Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1095

Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by sue papandrea on November 6, 1998, at 11:33:31

He's taking 150mg of zoloft. Can be very sweet most of the time, but his anger is very quick and very fierce. I don't know how to help him. We love him, but can't live with his anger. He won't take anything to help him sleep at night. HELP! please.

 

Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by jj on November 9, 1998, at 12:49:55

In reply to My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger, posted by sue papandrea on November 6, 1998, at 11:33:31

> He's taking 150mg of zoloft. Can be very sweet most of the time, but his anger is very quick and very fierce. I don't know how to help him. We love him, but can't live with his anger. He won't take anything to help him sleep at night. HELP! please.

My daughter has bi-polar and anger just like her father. She began with Zoloft, haldol which was switched to resperidol (sic). Now she takes 200mg of Effexor and 350 mg ofdepakote. The Zoloft and Effexor are for her depression. The other medicines were/are for her aggression. She is doing well.

 

Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by Hank L on November 11, 1998, at 19:34:30

In reply to Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger, posted by jj on November 9, 1998, at 12:49:55

I assume your son was diagnosed by a competent mental
health professional. Assuming that's the case, the
appropriate treatment would be pharmacology with
a mood stabilizer and antidepressant. The mood
stabilizer should even the mood and decrease the
anger. Medications such as Lithium, depakote, Neurontin,
tegritol are mood stabilizers.

Don't give up the ship. Encourage your psychopharmacologist
to try a mood stabilizer. Personally, I like Neurontin, due to low side
effects and no real need for regular blood monitoring.
Hope this helps.

 

Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by Chloeann on November 29, 1998, at 18:50:16

In reply to Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger, posted by Hank L on November 11, 1998, at 19:34:30

> My nearly-19 yr old son went on Risperhdal, Depakote, and
Trazodone earlier this year. He seems to be doing
much better - calmer and clearer. I am concerned,
though, about the long term use of these drugs.
From reading I understand the Risperdal is relatively
new and there doesn't seem to be a lot that is known
about long-term usage.
With his doctor's help, he tried to back off on some
of his meds but the symptoms returned. My goal is
to help him be stable so he can see his way through
college. How often should he be evaluated or is it
best to leave the dosage alone if he seems to be
doing okay?

 

Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by Xara (I am bi-polar and never took drugs) on May 21, 1999, at 16:33:23

In reply to Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger, posted by Chloeann on November 29, 1998, at 18:50:16

I am a 22 year old female and I am bi-polar. I had to deal with my anger and aggression because I come from a very poor family and we could not afford any help. I have never taken any medication and I have to admit that I am fine now. You shouldn't try to load these kids up on drugs to help them with their anger. They need to to deal with it. I use to beat my brothers and kids at school up for no reason other than a release. Then I realized that it was wrong so then I started hitting on trees when I got the urge for violence. Finally I found a way to release it. I wrote poetry and I paint, sketch, draw, all sorts of things. These drugs do not help... they just postpone it. Everytime I get the urge for violence, I either sit at the computer and type what ever comes to mind or I draw. I am now happily married and I have a 10 month old son. Being bi-polar shouldn't be looked at as a problem, it should be a blessing. Most people who are bi-polar are very gifted. Instead of only using the right side
or left side of the brain, they can tap into both with ease. Try anger management classes, unless the kids are like me and decide to mess with the counselors heads... lol, boy did I have a blast in there. Don't worry about it... your kid is special. What really changed me was the birth of my son. I sat there and decided that if I was angry, I would not take it out on him and I would not punish him if he did anything wrong, because we all know how we bi-polars lose it once we are angry. I avoid anger at all cost and I take a cold shower and meditate when I am angry. Give the kids time, they will calm down on their own. They just have to learn how to deal with it and that takes time.

 

Re: bipolar and anger

Posted by Elaine on May 21, 1999, at 23:04:45

In reply to Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger , posted by Xara (I am bi-polar and never took drugs) on May 21, 1999, at 16:33:23

Xara - how do you handle the type of anger that needs a release RIGHT NOW? I do not get physically violent or into an absolute rage, but I will suddenly react to something someone says and feel such an intensity that something has to escape right then. It can't wait until I go to the keyboard or shower or home to beat on a pillow. Now. And it is usually out of proportion to what reaction should normally be taking place. What do you do when something needs to burst out NOW and you can't just shelve it for later? (p.s. I am diagnosed atypical bipolar.)

