HI everyone. AFter a two day trial period with dexedrine which did not do well for my son at all.!!! He was up until 4:30 am going through a ton of emotions from crying to getting angry and couldnt sit still. He was revved up for about 30 hours in total it was horrible.!!! It did in fact help him concentrate better throughout the day. He did his math work as if he was a genius it was amazing but the after effect was horrible.

The doctor suggested to start lithium carbonate tonight. I thought it wasnt used in children but the child psychiatrist recommends this and has kids on it that he sees. I dont know we have been through so many things , zyprexa , induced diabetes and now he is type 1 diabetic . risperdal made his heart race and legs weak. Serequel didnt do anything but make him cry all the time. Dexedrine well i just explained that . He is currently taking epival , so now lithium and haloperidol for incase he starts getting so bad i cant control him.

I just wished I could find someone that will spend time with my son and get to know what the problems are without all the meds.!!!! I am at wits end

Hello...

It sounds to me like you are looking for a doctor that specializes in pediatric bipolar disorder. You should contact your local mental health department & get a recommendation. They can guide you better. Or, you can contact your insurance company to look up doctors that may specialize in pediatric bipolar disorder. If you know how to use the internet, then it can become a valuable tool to you.

The drug has not been tested with children below the age of 12... This is no time to be a lab rat, seek out more than one opinion.. that drug is relatively strong.. your son may be having reactions to numerous other meds.. or food interactions with meds ( I suppose that was a reach..but..) I have a question... is he taking anything that would normally calm an adult down, but speeds him up? Lithium is a very old drug, tried and tested.. but, THAT scares me that the doctor wants him to have that.. IF for any reason he has to take the drug, find out EVERYTHING there is to know about the med, and from multiple sources.. (yes, I have taken it... not sure what is worse, taking it or admitting I took it.. It left me.. ( i should use a better word) dead tired... (but i am an adult, so I don't exactly count) The doctor ( a different one) suggested I started it again, but at the same time, after I gave him a huge frown, he named off a bunch of others.. no, i didn't write them down, but they are out there...
Please seek a doctor that specializes in pediatric bipolar disorder... Good Luck..

The lithium has helped my son. It has been nearly two weeks and we are seeing a difference in my son. He isnt rapid cycling or in a manic state anymore. He is more calm than i have seen him in a very long time. He is on a low dose of 300 mg. The target range being 600 . He hasnt experienced any side effects as of yet , we are hoping the combination of epival and lithium will help him...:)

Thanks for letting us know how you and your son have been doing!
I've been on 1200 mg (as an adult) of lithum for almost 20 years with no breakthrough depressions or manias.
I hope he continues to do this well! Be sure to let us know periodically? Plus you have lots of 1st hand experience with a child who is bipolar - stop back often and you may even be able to help someone out yourself!

thanks ruth and others for your support. Well my boy is doing better with the lithium . BUT . , there is always a but.. He seems to have these times , usually after his night time dose but has experienced it other times of day. HE just breaks down and cries. Sobbs. Last night it was about his first love who moved away , last year. ( He is ten years old.) He sobbed for almost an hour of me cuddling him and saying its okay. He carried on and on.! This is not a usual thing for him. HE was mostly manic before hyper city , bouncing all over the place. Now he is calm throughout the day , one mood pretty much. It has been wonderful but he has these times of body breakdown.? When he was taking 150mg at night for the first week. IT was a way better week. It seemed like after the 300mg at night this started happening. Has anyone heard of such a low dose of just 150 be helpful . He is five feet two inches tall and 99 pounds. Going to the doc on wednesday just to be sure but was thinking someone out there might know or have experienced a low dose working . I mean it did bring him out of a manic state.

Thanks for reading

OMG!!! Did you know there is a class action suit againt the maker of Zyprexa for that exact thing.. Diabetes?? Do a google search for Zyprexa lawsuits. We did and are currently working with a firm. Do it...our 10 yr old suffered horribly on Zyprexa after a few months and he ended up on it for 2 years!! Good luck and dont delay....your child has rights and developed a life long problem form the use of Zyprexa.