Bi Polar

[Guest guest]

Interesting to read these post. Just got back from two doctors appointments,

psychologist and pediatrician. My son had a bad reaction to Zolof,

everything they say that happens sometimes with Bi-polar. We are going to

try one more SSRi and if that doesn't help he is recommending us to a

psychiatrist and wonders if it could be bi-polar. Looking at my son he has

actions much like my husband which is OCD. However, I have been diagnosed

with ADD but at the time the Dr. kept thinking that maybe I could have

bi-polar. Ugg, I am so tired of all this stuff. Could someone describe to me

in their words what it feels like to be bi-polar? My son and I definitely

get very excited about things and then kind of get hit down. I would say we

have the up more than the down. I don't consider us manic but not sure what

that is.

Any help would be appreciated. I think after this med is tried we are going

to give it a rest for awhile and see what happens.

Thanks

Adele

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of mnmomof1@...

Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 8:55 AM

Subject: Re: Inability to concentrate & Risperdol?

Wow, I guess I was not aware of kids being prescribed these without an SSRI

being tried first. We have bipolar in our family and have to be careful

also.

My daughter's pdoc always tells us to watch carefully and call him anytime,

for

any concerns at all. We didn't add this type of med until we had a

nonfunctioning child fully maxed out on SSRI. On the other hand, Seroquel

was terrible

for my daughter, so I do have experience with what you are talking about.

Right

now, I am keeping my fingers crossed that her current meds will continue

working for a long time. Kim

In a message dated 9/11/2006 7:44:14 AM Central Standard Time,

jchabotsnet (DOT) <mailto:jchabot%40snet.net> net writes:

I have heard countless times of children being prescribed these meds,

without

ever trying an SSRI. I realize that with any chance of bipolar being in the

family, you need to be very skeptical of the SRI's, and I have a bipolar

child

so I know the risks.

[Guest guest]

What the world needs is a good shot of hypomania---- thanks for the

uplifting note!

[Guest guest]

Hi Adele,

Please don't try another SSRI unless it's prescribed by a p-doc! I

had no idea there was bipolar in my family until my therapist said

she thinks I have bipolar 2 - this was after exhibited

symptoms. Apparently, you don't have to have rockbottom lows and

manic highs to be considered bipolar. For much of my life I have

struggled with dysthymia - chronic low-level depression. I didn't

relate to the idea of being bipolar until I remembered that, on

zoloft, I had an entire year of feeling a surplus of happiness. I

reduced my meds on my own because I didn't think I needed to take as

much when I felt so happy. I ended up crashing into major

depression, then later stabilizing at my " normal " low level of

depression. Now, on lamictal, I feel good and my moods are stable.

People with biplar 2 experience hypomania instead of manic highs.

Hyponamia is an enthusiastic, happy and productive state that usually

doesn't interfere with one's life. A lot of caffeine ofen makes me

hypomanic. I look forward to feeling this way because I accomplish

things that I normally wouldn't feel like doing - organizing closets,

polishing kitchen cabinets, etc. I also talk fast and I have what I

think is called " flight of ideas, " where I have thoughts that seem so

important that I have to stop the car to write them all down.

Usually the thoughts are about items to add to lists of things to do,

gifts to buy, recipes to try, things to remember to talk about with

my husband or other people . . .

Children don't experience the same type of highs and lows. With

prozac and celexa triggered out of control behavior which

turned out to be a bipolar type of agitated mood. If he had a more

perceptive p-doc then, we could have avoided the 6 weeks of missed

school and 2 hospitalizations that followed.

Feel free to e-mail me if you want to ask me anything.

