4 Year Old Diagnosed with Bipolar and ADHD - Anyone Have Advice on Medicine?

My mom adopted a bipolar child and has been through hell not knowing what to do until she found a website called bpkids. Its a forum similar to this where people discuss bipolar illness. Cody (3 yrs)is on abilify but they usually start out on risperdal (which causes ticks and did in cody). It would really benefit you to get on that site. My mom is now a moderator and has learned SO much. You have to really be an advocate for kids like that it is like 3.95 a month, but worth it. If you join get in the VY3 group (very young) not the "general support" group. <---says my mom

www.bpkids.org

Good luck!

Hi D.,

A friend of mine has a 7yr. old boy with similar issues. They have gone through several combinations of medications, etc. to no avail. More recently they have gone to a supplement called TrueHope and have seen drastic improvements in their son. She said it has literally changed their lives. I have no vested interest in this company whatsoever, I just wanted to pass along the info as my friend has raved about her son's success on it. Here is their website www.TrueHope.com. Hope this helps!

I am right there with you, I have to ADHD kids and One od those is also Bipolar, I have a load of information I can share with you, but it won;t fit on this site. Both of my kids were diagnosed at a young age, 5 yrs old or so and they are both thriving teenagers, One just grad high school and the other is a junior with a wonderful chance at two full scholarships to College. When they were little we had a wonderful doctor who helped us and we have a great success. Feel free to call and we can get together, I spent a long time studying this problem and now help parents with support and ways to help thier kids. Eamil me and I can give you a contact number.Private

You need to see:Constantine Kotsanis, M.D.
1600 W. College Street, Suite 260
Grapevine, TX 76051
tel: ###-###-####
fax: ###-###-####
He is what they call a DAN! Doctor (Defeat Autism Now!). He uses several alternative therapies and would be a good start before taking the serious step of major psychotropic drugs. I'm sure you know that ADD/ADHD and Bipolar are on the Autism spectrum of childhood disorders and he will do very specific testing to determine a course of action. Please do some research at www.generationrescue.com, www.909shot.com and www.mercola.com. You need to inform yourself (if you haven't already) about the underlying cause of your son's behavior. As much as they like to tell you that there isn't a cause or they don't know what it is, it's a lie and you need to become empowered unless you want your son to become even more of a victim. I know that sounds harsh, but the answer to give powerful drugs is not the answer, it's a short term fix. The first batch of kids that have been on these drugs are now adults and face a higher indidence of drug and alcohol abuse and other addictive behaviors. This is due to the area of the brain that was targeted with the amphetimines they would put on when their brain was still developing at such a young age. It targets the pleasure center of the brain just as cocaine does and therefore the child never learns to find pleasure on their own, it's always artificial with the drug. Depression, suicide and other social disorders become more prevelant as they reach their teenage years as thier brain chemistry changes. The jury is still out on the absolute long term effects because these drugs are still new (20 years) and just now these kids are becoming adults. Don't be fooled by drug companies and their studies--they've all been paid for to show positive results. The only true way they study a drug is by unleashing it on the public and seeing what happens while they pad their pockets. Please be careful, do your homework and try a more conservative, natural approach before going straight to meds. God Bless you and your growing family.
Something you can do right now:
Get him on Omega-3's, Carlson's For Kids Brand is great
A good probiotic, Jarrow-Dolphilus chewables are good
A homeopathic remedy called Calms-Forte for Kids
Take him off ALL DAIRY and WHEAT. Substitute rice products like rice milk, rice crackers, rice pasta, rice bread etc. Also, if he likes to eat waffles, Van's makes a great one free of wheat and gluten--yummy!

