Withdrawals W/ Medications on Children

Have you ever tried NAET( Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Treatment) it's a lot more than for allergies. This doctor wrote a book on it called "Say goodbye to Illness" and it is crazy how this works with so many different things. It's basically chinese medicine and it WORKS. I have known other children who have undergone the treatments and no longer need medication AT ALL!!! I know it sounds ridiculous but you may not even be AWARE that there are allergies present that are causing the Bi-polar. If you really want to treat the "problem" and not just the symptoms, I suggest giving it a whirl. The site is www.naet.com and you can search for a practitioner near you. I go to one in McHenry for my son, but I live in Huntley. Best of luck to you!!

I say don't tell the doctor nothing just do what you think is best for you daughter or get in touch with a herbal specialist.

I've seen you post many times before. I've also responded to a few of your posts. I really sympathize with your plights....taking care of an ailing father, dealing with a daughter that has health issues, and being alone for the last seven years...which may or may not be something that bothers you.

At any rate, I can't help but politely wonder about your daughter's health. I am trying to be as delicate and sympathetic as possible because I don't know you or your daughter, but through the posts you have made I'm thinking I'm starting to.

You have often mentioned the rudeness/snottiness of health care workers, school nurse, teachers....and so forth. At what point and after how many rude encounters with those that are supposed to be helping you...do you begin to think that maybe it isn't the ones trying to help you, but maybe you are the problem. Have you ever thought maybe after your divorce and your subsequent seven years alone that you have developed an over-active impulse to worry, fret, coddle and smother your little one. Who diagnosed her with Bi-Polar disorder or even ADHD? How long has she been on medication when she's only six? How many doctors have you been to?

Have you ever thought maybe you need to be evaluated? Maybe the stress of the divorce pushed you past a point that is difficult for you to deal with and you are projecting that sickness you feel onto your daughter. Maybe you are over-compensating so that you feel worthwhile....divorce can sometimes make women feel worthless. Maybe you need to feel worthwhile and important through your daughter so you make doctors think she's sick. You know you can project your own feelings on children.

I myself had to stop constantly complaining about my back hurting in front of my girls because they both started complaining that their backs hurt. Do you think maybe you are depressed. I know depression very well...I struggled for years with it. When you are depressed you don't care for yourself very well. You feel tired and you get sick often. You avoid people and sometimes even cling to a single person so tightly you almost smother them. You become so needy you drive them away...but you can't drive away your small children can you? But you can project your feelings onto them. You can make them feel sick. You can even make others (even doctors) think they are sick so that you can take on an all consuming, never ending, quest to care for them.....that way you don't have to think about being alone, or think about how you feel, or even think about how your ex-husband made you feel.

Honestly your questions get more and more severe every time you are on this forum. Your daughter's illnesses get more and more severe.

If I'm totally off base and out-of-line, please, please, please forgive me, but if I've hit on even the smallest amount of truth in this I urge you with all my heart to go get yourself evaluated. We as parents make or break our children. You can do permanent harm to your daughter if maybe you are creating some of this. Doesn't she deserve a normal, plain, calm, healthy life?

I don't know my gut tells me there is something more to all this. I wonder if maybe you keep posting because you are crying out for help. Please think about it and then go see a health care provider as soon as possible. See a professional first and foremost and then since you posted that you are trying to raise her in a christian environment may I suggest going to church. My church is having a big spring program and I would love for you to attend. They have a program called Reformers Unanimous. It is for those with addictions..not just drug or alcohol, but emotional/mental addictions as well. I know some great people that have benefited greatly from this program. The church is solid and the kids there grow in a loving, nurturing environment. Our preacher is a unapologetic man of faith. He tells it straight. He won't stroke you or pat your back and tell you how good you are. He will tell you straight...and many of us need that. I think you might need that. Please think about it....it could be a first step in helping you and your daughter. Northwest Bible Baptist Church. The program isn't about getting you to be a baptist. It is strictly about talking to people about heaven and their soul. It may be just the thing you needed. Please think about it. This Sunday at 9:45 is Sunday School...they have great Sunday School classes for the kids....my two girls would be in the same class with your daughter. (Avianna is six and Milena is four) Northwest Bible Baptist Church on Nesler Rd in Elgin. Their web site is www.northwestbbc.com you can go on the site and get the address, phone number, directions and even listen to some sermons. If you go, tell them S. Acevedo referred you...my husband and I sit up front during Sunday School. We are there every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday. It can't hurt.

