Just Diagnosed Again 2
Question:
I think I am starting to understand how these Message Boards work and Im sorry if I am doing this wrong. But here goes question two? We just got our second opinion and they confirmed Tourettes and also the possibility of Manic- Depressive Disorder. T hey are not sure whether or not to start her on Haldol or Depacote? Anyone got experiance with this?
Response:
I forgot to mention what she is taking right now. In the afternoon she gets 50mg of Nortriptyline and at bedtime she gets 1.5mg of Risperadol
Response:
TIGGERISHY wrote: > I think I am starting to understand how these Message Boards work and Im sorry > if I am doing this wrong.
You’re doing fine. If you want to learn more, I also have an AOL account and can help you out with how to use AOL’s newsreader for newsgroups. > But here goes question two? We just got our second > opinion and they confirmed Tourettes and also the possibility of Manic- > Depressive Disorder. T hey are not sure whether or not to start her on Haldol > or Depacote? Anyone got experiance with this?
In your subsequent post, you also mentioned that she was on nortriptyline and risperdal. Nortriptyline (Pamelor) is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). TCAs and SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, Zoloft) can make the mania associated with bipolar worse, so one of the first things you might want to talk to your physician about is getting her off of the Pamelor. Has he talked with you about whether it may be making thins worse for her? How much does she take? Haldol is like Risperdal only with a higher side effect profile … so I’m not sure why switch from one to the other … and there’s no particular reason to use either of them for bipolar over a mood stabilizer (lithium) or depakote. But I’m not very knowledgeable in this area, so will leave the discussion of depakote vs. neuroleptics to others. You can find some links about bipolar at the bottom of this page: http://members.home.net/tourettenowwhat/ts_links.htm — Tourette Syndrome – Now What? http://members.home.net/tourettenowwhat
Response:
"TIGGERISHY" <tiggeri…@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010113234348.25661.00001247@ng-mk1.aol.com… > I think I am starting to understand how these Message Boards work and Im sorry > if I am doing this wrong.
Oh NO! You are NOT doing it wrong. You are doing it exactly the way most of us did it to begin with! Glad you are with us!! But here goes question two? We just got our second > opinion and they confirmed Tourettes and also the possibility of Manic- > Depressive Disorder. T hey are not sure whether or not to start her on Haldol > or Depacote? Anyone got experiance with this?
I’ll leave this to those that have more experience with it, but I will say this: what specifically is causing your child the MOST trouble? That will help you decide what to treat and how. KAT in CT
Response:
In article <20010113235431.25661.00001…@ng-mk1.aol.com>, tiggeri…@aol.com (TIGGERISHY) wrote: > I forgot to mention what she is taking right now. In the afternoon > she gets 50mg of Nortriptyline and at bedtime she gets 1.5mg of > Risperadol.
Nortriptyline, if I remember correctly, has a slow onset when used for depression. You can’t be sure of an effect before a month. If it is not worsening the tics, it might be better not to change too much, too fast. If it is, consider switching. Another factor to consider is the intensity of the mood disorder. If she becomes profoundly depressed, or is prone to dangerous acts when manic, that becomes more important in the short term than tics. Keeping her safe until you can work out the complexities can be a top priority. Best wishes. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
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The tics are bad but not dibilatating, the Mood Disorder is the major problem right now. She can be singing for 5mins and then screaming for 10mins then back to singing again!
Response:
>I think I am starting to understand how these Message Boards work and Im >sorry >if I am doing this wrong.
I think I am starting to understand how these Message Boards work and Im sorry if I am doing this wrong. But here goes question two? We just got our second opinion and they confirmed Tourettes and also the possibility of Manic- Depressive Disorder. T hey are not sure whether or not to start her on Haldol or Depacote? Anyone got experiance with this? I’ll leave this to those that have more experience with it, but I will say this: what specifically is causing your child the MOST trouble? That will help you decide what to treat and how. KAT in CT Tigger, Does your daughter need to medicate for her tics? Dr. Christopher Obrien, when he first started working with me, asked me what my biggest problems were that needed to be worked on. I have seen a neuropharmopsychiatrist – one of the best in the Denver area, and he helped me wade through the different meds. When I was first Dx’ed, the neurologist that Dx’ed me perscribed Haldol. I needed Haldol like a hole in the head!!!!! I started having problems with Tartive Diskenesia (sp ?) (Look it up) and stopped taking the med. My erstwhile Psychiatrist looked at me as if I was a naughty boy by not taking my Haldol – I had to call my own shots The last thing you want your daughter to have is an iatrogenic illness(look the word up!) I suggest that you get aquainted with the meds offered and what they want to give to your daughter. I trip to the local book store to get a PDR – (Physicans Desk Register) is in order. Then start to READ, READ, READ!!!! Good luck Fred in Denver
Response:
On Wed, 17 Jan 2001 09:26:59 -0800, Nancy Jennings <njenni…@mare.org> wrote: >With the exception of Prozac (taken for OCD, at this point), he has been other- >wise med-free for several months now…
have you tried saint johns wort? and have you tried flax seed oil? If you try to absorb it all at once, it causes headaches. if problems persist, please see a doctor.
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No harm done. So many people have been so helpful in helping me to understand what these Message Boards are all about. If I get offended a little to easily ,you have got to remember that we all are a little Hyper-Sensitive.
Response:
i don’t know the implications of manic-depressive w/ts, don’t know what depacote is, but have taken haldol for my ts. it started to calm my ts down, but its side effects were uncomfortable. my legs started twitching, and i felt way slowed down, quite lethargic. you need to weigh the advantages against the side effects of all the drugs you try. good luck.
Response:
On 14 Jan 2001 04:43:48 GMT, tiggeri…@aol.com (TIGGERISHY) wrote: >I think I am starting to understand how these Message Boards work and Im sorry >if I am doing this wrong. But here goes question two? We just got our second >opinion and they confirmed Tourettes and also the possibility of Manic- >Depressive Disorder. T hey are not sure whether or not to start her on Haldol >or Depacote? Anyone got experiance with this?
For info on a child with bipolar disorder (the newer name for manic-depressive disorder), go the the website of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF): http://www.bpkids.org. There you will find some good articles, message boards, etc. In another post you mentioned some other meds she is already on. It is really important that any questions regarding meds include ALL the meds. One of the meds you mentioned in the other post was an antidepressant. IF she has bipolar disorder, then it is quite possible that the antidepressant is part of the behavior/mood problem that you are seeing. Some people with bipolar do need an antidepressant; however, unless the person is first stabilized on a mood stabilizer (such as Depakote), the antidepressant can swing them from depression into mania. Kids with bipolar are far more likely to be ‘rapid cyclers’ than adults, which means switching moods rapidly, even within the day. (As opposed to adults, who switch over a period of weeks or months.) Vicki H.