D.,
I know this seems a little simple, but what does the diet of your son look like? I have seen case after case turn around when things like Fish oil and fruits and veggies were added. Have you ever heard of Juice Plus. We swear by it. The impact of good nutrition is profound. L. Harris

im very sad to hear about your son and his illness. i am 27 years old and was just diagnosed as bibolar and adhd. i can remember when i was young and destructive and out of control. we were very poor growing up, my mother was raising seven children alone as a widow...so doctors and medications were not an option for us. she just worked with me and set me up with a regular youth counselor and it was the only thing that kept me grounded. if you can avoid medications...i would go with that. it will become harder the older he gets b/c he will be confused and not understand his illness, but at least you will be educated enough to help and support him through this struggle. i can remember losing counselors b/c of costs or school programs running out of funds to keep providing us with counselors and i can remember having melt downs every time i lost another counselor, but where one door closes another will open. just please be patient with him. i am 27 and when asked by a psychiatrist what have you been on your whole life? it saddened me greatly b/c i wonder how many parents may be over medicating their children. i know it is really hard sometimes...but just don't give up...last year was the first time in my life i ever took any type of medications...and when i did, they wanted to put me on antipsychotics that could cause ticks...and so forth as you mentioned, and it scared the crap out of me, but since i have had children and added to the chaos in my brain...i thought i would give it a shot for my husband and childrens sake, b/c times can get difficult with my mood swings...when i tried the medications, they made me feel like a zombie...like i had no control of myself, i almost fell asleep while driving, i slept in the employee garage at my job...my husband had to pick me up from work b/c all i could do was lie down b/c i was so incoherant...that was just one pill, not the recommended three a day. so i hope you can understand my concern for your little mans health...it brings me to tears even writing you. (hint...damn bipolar...haha) atleast i can joke about it now. i currently see a counselor which i have found to be the only thing that has helped my entire life. and she tells me "okay...if you won't take the medications i have also recommended, you have to do as i say! excersise...exercise...excersise..focus all that energy on something physical " i joined the gym and omg...it has helped tremendously. there are other types of counseling...meditations and so forth that they can offer. i know he is too young to concentrate on that stuff but starting w/ talking things out is a big help. if he gets kicked out of school...go to the next explain his situation and if it happens again...go to the next. then he will see from a young age you are not giving up...no matter what. that is the main thing that sticks out in my brain even today...that my mother never gave up. no matter how bad the tantrum or violence...she never gave up trying to understand me. my brain goes a 100 mph everyday allday...nobody wants me to slow down more than me. i am blessed that my husband understands my illness and patiently helps me through the rough patches...and sometimes i want to just give up on myself and give into the medications, but i am so terrified to care for my own children while on the drugs..what if i fall asleep or leave them unsupervised...i just don't trust myself on any medications when my kids safety is at hand. i have another child on the way and sometimes i worry about the stress level and what that will mean, but i will not give into this damn disease...it will not control me. maybe i have ranted on too much about myself, i am just hoping you can understand what we go through. the best medication is knowledge and you and your husband are doing the best you can. maybe you can look into some support groups so you can educate yourselves to the point of being able to help him through the meltdowns. i promise the older he gets the easier it should get. my counselor also works with children...maybe she can atleast give you some advice. her name is kathryn quest, she is located at medical city dallas...her number is ###-###-####. if you ever just want to talk or vent, message me anytime...good luck to you and your husband it will be a long bumpy road...but it does get easier with love and support which you obviously have covered. :)

D.,
I'm so sorry you are going through this, mainly because I know other people do not understand. It must be very frustrating.
I would check on food allergies.
Dr. Deborah Bain in Frisco is a good pediatrician to see, because her son had also been diagnosed with ADHD. She has some great ideas - with no medication. http://www.healthykidspediatrics.com/html/Home.htm
I also have another doctor that I use. He is a naturopathic physician. If you are interested in him, then send me a message and I'll get back with you. I have a friend with two kids with behavioral issues. They go to this doctor. He is taking care of it without pharmaceuticals. We have seen significant changes in their moods.
I have also had some issues with severe depression and mood swings. They are almost all but gone - and it only took a few months of seeing this doctor after years of suffering with no relief. I was seriously depleted in many vitamins and minerals, have food allergies, and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
But, you really have to be willing to check into natural alternatives. Not everyone "believes" in this stuff (it is homeopathic remedies, supplements, and allergy testing - not a religion - LOL). We've been so happy with this doctor and the results. When we have a little extra money, my son will go next for his asthma and skin issues.
Blessings!