Again if I'm off base, please forgive me. If I'm all wrong about everything, please forgive me. I'm only offering a different perspective with the limited information I have. Please still consider church. I have been going for six years...the preaching there probably saved my marriage, it has helped me a tremendous amount in raising my three young children, and the church family has been such a blessing I can't even begin to describe the ways.

If your daughter does truely have these problems, then she may need the drugs. I've never known anyone that is cured of Bi-Polar disorder....if I'm not mistaken it is a mental disorder that requires medication for life. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Please re-read my post and consider what I've said. If I am wrong about all this, please accept my deepest apologies for suggesting anything.

A good resource if you want to try the natural route is Dr. Mercola's office at the Optimal Wellness Center. I have a chronic illness and he helped me tremendously! They help patients - young and old - and they are very knowledgeable. heir phone# is ###-###-#### and are located in Hoffman Estates. The website is www.mercola.com.

I used to work there as well and saw some incredible, amazing changes in the patients. It's a good place to start to help your daughter in a more natural and less harsh way. Good luck!

Ok i cant say i can make you feel better i am rocking the same boat..That is what i am going through with my son,,,i can tell you that doing this for over 6 years now, doctors dont care about treating the issue or even diagnosing the problem correctly. I have been told for years my son has adhd bi polar but i finally took him off his meds and let him have the summer to recover then before school started let him start again. I have since noticed that alot of his anger is only because of the adhd med i stopped it and he is only on a low dose 5mg zyprexa to help calm and that has been doing great. He has not gotten in trouble anymore and has been able to do his work and things are so much easier. It turns out that for over 6 years they keep saying adhd and he is not adhd at all and he got so much worse because when a kid is being treated for something they are not their body goes through a adverse reaction and starts going haywire....So i wanted to tell all the doctors where to go becaus we seen many diffrent doctors over the years because i did not agree that he had adhd i though it was just bipolar and turns out even with out schooling i was the one right...No one knows their kid better then the parent and it is time for the doctors to start listening to us, our kids are our future and if they keep getting pumped with meds they dont need our future will be gone...Back in the days i was growing up not even half the kids in schools were on meds now more then half the kids in our schools are forced to be on meds, and no one wants to see that there is an issue with it. The foods have changed and no one get vitamans like they should and all that being structured and controlled most of these kids diagnosed with adhd and bipolar, but that is not happening....Good Luck and do what you feel is best for your kid and just tell the doctor any changes you see good and bad....And even maybe look into getting diffrent doctors....You know your kid best and it took me to long to stand up for mine, i thought if they say he needs the meds i would get into trouble if i did not give them to him. I was wrong and now that i know i am finally getting somewhere, and it helps that i have now found a doctor that does not just want to put him on meds, she wants him taking the least amount of meds possible and that has helped alot, because these kids become dependent on the meds and then they are no longer our kids as they are overdosed and the reactions are most likely her body rejecting the meds because our body can tell when something is not needed....Good luck and i hope everything turns out for your family, i know its hard and exhausting but with the love of your child you will find the right thing to do...I have been through this a long time with my son so if you have any questions i may be able to help you with i will help if i can....But be asured things will get better and there will be a break coming, hang in there and always remember you know your child better then any doctor so if you disagree then go with what you feel is best....

H.,

I'm going to chime in with the people who have said to take your daughter to a pediatric psychiatrist. A pediatrician, or family practice doctor, cannot diagnose bi-polar disorders. It's a complicated process that involves testing of cognitive, emotional, and physical attributes. My mother was bi-polar, I deal with anxiety and handle it through medication and therapy, and 3 of my 4 children are on medication and therapy for generalized anxiety disorders.

I'd also like to discourage you from trying a natural route for bi-polar disease. This is a chemical imbalance that cannot easily be adjusted with vitamins or herbs. There's a train of thought that will lead you to believe vitamins and herbs are effective, but years of watching my mother go in and out of the hospital because she would take medication only to decide she could do it naturally, has taught me there needs to be a healthy combination of the two. Disorders like ADHD and ADD respond wonderfully to diet control and other natural therapies, but the volatile nature of bi-polarism warrants medical treatment.

If I were you I'd get a second opinion from a child psychiatrist as to your daugher's diagnosis. I would also be very cautious about the medication you chose and understand that in order for SSRI and mood stabilizing drugs to work they have to have time to build up in your system - anywhere from 2-12 weeks - and any change of medication should be done through titration where the dose is slowly lowered over a period of time, before a new medication is introduced.

