Update on medicating my son....
By blueskies
@blueskies (1186)
United States
February 21, 2007 8:44am CST
Last week, I started a discussion about having started my son on a new medication called seroquel. I was looking for input from others about their experiences or knowledge of this medication.
Well, my son did not react well to the medication. It made him extremely agitated and angry and he couldn't get out of bed each day until around noon. Every evening, he would slowly seem to "shake it off" and be his old self. I called the dr and told him that I wanted to take my son off the medication because he was having side effects and no apparent benefits. They, of course, told me that he had not been on the medication long enough to see beneficial results and advised me to keep giving it to him. I told them that he WAS on it long enough to have side effects, so I was going to discontinue it.
Long story short, I stopped the medication, he was back to normal by the next morning. I have found a counselor for him to talk with, we meet him next week. If he doesn't work out, we will keep searching until we find another counselor that understands my son's odd mix of disorders and can help him with his social skills (which seem to be the root of his depression).
I wasn't absolutely convinced that he was bipolar before starting the medication. I am even less convinced now.
Thank you so much, caring mylot members, for all your words of wisdom on my previous topic about this. I may not have responded to all of your posts, but I read each one and considered them all very seriously.
10 people like this
24 responses
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
21 Feb 07
I have depression and anxiety. If a med is going to work for me it doesn't make me agitated or angry even and the start. I get some side effects that go away but not mood related. Since that's what I'm taking it for I expect any changes in the mood to be good ones even at the start. Doctors seem to have trouble diagnosing in this area. I guess because its not something they can physically see. It's hard to find a good doctor in this area but there are some out there. Have you ever heard of Dr. Amen? I have read some of his books and he is one of the top specialists in the brain area. He has a few clinics located around the country.
4 people like this
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
21 Feb 07
I haven't heard of Dr Amen. I will look him up.
1 person likes this
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
21 Feb 07
I have been thinking about him and Im glad you decieded to take him off the medicine I personnally feel these doctors are way to quick to give out medicine before trying something else. Well I wish you luck it counseling and this is a much better way to approach this. Again keep us informed.
4 people like this
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
21 Feb 07
Mothers instincts take doc "expertise" everytime as long as we are being realistic. I know it is hard to get in that right therapy I have tried to find good counceling to end up right where I started. My son has anger issues and goes back and forth occasionally with that. Its my daughter that I may have to seek more help with she is so mean and does not care. I keep hoping that she will outgrow it and its only a stage. I know I have not helped you much at all but remember that you are your sons greatest advocate, whatever does not feel right prolly is not.
@trouble4u2avoid (2915)
• United States
21 Feb 07
Thanks for sharing your story with us. It's amazing how doctors are so eager to prescribe medications and send us on our merry way. They seem to assume, we don't know what we are talking about and expect us to trust them 100%. I think you made a wise decision.
@mobyfriend (1017)
• Netherlands
21 Feb 07
Good decision. You know your son best. And of very good of you that you keep on searching for that right counselor and program from which your son may benefit. He's got a great mom (just my little support pat on the back)
3 people like this
@payingforschool (678)
• Canada
21 Feb 07
I'm glad to hear an update. I have been checking your other thread to see if you had posted anything. I know that sometimes you just have to go with Mom instinct - that's what we did with my son when it came right down to it. It was a weekend so I had to make a decision without even calling the doctor, but he was OK with it. He knew that I knew best.
Incidentally, our first psychiatrist said there was no way our son woudl ever be diagnosed on the Autistic spectrum because his eye contact was too good. When he hit 7, we had to go to a different doctor (thats the way the system works here). the different doctor suggested we revisit the diagnosis ... we did an evaluation with an independant psychologist and she said it was definitely Aspergers. She said that the eye contact was just one of a number of symptoms, and that he had all the others. He previously had been diagnosed as OCD, DDD, and other things, but none of them fit. Once we had an Asperger's diagnosis, and I did more research on it, I realized she was right ... other than the eye contact issue, my son had every other symtpom and behavioural difference. Just thought I'd share - maybe you can get a second opinion on the diagnosis? I know how horrible it feels to not have a diagnosis that seems to fit.
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
21 Feb 07
He's now been diagnosed by three different psychiatrists. Unfortunately, they all work within the same network (there aren't many of them in this part of the state), so each doctor is unwilling to discount the opinion of the previous doctor. The second doctor actually listed his diagnosis as every syndrome that had ever been considered with my son, just because he "didn't want to leave anything out". It was ridiculous!
So, it wasn't much of a surprise to me that the latest dr concurred with the original diagnosis that my son received two years ago. If we had the money to pay for a private psychiatrist, we might be able to get a more definitive diagnosis, but as things stand right now, we have to take what we can get.
