Thanks Cindy, I might have to suggest risperdal to Pat's doctor, I guess that is like trial and error w/ medications.Hi, I'm a newbee here. I have a problem w/ my 13 y/o autistic son, recently for a few weeks now, he's been very aggressive to his 3 y/o sister. We tried to do what the therapists say i.e. giving him enough attention etc, but it did not help. We toook him to a behavior specialist/psychiatrist and he was prescribed depakote for mood disorder and geodon an antypsychotic, so far it is not helping, me and my husband are fearing for our girl's safety, and we are getting desperate! Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.WELCOME FLOR, I have a 4 1/2 son who is autistic/pdd...and can be very aggressive at times. last sept. his nuerologist suggested having a pyschiatrist prescribe him RISPERDAL so hes been takin 1 1/2mg. a day AND WHAT A DIFF. its made its for the ODD oppositional defiant dis. he also takes depakote for his seizures since april, n adderrall. but some drugs will n wont work..but there has been a lot success w/risperdal I wish you luck..I know side effect is weight gain and make sure use sunscreen lots w/rispardal I noticed this wk.. my son wasnt feeling well but then i remembered depakote causes overheat/sickly feeling as well as risperdal because it was over 90 this wk...cyndie
Hi Flor and welcome to the board!!! I also have a 13 year old that has been, well, out of control a bit here lately. Jeffrey has autism, adhd, pdd-nos, add. HIs meds are tenex, 3 times a day, zoloft one time a day, claritin, once a day. depakote sprinkles, three pills twice a day, and chloral hydrate at night. He has been getting aggitated more recently. So the neuro I talked to said it could be some form of seizure. She also said it could be a bipolar type episode. My brother has bipolar so I was told I would have to watch out for it in my younger son Gabe, once he got older. Jeffrey's neuro told me the next time he is out of control I might need to take him in so they can observe him for two days. She also suggested that he might have to go on risperdal. But after everything else had been eliminated and an additional eeg had been performed. I am pretty sure you feel the same way I do. Some of the behaviour is normal teen and sibling behaviour and some of it isn't.
How long has he been on the depakote? How much does he take a day? When was the last time his iron level was checked? What other meds is he on? Does your son have seizures? I know depakote is given for more than just seizures. His neuro told me that depakote is a drug they give kids that are diagnosed with bipolar. What confuses me is the drug geodon. What is he on it for? How long has he been taking it? Why do they have him on geodon that one of the side effects is seizures and depakote , which is an anti seizure medication? From what I read on geodon it scares me. One of the side effects is hypertension, anxiety, chest pains, seizures, heart attacks. Maybe the two meds are counterreacting against each other? I don't know but I would definitely ask his doctor about that before pushing any new med on him.
Tammy
Forgot to ask has Patrick gained weight while on the depakote? Because if he is gaining weight, along with the geodon that can cause hypertension, that is a major concern. That is one of the side effects too. Also in very rare cases depakote has led to liver failure.
Tammy
Thanks Tammy, it made me feel better knowing i am not alone, I hope he will be put on Risperdal too , his next visit is next week.
This area is all new to me. I tell people I have a rule with Jeffrey. There is the autism. There is the teenage behaviour. Then there is going too far. And you just know when they are going too far. I mean what kid hasn't talked back before? Especially when they were a teenager. Now one thing I really wish he would make his mind up on is me wearing makeup, lol. One day he will comment on it and say it looks nice. Then the other day he is complaining about it more than a fan complains when the referees make a call against their team.