 

Re: bipolar and anger

Posted by Ellen Brodie on May 23, 1999, at 5:22:27

In reply to Re: bipolar and anger , posted by Elaine on May 21, 1999, at 23:04:45

>I have struggled as you have with the samw thing. I go tho the bathroom. I know this sounds strange, but isit by muself in a dark area for about five muinutes in aplace where I feel safe. you might want to pick another safe place. On thing I have learned that I never believed before is that "I" have control over my anger it does not have control over me. Only when I let it. I then immedialtely journel my anger. Where, why, how I feel, it is typically displaceed anger, but I get it out. This takes practice, but it's like any other behavior that you want to change, if you want to do it bad enough you can. I have a list I have made of five things I can do when I get into a rage. I keep in with me at all times. EX: 1. Sit in private place. 2. Journal Anger 3. Take Walk. 4. Light Candles 5. Call Friend. It all depends where you are and what makes you feel good. Gives these some thought. I have also started taking Tai chi once a wee. It has helped channel my anger emmensely. Highly reccomeend it. Look at this as a crisis situation as something that you need to get out of. Then you will put forth more effort into working at it. This took alot of effot and time for me. meditaional music helped. Do whatever it takes that calms you. Write it down and stick to. Refer to it in a "crisit situation" It really has helped to get my rages under control. Good Luck. More info my e-mail is BOdywizard@aol.com. Ellen Brodie

 

Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by MelindaJ on May 25, 1999, at 11:55:26

In reply to Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger, posted by jj on November 9, 1998, at 12:49:55

> > He's taking 150mg of zoloft. Can be very sweet most of the time, but his anger is very quick and very fierce. I don't know how to help him. We love him, but can't live with his anger. He won't take anything to help him sleep at night. HELP! please.
> My daughter has bi-polar and anger just like her father. She began with Zoloft, haldol which was switched to resperidol (sic). Now she takes 200mg of Effexor and 350 mg ofdepakote. The Zoloft and Effexor are for her depression. The other medicines were/are for her aggression. She is doing well.


I have an 8-yr old step-son who was diagnosed bi-polar last summer. He takes Depakote combined with an antidepressant
and, for the most part, does well. Most of his blow-ups seemed to take place during times/situations when he had
a great deal of anxiety. Zoloft is a good drug but your son would probably do better on a combination of the Zoloft and
a mood stabilizer like Depakote. Depakote is often prescribed for kids and adolescents because they tend to be "rapid-cyclers"
and Depakote is a relatively fast acting drug. Good luck with your son, bipolar and puberty are a tough combination!

 

Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger

Posted by KG Miller on July 28, 2000, at 20:38:24

In reply to Re: My 18 yr. old son w/bi-polar and anger, posted by MelindaJ on May 25, 1999, at 11:55:26

I am a 33y/o married white female. I have tried to go on w/o the medicines and believe me, I had the oppertunity to stay on it and NO matter what Xanea says, PLEASE keep your sons on the medicines! I have been on and off since the age of about 12. My lists of dxs are long and they started me out with the usual, back then. I was put into an almost like state of coma. But as i grew up and was able to voice my opinions I was moved up to Depakote and now Topamax. At this combination is working ok for me, but it still needs to be tweaked more because of problems are coming though.

When I was off the medications I was punching so many walls, I was a regular in the ER for hand x-rays, and stitches to repair my wrists, arms and ankles. I was also a regular in the loacl mental hospital every month for a while. You DON'T want your sons to go through a life like that. Trust me just because 1 person may have gotten 'extremelly' lucky and slide through without needed meds, don't mean everyone should do that! You can get away now-a-day with very minor doese of pills! They had me on a Thorizine shuffle for a while!

Talk to the doctors, have blood work done every month for Depakote lvls, look into Topamax (it's for mood swings), just don't let them do the same thing to me, over 28+ pills a day!

good luck!!!!


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