If I may make one more comment. The behavioral medicine group in the hospital that takes care of two of my kids note they have only seen 3 cases of bi-polar disorders in children. For the most part, this is a disease that shows up in early adulthood, though signs of it can be seen as early as 6 and is sometimes what doctors treat. They aren't treating the actual illness though as it's unusual to see full blown bi-polarism in children, but merely the symptoms that may, or may not, lead to the disease itself.

Best of luck to you,
S.

H.,

I am so sorry that you have had to watch your daughter experience so much suffering. I used to sell some of the medications that you referred to and will say, while they can on occasion work miracles, it is usually not without risk. So anytime you opt to use a pharmaceutical you must always weigh the risk benefit ratio. Is the problem you are trying to solve worth the potential effects of the meds...and in a child as small as yours, there is a lot of unknowns. Praying for strength and wisdom and healing for you and your daughter!

i don't think any of those things are 'addictive', but who knows.

how to tell her PEDIATRIC PSYCHIATRIST (hopefully): I'm taking her off medications and trying a natural route.

It's your child. you're in charge. just blurt it out. there are a few out there that may be helpful.

if you were NOT seeing a pediatric psychiatrist, i suggest you do.

: )

you have a lot going on right now. it is a really good thing that your ped referred you to a mental health specialist. too many doctors are prescribing meds that they are not experts on. I have worked with adults with DD/MI for years and I believe that a good psychologist or counselor and a good psychiatrist are very benefitial. I am not sure about medicating someone so young. I strongly recommend that you get a second opinion. starting and stopping medications abruptly can be dangerous. the side effects, as you mentioned, are also a lot for someone so young to deal with. I am not sure about your insurance but I would definitely take her to another psychiatrist to get another opinion. best of luck!

Hi H.-

You are correct in your assumptions. All drugs are acidic and compromise the body period.

Lets look at this from another set of factors. Food.

Gluten & dairy intolerance has been linked to most behavioral and psychological issues even schizophrenia and bi-polar and manic depression are on this list. One out of 3.5 people are gluten intolerant and 1 out of 2 are dairy intolerant. This is a huge undiagnosed problem that people are not aware of. Most people think that their food is safe when it is not. You can do all of this yourself. You need to eliminate gluten and dairy (it is not hard to do) and chance your shopping habits. I will guarantee that you will noticed a huge difference. And most of all get her off of all dyes and sugars. This means no box or processed foods. Organic clean water and food does wonders!!

Her body is suffering from nutrition deficiencies because she can not digest nutrients. She also needs to be on a good probiotic and omega 3 & 6's. I will guarantee if you do this immediately you will noticed a change for the better in a matter of hours!!

Please email me for more info. I have some great books and resources.

T.

Please consider calling NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of DuPage. The number is ###-###-####. The organization might be able to direct you to appropriate resources for help. NAMI has also started working with many DuPage County schools regarding educating teachers and working with children with serious mental illness. They also have parent support groups and other free educational courses such as NAMI Basics (for parents of young children). If her diagnosis is accurate, then I doubt that vitamins will help, but you do need to talk to professionals for this. A lot of advances have been made in the field of mental illness. And with early detection and early treatment, your daughted will have a good life and be able to manage the disease. Please remember, mental illnesses are illnesses of the brain - they are physical in nature and sometimes medication combined with therapy is the only thing that will help with recovery.

One of the biggest problems is finding the right medication and with children so young, it's that much harder. Don't give up - get as much information as you can to help you make the right decisions. Also, the right doctor can make all the difference. If you are not comfortable with this doctor, then keep looking until you find one. But you also need as much information about the disease and medications as you can get to help you make the decision. NAMI can help you with this process. NAMI DuPage was actually started 20 years ago by parents of children with mental illness - they didn't have any resources or services to help them and so they essentially started as a self-help group and began to offer support groups, free workshops and educational courses and other programs to help people with mental illness and their family members.

I second the vote for a pediatric psychiatrist. A general pediatrician should NOT be making these types of diagnoses and prescribing these medications. Bipolar disorder in a 6 year old, while not unheard of, is unusual. Even if you're seeing a psychiatrist I'd get a second opinion.

HELLO H.. MY NAME IS M....
I READ YOUR SITUATION & IT REALLY TOUCHED ME..

MY ELDERLY MOM HAS BEEN ON RISPERDAL & ZOLOFT FOR MANY YEARS. SINCE HER LATE 30'S. I KNOW HOW ADDICTING THE MEDS CAN BE, ESPECIALLY TO AN ANGELIC LITTLE 6 YEAR OLD GIRL.

IN MY OPINION I DON'T AGREE WITH KIDS TAKING MEDICATION UNLESS REALLY NEEDED... WE HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT IN THIS DAY & AGE TO WHERE WE THINK A PILL CAN SOLVE EVERYTHING...