Tammy
[QUOTE=flor]Hi, I'm a newbee here. I have a problem w/ my 13 y/o autistic son, recently for a few weeks now, he's been very aggressive to his 3 y/o sister. We tried to do what the therapists say i.e. giving him enough attention etc, but it did not help. We toook him to a behavior specialist/psychiatrist and he was prescribed depakote for mood disorder and geodon an antypsychotic, so far it is not helping, me and my husband are fearing for our girl's safety, and we are getting desperate! Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
Hi Flor and Welcome to the board! I am SO sorry to hear of the struggles you are going through. I have a (almost) 17 year old with ODD and major Depressive Disorder, a 9 3/4 year old with Autism, ADHD, OCD, Anxiety Disorder, allergies and exercise induced asthma. He is aggressive and self injurious. and I have a 7 year old whos lost in the mix and appearing to be depressed - doc said possibility of aspergers with her.
How long have you been trying the new meds with your son? If they have been added recently many meds take up to 4 - 6 weeks to work properly.
You know your child best. And the doctor should know the meds. I would think if the meds aren't working, or aren't working well enough even with increased dosage then it might be time to ween off one med and onto another INSTEAD of adding an additional med for the same thing (mood stabilizer)
My son is aggressive and self injurous with much anxiety, OCD, and ADHD. He is on clonidine for sleep and Risperdal for moods. Risperdal, or any med outthere isnt a cure all. It doesnt work for every person in the same way. And what works for one might have opposite effects for the other.
Risperdal has worked well with my son, but the increased dosage he needs has caused him the increased hunger side effects where he eats non stop and then feels like throwing up. Risperdal is supposed to help with anxiety as well, but it hasn't helped with him, so we just added Buspar this week.
I know some of the kids on the board here take things like Paxil, Luvox, Zoloft, Serozone and Prozac which are SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) They are used for treatment of depression, but can also be used for anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and social phobia. However my son's doctor informed me that for my son it wasn't his best option because it can increase aggitation and aggression. SO please make sure any decision on medications is well thought out and investigated and in his best interest because as I said, what works well for one can work the opposite on another. We tried adderall with no luck and we also tried abilify. With the abilify my son's advocate said her 17 year old son take 1/2 the dosage of abilify that my son took and she said it worked beautifully! For my son it caused anger outbursts every 3 - 5 minutes that lasted 45 mins to an hour at a time Many times a day!
Just please be careful! You may want to consider a medication wash and starting all over.
Good Luck and Please keep us posted! I know its so hard when you have to deal with the behavior issues and fear the safety of another child! I have included some risperdal links below. Hope it helps!
Risperdal and the Aggression of Autism
Common Medications Used To Treat Autism
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/autism/a/05_autism_rx.htm - different treatments & Meds
Thanks Michelle for the very helpful info, I am considering medication wash and really start all over again. We can't keep on locking our girl inside our room because once he sees her, he charges her like a raging bull, and just the sound of her, he gets so mad. He is good in school and to his younger cousins otherwise.
Your welcome Flor. I know with Jeffrey he had one test where the depakote didn't show up at all. Come to find out his overnight respite worker wasn't giving him his depakote. Well, lol, everyone knows I always tell it like it is and I told her exactly what I thought about it too
Tammy
hi kathy im mikes mom, Have yoour child is going thru a tough peoid with harmones the teen years were tough for me too I had to tell mike to keep his hand to himself everytime ! It does get better! Is he grabbing? I never thought a bout med for him.
him mikes mom here, thats the first I heard about riperdal fopr autism does it work for aggression and tatantrums?Kiko as you know not every med works well for every child, and it is best to consult your doctor about the benefits and side effects for your child and also anyother medications your child is on. That being said,..... Yes Risperdal is a mood stabilizer it CAN (doesn't work in all) reduce anger, aggression, tantrums, self injurious behaviors, and anxiety.
If you go back to page 1 in this thread the links are posted
Risperdal and the Aggression of Autism
Recently the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) completed a study of 101 children with autism to determine how effective Risperdal (Risperidone) might be in treating aggression and the behavior of self-injury so often exhibited by ASD children. Although many physicians for have used the medication for over a decade to treat aggression associated with autism, Risperdal is not FDA approved for such use. That is NOT to say that it is unsafe or inappropriate. Many medications are developed for one purpose and are found to be useful for another condition. Perhaps the most famous example of this is Viagra.
