Risperdal | ADHD Information
I was just asking, I am curioussince I have a niece who I feel sure will be diagnosed soon, she is 4, but has SO many signs of ADHD /BP it is unbelievable.
I am sorry for being the reason for your leaving, I cannot help being informed, Meds are my daily job,.
Risperdal is an anti Psychotic, primarily used for Bi Polar.
Your child is only 5, how young was he diagnosed?
I am giving my child this medication, I am well aware that it is an antipsychotic. I am not going to get into how old my child was when he was diagnosed. I don't think that has anything to do with the questions I have asked. Quite frankly, you are the reason I stopped coming to these message boards last year! I know...now no one will respond to me after saying that, I'm sure! I thought I'd give this place a 2nd chance though. Nothing has changed....
Hello! I use to come to the message boards last year and took a break. I'm back.
The past year has been quite interesting with my 5 year old son. We've been on quite a long, frustrating ride. My hubby, me and our son's dr. finally decided that stimulants are not going to work for him. I think we've had him on every stimulant out there and while some worked for some of his symptoms, there were unbareable nagative reactions as well. Friday night we started my son on risperdal. I'm not sure of the dosing right on hand and am too lazy to go out in the kitchen and get the bottle! lol He's taking a low dose and we're giving it 3 times a day...I'm just not sure what to expect. I know it hasn't even been 3 days yet but yet again, we're finding ourselves in unknown territory. I am just looking for some feedback from people who have had their child on risperdal. I'd like to hear from those of you that have good results and those of you that haven't. I realize that all kids are different but at least it will give me some things to consider. Also, I'd like to hear from those of you with experience with risperdal, how long did it take to see some results, small or large.
Thanks so much! Hope to receive some feedback!!!! 
PS. My son has been diagnosed ADHD/PDD-NOS/ODD
My son just started taking this med to help him sleep and to help with his mood. The first dose we took did nothing but now a week later, his dr increased his dose and he's actually going to bed without a fuss. I think it may be working although his dr said it could be weeks before we see an improvement in the moods.
My son has only been on risperdal for 2 days. I am sitting here tonight thinking of taking him to the ER. He has started drooling today. Honestly, it's scaring the hell out of me. It's a Sunday night, what am I suppose to do? I gave him his 8:00 dose because I don't feel comfortable just stopping it cold turkey on him either...that may be worse. He seems to be having difficulty swollowing too! This is making me so uncomfortable! You know what they say about a parent's intuition....my gut feeling has rarely steered me wrong! I hate all of this. I feel so bad for my son and us as a family, it's a struggle for everyone! I've about got tears in my eyes just typing this. I'm just tired of this...tired of all of it. I just want something to help my son. He's got the couseling, early intervention, everything is place but nothing has been effective because we can't get his behaviors under control. Sometimes I wonder how much more I can take. I feel terrible!!! K7Kate39544.7385648148
Oh my! How much are you giving him? My son only takes it once a day, about an hour before bedtime.
His psychiatrist prescribed 3/4 of a mg, divided 3 times throughout the day. He's getting a 1/4 of a mg with each dosing. So, he's not getting a lot, from what I understand. My mother is actually a psychiatric nurse so I get to bounce a lot of ideas off of her and she seems to think risperdal is pretty safe but her patients are adults. I just don't know....I'm trusting my instict on this one and I think I'm going to have him looked at tonight. I mean, I won't sleep tonight anyway if I don't do something...I'll be up all night worrying, wondering if I should do something. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Yes, I understand!
Will is only taking .50 ml once a day and he is almost 9. I'm not sure how this stuff is dosed but do you trust your dr? It sounds like a lot to me, but I really have no clue.
If you are uncomfortable with his behavior, I would trust your gut..I trusted mine once and found out something was wrong with Will. For some reason, I made an emergency appt with our dr because Will said he had a stomach ache. Something just didn't seem right to me, so I took him in (normally I would not for this) and while they were checking him out, found that his bp was 170/110. I will always trust my gut feelings from now on. I feel it could have really saved my son's life..