I WAS TOLD TO PUT MY SON WHO WAS 10 ON MEDS. I REFUSED TO & HE WILL BE 19 THIS JUNE & IS PERFECTLY FINE! SOMETIMES TIME ALONG WITH AGE HEALS ALL....
NO ONE IS PERFECT & THIS IS NOT A PERFECT WORLD.

IM 39 & HAVE 3 BOYS 19, 14 & 3. I THINK YOUR DAUGHTER NEEDS OFF THE MEDS & TRY ANOTHER APPROACH.

A DOCTOR WHO USES MEDS ON A LAST RESORT WOULD BE GOOD TO LOOK INTO, IF NEEDED...

GOOD LUCK LOOKING AFTER YOUR DAD & MOVING BACK HOME..
MY DAD DIED 2005 FROM CANCER AT THE HOSPITAL IN MY ARMS WHEN I WAS 5 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH MY 3 YEAR OLD. I MISS HIM...

I AM 8 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH A LITTLE GIRL NOW.
LAST BUN IN THE OVEN. : )

HOPE ALL GOES WELL WITH YOU & YOUR SITUATION. GOD BLESS YOU & YOUR FAMILY... MY E-MAIL IS ____@____.com free to e-mail me if you like.
ONCE AGAIN GOOD LUCK & STAY STRONG!!!

I do not have any direct answers for you. I'd like to know myself how this turns out. Some of these health care professionals should be doing something different if they aren't happy. Anyway my son is being treated for similar circumstances and I'd like to discuss this further if possible. this came on a little later in life so it is good you are handling it now. I think we'd all agree the ideal would be that no one would have to take medication. If you get a chance I'd like to hear more.

My niece has ADD & she did not like the medication. She went off it & controlled it with her diet. A high protien diet & no simple carbs (only whole grains) worked really well for her. I would tell the Mental Health Specialist that you are going to try alternative measures. They should give you more info on those alternatives. If they are not on board, than find a different Dr.. This is your child & you have the ultimate power to make the decision. Don't let a Dr. bully you.

H., may I suggest a book for you to read. Mold to Molded go to Judy Lewis website and order the book, for $20 you may find some serious answers. You won't get any help from the medical establishment for all they know how to do is give you a prescription. God Bless
L. the website is www.moldtomolded.com

Hi H. -
We do not like this med at all. My now 10year old was on it for a few years. He is autistic and has a high level of anxiety. While on it he developed tics. We took him off it and put him on Abilify which totally helped with concentration at school and curbed his hyperness. Its not a magic cure but with education (which he was able to learn) comes the ability to conquer some fears. On the other hand the Abilfy caused him weight gain and he is now being weaned off of it and onto a blood pressure med. We also are using LDN (google it) in a cream base that we rub on his back at bedtime. Its been found to work on some nervous system disorders. His teacher reported better behavior. Talk to your ped. Good Luck

Good

I personally do not believe in psychiatric diagnoses for small children (well, for 99% of them). I also don't think small children should be on ANY Of those medicines. I have Ph.D. and have done research that has led me to question the explosion of mental disorders in our culture and society. And, even if you do buy into the over-diagnoses of mental-disorders, controlling them with behavior modification works better than with medicine.

You are her mother. I'd just call the Dr. office and tell them that you are going to try something else and won't be requiring their services anymore. I would then try very, very hard to imagine that you have a perfectly normal, perhaps a bit hyper, 6 year old. Get her on a good routine, a healthy diet and give her lots of 1 on 1 time. Then see what happens.

Hi H.,

I know what your daughter is going through. A number of years ago I was diagnosed with BP. After having a number of horrible reactions to medication, I was introduced to Tahitian Noni Juice. I took this in addition to my medication because there was some meds that I could take, but I couldn't up the dosage or I went into an overdosed state. So, this was just what I needed. It worked for me and for the person's son that told me about it. If you are interested in buying it, let me know, and I'll can tell you more about it. It really did help me. You need to find a doctor that will support the natural route. My psych at the time was very supportive of me and even starting telling other patients of hers about it since it worked so well for me...without landing me in the ER. I hope things are going better and I am sorry it took so long to write you.

H.

I am a nurse but definitely not an expert on mental health issues. In my drug reference Tenex is not approved for use in children. I would maybe get a second opinion on the course of treatment for your daughter. I honestly haven't heard of children as young as 6 being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I wish you lots of luck. It's tough raising children even when they are healthy. Make sure you get some support for you as well as your daughter.