Focalin and Psychotic Episodes 6 Year Old

My autistic grandson takes risperdal. He's better focused and somewhat calmer tho he's still a bundle of energy. He's had no negative side effects.

My daughter was against using medication but finally agreed and is glad that she did. My grandson tried a couple of other medications before they found risperdal that works. I don't remember what they were but I'm pretty sure focalin was not one of them,

BTW tantrums are not psychotic episodes. A psychotic episode is one in which the person is not in touch with reality. i.e. they see or hear things that aren't real. They may have delusions about things, happenings or who they are that aren't true. Paranoid delusions or delusions of grandeur are common.

Temper tantrums are the result of frustration and anger and can be exhibited by someone having a psychotic episode but they are just a symptom. People, especially children, have temper tantrums all the time that are not related to a psychosis.

Later: yes Risperdal is an anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bi-polar, both psychotic disorders, but it's also used to treat irritability in autistic children. An autistic child is not psychotic.

after consulting with the MD.. I would stop the focalin and see if her behavior returns to normal. i would do a second start of focalin to see if she once again has the same tantrums.

Is it possible to use a lower dose of focalin? can the pill be split into half? it might have the positive effect and not the negative effect with a lower dose.

does the dr want to stop focalin or to keep her on focalin and add risperdall??

I had a friend that was absolutely opposed to drugs in kids.. till the dr prescribed zoloft for her 5 year old son . and he went from an angry tearful mean little boy to a much nicer easier to get along with child.. it made a huge difference for him...

I would try any medicine the dr prescribes to see if it would help her.. but low dose for short time to see if there is a positive effect and stop as soon as there is a negative effect.

My son is bipolar and ADHD we had to stop focolin for the same reason. His rages were AWFUL! He now does take risperdal and it helps him so much. We still haven't found a ADHD med for him. Good luck

I would not jump to risperdal yet. Why is he not suggesting a different stimulant for your daughter such as concerta, Ritalin before going to an anti-psychotic. Also, there are plenty of non stimulant adhd medication to try. And even before risperdal I would try an SSRI such as Zoloft. Anti-psychotics have really bad side effects for adults and children. one of my best friends is on anti psychotics and it has caused weight gain- extreme. He is now in line for becoming a diabetic. You have to ask yourself do the benefits outweigh the risk. I would also implement a behavioral modification program. Medication is most effective when used in line with behavioral modification program. Plus I am using ADHD medication and behavioral modification therapy with my own son.

Oh my, where do I begin?? I have been in your shoes. We did behavioral therapy for almost 4 years (3-7 y/o) because we didn't want to do medication either. After entering the 1st grade, it was apparent that she needed more help. She too was a distraction to others in the class b/c she couldn't stay focused.

We had to try several different medications and after a year, have finally found one that is working....and believe it or not, it's Focalin :) The other meds would either make her sleep on the table at school, make her in a rage, etc. One time this doctor had her on one med that made her so tired, so he also added focalin in the AM to counteract the other side effects of the other med. Grrrrr..... We finally switched doctors and took her off everything. We started her Zoloft for a while without the ADHD meds and then after a few months we added in the Focalin and she's doing much better.

(My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder.)

Give it time when trying new meds. While one med may not be right for her, another one might. As I said, it took us a year to find the right combination for her.

Best of luck to you. We are here to help and let you know that you are not alone!

I tried focalin with my son when he was 10 or 11 and he went totally psycho - he has ADD and really never had any behavior problems, mostly problems focusing and getting things done. When I gave him Focalin he went crazy, throwing shoes at me, yelling, screaming acting like a nut. I had to call the doctor and considered taking him to the ED.

OK... I'm no doctor but I do have a kid with adhd and depression/mood disorder who has been on quite a few adhd meds and DOES take risperdal.

Risperdal has some pretty heavy side effects... IF I were in your shoes, I would maybe try a different adhd med before trying something like risperdal. If I could take my son off of it, I would. Unfortunately every time we try and wean him off, he gets into trouble at school.

The risperdal is an anti psychotic, and does help with rage issues. However, the side effects in my son have been tremendous weight gain, fear of kidney damage, and elevated cholesterol. But it's the ONLY thing that enables him to function and control his emotions so he can attend school (he's 12 and in 6th grade and has been taking this since he was 6 years old).

He currently is taking Concerta for adhd -- and has tried taking just about every type of adhd med out there.