I found this strand today searching for info on Risperdal. My son, who is six, also had terrible responses to stimulants and we started him on Risperdal last night. Our dr had us start with only an eight of a mg to see how he responds. He has been pretty sensitive to various meds in the past. It's encouraging to see that you have seen some results. And it's always encouraging to know we're not alone in this! How did it go?We're still going strong with the risperdal. I think we're going on 3 weeks with it, I lost track. Last week at my son's dr. appt., he increased his dose. So, he's now taking 1/4 ml 4 times a day. So over the course of the day he's getting a whole ml. He's doing well on it. He's eating everything in sight and gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks! The dr. said that we will wait that out because he sees more often than not the kids appetite will even out. It's something we'll keep an eye on. My son is so skinny to begin with and he can afford to gain a few pounds. So...things are going well here!
I think the 3 of us should keep each other posted. We can compare notes and see what this risperdal is all about! 
Hello again,
I did forget to add that we are also on Dexedrine for the ADHD. We will be switching to Vyvanse soon.
I've read some really good things about low doses of risperdal with kids and the irritibility and agressive side of things. It really does seem to be working well for us. It also seems that many add the risperdal with a stimulant. That won't ever happen for us, I don't think. The stimulants just don't work my for son! We gave it a good try...over a year and a half trying different stimulants. So, for now its Risperdol and Zoloft for us. My son's doctor had said one time that he will probably take him off the Zoloft eventually. We'll see...
It's great to hear from others that are seeing good things from the Risperdal!
[QUOTE=hyperboy1]lethy proud mom-
If I may ask, why did your son stop taking risperdal? Also, although our developmental dr has not suggested bipolar, only ADHD and ODD, what are some early childhood characteristics of bipolar? Sometimes I feel that what we are dealing with is beyond ADHD, but it seems our doctor will not question his diagnosis
Thank you for any response.
[/QUOTE]His dr. d/c all of his meds due to a heart deffect that was caused by his combo of meds. lethy proud mom39565.5167824074
Hi there! Things have been so good with the risperdal I haven't even been looking at the boards lately.
Our son is now at 1/4 mg, 2x day. He is sleeping very soundly and eating well, but not excessively. His aggression and defiant behaviors have decreased. Family members and his teachers at preschool are commenting on the changes, and they don't know what or if he is taking anything.
Do you see extreme drowsiness at night with risperdal? I give him his first dose with breakfast and his second at 1:00, but he is exhausted by bedtime. So exhausted, it is crazy. I was giving hi it with dinner, but the extreme tiredness seemed to be worse with that.
Hope to hear all is going well for the two of you.
My son was taking risperdal for two years. It was a good medicine for him little to no side effects. It did make him sleep to begin with but this faded with time. He did great on this med. Wish yall all the luck.lethy proud mom-
If I may ask, why did your son stop taking risperdal? Also, although our developmental dr has not suggested bipolar, only ADHD and ODD, what are some early childhood characteristics of bipolar? Sometimes I feel that what we are dealing with is beyond ADHD, but it seems our doctor will not question his diagnosis
Thank you for any response.
It is nice to have someone to talk to that knows what's its like. :-) Big appetite changes. We noticed that almost right away. Maybe 2 days into it. I think if we let him, he would eat 24/7. It's weird. He was eating horribly with the stims, lost a few pounds. He turned 5 in Jan. and the last time he was weighed, he was 41 lbs. He's tall so he looks even thinner, I think.
Anyway, we have noticed some changes today. We're seeing some of the old behaviors come back a little bit. Maybe all of the sleepy, compliant behaviors we saw last weekend and earlier this week did have to do with the cold he was fighting. It was a pretty nasty cold. Most of the cold seems to be gone and he's getting a bit mouthy and slightly aggressive. Nothing like on the stims though. So, I'm sure we need more time to see what this med will actually do for him. As for him responding better to discipline, I would say there is a little improvement there. It's been a bit easier to redirect his attention. If he's doing something he shouldn't, we'll steer him to something else and he's responded better to that than I've ever seen him do.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :-) If you have any other questions, feel free to ask....we can compare notes! :-) Since we're about a week ahead of you in the meds, it will be interesting to compare what we're seeing. When do you guys go back to the dr. (the one that prescribed the risperdal)?
