Any suggestion for meds to help treat ODD/Bipolar in a child?

Question

My 8yr old son was diagnosed with ODD...they said it is becasue he is bipolar....the only thing i notice is CONSTANT anger...we have tried Abilify and now on Geodon i see good results with this med however by the time he is out of school it does not seem to be working as well.....can anyone suggestion other meds or soem techniques to help

Answer 1

Try speaking with a homeopathic doctor as well. Old wisdom has often been tossed out for new expensive pills. My son used to have symptoms of ODD, but I couldn't really buy into it all, not with what they were charging for the meds. I pulled him off of TV, video games and lessened the visual stimulation in his room. He is much more calm. He has been Dx'd with Autism, a very mild form, and manageable without drugs. I've also changed his diet to eliminate gluten. Sometimes irritable bowels make people very angry. I'm not saying to take him off the meds cold turkey, I'm just saying to check all the avenues.

Answer 2

I have 2 kids on meds for anger issues, ODD,,,bi-polar.
And unfortunately, I have no happy tales to tell.
I am sorry-but the meds will change A LOT, and it is good to get them into some kind of therapy. And you, a support group.

Also, me and doc got into an argument about the meds" they are for their performance in school, NOT to make them more tolerable for you!"(at that moment-I wanted to hit something!)

It sucks because I get all the back-draft when they come off the meds, and I get the attitude, the anger, the fits of rage.
My oldest child on meds, beat the crap out of me this summer, he no longer lives with me, but his grandparents, we can't be in the same room for 5 minutes without things getting really bad.
Has your son always had issues with anger? Was this a sudden onset?
My oldest I swear came out pissed at the world-
my 8 year old on meds, was an angel til about 2 years ago, now, he gets angry over anything and nothing, and his first reaction is to hit whoever or whatever upset or angered him, and if it isn't anyone, and he just gets frustrated, he hurts himself. I am still struggling with this issue.
Just keep faith mom,,,,times are tough, but they all keep telling me, you are never given any more than you can handle.
Please update this when you find a solution or two, I would love to hear all I can on how to help my children.
Good luck to you, I hope you find all you need.

Answer 3

Abilify turned my Bipolar son into a zombie who slept 18 hours a day. I have seen good results with Geodon in some of my students. My son currently takes Adderall and Risperdal. He is sixteen now. I can't tell you how many different combinations we have tried. Some lose effectiveness after a while. At one point, my son was on 9 different meds and I had to say enough is enough and get him on as few as possible. His Adderall is time release so it works all day.

Answer 4

Please be careful as you and your son enter this phase of his life. My two oldest sons, now 15 & 17, were both diagnosed initially at an early age, about 2-3 years old, as ADHD. The diagnoses have changed over the years, at different times, by different doctors, as many combinations of ADD, ADHD, Bipolar, ODD, etc. They have both been thru various combinations of drugs over the years. The list of meds is long, including but not limited to, Ritalin, Dexadrine, Adderall, Depakote, Strattera, Wellbutrin, and Cylert. The meds never really got all the behavior problems under control. Now my 15 year old has been dealing with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis(EG)/ Eosinophilic Enteritis (EE) for three years. One expert stated that it could be due to the extensive numbers and amounts of meds introduced into his system over the years. I never had much faith in these ever-changing diagnosis. Their mom & I often disagreed about the diagnosis and treatment, but went with the advice of the many doctors and specialists. I am in no way any expert, and I'm very cynical regarding some parents, doctors and educators who I believe seem to push these meds on some kids who don't need it, but instead need to teach kids discipline, self-control, and how to control their behaviors. I think Kali’s advice is probably very good to consider. (Again, after many years of problems, I’m no way an expert, and should be better educated. I am biased against these drugs, but admit that some people do need them.) My biggest advise, please educate yourself, ask lots of questions, get multiple opinions, and look at every option. Also, there are many organizations out there to help you, full of other parents that have been thru this with their kids. Seek them out and get involved. Thanks for asking for the sake of your kid. Good luck.

Answer 5

My son is 4 and has bipolar. Risperdal was and is our "Miracle" medicine. Before the risperdal he would rage for hours at a time, break windows and other things...and he had a lot of anger. The Risperdal almost completely stopped all his rages and tempers. He is like a different child. Try to seek psychological therapy with him through a psychologist that specializes with children. Ask about the Risperdal. My son takes this and Clonidine.

Answer 6

hi my name is bradley G. I am a 17 yr. old diagnosed bipolar.
when I was younger I had been diagnosed as ADD, & ADHD.
your son has probably been diagnosed as one of those 2 @ this point in time by the doctor(s) because DR's don't like to give that diagnosis @ this point in time. mainly b/c of the large amounts, of meds that he will need to take. he may be on ritalin, resperidol, stratera, wellbutrin, conserta, ETC.
i have been on them all. unfortunately I was diagnosed @ age 12. when i went to a hospital for a psyche evaluation. In the end the results showed that i had similar answers to those who where bipolar. try not to have the above drugs perscribed. as of late i have been on 3x 500mg DEPAKOTE's(grey), 1x CONCERTA (red in color, unsure of mg's),1x3mg inversa(white) (new med I think that is the name),had been on 2.5 mg of abilify ( 1/2 of the blue pill),
had been on 5 mg zoloft (unsure of color)

Answer 7

I doubt the diagnosis of bipolar at such a young age.

Ask the doctor about Strattera. It's a nonamphetamine for adhd that should take away some of that anger. It will stop his mind from racing and he should be able to relax.

Strattera does take some getting used to. For the first 3-4 weeks, he will lose his appetite, can't sleep, will be nauseated, etc. All that will go away in a month. If you decide to try it, start at a low dose and work up.

Answer 8

If the meds are not holding him long enough you need to report this to the doctor. The doc is the one who will help you figure out what to do to as far as his meds are concerned.

Answer 9

yes Zoloft is a very safe drug on the market but most of all with any drug you must watch him or her to see behavior changes such as lows an highs most of all be there for them they need your help from a friend Michael

Answer 10

DO NOT RUIN YOUR CHILD'S LIFE!!!

HE DOES NOT HAVE BIPOLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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