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Does anyone out there have any experience with early onset bipolar children. My 5 year old son has been diagnosed as ADHD/ODD but also a high likelyhood of early onset bipolar. His rages are impossible to describe. We recently added Risperdal to his ADHD medication. This has helped him quiet a bit. He is a foster child that has been with us for 3+ years. His biological father had alot of mental health issues and is now deceased after walking in front of an 18 wheeler. I want desperately to help my son avoid the awful life that can befall these children if they don't receive the proper diagnosis and medical help. Needless to say parenting takes all of my energy and consumes my thoughts. It would be nice to know I'm not alone. ↓
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| Name: jamberrt | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 12:04 AM |
| You are a blessing to that child! My daughter's birthmom was considered (never diagnosed) to be schizophrenic. BM had a horrible childhood so I'm not sure if the mental health issues are from childhood or schizophrenia - there's no family history. My daughter changed immensely after adding Risperdal. Diagnosis is important and build yourself up because you're going to need more energy to advocate at school! How young can they diagnos bipolar? ↑ |
| Name: synthiastokes | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 5:22 PM |
| Thank you for the encouragement. Our Psycharist says that they are now diagnoising BiPolar in preschool children. I began noticing behavior problems with my son when he was 4 years old. I already had him and his 5 year old sister in behavioral therapy due to issues regarding thier removal from the biological parents. Needless to say, behavioral therapy didn't do much good. Although he knows the difference between right and wrong, his brain keeps him from following through with the proper behavior. When he is not having an episode, he is the sweetest boy imaginable. This is his true personality. I too am so blessed. Unfortunately my extended family, (Mom, Siblings, etc) believe I'm taking on someone elses problems and cannot support me and my husband. We love these children as our own and feel God placed them in our care. The Risperdal has really helped. He takes the kind that disolves in a couple of seconds in the mouth. I give it to him about an hour before he wakes up along with the patch for the ADHD symptoms, and it really helps in the mornings. Mornings used to be so difficult. His behavior was so that I was actually afraid of him. Imagine, being afraid of a 4 or 5 year old. His rages were so violent and unable to avoid, no matter what I tried. ↑ |
| Name: michellefarnham | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 6:29 PM |
| Hello. My daughter is almost 8 and was officallay diagnosed with ADHD when she was finishing kingergarten...we tried adderall, strattera and imiprimine, finally after those wore off and didn't seem to help at all, we took her to a specialist and was told that she was bipolar too...she is taking concerta now and abilify at night...sleeping isn't an issue anymore...she just doesn't want to go to bed...the concerta wears off in the evening...but I have noticed that toning down her surgar really helps...i understand the embarrassment and alone feeling...my biological father had some major mental health problems, my sister, and her biological dad has too...i feel so guilty...sometimes my frustration with just getting her to listen..out weighs my trying to understand this and help her instead of getting mad at her...i need help with a strick schedule or routine...any suggestions...thanks ↑ |
| Name: synthiastokes | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 9:21 PM |
Hi Michelle,
The schedule really does help alot. I know during the summer when the kids were out of school everything was chaos. Getting my son up is key. He would sleep all day and stay awake all night otherwise. I think giving him the patch before he wakes up helps him to wake up easier. It certainly helps calm the rages, but the risperdal helps with that more. I also think when he knows what to expect with a schedule, it gives him a calmness he doesn't otherwise have. If I ever deviate from the schedule he really doesn't like it because it was not what he was expecting and can lead to a rage episode. ↑ |
| Name: kstevars | Date: Oct 28th, 2006 1:23 AM |
| Hello, my name is Karen. I have a 16 year old son that was diagnosed with Bipolar when he was about 7 or 8 years old. He has the violent tendencies with his mood swings. I have been fighting this battle with him since he was about 4 years old. If you would like to chat sometime my yahoo is kstevars. ↑ |
| Name: lillie3 | Date: Oct 28th, 2006 1:56 AM |
| My daughter was diagnosed with bi-polar at 12 and I am now raising her son, diagnosed at 5 with PDD/bipolar. Very challenging, but with right supports very manageable. What do you need help with? ↑ |
| Name: synthiastokes | Date: Oct 30th, 2006 11:00 PM |
| Wow, there are other Mom's out there who know how I feel. I broke down at school last week when I was late gettting my son and his sister to school because of one of my son's rage episodes. I guess what I need most is support, just someone else who knows how tough it is. I can't find a support group in the Houston area that deals with children with Bi-Polar. Most are for adults. Thanks for responding... ↑ |
| Name: jamberrt | Date: Oct 31st, 2006 3:52 AM |
