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Category Archives: Meds

Abilify, Stimulants, Antidepressants and Suicide

Monday, November 21, 2011

[photo credit: www.thebipolarmarriage.com]
A few years back I wrote about how my son (who was 12 at the time) took Abilify as a stand alone medication for a few months and had suicidal thoughts while he was taking it.   This was unusual for him as he is not a suicidal kid in general and when we [...]

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Corticosteroids: The Crazy Maker

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

We’ve had an interesting week over here.  Amidst my time packing, organizing and otherwise preparing to move, one of the things that happened while Rye was out and about this week was that he was with friends and was in the woods looking for adventure and managed to get poison ivy on his leg.  He [...]

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Chinese Herb Blend: Xiao Yao Wan

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Yesterday we had Rye’s second acupuncture session and Xiao Yao Wan is the herbal supplement we have now added to Rye’s regime.  Normally one takes a dose 3 times a day but we are baby stepping in and right now he only takes one dose during the day.  So far, so good.  Yesterday it helped [...]

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ADHD: To Medicate Or Not To Medicate

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Every teacher and tutor Rye has ever had will tell you very clearly, he has ADHD.  I know it, we know, his pdoc knows it.  It’s obvious.  And has been since he was about 5 years old.  He has a very short attention span when it comes to traditional learning and it takes a very [...]

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And then…

Thursday, December 23, 2010

We had to back down to one 25 mg Seroquel/day at night only.  For now, anyway.  The two was good for a bit  but then started making him depressed, distant, a little weird and very unlike himself.  So, as of today he is back to perks-a-lot.  Happy, happy Horton.

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Christmas, Homeschooling, Med Adjustments

Monday, December 20, 2010

Well, I haven’t been much on blogging these past few weeks.  I’m not really sure why.  I guess the bustle of the holiday season combined with homeschooling and preparing for Christmas and preparing for next semester, etc., etc.,  has kept me busy.
As we head into Christmas week, I think we are ready.  We are having [...]

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Brain Zaps

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Well, crud.  The boy is having brain zaps.  And they are pretty bad today.
From what I’ve read this evening I think they must be coming from the Seroquel.  He does not take it every day but rather only when he needs it.   However, with the recent stress from school he has been taking it [...]

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Too Much Depakote

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Well, we now know that there is too much of a good thing.
At our last psychiatrist visit we collectively decided to bump up Rye’s Depakote a bit in hopes of eliminating the need for the occasional use of Seroquel.  I’m not a bit fan of the atypical antipsychotics and Rye’s psychiatrist feels its optimal not [...]

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Therapy: Love Yourself, Parent Your Self

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

We had therapy yesterday and this was the overall topic.  A bit heavy for a 12 year old, as technically he still is a child, but useful nonetheless.  I think after a while Rye seemed to start to get it.  At least enough to start working on it.

The gist is this, when it comes to [...]

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The Psychiatric Hospital: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Monday, June 14, 2010

Well, it’s been 2 weeks and we are now home from Rye’s inpatient hospitalization.  What a ride this has all been.  In fact, we got home yesterday and my head is still spinning and I’m not even sure I can write a decent post.  But here goes…
What was good about the hospital?

It seems to have [...]

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The Fragility Of Reality

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The perception of reality is something that people without mental illness take for granted.   Myself included.  For Rye however, in times of unbalance,  it can be a precarious perception.  For days now, maybe weeks even, he has been agitated and in and out of reality.  Yesterday, in response to a period of intense aggravation, his doctors started [...]

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