Daughter w/negativity | ADHD Information

I have two children (son is 13, daugher is 11) who reacted very poorly (read manic) to SSRIs.  My son's first dx was ADHD and anxiety, and my daughter's was depression.  They now have working dxes of bipolar disorder, are on mood stabilizers and doing much better.  If there are co-morbid mood issues and ADHD, it is always wise to treat the mood issues first because mood issues can look like ADHD.  Furthermore, ADHD meds can make mood issues worse.  I agree with an evaluation by a board-certified child/adolescent psychiatrist.  If your DD is not doing better on Lexapro -- and especially is she's doing worse -- you need to know why and get her the proper treatment.  Good luck.My daughter is 15 and has been diagnosed with Depression/adhd. They have put her on Lexapro .(I Don't think is working).She has a lot of negativity,mood swings,selfishness and trouble with authority.I would love some answers. She has a hard time believing that she is this way. I am thinking when we go back to the doctor.I am going to ask him to take her off everything and just put her on a ADHD med. only. Any Answer or comments?Lexapro is a pretty heavy duty SSRI. It's like double Celexa or one of those Jolt caffeinated drinks. If she is VERY moody, on or off the meds, I'd consider that maybe her "depression" is a milder form of bipolar disorder and that she probably needs a mood stabilizer, not an anti-depressant or ADHD meds, as both can exaberate the moodiness. Did a Child Psychiatrist (with the MD) diagnose her? If not, I'd see one. If so, I'd get a second opinion. Since she's already 15 (and, trust me, I've already raised three of my kids to adulthood) if you don't get to the root of the problem fast, likely she'll decide she's fine and doesn't need meds at all and go off everything at 18, throwing her into an adult world with a mood disorder that isn't being treated. Mood disorders exaberate defiance in kids AND adults--I have bipolar and did as a child/teen, although it was mistaken for unipolar depression--this was long ago--and anxiety disorder. All you can do is try. You have three years left to get it right and she needs to accept that she has a treatable condition, whatever it is. I wish you luck :) MomWI38900.1734375psychotherapy can do wonders for depression. I was severely depressed for years - I would wake up in the morning and my first thought for the day was 'I hate myself'. My second thought was invariably  some fantasy about a different way to commit suicide. I was 30 years old when I realized that not everyone wakes up thinking that way. Psychotherapy was a lifesaver.