QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I HAVE BEEN READING OVER YOUR SITE FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW. I KNOW WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT BPD IN YOUNG CHILDREN - MY 9 YEAR OLD SON FITS BPD TO A "T".
I PULLED UP YOUR SCREENING TEST AND WENT OVER IT. HE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD, THEY SAY HE HAS SOME SYMPTOMS OF ODD AND BIPOLAR DISORDER. BUT I FEEL THERE IS MORE TO IT. ON YOUR SCREENING TEST HE ANSWERS TO ALL FOUR FOR ADD, ALL FOUR FOR BPD, ALL THREE FOR FRACTURED ENJOYMENT, 2 OUT OF 4 FOR OCPD AND 3 OUT OF 4 FOR GAD.
HE NEVER HAS BEEN ON PROZAC.
HE ALSO HAS CARBOHYDRATE CRAVINGS AND ALL THE SIGNS OF EPILEPSY: INAPPROPRIATE MOOD SWINGS, ANGER, BOREDOM, EMPTINESS, EMOTIONAL PAIN, REJECTION AND SENSITIVITY. HE SAYS HIS HANDS AND FEET GO NUMB AT TIMES.
I DID THE SURVEY ON BIPOLAR CHILD. HE ANSWERS YES TO 29 OUT OF 50. HE ANSWERED YES TO 7 CRITERIA OUT OF 9 FOR MDE.
HOW DO I RE-START TO FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR AND MEDICATIONS FOR MY SON? HE HAS BEEN ON A NUMBER OF MEDS AND IS TAKING ADDERALL, TOPAMAX AND TRAZODONE. HE HAS BEEN ON RITALIN, PAXIL, DEPAKOTE AND DEPAKENE, JUST TO MENTION A FEW.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME,
A DESPERATE MOTHER
ANSWER:
Anxiety disorders are more common than ADD. Childhood onset BPD is likely bipolar with
other diagnoses as well. It begins at puberty. If he has the GAD, BuSpar will likely have
a huge and positive effect - particularly if combined with Prozac. Having both biological
parents taking the
screening test
can yield diagnostic clues -
particularly if both parents have the same diagnosis.
I don't know your son and I'm not his physician. I actually do see children like
this, and they do much better with Prozac, BuSpar, Ritalin or Adderall, and a mood
stabilizer (Tegretol, Depakote, lithium). They usually need continuous Risperdal as well.
Finding the "right doctor" can be difficult and may require interviewing many
child psychiatrists to find one who you believe will listen and is aggressive at treating
these conditions - whether he/she agrees with me or not on how to approach his problems.
