit negative. Honestly, he is just not appealing to be around. We are at wits end. UGH!> > Whitney> > Mom to Jack (aspie,anxiety) and Sophia (ADHD, dyslexia)>

[Guest guest]

Lamictal has a "black box warning" for rash, especially in kids, that it gives the appearance of more risky in young kids than the antipsychotics that don't have this huge pediatric warning on them. Truly though, Abilify and Risperdal are much more risky. The antipsychotics work MUCH quicker and much better. I would much rather my kid be on Lamictal than the antipsychotics. My son is allergic to about four different meds, so chances are about 95 percent he would have a rash with Lamictal. Ugh! So, we have never tried it ourselves.....

( ) Re: Anyone using Lamictal as a mood stabilizer?

I knew anti convulsant drugs were used safely with very young children and wondered why they were not perscribed more as a moood stabilzer. They certainly have been used longer on very young children. Abilify and rispedal both seem to be studied more in clinical trials for AS kids with behavior issues. Perhaps it is that the speed of these newer drugs that doctorsfavor. And perhaps the ease of getting on and off the newer ones.Pam > >> > Hi all!> > > > My 7yo DS's dr is starting Lamictal in hopes of getting some relief from behavior issues. The list of medications we have tried is extensive and the available list is dwindling. Currently, we have had some success with 2mg of paxil and 3.75mg of zyprexa. But, it does not seem to be helping as much as we would like and we can't increase those or we get wretched behavior issues. DS has comormid anxiety. When he is anxious due to change/transitions, he gets very impulsive. He tends toward behaviors that he knows is wrong but doesn't care. No punishment has worked, no reward for good behavior has worked...he just does not care. He is very close to getting kicked out of after school care. They have been incredibly tolerant and I mean incredibly. He has hit kids and counselors, flushed objects down the toilet, pulled poop out of the toilet and smeared it, tried to run away. He loves the program however so it is confusing to us. He does this stuff at school as well including telling teachers to shut up, that they are stupid, etc. He hears this language from older kids and just jumps on it because he knows it upsets people and he gets attention, albeit negative. Honestly, he is just not appealing to be around. We are at wits end. UGH!> > > > Whitney> > > > Mom to Jack (aspie,anxiety) and Sophia (ADHD, dyslexia)> >>