Maybe I should not write this, but I will. I am 46 yrs old. I have raised three children. Help raise my nephew and was babysitting at age eight. I have just about seen it all. First off it seems that no matter what, everyone is diagnosed with bi-polar adhd anytime they seek any help. In my opiniion it is a crock of ##@%. I have witnessed terrible things with these drugs and I am wondering if these so called phsycologist are getting kick backs on these drugs. My son was a terror when he was young. Strong willed, routy, and he tried hitting me too. They too, tried to get me to put my son on medication. I said no!!!!!!!! The point I'm getting to is this, think back, talk to your parents about when they were young. I think the problem is more in our own society and perfection seeking ways than what is going on in the brain. Kids are suppressed, and they are expected to be perfect these days, and at the same time they are catered to. It is so confusing to them for they cannot be children anymore. They have to have one personality, this is not right. Some children are just energetic and high geared. They are not robots. Maybe there is something he is frustrated or angry about. Maybe he feels different and alienated for some reason. It may be a learning problem and he feels that stricking out is his only release. Children are a lot smarter and more perceptive than we give them credit for. They can have things bothering them that you might not have ever imagined. My kids lost their dad when they were young, anger was a large issue. I did not medicate them, but I warn you what the counslers did, did more damage to them than you could imagine. They are book learned not life learned and they, most of the time have no clue. I could write a novel on my experiences with this issue, I already have.(lol) MY point is do something else. Study his behavior talk to him and hug him when he gets in those moods. Hug therepy is what I used on my son and it helped measures. Also, I would massage the top of his head to relax him.

Hello D.!

Man, I know that has to be tough. It can't be easy for him, not understanding why he feels and behaves the way he does, and you have true perseverance and love for him to look at all areas to see what will help. It is totally heartbreaking and frustrating when we can't seem to find what is ailing our kids.

Have you at all looked at his diet (allergies and sensitivities to preservatives) and what types of products you have in your home? There are many studies showing that certain people (esp. kids) have more sensitivities to outside triggers (such as chemicals in cleaning and personal care products and preservatives in foods) and possibly switching those out with more natural things might help. Doctors unfortunately often look at treating symptoms with medications rather than looking at the causes.

I have two places I can recommend...one that helps with ADHD (and maybe the bi-polar) and one for nutritional counseling. Both are owned by amazingly wonderful people who have helped SO many people change their lives.

I also work from home where I help people convert their homes with more environmentally-sensitive cleaning and personal care products (I have a bunch of info on what these chemicals can trigger, etc.), so if you are interested in knowing more, let me know. www.ForYourFamily.HealthyHomeTour.com

Successful Learning Strategies, www.ADDwithoutDrugs.com contact Twila Meyer, or Mary Goodenow.

Living Well Dallas www.LivingWellDallas.com, see Betty Murray for nutrition counseling. You can see her bio on the site. Jenny Bair also does a program called S.O.S. that might address some of the issues you are facing.

I hope this helps in some way!

I wish you the best and congratulations on your pregnancy! Keep your chin up. You will find relief soon.

God bless,

E. M.

Check out the Feingold diet. It has done wonders for a number of children with ADHD, autism, and a number of other issues. We're getting ready to switch to Feingold to see if it will help our DD8's severe eczema and our DD6's OCD issues. Website is www.Feingold.org.

Good luck, D. - I'll be praying for you...

