Our ADHD Journey - Part Four

If you've missed my previous posts on this subject, you can click on the links below.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

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February 15 arrived & we went for the psychiatrist appointment. Before I go on, let me just mention that I'm not 100% confident in this doctor, as you will see...

I explained what happened w/ the Intuniv & refreshed the doctor's memory about our phone call when he'd said to stop it. He asked if The Archangel had been on any stimulants previously. Now, I've answered this question each time we've met w/ him & he's written in his notes - shouldn't he have read over The Archangel's chart before we got there? (Doubt #1)

He asked me several questions about what I felt needed more treatment - the hyperactivity or the anger/aggression. Each time I would start to answer, he would interrupt w/ another question. I felt like he was rushing the appointment & that I wasn't answering the questions in a manner that would speed things up. (Doubt #2)

For one question, I turned to The Archangel to see how he felt or if he had an opinion. After all, we're trying to find the best treatment for him - shouldn't we at least see how he feels. Once again, the doctor interrupted & told me that I would be the better judge. (Doubt #3)

Knowing we needed to do something, I felt the anger & aggression were the behaviors that demand the most immediate attention. He suggested Risperdal, an anti-psychotic used mostly for bi-polar issues & sometimes for autism. He gave us a prescription for .5mg twice a day. He said we could probably go w/ just one a day to start, but would most likely end up raising it. The biggest side effects are drowsiness & increased appetite...those we can handle, as his weight has always been at the lower end of the growth charts.

As soon as I got home, I looked up some information online about it. The average dose I initially saw was .5mg once a day. With The Archangel being so small, Casinodad & I made the decision to start him on just one pill a day, then increase later if needed.

It's now been a little over a month since we started him on Risperdal. There wasn't a complete turn around in his behaviors, but within a few days of starting, we did notice some minor changes. After about two weeks & more outbursts than we preferred, we went ahead & raised the dose to two pills per day...one in the morning & one in the evening.

He still has occasional outbursts & can get angry easily, but they are occuring less frequently & last for shorter amounts of time. He apologizes quicker on his own. The biggest changes we've seen are that he is smiling A LOT more & he's been more affectionate...greeting us w/ hugs. And let me tell you...he has an amazing smile!

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So where do we go from here? Only God knows for sure. The Risperdal is not for The Archangel's ADHD, so at some point soon, that will have to be addressed. His is getting to be a lot more hyper. As his psychologist said the other day, he's feeling better, so he's got more energy to let loose!

As to the psychiatrist, because the medicine is working somewhat, we are going to stick w/ him...but I will be on my guard. We know our son better than this doctor who spends about 20 minutes w/ him every month, so we have the last say in what we feel is best for him. If things get worse, we will look into changing. The psychologist is in the same group & we really like her. She's given us some great tips & tricks.

We'll just take it day by day, praying for God's guidance & wisdom along the way. I've read a lot of books & websites & will continue to educate myself. We also try to keep our own emotions in check. It's tough at times to keep from exploding when he's in the middle of a fit, but we know that yelling back only escalates the situation. He just needs his time & space to calm down, then we can talk it out together.

It's also tough to avoid questioning our parenting skills. "Did he learn that behavior from me?" "How could we have handled that situation better?" "Was I too hard, too soft, or just right in disciplining that behavior?" "I'm so tired, I don't even want to face this right now!" The thoughts & doubts are endless, not different than any other parent. None of us are perfect & we all mess up MANY times! we try to learn from our mistakes & failings, relying on guidance from God.

I will continue to update here on my blog, sharing our struggles & successes w/ ADHD. If you have any experiences, please share. It's always helpful & comforting to know that we are not alone in this journey, even though each child is different.