Re: Anyone using Lamictal as a mood stabilizer?

[Guest guest]

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 for

behavior issues. However I have an adult family member in the extended family

who's mood was stablized on Lamictal. It worked

when other meds did not (even lithium). It is such a shame

we 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]

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 doctors

favor. 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)

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> 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)

>

I have a daughter who will be 16 on Thursday, Diagnosed with A.S. in sixth grade

after many missed diagnoses, she began Lamictal about two years ago, and may I

say, she is a different child! We rarely see any anger issues anymore! she was

on many many different medicines, with little or no change. I am forever

grateful to her neurologist for suggesting this med! I must tell you that I was

a little scared to try it at first, but so happy we did. Brenna is now showing

patients, gaining some independence, and doing much better when changes come

along. I am proud of her and encourage and praise her every time I see a

situation, which in the past she would have had a total melt down, and now seems

to handle it without freaking out! I truly hope that it works for your child!

Lamictal has been a God send to us!

[Guest guest]

I know the risk with the rash so we are keeping an eye out. We are doing a 21

week titration so that should be slow enough. My neurologist has had a lot of

success on this one. Plus, my son does not tolerate many other meds well...so

there is barely anything left to try aside from the sedating anxiety meds but

then he wouldn't be functional in school. It seems with my DS we just can't

catch a break. He used to throw up all the time due to the anxiety and once we

got him on the zyprexa, the appetite stimulant won vs. the anxiety but now we

get the behavioral issues with the anxiety. Tough one since I was not a fan of

the puking. He still will occassionally when there are extreme changes for him

(like starting 1st grade).

Most days at the afterschool care program he is fine and loves it. They have

gone above and beyond accommodating him. But then he has his days....and they

usually involve intolerable behavior. Most of the time it is because of

something during school and it carries over but understandably, they can only

allow it for so long. What kind of message are they sending the other kids by

allowing his behavior. UGH. Let's hope Lamictal helps!!!

> >

> > 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]

I may have to decide soon on a mood stablizer. I too

thought medications that are used on very young children

for years on end have to be safer than " newer " antipsychotic drugs that we do

not have the years of studies on. I would assume the

risk is that we know less about long term effects, weight gain,

triggers diabetes.

Pam

-- In , " Debra Balke " <dlbalke@...> wrote:

>

> 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 doctors

> favor. 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)

> > >

> >

>