Please read Dr.Bock's book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics:Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies. Then take him off wheat (gluten) and milk (casein). Then have a doctor do IgE testing to determine to what foods he is allergic, then do a 90 food IgG to determine to what foods he is sensitive. Check viral titers and strep titers as well as zinc, copper, magnesium, selenium. The magnesium supplement Calm Kids is fine to give you can find it at Whole Foods. Most of these kids are deficient in nutrients which you can find when you do urine, blood and stool testing. Find a doctor who will order an organic acid test (urine). And go from there or find a Defeat Autism Now www.autism.com doctor. Stop vaccinating, if he is due for boosters take titers instead to determine if he is already immune. www.tacanow.org is another helpful website and has mom mentors who can help you. If you chose, you can treat him without prescriptions. Read on taca website how Stan Kurtz (a parent) cured his own ADHD with vitamin B12 and recovered his son from autism using an anti-viral. Read, read, read.

D.-
I have many concerns with this. There are other people who have responded in a similar way I am. 4 is a very premature age to diagnose ADHD much less Bipolar. Those two don't always run together and labeling him this early is scary. If you were to see later that this is not the case you would be fighting an uphill battle with schools and medical proffesionals. Not to mention what this does to the child. As a mom of three children at home, 15, almost 4 and a 2 year old, I can tell you that they naturally have mood swings. It's just a part of growing up. How anyone can say a 4 yr old is HYPER is beyound me b/c they are just so full of energy and life. But to be diagnosed bipolar? That is a very hard diagnosis even in adults, the testing is long and crucial and almost impossible to say in a child that young. This is your child's life we are talking about and I would definitely get another professional opinion. I would not tell them that your child is labled ADHD and Bipolar by another doctor until they give your their opinion. And I would ask around the professional community about this. I promise you will get some very different responses. The drugs that they give for Bipolar are VERY dangerous!!! Things like litium can be fatal when combined with other drugs and alcohol. PLEASE,PLEASE, remember YOU are your child's ONLY advocate..... He's four and needs you to make sure that this is real. Like I said four is VERY young to be diagnosed.
I should mention that I am ADHD and I know what it means to go through all of this. But now being an adult and mom I know how easy it is for others to label. For a while docotrs tried to label me Bipolar and I was simply acting out. It took my mom fighting to fix it, (and I wasn't to helpful either at 13). So please take another look at this and rememeber that this is an permanent answer to what very well could be a temporary problem. So it never hurts to be sure.
I know that controlling diet and lots of structure work for all children and especially those who are thought to have issues with health, phyiscal or mental. Just so you know, even with ADHD I am drug free and have been for 17 years.
I wish you all the best and you will be in my prayers. Please email me if you would like.

Please try other alternatives before putting your 4 yr old on meds. Mike at Mike's Health Collection in McKinney is incredible and can offer natural meds. They have worked with many children with these diagnosis. Also, Dr Laura Precourt in Plano (drlauraprecourt.com) is an md/chiropractor/kinesiologist among other things and believes that through nutrition many things we suffer with can be reversed. Good Luck to you!

Dear D.,

Congratulations on trying to find alternatives for your family. You have received excellent advice on diet and nutrition - very important elements.

I am a yoga therapist for children with special needs. The therapy can help children with coping skills. They can start to recognize that they are feeling overwhelmed and have tools to calm themselves. It would be complementary to behavior modification therapy. You can read more about me and the therapy at http://yogapotential.com/

I work with a woman who does quantum biofeedback. This is an incredibly effective tool for helping to determine what is happening in your body. I have been treated with biofeedback for a plantar's wart, headache, and even a cavity. You can get some very specific information about allergies and sensitivities from this therapy. You can read more about this at http://alternativehealthcommunity.com/quantumstars/.

Both of these therapies can work in conjunction with anything else you are doing. They can give you pieces of the puzzle that is your son.

I wish you well. Please feel free to contact me through my website if you have any other questions. I can also recommend a woman who does color therapy - you can directly effect his mood based on the color of his room, etc. She is amazing - my 4 year old daughter slept through the night after I changed her room according to the recommendations. You can read about her at: http://colorvibration.com/

Peace and Joy,
M.