In mid-2002 this study included 82 boys and 19 girls ranging in age from five to 17-years-old. The study was conducted in several centers around the United States. The results were published in the August 1, 2002 edition of the "New England Journal of Medicine." Risperdal, considered an atypical antipsychotic (originally used for treatment of schizophrenia in adults), and a placebo, were randomly given to the children.
The results were significant in that 69% of the children receiving Risperdal showed much to very much improvement in aggressive behavior as opposed to only 12% of the placebo group.
Investigators analyzing the data say that this is the single most effective medication study in regards to treatment of autism.
Few negative side effects were seen with the exception of a rapid weight gain in some of the children, averaging about six pounds over the eight-week trial.
However, it is unknown when or if the FDA will approve Risperdal for treatment of autism. The issue is not whether a physician will prescribe it but who will pay for it for a child who needs it. Risperdal is an expensive prescription and without FDA approval, even if a child's family has insurance coverage, it will not likely cover the cost of the medication. Currently most states do cover Risperdal for children on Medicaid, which is available to most children who receive SSI.
To make an informed decision read The Downside of Risperdal and above all, talk to your physician.
<>zSB(3,3);if(!z336){var zIsb=gEI("adsb");if(zIsb){zIsb.style.display="inline";zIsb.s tyle.height="0px";zIsb.style.width="0px";}var zIss=gEI("adss");if(zIss){zIss.style.display="inline";zIss.s tyle.height="0px";zIss.style.width="0px";}}Risperidone (ris-PER-i-done) is used to treat the symptoms of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. It is prescribed by a physician and often used to treat the aggressive behavior of autism.
Before Using This Medicine:
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For risperidone, the following should be considered:
Allergies--Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to risperidone. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pharmaceutical Company about Children:
Children--Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of risperidone in children with use in other age groups. This does not mean the medication is not safe. It means that no formal studies have been done on children.
Notify Physician if Child is Taking:
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of risperidone. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems.
Proper Use of This Medicine:Take this medicine as directed by your doctor. Do not take more or less of it, do not take it more or less often, and do not take it for a longer or shorter time than your doctor ordered. Follow physician orders or the directions on the label. Do not change the dose unless your doctor tells you to do so.
Do not stop taking this medicine without first checking with your doctor . Your doctor may want you to reduce gradually the amount you are taking before stopping completely.
Using Oral Solution:DO NOT take this medication with cola or tea.
It is fine to use water, coffee, orange juice, or low-fat milk when taking Risperdal in the oral solution form.
Missed Dose:If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double dose.
Storage:There are several precautions that a patient taking Risperdal needs to be aware of. Please read this list to prevent any unwanted problems. Most of these are simple adjustments but are critical to the medication's proper function and the patient's best possible health.
Risperdal is a commonly used medication with children with autism. Although the manufacturer has a disclaimer on the use of it with children, it is widely used on ASD children because of the success rates. It is prescribed for aggression and helps control the destructive behaviors common in autism as well as meltdowns and self-injurious behavior.
Common Medications Used To Treat Autism
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/autism/a/05_autism_rx.htm - different treatments & Meds
Hi Tammy, my son has PDD/NOS, hyperactivity and some OCD too, and he has a history of head butting and hitting/kicking in school, so that's how he got the Geodon to control his aggitation,and he has been very calm after he was put on it, he takes 60 mg daily, and been taking it for at least a year now. You are right, the side effects are quite scary, and he has gained at least 15 lbs the last year, and this aggression towards his sister has been going on for 3 months so the doctor put him on depakote 500 mg twice a day for mood disorder and he's been taking it for at least 2 months and so far, we don't see any change at all, he is not very verbal, only the things that interests him so he really can not tell us the side effects he might be feeling. He is getting the depakote level done in 3 days, no iron level done yet but that is a good idea, thank you.