| My latest focus is food...no sugar, no colors, no or low carb, organic fruit and vegetables, and hopefully meat. I've been reading about glyconutrients but the cost is prohibitive. It sounds like miracle supplements... ↑ |
| Name: mom2ways | Date: Nov 17th, 2006 1:09 AM |
I have an adopted almost 5 year old son who has been diagnosed with ADHD. Along with all of the symptoms of ADHD he has a very mean streak, mainly toward myself and his younger brother. The pediatrician things we are headed to bipolar although not officially diagnosed yet. Does anyone have input as to if the rage is directed at select people? When he is frustrated he can not control his outbursts and I am afraid to have him in a room alone with my other son. Would love to chat with moms with experience
[email protected] ↑ |
| Name: Louisvillelady | Date: Nov 20th, 2006 12:57 PM |
| Hi all. I am glad to find parents dealing with the same issues I have lived with for 13 yrs. My son is 13 yrs old and at age 3 he was dx'ed with ADHD over the years it got progressively worse with his aggression, outburst and tantrums. The dr he had been seeing would not listen to me when I kept telling her something was not right. By the time he reached the age of 9 he was starting to catch dumpsters on fire and when we went back to the dr she still dismissed what I was telling and said he was depressed and put my son on zoloft which sent him into a tail spin within 6 days of starting the Zoloft. I had caught him under his bed trying to catch things on fire. I took him to the hospital and told them what had been going on. He had told the ER dr that he was going to kill his sister and how he was going to do it. FINALLY someone listened to me that something was NOT right. He was in the hospital 6 months and in that time they dx'ed him with Bipolar with ADHD/ODD and sensory disorder. When he was a year old he liked to have basketballs bounced off his head which scared the tar out of me but he would throw a fit if you didnt do it, his tantrums got so bad that when you held him down at 3 yrs old he was almost stronger than the adult. Tantrums are suppose to last no longer thana few minutes, my son's would go on for hours and hours. Screaming, kicking, biting, hitting, anything he could do he did it. He is now 13 and the tantrums are still just as bad at times. He doesnt hit adults, bite, but he still screams, kicking walls/doors, and he is severely aggressive towards his sisters. To the outside world of non family he looks and acts like the perfect child. Behind closed doors he is a holy terror. I love him to death but he drives me insane at times. I honsetly believe if the first dr he had seen for 7 yrs had did the right testing that he wouldnt be as out of control as he was at 9 yrs old. I think if the dr's are more willing to be opened minded that bipolar isnt just a adult thing alot of kids would do so much better in their future. Erick has been going thru therapy for years and has been hospitalized 3 times in 4 yrs so I completely understand everyone's frustration. ↑ |
| Name: synthiastokes | Date: Nov 20th, 2006 7:25 PM |
| Louisvillelady...My heart goes out to you and your family. To go so long without a correct diagnosis had to be disheartening. Bipolar in children is just beginning to be recognized by the medical community. My 5 year old son was recently hospitalized where he was finally given the Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. Before it was ADHD and ODD. He still has the ADHD, but now we can treat that and the Bipolar. His is on Triliptal as a Mood Stabilizer. It is helping quite a bit. That is after I finally get him to take it. Before he takes the medicine, he is hitting, kicking, knocking breakfast off the table and more. As he was hitting me in the back this morning as I was dressing him, it occurred to me that he will not have to get much bigger before the puches really hurt and bruise me. He is only 37 pounds right now but his strength in the rages is tremendous. God Bless you for all you do for your child and family. ↑ |
| Name: Louisvillelady | Date: Nov 21st, 2006 11:55 PM |
| Synthiastokes, I am glad that your son got the right dx. I know a really good book you can read. It is by Danielle Steele but it is about her son who suffered from bipolar. It gives you insight to what they think because she has posted from his diary what he was thinking at the moment. It goes thru a life long journey of him having it. It isnt a romance novel it is her true life situation with her son and other children. It is called " His bright Light" it is really a good book. You will cry in some of it but if your like me it will hit home with so much of "omg that is my child" type of things. She went thru the struggles of getting the medical profession to correctly dx her child as well. I am so glad that SOME dr's are finally realizing that bipolar doesnt begin in adults it is herditary and starts at birth just gets progressively worse if left untreated. My son is also on Trileptal, Remeron, Focalin, and Abilify( anti psychotic med) Once you find a good set of meds to help him alot of that will go away while he is on the meds. My son isnt physical with me anymore like he was before I became consistant with discipline. Before he got dx'ed I was the one mom that gave in just to get him to stop throwing hous on end fits and I paid for that for years. Now he knows that my bite is worse than his bark. I also have a boyfriend that is bipolar (unmedicated), I grew up with a father and brother who are bipolar so I have learned so well how to show them that I am tougher when they go manic lol. Good luck to you. ↑ |
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