Oh man, please try other alternatives than putting your little boy on drugs! There is a clinical nutritionist here in Wichita Falls who is treating a woman diagnosed with bipolar who she believes is just suffering from a hormonal imbalance. PLEASE call her first before you go the drug route! She is one of the very best in her field and has clients all across the country and even international! You can reach her at ###-###-#### or ____@____.com website is www.advancedclinicalnutrition.com. I've been going to her and am so glad I found her! Please please please try this first. She knows how to help the body heal itself. Too many kids get labeled with ADHD or bipolar or whatever else and get put on drugs when sometimes its a simple chemical imbalance that can be fixed with nutritional therapy. Good luck!!

I would definitely pursue some alternative therapies. We recently went that direction with our daugher (11) that is ADHD. Just the combination of moving away from processed & fast food, adding fish oil and juice plus made a noticeable difference. We're now going further down that route with Chalmers Wellness (www.chalmerswellness.com).

The advice you have recieved is all excellent. One thing you may also consider is to go green in your household. Cleaning supplies such as Lysol and dishwasher detergent put terrible chemicals (i.e. bleach, ammonia as well as formaldehyde and phosphates) into the air that can cause neuro-transmitter damage, as well as many other affects.

If you are interested in seeing some of research and learn about some alternatives, feel free to send me a message and I can get that info for you.

Best Regards,
A.

I am not certain about medication, but I would like to tell you that I have a nephew that is bipolar. My parents have raised him since he was an infant. He would always have these huge outbursts, the school would call, etc. When they would spank him it would just get worse. I would contribute it to a lack of discipline because grandma and grandpa didn't like to discipline their grandson - however, now that he has been diagnosed and is on his medication he is a different person. The sweet side that you see throughout his life, that makes you think he is doing better.... that side is able to be out all of the time. Instead of him driving himself crazy with whatever rage and thoughts are in him from the disorder, he can simply be himself. He is now 17 - it would have been nice to have known this much earlier in life like you have found out with your son. His doctor is from Sundance in downtown Fort Worth. I pray you find the exact right treatment for your son.

Yes, Omega 3 and another product called EMPower at www.TrueHope.com. The company is amazingly customer service friendly. See what they have to say. I learned about the supplements (40 essential nutrients) in a scientific journal. Together they've worked miracles for me. ;o) I am very skeptical about regular drugs. I highly recommend you try natural means before you medicate your child.

Bless you! And good luck.

S.

I know it may sound simplistic, but a lot of physical and psychological problems can be caused by diet. Unfortunately our standard american diet is truly lacking on what our bodies need. There is a great book called the Makers Diet by Jordan Rubin. I would really urge you to check it out. It's not a diet book, but more of a health plan. It's a natural way of helping ourselves and our children and you don't have to worry about what may go wrong like possible side effects. 4 years old is very early to start giving medications all the time. Our kids are still developing (I have a 4 year old boy also) and the doctors do not truly know what all the effects may be of these prescriptions.

Vyvanse works good for ADHD. My son takes it during the school year and we saw much improvement this year.

Concerta didn't do a thing for my son.

PBS did a program called "The Medicated Child" on Frontline on 1/8/08. It was very interesting and very appropriate to your situation. I don't know if you could perhaps watch it online. But, I think it would be helpful to you to see it.

I am curious. The women that have responded that have children with the same issues, when did you start noticing something strange was going on & what were the signs you were seeing? I ask because I have a 13 month old. My mom was Manic & Bipolar (along with her Dad). My sister & I are fine but I do worry about my son because it does run in our family (not that he's shown any signs but I'm just curious as to when it starts showing itself)?

D.,

Nutrition is a huge part of these disease processes. You might start with food intolerance testing. I recommend www.enterolab.com. No doctor referral needed. Order stool test kit online, send in specimen, get results via email. Not invasive. Very reliable. Doctors are typically not reliable with regard to any analysis involving food.

A good pediatrician who might also help with this, who specializes in non-drug protocols for behavioral issues is Dr. Deborah Bain, in Frisco. www.healthykidspediatrics.com

Good luck.

I have friends who used natural nutritional products from the company Reliv. The kids are ADHD free. I could help you learn more. W.