We have such a low dose, I wonder if we'll see anything? We are going back to the doctor May 2nd. Earlier if there are no changes, and/or bad effects. I am sure we will have many questions in the next week...
he has only had one dose so far, so I guess I can't expect anything at this point. Maybe by the end of the weekend?
K7Kate-It is great to have someone trying the same thing with similiar negative side effects with the stims. I hope the risperdal works half as well for us as it is for you. So 5 days in and you are seeing changes?
Would you say that your son is just responding better to discipline with the med? Also, have you noticed appetite changes?
There is certainly a difference in the dose I'm giving my son and the dose you're giving yours. Perhaps you won't see much of a difference. We're going back to my son's dr. next week...so, we'll see how the upcoming week goes and what the dr. thinks and I guess we'll go from there. I'm just curious, I know nothing more about this drug than my own experience (all 7 days of it lol) but do you know why the dr. wants you to give your son his med at night?
We just started 1/4 mg 1x day tonight. Our situation is similiar to your in that the stims are not tolerable and the moods and behavior definitely need help. So far, nothing, of course.
Our son just turned 4 and is 40 pounds. I would love to hear how it is going with you know-though I know it takes a couple of weeks to see the full effect.
Hi Hyperboy1!! Good luck with everything! This sure is a long, tough road, huh? Things have improved with the risperdal for us. My son has officially been on the risperdal for a week. It took him some time to adjust and he was kinda zoned out for a few days. I waited it out and that has seemed to pass. He slept a lot...but he also had a cold so I really don't know what caused what.
Anyway...I do see a difference already. This next week will give us a better picture, I think..because like you said, we were told it can take up to two weeks to see some significant changes. So far here though...the impulsive, aggressive & defiant behaviors have gotten so much better!
I'd love to hear how things work out for you...keep me posted!!!!
Another question...has anyone had difficult mornings with risperdal? We give the dose before bed and he seems grouchy and tired when he gets up. I know sleepiness is a definite side effect. Preschool is first thing in the morning so we have to find a way to make the transition from home to school smoother rather than rougher than it was before the medicine! Thoughts?We are not seeing much after 2 doses (2 days). Anyone else?After 5 doses, we are seeing major positive changes with this med. Less moodiness and generally a happier kid. Our whole family is feeling happier and healthier.
Anyone else with experience taking risperdal ONLY, rather than a stim and risperdal? Is it strange to see such positive results with only the risperdal?
The hyperactivity isn't addressed nearly as much as the attitude with the risperdal, but it is helping with the frustration and in some situations, the ability to cope rather than physically run away. In our case, we can deal with the activity. Having help with the moods is dramatic.
I have heard it takes a couple of weeks to see full results with risperdal-is this true?
That is great news Hyperboy1 that you are starting to see results! Sounds very similar to the results we're seeing with the risperdal. I agree with you on the hyperactivity...risperdal doesn't seem to help with that. I wonder if there is anything that can help children that bounce off the walls but don't respond well to the stims? We have an appt. this Wed., I guess that can be one of my questions! Glad to hear things are going well for you guys!
I also just wanted to add my 2 cents on your question about it being true that it can take a couple of weeks to see results from the risperdal. I think its important to keep in mind, with this and any med, that everyone responds and reacts differently to meds...so, some it could take two weeks to see results, others...may be more time, may be less. It's nothing that can be carved in stone, that's for sure.
Keep us posted...I'd love to hear how things are next week and so on with the risperdal....our situations are so similar!