Tamara

[Guest guest]

Hi Adele,

My daughter(9) has bipolar,and ocd, and now my son(4) with possibly has it

also. He too, is on zoloft, for the " bad thought ocd " and is totally off the

wall.It's like adhd ten times over!!!!! He was this way with prozac also. This

is a really bad sign,but although it possibly can mean your child has bipolar,

it doesn't always mean it. My daughter took zoloft at age 5, and even though she

has bipolar, she never acted like my son does on these meds.She was diagnosed

bipolar at age 6. She did lots of raging, for hours at a time.I knew something

was wrong since infancy. she had horrible sleep problems, night terrors, and

sleep walking up and down stairs. She cannot transition from one thing to the

next, even if it means leaving the television to go to " toys r us " . She will get

stuck on an emotion, and can't let it go.She is hypersexual.When she isn't

stabilized, (manic)she'll run out into traffic, she can think she's a trapeze

artist by standing up on top of our playscape and

use it as a balance beam. She'll think she's the best looking, the smartest,

etc, etc. can be unbelievably defiant, punching holes in walls, punching

me, screaming out obscenities, hitting her siblings.She'll roll all over the

house and whine.She would threaten she was going to kill me day after day. The

list goes on and on. She is better now than when she was younger, but still very

very difficult. If your child has bipolar, there really is no mistaking it! Your

child is way beyond handling, punishments don't work at all. You cannot reason

with them at all. Most parents find hospitalization inevitable. has been

there twice. If you need more info, feel free to email me or ask more

questions.

Hope this helps

hugs

Judy

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info, Judy!

Adele

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of jchabot

Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 8:50 PM

Subject: RE: Bi Polar

Hi Adele,

My daughter(9) has bipolar,and ocd, and now my son(4) with possibly has it

also. He too, is on zoloft, for the " bad thought ocd " and is totally off the

wall.It's like adhd ten times over!!!!! He was this way with prozac also.

This is a really bad sign,but although it possibly can mean your child has

bipolar, it doesn't always mean it. My daughter took zoloft at age 5, and

even though she has bipolar, she never acted like my son does on these

meds.She was diagnosed bipolar at age 6. She did lots of raging, for hours

at a time.I knew something was wrong since infancy. she had horrible sleep

problems, night terrors, and sleep walking up and down stairs. She cannot

transition from one thing to the next, even if it means leaving the

television to go to " toys r us " . She will get stuck on an emotion, and can't

let it go.She is hypersexual.When she isn't stabilized, (manic)she'll run

out into traffic, she can think she's a trapeze artist by standing up on top

of ou use it as a balance beam. She'll think she's the best looking, the

smartest, etc, etc. can be unbelievably defiant, punching holes in

walls, punching me, screaming out obscenities, hitting her siblings.She'll

roll all over the house and whine.She would threaten she was going to kill

me day after day. The list goes on and on. She is better now than when she

was younger, but still very very difficult. If your child has bipolar, there

really is no mistaking it! Your child is way beyond handling, punishments

don't work at all. You cannot reason with them at all. Most parents find

hospitalization inevitable. has been there twice. If you need more

info, feel free to email me or ask more questions.

Hope this helps

hugs

Judy

[Guest guest]

Also today on TV, Oprah had actors discussing bipolar; and one also had

anxiety/panic attacks apparently. Only got to see the last half, but

it was very good! They should have a summary at her website!

>

> Reader's Digest has a very good article on a young boy with Bi

> Polar. I thought it was good but my children did not struggle with

it

> so I am not a good judge.

> F

>

[Guest guest]

In one of Andy's posts, he said that bi-polar people like to keep

their Lithium low, because it feels good. My dd Lithium is

non-existent. Will giving her Lithium make her feel worse? That is

what is sounds like Andy is saying in his wiki files.

[Guest guest]

From what I read, he meant that the hair lithium is usually low or non

existent. And that supplementing makes them feel better.

It helped my daughter with her depression. We used it off an on.

>

> In one of Andy's posts, he said that bi-polar people like to keep

> their Lithium low, because it feels good. My dd Lithium is

> non-existent. Will giving her Lithium make her feel worse? That is

> what is sounds like Andy is saying in his wiki files.

>