8 yo son ADHD and bi-polar

Tanya - posted on 08/26/2012

I was in the same boat as you were. When a child is Adhd and bipolar it is hard to treat them both because of adverse reactions. My daughter is 10 now and this is what works for us. She takes focalin 30 XR and risperdal and kapvay. Then we give her half a dose of her risperdal at 330 in the afternoon. At bedtime she takes risperdal and kapvay and sleeps all night! Some people do not believe in medication and I use to be one of those people until I couldn't see my child like that anymore. She had the same sleep pattern as your child and that's the bipolar. Best of luck to you! I have what I feel like is a more normal child today!

Tiffany - posted on 08/25/2012

wow!!! please check out nami.org if you have not already done son I have a walk team and would love to have you join even if you cant come out and walk I would love to have you on my team to help stop the stigma associated with mental illness. So many times people dont get involved because they are too embarrased or dont want anyone to know that their child has a problem but I try to share the truth to help others especially the child silence can be deadly!!! my email address is mrstbridgers@centurylink.net please contact me. Have you tried clonodine? I have 3 children with ADHd AND my brother suffered from bipolar for 15years and my nephew was diagnosed at 12

Sarah - posted on 08/24/2012

try spraying lavender round the house especially in the bedroom and i also found a lava lamp calmed my daughter especially at night

Lisa - posted on 08/21/2012

M SON IS 7 AND 1/2 AND IS ADHD AND IM STARTING TO THINK HE HAS BIPOLAR AS WELL DUE TO HITTING AND SWEARING WHEN HES MAD WE SEE THE DR THIS WED WHEW CAUSE IM BEAT I FEEL YOUR PAIN BUT AT LEAST I HAVE ONLY ONE CHILD BUT IM A INGLE MOM AN I DO GET LOTS OF HELP I NEED TO THANKS MY LUCKY STARS WISH U THE BEST OF LUCK CAUSE MY SONS BEEN LIKE THIS SINCE HE WAS 2!!

Laura - posted on 08/20/2012

My grandson has significant behavior issues and his other grandma did some research that some of the kids with these types of behavior issues don't produce or absorb enough Omega-3s from their food. My daughter is trying supplements with him now and says she sees a difference in his behavior. I haven't seen him, but I'm hopeful...

Sherry - posted on 02/22/2012

I tried everything read the book the ultramind solution by Mark Hyman M.D. If you are like me i was very impressed by what he had to say it worked for me without med. Even my sons teacher could tell alot of difference. It will not hurt to try it .

Michele - posted on 03/09/2011

I have a 9 yr old daughter that has been diagnosed with adhd and oppositional defiance disorder (age 6) and at age 8 bipolar. We just increased her vyvanse from 30 to 40mg and her Risperidone to 1mg am & pm and 4 mg guanficine at night. She has hallucinations in her sleep from the vyvanse and is very aggressive. Her manic episodes are at the level of her threatening to kill her sisters, even holding a pillow over my 7 year olds face. It seems every 2 months her doses are being increased and that is very scary to me. A friend gave me a dvd called "dead wrong How psychiatric drugs can kill your child". Tomorrow we will be contacting her psychologist and psychiatrist about medication free treatment. Since starting the Risperidone she has gained 25 pounds, 12 of that was in the first 3 weeks. The behavior changes are not worth the risk of losing your child. There has to be another way to help my little girl other than pills. She is not the happy, funny loving girl she used to be. You can view the video at cchr.org.

Jennifer - posted on 02/23/2011

I have a understanding of what you are going thru. As for the doctors brushing it off I asked them why they feel like I should be able to deal with it. According to my doctors they dont want my son to be medicated 24/7 they want to give him down time. Which I would be ok with if it wasn't such a big change But they don't understand that. Your child as well as mine takes his meds @ 7 am & @ 4:30 like clockwork the meds have worn off & the challenge begins. I've asked for a longer lasting type of medication but the doctor is comfortable with what he has right now since it helps him so much thru out the day. I am considering looking for other opinions from other professionals. Maybe the combination of medication your child has isn't the one for him. Ask your doctor to try something different. My child currently is on Vyvanse 30 mg & Intuniv 3mg & on occasion when I'm not able to wear his energy out naturally with activities I do give him Clonidine which helps him sleep thru out the whole night. Each child reacts to medication differently, you have to find the right combination that works well for your child & family. You don't have to settle to what the doctors say you have the right to try other options, do your homework & bring it to the table on your next visit the doctors will respect you better if they see you are seriously involved in understanding your child & looking for better options. I wish you well & hope the stress in the family changes. I am in the same boat as you, we don't participate in alot of functions because of the fear he might not be controllable. We all have to work with our loved ones & not miss out on life.

Tracy - posted on 01/17/2011

My son is 9yrs and has had the same problems and his school nurse suggested Tenex to calm him down, it has helped incredibly and he can have a second dose after school. Our school nurse deals with sooo many children and I trust her so I suggested it to my sons psychiatric nurse and she said it was a great idea! He still takes a sleeping pill and wakes nightly but he is sooo much calmer with the tenex. Lots of luck to you and talk to your son's school nurse :)

Gwen - posted on 01/15/2011

My son is 7 with ADHD, he was on Adderrall but because it wore off by suppertime and then our evenings were hell we switched him to Vyvanse and it is working much better. We were also giving him Melatonin before his bed and now his body must be used to it because it didnt seem to work anymore. I went in to a health food store and talked to someone there. She had suggested to take him off of Melatonin and give him a calcium pill with Fish oil pill as well before bed. The Calcium for calming down the mind at night and fish oils for assisting him ADHD and voila! It works. He sleeps through the night. She has been my angel and it is all natural so I feel better about not medicating him so much.
Hope this helps, good luck.