Doctors handle the med management differently in part because the experiences thier patients have. If they have seen some side effects, they are more cautious. Because this med can cause sleepiness, it can be started at night and as the body adjusts, be added to the day. This is how my youngest was put on risperdal. She has been off the risperdal for most of the school year this year. With a great teacher, she has less stress and her aggression is gone. She is happy most all the time now (like normal kids). We will watch for the issues to return, knowing that we have a effective treatment when needed.Thanks! I would love to hear how things continue to go for you. If you had to sumarize what you feel the risperdal is doing for your situation, what would you say? I would just like to hear someone else's words and see if they fit mine.
I called the doctor today because I feel like we may need to add an AM dose for better behavior at preschool. He said go ahead with 1/4 mg AM and PM. I am a little scared to do too much too soon. What do you think?? What are the effects you see when giving the med in the daytime? We just give it about 1-2 hours before bed and it really makes him tired. I do want him awake for school...
Sorry I haven't responded until now. I'm not sure if I mentioned in my other posts about my son also having a bad cold but I think with that and starting the new med and giving him cold meds (which I later found out I shouldn't do), I think that contributed to his odd behavior. I decided to wait the evening out and not take him to the ER. The next day seemed a little better and today he's even a little more better...as far as the cold goes. So...here's to hoping we're on the right path!
Hi, Glad I found this thread, my son just started taking Risperdal. He is impulsive, aggresive, and hyperactive, but have a psychiatrist who leans away from ADHD title. He likes to label the executive function problems, lol! Anyway after a bad start to school, weight loss, and no growth- we are adding the risperdal to his Ritalin LA. I was a little freaked out, but then I read the thread and feel a little reassured. I would love to see the agression and anxiety settle down. Of some worry is my son's severe heart defect so we are starting the med and then getting an EKG in a week. ISo hope everyone is doing well on the med, and I hope my son does well on the med. My son has been on Risperdal for nearly 2.5years now. We started out at .25ml taken twice a day (.5ml a day total) and then within 6months it was increased to 1mg a day (split into 2 doses of .5mg a day). My son gained 40 POUNDS on this drug but he absolutely NEEDED this med or else he would of been unable to function. We were able to decrease it to .5mg at the beginning of the school year in 2007 and stayed there for 8months but it became obvious that at 100lbs and 4'6", that .5mg a day was not enough. He now takes 1mg a day and it works beautifully! My happy go lucky, fun-loving, sweet boy is back without the aggressiveness.He's also on Focalin XR and FINALLY in the last year has slowed down on weight gain to a more acceptable amount and has actually not gained (and actually lost) any weight since February of this year.
(He has started to lose weight now that we are Gluten-Free, Casein-Free.......)
That is good to hear, did you start the diet for the ADHD effects? Have you noticed any improvements. I"m a little scared to try the diet.
We have just tried the omega 3's and trying to get 15 grams of protein in the AM and lunch, now hopefully the risperdal will help him eat.
Actually I am looking forward to some weight gain in my son he is 7yrs old, 43 inches and 40 lbs, so bring on the weight gain!!!!
We started the GFCF diet for my son's Autism issues..... we've noticed a HUGE increase in communicative verbalizations and his eye contact is MUCH better, as is his focus. Is it perfect? No .... but it's MUCH better.
We're getting ready to see an allergist for my autistic son to see if there are any other true food allergies/intolerances in hopes of seeing even more results.
The diet is not hard.... at least, I'm not finding it to be all that hard. My son is finding new favorite foods and he's doing wonderfully.
The Risperdal doesn't ALWAYS cause weight gain but in the majority of children that I know that are on it, it does. My son had a SUBSTANTIAL weight gain and it's just now evening out since he's on ADHD meds and with the diet. (my son was a big guy anyways, he did NOT need to gain that 40lbs! lol)
Just checking back to see how everyone is doing. My son has been on Risperdal for almost a month now, and he seems to be tolerating it quite well. His teachers have been pleased with his ability to focus and a reduction in his aggressive behaviors. So far, we haven't really had any side effects that have concerned me. The only thing I have noticed over the last few days is that he is very prone to cry in the afternoons if something doesn't go his way. It seems to be over the littlest things. (In the past, though, he might have had a major tantrum or meltdown in the same situation, so this seems to be a better response.) Anyone else having good or bad experiences or side effects?