Oh D., I don't even know where to start. I know exactly what you are going through but you should actually consider yourself lucky! I knew as a baby something was just "different" with my son. After getting thrown out of a Christian day care at age 4, I finally convinced myself(as others had tried for a couple years)that there was something going on with him. I knew in my heart I was a good parent and wouldn't be raising a "bad" kid. If that was the case, my older son would be the same way! We started with a psychiatrist at that point...went through a couple more... about 10 different medications over the next few years and nothing helped!I was the parent of a "bad" kid, he had no friends, teachers couldn't handle him, and even our adult friends would have a tough time hanging out with us because their kids didn't want to be around him. It was heartbreaking. He was my baby and I loved him no matter what and I knew he had such a great heart hidden under his illness. As hard as it was sometimes to not just give up on him, I didn't.We were literally to the point we couldn't go in restaraunts, stores, ANYWHERE with him! It took my son getting to "breakdown" mode before we finally found out all that was going on.At this point he was 10 and was hospitalized at a mental facility in Arlington. They kept him for 10 days and I thought they were going to have to admit me also. I have NEVER had to do anything so hard in my life as leaving my 10 year old boy with strangers has he cried for me and I only got to see him for 30 minutes every night at visitation.It was the most tramatic experience of my life but turned out to be a blessing. The hospital is where they took him off his adhd medication, re-evaluated him and started him on a combination of meds. He was diagnosed with adhd,depression and bipolar. We had only been treating the adhd and the depression issues were caused from the poor little life he was living as a "bad" kid with no friends. Yes, of course all his medications have possible side effects. He was clapping all the time a few years ago, he whistled, he twirled his hair, he made funny facial expressions, had slurred speech etc... You just have to keep a close eye and call the Dr, right away if there is something your concerned about. The 3 meds he takes now slurred his speech a little in the beginning but we stuck with it because I still remember looking at him after 8 years and he smiled at me in the car. I looked back again and he smiled again and said"I love you mom!". He was happy! He was the kid I knew he was and everybody else was finally going to see it! They did and still are! He is 12, has too many friends to count, has a girlfriend,is the sweetest, kindest, happiest kid! You would never know the hell he has been through! We don;t have to see the psychologist anymore and only see the psychiatrist every 3 months for meds and weigh in. He takes abilify for the bipolar,metadate for the adhd and trazodone for the depression.I watch him very closely still and so does his regular Dr. They keep a check on his blood, weight and kidneys an liver. So far everything is super! The reason I said you are lucky is he is so young that it shouldn't take 8 years of agony to help him since someone has already figured out it's not just adhd. If you want to talk to me just let me know and I will send you a private message with my phone number. It breaks my heart to see anyone else going through what we did. Hang in there; you know you have a great kid hidden under his illness also!

Contact The St. Anthony School in Carollton. They are great and can lead you in the right direction.

You are wise to be careful about choosing medication, however, all of them have some type of side affect.

D.-

You can't believe how familiar your story is to me.

I was in your position with my 4 year old son one year ago and did several things:
*Occupational therapy: testing determined he had sensory integration issues in combination w/ADHD
*Risperadal: for the mood and anger issues-I know this is the med with the horrible list of side effects but they are rare and in kids with mood disorders this one really works..dose is small
*Magnesium: go to health food store and get the liquid magnesium and put it in his juice....research is showing that ADHD kids benefit tremendously from magnesium supplements.
*Cut out all artificial flavors and colors:this is a tough one but can be done with a lot of label reading at the grocery store.
*Get the book Magic 123: this book was designed to help discipline autistic kids who have a hard time following directions/rules. It is simple and yet it works.

The other thing you are dealing with is how to determine what behavior is normal for a 4 yr old boy and what is related to his diagnoses? It's a tough thing to determine and all of these tips I have given you are things I continue to focus on daily.

Also: look into the books by Dr. Daniel Amen. He has done some interesting things with brain scans. He has clinics in California but I have been told that he may be putting one of his clinics in the Dallas area soon and intend to have my son evaluated there.

