what would happen if a child with bipolar took ritalin?

Question

ok well i think my child is Bipolar and maybe ADHD and i know that she has ODD but could ritalin help or make it worse.

what are the best med and mixed meds that anyone knows of for all that she will be tested and be reffed but i would say ritalin because of her impulsiveness but she also needs something for her anger.

by the way she is 12 and we do have family history of bipolar and anger not sure what else.

Answer 1

WARNING!!!!!!!! Avoid stimulants at all costs!!!!! If your child has Bipolar or you even suspect it, treating her with a stimulant used for ADHD could escalate her symptoms to rapid cycling and precipitate psychosis-do not allow anyone but a psychiatrist to prescribe your child meds-the misdiagnosis of ADHD by primary docs when it is actually Bipolar may be in part responsible for the increase in Bipolar kids these days. Please be careful!
If your child has ADHD as well as Bipolar Disorder and this is confirmed by someone specializing in psychiatry with children, Wellbutrin is a much safer choice and is used effectively in Bipolar Disorder without precipitating mania-it is also used for ADHD in kids who can't tolerate Ritalin and it's derivatives or who don't respond.

Answer 2

Ritalin Bipolar

Answer 3

I have Bipolar and i also have Borderline personality disorder i take ritalin for my impulsiveness, concentration and several other things but i'm also on 5 other meds. I saw a big difference when i started taking the ritalin sense i'm a university student i had a very hard time with my studies, so i was put on ritalin and it works like a charm. The best thing that i would suggest to you is to talk it over with your doctor and maybe start her off on a small dosage and see how she reacts. My little cousin that is 9yrs old is also on ritalin because he is bipolar and he has ADHD and we saw a big difference in him once he started taking it. He even told us himself that he can concentrate more in class and he is alot less impulsive.

Answer 4

IF a child or adult is actually bipolar, both stimulants and antidepressants are very strongly discouraged. Unfortunately the experts in child psychiatry are at battle over the reality of bipolar in children (which will be made worse by the recent case of a child who died, after a dr. prescribed a blood pressure med for her).
PLEASE.. the best place I ever found was child and adolescent bipolar foundation (cabf). There is now a fee, but it is absolutely life saving to network with other parents.
http://suicideandmentalhealthassociationinternational.org/diagbipolad.html
Yay... this article is years old, but was one of the best I saw to distinguish between the two issues.
My daughter was 13 when she was diagnosed bp..and the disputes with later doctors (who patronized me as a parent) came close to costing my daughter her life. Eventually, she realized for herself that she is bipolar, that it is not something she needs to be ashamed of, and she is now 20 yrs old.

Answer 5

I have both bipolar disorder and adult ADD. My doctor told me that drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, because they are stimulants, are not good in bipolar people. There are, however, non-stimulant meds that help a great deal. I take Effexor for both disorders and find it works well.

Answer 6

I use strattera. Its a non stimulant medication for add/adhd and it works pretty well although it is quite expensive. I was told that if i was put on a stimulant i would just start rapid cycling with my moods so probly best not to try it. But this stuff works for me

Answer 7

This is really a question to take to the experts at your local childrens' hospital .In canada there are many excellant places to get this type of help and i personnaly feel the net is not one of them, I have ADHD and retalin helped me as an adult, but get expert advise with all of the problems your child has.good luck

Answer 8

i'm 18/f and am diagnosed with both bipolar II and ADHD. i'm on Lamictal for my bipolar and amphetamine salts (generic adderall) for my ADHD. the Lamictal is working great for me...but the adderall makes me constantly tense. don't put her on stimulents. i wish i had never started them for that reason and because they make me irritable. however, i feel like i can't concentrate with out it. it's really tough. i can only really reccomend the Lamictal (although it IS expensive).

Answer 9

in my experience, it hasn't affected me negatively at all, it helps control the mania to a degree also allowing for essayer concentration of that energy. but still consult a doctor first. Dr Arther Robin specialises in this area. he is based out of Michigan and is a leading authority in the area

Answer 10

Ritalin is a stimulant. Your child needs love, not drugs. A close Friend of mine took Ritalin as a child and later, when he was 18, started using Cocaine, because the Ritalin wasn't strong enough to make him happy. It was very difficult for him to get off, and now he hates his parents for forcing him to do it.