Im interested in Risperdal for my son. Is it possible to get some more
updates please?
It is a serious med that is effective for many symptoms at very low doses (lower than used for the original indications of bipolar and as an antipsychotic).
My youngest was on risperdal for anxiety that came out as aggression. She did really well on it during the 5th grade but does not need it any more. The 5th grade was a terrible teacher and a lot of teasing from other kids. This was to the point that she was drawing pictures of her "enimies" that scared the teacher. Her doc likes to take breaks and see if a med is still needed so we found she did not need it when the schoo year ended, and we started the 6th grade without it. The 6th grade was with a great teacher and the 7th grade is going good so far.
I am happy to know that this med is there and has been effective if my youngest ever needs it again.
Hello all,
I've taken a break for awhile and have been enjoying my children. My child, 6 years old, has been on Risperdal for about a year now. It does help with the agression and irritability. It also helps him to sleep. He does eat much better with the Risperdal; which is not a bad thing considering he weighs only 46 pounds. It allowed us to discontinue the Periactin. My child has been diagnosed with ADHD, OCD and ODD. He is quite challenging at times.
I would recommend tyring the Risperdal and see how it affects your child. Every child is different. For us it has definitely been a positive. Good luck.
"Our Children are Precious in His Sight"
I too have taken a break from the boards. I'm the one that started this thread way back in April, so 6 months later, I have to say risperdal has been a saving grace for us. After a year of stimulant after stimulant and watching my son lose so much weight, risperdal has been the answer for us, up to this point. The irritability and aggression are so much more controlled. We still have challenging days but nothing like before. My son has had dose adjustments over the past 6 months too. His dose was just increased last week, as a matter of fact. He's gained weight, he looks healthy and happy! :-) I'd say, it wouldn't hurt to try, if you're dealing with a child that has some aggressive behaviors and irritability. My son is now taking 1.5 mg a day of the risperdal, split into 4 doses throughout the day. He doesn't get it in one shot! I think we're in a good place right now. He started kindergarten at the end of August, he has a full time TSS for school & home, meds are somewhat stable and he's doing well.Good luck!!!!
Thanks so much for the updates.
My son is 9 and in grade 3.
We have tried stims which have not worked. He has a dx of pdd-nos and
adhd, but it is the anger/frustration and defiance that is the main thing
we are having trouble with. He is worst at school where he refuses to do
anything. At home he is still quick to anger if things are not going his
way but seems happy enough as long as his sister does not go near him.
He has an absolute intolerance of her. He can not stand to be in the
same room as her most of the time. Yesterday he refused to get in the
car to go to school because he did not want to be in the same car with
her. After much discussion and eventually frustration and anger from me
he got into the car, but I felt for his teacher who had to deal with a now
angry boy for the day.
He is academically bright but his behaviour is getting in the way of his
learning and life really. I am going to ask we try risperdal at our next doc
visit.
Keep us updated if anything changes or if anyone else has updates
please, as I would be most interested.
Cheers, Andrea
My son is about to start Risperdal tonight. He is also on Ritalin LA and Trileptal (but hopefully we can get rid of the Trileptal if the Risperdal works well). The dr. prescribed 0.25 mg twice a day. Does that sound like a reasonable starting dose for a 7.5 year old?
How are all your kids doing on this med?
Actually, when my older son was 7yrs old that's EXACTLY
what his starting dosage was. It went up (and down) but
never got above 1mg and my son JUST stopped taking it a
little over a month ago (he took it for 3yrs).
WONDERFUL med, but I WILL warn you, that my son had a
HUGE weight gain on this med; pretty much par for the
course, though his weight gain was way on the excessive
side (he USED to have a tendency to gain weight easily so
that didn't help).
