Well with winter break over and the kids back to school, I figured I could get back at my research on helping my son. I decided to try the risperdal, he’s been on it 13 days, and I see absolutely no difference in his additude. If anything I think he is worse.I can see the anger and hate in his eyes when he looks at me when being disiplined or told no. He really scares me. He is usually a loving kid especially with me. I don’t know what to think about this new road we have taken. We see the psyh. on the 10th I really don’t think I can keep him on these meds any longer. (10mg of adderal-0.25 od risperdal) Doe’s any one know of a web site that can explain all drugs associated with adhd and depression? as far as what can be used , the effects, how long before we see effects and possible side effects. And what drugs can be taken in combination. I really think he is depressed. His teacher says the only progress she has seen is his attention has improved some. But he continues to say it’s boring or he wants to die. This is very disturbing to them as well.
Re: adderall along with risperdal
I haven’t had personal experience with these meds, but I have had personal experience with doctors who try to find a pharmacological answer to everything. At one point my doctor of the time had me taking three medications, one for a back injury, a second to counter the side effects of the first, and a third to try to manage the severe problems brought on by the interactions of the first two. I knew this doctor outside the hospital and trusted him, a bad move as it turned out — a nice person can make bad medical decisions. After a month or so on the third medication I woke up enough to realize that this was all highly counterproductive and I stopped all three. The back still hurt but I felt a lot better.
It sounds to me that you are in a similar position. You are getting little or no benefit from the medication, and a lot of serious side effects. Now please don’t do anything radical on the advice of a stranger over the internet. Please go and see a doctor who is familiar with LD and ADHD and medications — a doctor who knows about many *different* options for treatment, not drugs alone — and work out a way to *safely* wean your son off these drugs and either change to another medication or work out a non-medication plan for him. You do have to shop around for good doctors, and don’t take the first answer as the only one.
Re: adderall along with risperdal
Its hard to say whether the troubling things you are seeing are caused by your child taking medication. It is possible, but by no means a certainty. It is equally as possible that the issues you are seeing are caused by other unresolved , untreated issues such as the depression you mention or something else that has been unnoticed or misdiagnosed, including LD Taking the child off the medications certainly sounds like a wise approach but do consult with the doctor before doing so. It may be that a medication like risperdal has to be tapered down rather than stopped outright.
I agree
I would also add that I would consider finding alternative educational environments. If the child hates school every day, it isn’t working for him. There may be very good reasons why he hates it. Why blame the child? Who says that school as practiced in America is the optimum for all kids, and that anyone who doesn’t like it has a problem? If we had your child in a daycare, and they told us they hated it there and begged us not to send them, who of us would not look for a different daycare? Why is it different with school? We homeschooled and used public alternative schools for all of our kids at one time or another, and it has made a huge difference for them and for us.
Personally, I hated school, especially elementary school, even though I was a very “successful” student. When I graduated high school, I felt like I had been freed from a POW camp. (“It’s over, it’s over, I’m free!”) I don’t think my feelings were uncommon among my fellow students. It’s depressing to have to go back day after day to an environment you hate bu have absolutely no power to change. Maybe there are some other options that he might find more enjoyable and that meet his needs better. Just some food for thought…
Here is a good place to start.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html
Some kids do not respond well to medications. Risperdal has shown occasional increases in aggression. Talk to your dr. about this and do not hesitate to ask for a second opinion if you feel your dr. is blowing off your concerns.