Helen - posted on 01/14/2011

Unfortunately, when it comes to medication each person reacts differently and you need to try what works best for you. My daughter was on Concerta but she was unable to make it though homework time, so she took a small dose of ritalin when she got home. Now, she is on Vyvanes and is able to get through school and homework time. Sleep is a big issue for many people with ADHD - great article in eh latest Attention magazine. Keep trying and know you are not alone.

Jennie - posted on 01/14/2011

I have a 7 year old that is identical to your son. I have three other "normal" children and it affects them a lot! We only sleep until maybe 2:00am and then he is uncontrollable. My son wears a daytrona patch in the morning and the school nurse applies another one before he leaves school. It is helping some what for the evening hours. My son take 6 mg melatonin, 100 mg trazodone, seroquel, & clonidine. Good Luck! I feel the same way as you do.

Kaelah - posted on 01/12/2011

thats a shame, i hope u find something that works for u

Michelle - posted on 01/12/2011

For ADHD, a good medication to try would be Concerta. I have used this for both of my children. It does not 'wear off' like most other medications. It gives a slight dose throughout the day and allows the child to sleep at night. Talk to your doctor about it and see what you think.
As for the bipolar part, that is the most difficult. My husband has Bipolar Type 1, the most difficult to manage. I don't know which meds would help with this as they may be different for adults and children. You could also try googling your son's symptoms and see what other mental illnesses have the same symptoms. Read as much as you can about both illnesses and what different medications and behaviors can be changed to promote the response you are looking for.

Heather - posted on 01/12/2011

My daughter used to be on Vyvanse, also and I had a similar problem where I could tell the second it wore off because she would just get completely out of control. She was great at school, but a complete terror at home. She didn't have the sleeping problems, though. Her doctor changed her meds to Intuniv, which is the best medication she has ever taken! It's not a stimulant and is a steady release that builds up the system. So, there is no "wear off" problems like the Vyvanse. The biggest side effect is sleepiness. She takes hers in the morning before school and sometimes she's tired when she gets home, and other times she will be tired earlier than usual for bed. The sleepiness hits about 10-12 hours after taking the medication because of the sustained release. Because it stays in the system you could time the taking of it so that the sleepiness coincides with bedtime. I was also told that the tiredness also lasts about 10-12 hours. I really love it. My daughter has made friends and got straight A's for the first time ever and she is pleasant and helpful all the time now. You might look into it as an option.

Kim - posted on 01/12/2011

My 9 yo son has been diagnosed bipolar and adhd as well, but recently we have learned that all of his diagnosis COULD be attributed to a form of high functioning autism. I am not suggesting that your child is the same as mine, but it MAY be worth looking into. Regardless of the diagnosis, I am going to offer suggestions of things that have worked well for us. Vyvanse and Zyprexa with melatonin on those nights he can't sleep. We also encourage a lot of physical activity which helps with both sleep and relieving some agressive behaviors. We are adding a short acting ADHD med for after school. We tried risperdone and clonodine without success. Having a doctor that you feel understands you and your child is extremely important. Be honest with them that you feel that they aren't hearing your concerns and that you really need your concerns addressed. Hopefully they will be able to offer more suggestions, but if not, it may not hurt to get another opinion. Take a deep breath and know you are not alone and you are doing the best you can.

Jamie - posted on 01/12/2011

i also tried Melatonin as an alternative but it did not work well for my son. I think it depends on how high the daily dose is. My son takes 60 mg of adderall a day so that is on the high end.

Kaelah - posted on 01/12/2011

I have an 11 year old, and we had much the same problem with him sleeping, he takes concerta and risperdone in the morning, and we found that by the evening it was starting to wear off and he needed something extra to help him sleep. We found something called melatonin at our local heath food store, its great, we give it to him about 1/2hr before bed, and he goes to sleep with no problems, and gets a full nights sleep.

Its great, it works in well with his other medications cos its a natural thing, and we can just pick it up over the counter at our local health food store.

I hope that this helps u,

Jamie - posted on 01/12/2011

Yes!!! Ask the dr about Clonidine. My son is also 8 and is on Adderall. also he has global developemental delays. We also has behavior issues in the evening and constant sleep issues. i was reluctant to put him on yet another medication but he was just so tired and could not calm down enough to rest. Clonidine can be used only for sleep at night or as a lower dose for daytime anxiety, etc. Please look up some info on it. It has been a life saver.

Beth - posted on 01/05/2011

Start by picking up a book for your self called "taking charge of ADHD" It has a great behavior modification program in it. Second pick up a book for him called " How to slow down and pay attention" It's an ADHD book for kids it has tips on everything from dealing with anger to cleaning his room.
Have you asked your dr about a non stimulant ADHD med? They do exhist. Some kids take them at night where they take the stimulant in the morning.
My daughter is on vyvance in the AM then foclin ,a short acting stimulant and 5 mg melitonin at night