2 people like this
@payingforschool (678)
• Canada
22 Feb 07
Thats a drag. We had to go private too, to get the diagnosis. I emailed all family and told them my son deserved for us to know what was really going on, and essentially guilted them into helping pay for it. hehe. But there is no way we could have done it ourselves. It is ridiculous what those things can cost.
1 person likes this
@beckyomg1 (6756)
• United States
22 Feb 07
Alot of times you do have to do what is in your heart and what is best for you and your child. I know that my one son was diagnosed with add and put on meds, which i took him off because he was just a zombie on them. But my other son who is adhd, has epilepsy and is bi polar, I feel needs the meds to be able to function normally. So you really have to do what you as a parent think is right. My thoughts are with you.
2 people like this
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
22 Feb 07
Hugs
Hugs
Hugs
I am DELIGHTED that this seems to be working for you! Someone I know suffered from depression too and at the age of 22 a doctor suggested lithium - even though there were no real signs of bi-p apart from a brief period of good moods. I think some doctors are a bit too experimental in their approach to medication but there is no one size fits all. U as a mother probably know more than anyone ever will about your precious son. Certainly social skills, if he masters these, he will feel so much better about himself. I am delighted he seems to have turned a corner xxx
2 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
21 Feb 07
God be with you and bless you in your quest for the best for your son.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
22 Feb 07
Good thing you were paying attention to your sons behavior and caught it before he did something bad to himself or someone else. Medication can have bad affects on people. I have a whole list of medications that I am allregic to. Hope this new person can help him. Good luck
2 people like this
@xfallenxlostx (2074)
• United States
22 Feb 07
Just a question...how old is your son?
2 people like this
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
22 Feb 07
He's 12 years old. The doctor felt he could be put on a medication not yet approved for children because he is 5'5", 200 lbs.
1 person likes this
@xfallenxlostx (2074)
• United States
22 Feb 07
i am SO glad you took him off the Seroquel. Whatever you do, DO NOT let them put him on Xanax. THat stuff is TERRIBLE. It makes everyone feel terrible. i know people who have been on it and it just made them all feel worse.
2 people like this
@chadd_atl (288)
• United States
21 Feb 07
Blueskies,
I am a psychotherapist and have worked with a number of people like your son. You AND your son's doctor are both correect. Many times side effects can surface quickly with Seroquel but you DO have to be on the medication for a while before you have the positive side effects (that are really worth it). If the primary problem that your son is having is Bipolar Disorder, talk to your doctor about Abilify. It really works well with some people but is not as good about stopping any auditory or visual hallucinations he may be having. If you do choose to start him on Seroquel again, have him take it before bedtime. He will sleep better and the immediate side effects will mostly wear off over night while the positive effects will take place once he's awake the next day. This will also help his system to adjust to the new medication. Good luck. I now your situation is difficult, but you'll get through it!
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
21 Feb 07
Thank you so much for commenting, Chadd. I will definitely remember what you've said here if we decide to try another medication. :)
1 person likes this
@nannacroc (4049)
•
21 Feb 07
Well done, you're his mother and know him better than any doctor could. I think you've made the right decision and I wish you good luck with the counsellor. Maybe he could try to sort out the food obsessession to start with so you could try the diets.
2 people like this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
21 Feb 07
Thanks so much for the update and the stronger stance you are now taking. Medications are just too easily prescribed and the counselor may be able to help. I pray that he/she is special and is good.
Have high hopes that complimentary medicine is available in your area for possible help too.
2 people like this
@cajundharma (641)
• United States
22 Feb 07
I think that it's really important to educate yourself as much as possible and be aware of your child and their reactions, as you're doing. My son also has an alphabet soup of problems, and is now on Seroquel. It's helped with some issues and not others. He's stopped a lot of the narrating and scripted speech he's had for years, but it hasn't helped his aggression or sleep. There are a couple of really good message boards for parents of children with psychiatric problems, and I've learned a lot from those. We were very lucky in that my son hasn't had any negative side effects from Seroquel, even on a pretty high dose, but he's reacted badly to other meds and I know how frightening that can be.
Play therapy is a great way to help children learn social skills, and as Autism becomes so prevalent in our society, more and more places are offering social skills groups for autistic children to teach them how to interact. Maybe there is something like that in your area.
1 person likes this
@sweetaspie52 (2359)
• United States
22 Feb 07
some times a mother knows best and I think that when you took him off his meds you did thre right thing good luck
1 person likes this
@destinycole (827)
•
21 Feb 07
Take care hun I hope this works out for you and your son
1 person likes this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
22 Feb 07
There are some medications you are not supposed to just stop. They can cause seizures and excessive mood swings
plus many other serious side effects.
I am sorry that medication did not work out for your son
but some medications take a while to kick in.
I think it is better not to take anything then to take it and just stop taking it.
1 person likes this
