Behaviors and Rages I Just Don't Understand

[jusbnme06]

Hey Everyone....My name is Brandi and am new to this site and I hope that I can find some emotional support with my son Brendan (7). He was diagnosed in 2004 with ADHD and ODD and we have been on numerous of meds and it has been a very long struggle....Just to name a few of the meds he has been on...Adderall, Concerta, Staterra, Risperdol (caused his muscles to lock up), Depakote, Daytrana, Clonodine.....and the list goes on....He is currently on Dexedrine, Seroquel, Tenex, and Buspar....things really dont seem to as effective as they were when he first started these new meds....I feel like his psych. uses him as a guinea pig, I express my concerns out how the meds seem to have no effect and they decline to change anything...so needless to say he will be seeing a new psyc on Aug 8th, Dr Cook is her name and she specializes in pediatric psychiatry....so on to the behavior that we experience usually on a daily basis....he is very distructive....he cuts up his sheets, my pillows, and furniture, the curtains and has also torn pieces of my wallpaper down...so yes I hid my scissors, but then he began ripping my pillows and bending and breaking my mop and broom handles...DONT UNDERSTAND....he has really bad rage, also...when he gets mad, he goes in to these rages that last for about 30-45 minutes, he throws stuff, and punches and kicks the walls, and just recently took my kitchen chair and slammed it to the floor....all because he had gotten mad at me....BECAUSE I WOULDN"T GIVE INTO HIM...but once he calms down, he cries and gets very emotional....I almost wonder is he is pediatric bipolar....This new psych is supposed to be re-evaluating him. So I am on here lookin for some feed-back...anyone want to help me here....I feel so alone, but yet I know I'm not....

[misty]

Wow! I was thinking the same thing, that from all I've read he seems more biopolar than ADHD. Bipolar kids are known for the kind of rages you've described.Plus, ADHD meds really have no effect on bipolar. I'm glad you're getting him reevaluated. Thats a great first step. Hopefully the new psych will do a thorough job. In the meantime, read through our pediatric bipolar board & maybe you'll get some ideas to help you cope. We will be here too so you can come & vent any time. We are always ready with support, ideas, & hugs!

[katiekat]

Welcome jusbnme! I had to jump in here and let you know that BP is definitely a DX you might want to look into further because your son sounds a lot like mine who is DX bipolar. He is also ADHD,OCD and an anxiety disorder. He is very destructive and will destroy anything he can get his hands on when he is mad even his own stuff. Browse around the site and read my posts and you can see all the things he has broken-his glasses, our toilet, the list goes on. We have also dealt with uncontrollable crying that goes on for hours. He becomes angry and violent when he doesnt get his way as well. He is currently on Depakote, which we started about 6 weeks ago but have seen no improvement. We will be adding Straterra after we get back from vacation and Im hoping for some relief but.... Anyway I wanted to let you know you are not alone-we're all here for you.

[bugsmom]

Jusbnme06...First of all, Hugs to you! I'm so glad you found us! You will receive MUCH support from everyone here.

I have to agree with Misty, your son's behavior sounds much more like Bi-polar than ADHD. Many Bi-polar kids are first dx with Adhd and ODD. It sounds like you are doing all the right things getting him re-evaluated. My heart goes out to you, its so tough sometimes, especially when finding the right meds takes so long.

We all understand your struggle, please come and vent whenever you need too. And please keep us updated on his re-evaluation. We're all in this together.

[charliegirl]

Welcome Brandi. I'm glad you found us. We'll be here for you.

I must say that my first thought when you described his behavior was pediatric bipolar also. The frequent and extreme mood swings make me wonder. If it is bipolar, then he will need mood stabilizers before they can safely give him stimulants. Without his moods being stabilized, his rages and excitability could be worse than if he had no meds.

I'm glad to see you are having him evaluated by a pediatric psychiatrist.

[jj]

Oh, jusbnme06 - You are having such a rough time. I feel so bad for you. I do think you are on the right track and I wouldn't be surprised if the new evaluation indicates bipolar. Some of those meds you mentioned he has taken makes things worse if a child or adult is indeed bipolar.

Big hugs to you.

[charliegirl]

One thing I do want to point out is that meds work differently on each of our kids. Its rare for a dr to prescribe the best treatment right off, and the best mix is usually found by trial and error. Unfortunately, that does make it seem like our kids are guinea pigs and when the dx is wrong, it would take even longer to find the right mix.

[wetmores]

Has he been checked by a neurologist for rage seizures?

peace,
marge
www.net-haven.net

[charliegirl]

How is it going today Brandi?