Worked for what we needed it for, but we've gradually
gotten my son off of all meds except for night-time meds
(and usual supplements considering his nutritional
needs).
HTH!Ok finally we have weaned him off of the fluvoxemine and have now just
started on the Risperdal.
He has been a little more teary/irritable/angry since we started weaning
him. I hope that it is transient and the risperdal will now help him.
We started him on the risperdal last night. He has taken .25mg.
So far we have noticed no change. (Not that I was expecting any change
yet).
We will stay on this dose for 4 days and then up him to .5mg.
Cheers.
He came off of Risperdal because it was no longer doing
anything ... meaning his dose hadn't been upped in over a
year, the few times we'd give him a med break from it he
wasn't any different off the med than he was on it so we
figured WHY give him another med if it's effectiveness is
no longer.
The weight gain slowed down after a year .... and in the
last year (he just went off of it in July) he actually
LOST WEIGHT (on the med) but that was mainly due to his
going gluten/casein free for his autism issues.
We just didn't feel side effects warranted him being on
it any longer (not that he was really experiencing any
negative side effects but we just weren't seeing any
benefit)
HTH and GOOD LUCK!I do think that if your son is tired that would contribute to his irritability. My son gets very irritable if he is tired. Sounds like risperdal isn't the right med for him. What did his doc say? Is he on any other meds?
I'm so frustrated with meds too so I feel your pain. We tried risperdal for a few weeks with my son and it didn't seem to really help him. He is irritable, moody and oppositional and has tics. Stimulants help some with focus and hyperactivity/impulsivity, but at the same time they also aggravate all those other symptoms.
Good luck with your son.
My son takes Tenex to help with things that the stimulants aggravate. It's been working VERY well for him along with the Ritalin. You may want to talk to the doc about trying it along with the other meds. Just a thought...
I am sure that this is because of the risperdal. He is on day 2 of .75mg at
the moment. (day 10 since starting at .25mg)
My question is : He appears very tired, which I know is a side effect of
this med. Is the tiredness causing his irritability and I should wait it out
for a little while without increasing his dose or do you think that this med
is not the right one for him and I should discontinue?
I have contacted his doc and am waiting for her to call me back
This medication journey is the most confusing and disheartening trip I
have ever been on. It is so hard to see your child going up and down like
mine is, and knowing that it is you that is playing with his mind, even
though you only have their best interests at heart.Heres hoping that risperdal helps with your son
We are on day 10 now.
I have noticed no change whatsoever.
We have just upped his dose to .75mg once a day. He will stay on this
dose for another 3 days then up to 1mg. 2mg being the most we can give
him.
I am really disheartened that this does not seem to be having any effect
on him. From what I have read, this med seems to work in a very short
period using very small doses.
We have already tried stimulants, strattera, anti depressants to no avail.
I held much hope for this med but unfortunately I think it too may not
help him.
I will continue until I reach his max dose but I am now not holding out
much hope.
I hope that you have a lot more luck than we seem to be having.
Cheers, Andreareally, the only bad thing my older son had was the
weight gain and he's still a big kid though the intial
weight gain was in the first year or so. He's back on the
growth charts now (not way above and beyond) and he's
starting to slim down some. I SHOULD mention that my son
had NEVER been tiny from the age of 3 and on. He just got
REALLY HUGE there for a while
He initially had a limp that started a few weeks after he
started on the meds. WE were very concerned that it was a
side effect of the meds, but it went away (and we did
have it checked out, no injury/sprain/broken whatsoever).
It was a great med for the time we needed it, though he
is no longer taking Risperdal.Thanks for your response. I hope you dont mind me asking if your son
come off rispersdal because of the weight issues or for another reason.
I am trying to find out as much info as possible so that I can watch him for
absolutely everything. Most of the time people with hands on experience
with the med know more about the med than the brochure/information that
comes with it.
Cheeers, Andrea.Well I now have a script for risperdal but I have to wean him off the
Fluvoxemine that he is on first. He will be starting the risperdal in about 3-
4 weeks. His starting dose will be .25mg once a day and then increasing to
.5 on day 4. She said that if I see that it is only working for part of the day
then I can choose to split it into 2 doses then.
Fingers crossed it will help him.
Any updates on anyone elses experiences? I am really eager to hear about
both the good and the bad so I can watch out for anything.
Cheers, Andrea.ange65- you might want to see if clondine is an option for your son to help. Stims to seem to have an aggravation affect, BUT with Vyvanse out on the market you might be able to try that. It has the active WORKING ingredient that Ritalin has, but does not have the aggravating side effect. We switched our son to it right after it was approved from the FDA here in the U.S. and saw a difference almost over night. We still have him on the small dose of .05 of the clonidine but it will help with the aggression. IMO If you don't see any progress with your son after a day or two, I would NOT give the med to him. I do not recommend making things even harder on our children. I know people here might think I'm being a bit quick to say stop the med, but if it's not working then he either doesn't need it or it doesn't work with his little system. And the bad thing is; these meds we have to give our children are strong, mind altering medications that can and will change who they are. If they do not need the medication and/or they have an adverse reaction to it, the damage most likely will not be able to be reversed. That's why I am a strong believer in making DAMN sure that the DR that dxs your child is qualified, does the proper testing, and does this BEFORE the meds are prescribed. I don't know any thing about your son's doc and am not implying anything bad about him/her. I just wanted to add that for others that might read this thread and go to a regular ped. and get this med and give it to their child. There are tests that can be done to measure brain waves to tell if a child is bipolar vs. ADHD. Before I gave my child any medications I made sure I had the proper tests done by a neuropsy., just so I would have my own piece of mind. My reason, my son's ped. told me he had bipolar at age 2! I took him to a phy and she said, I don't see any signs. She saw clear ADHD. We gave Ritalin at age 3 in small doses. Then at age 5 had his ped. still said, NO he's bipolar (because he didn't sleep....ever). And he wanted to give him bipolar meds. I took him to a neuropsy. had him tested, they did and eeg, t.o.v.a. and an mri of his brain. They did one other brain wave test. No way was he any where near bipolar. He is just severe adhd. I went back to that ped. one more time to give him copies of the results and pick up our son's medical records, and to let him know that had I listened to him, we would have messed our son's brain up for life. He was lucky I was, and still am smart enough to know to get a second opinion from some one that is a specialists. The ped. was very sorry for the mis Dx and that was the last time we saw him. Make sure you ask for these tests before you give these meds. I am a total PRO MED mom, they work! I hope you find what works for your son, try for a week, if he gets worse, then it's NOT going to work for him. You don't want to make him suffer. Make that Dr see your son and find a med that will work. Good luck and you are in the right spot. We are here for you.Thanks for your replys.
The doctor rang me and she said that it was worth a try reducing his dose
back to .5mg and seeing how that goes for the next couple of weeks .
I want to give it a really good try and not give up on any drug too soon
just in case it is has initial side effects that go away after a short time.
In saying that, I deep down think that this med is not going to have any
positive benefits and we will be searching for another med in the near
future.
Unfortunately I am in Australia and Guanfacine/Tenex is not available
here. I have read so much about this med that I would love to give it a
try.
I am really fearing that I will not find a med that will help him. I have
already been down the diet, alternative med, and behavioural therapy
track as well.
I would just love to find something that makes his life happier and less
stressfull (for him and for the rest of our family too)
I will not stop searching for him and hope that one day we will find the
help he needs.
Cheers, AndreaIts been 8 months. Any updates?.
Are your children still taking risperdal?
If not, Why?
What have your side effects been?
What have the benefits been?
Ewww! I really sound like a busy body lol. Really just a mum still
considering this med but am apprehensive about it.
Love to have any comments,
Cheers, Andrea.