Every day is a challenge for me. I just keep doing the things I have described above. And routine is key, too.

I have also tried an alternative therapy called cranial-sacral therapy where light touch is applied to the head by a doctor who is trained in this age old therapy. I am happy to give you the dr's name. Some don't believe in this but I am determined to try any non-harmful road to find success for my son.

Let me know if I can help you further. I am not an expert just a mom who has done lots of research and continues to try new ways to help with the ADHD/ mood disorder issues.

Best,

J.

Hi D., This must be really difficult for you and your husband. Have you tried looking in the yellow pages for a naturopath. They are Drs and health care professionals that believe and use natural meds to help with diseases. Your son may have a sensitivity to dyes and other chemicals in foods, body care and household chemicals. It might be worth checking it out before you try meds.

I have a bipolar sister. It's a very rare disorder in young children, and less common in males than females. Have you looked for a second opinion of the diagnosis?

D.,

My heart goes out to you and reminds me of myself 23 years ago. My oldest son has ADHD and is Bipolar. He wasn't diagnosed with Bi-polar until he was 15, but with ADHA when he was only 2. I have tried everything with him, and have so much information on different ways to try and treat the ADHD. It really is a trial and era and make notes to see what really works for your son. Doctors just want to put them on medications to turn them into zombies so they won’t cause problems in our society.

You would be amazed at how many people have ADD or ADHD. The doctors will tell you that they will grow out of it, but that is a lie. Many adults have this disorder, and try to deal with it on a daily basis. There are a few doctors that will admit that it carries onto adult hood. Since it is a brain disorder, of course you can’t grow out of it and it carries on to adult hood. It is as simple as a chemical imbalance and you have to learn what helps repair that imbalance.

Most of my reading throughout the years I have found that a lot of food allergies can cause more out burst with the ADD/ADHD. Most people with this disorder are allergic to the following foods; wheat, milk, sugar, red dyes, apples, peanut butter, pectin, and gelatin. Make a list of foods that your son eats, and then see which of the things he likes the most have these foods in them. You can let them have foods that they are allergic to once a month or so for a treat, but not on a weekly basis. My son is highly allergic to wheat and red dye. If he has anything with wheat in it, then he becomes angry and can be violent at times depending on how much wheat he has had that week. The red dye makes him sick to his stomach and causes headaches and irritability. You can find tons of books out there on ADD/ADHD and how to maintain a healthy daily routine.

I have found in research that the brain produces Serotonin (Choline-Insoitol) to maintain a healthy brain function. A person with ADD or ADHD doesn’t produce enough of this chemical. The body takes the Choline-Insoitol and turns it into the serotonin our brains need. This also helps to maintain a healthy liver and cholesterol levels. My son has been on this mineral supplement since he was five and no one believes that he has this disorder. He also takes a magnesium supplement with it. You can find these minerals at your local vitamin or health food store. You can find it in pill form or in powder form. You can also find it in a gelatin form, but I don’t recommend that since most people with this disorder has a reaction to gelatin.

As far as the bipolar, you need to have your child under a physician that truly cares about this disorder. There are so many drugs out there with horrible side effects, and my son has been on all of them. It is a living nightmare at times, and it so hard as a parent trying to help your child. The drugs are so expensive, and my son, who is now 25, doesn’t have medical insurance, so he is seen at MHMR (Mental Health-Mental Retardation) which is paid for through the State of Texas. He has been on Lithium for many years and that had seemed to help with his Bipolar, but the side effects were causing Psoriasis, which had gotten so bad that he didn’t want to come out of his room. Recently we found out the this is one of the major side-effects of this drug, not to mention making him feel like a zombie. His doctor has switched him now to another drug and he seems to be doing better.

Here are some web sites that you can go to and find information on. It would be good to join a support group to help you understand what is going on and to help your family understand your son’s needs and disorder. My son refuses to go to a support group, but I know that it would help him.

http://www.bipolar.com/
http://www.bipolarsupportgroup.net/
http://www.bpkids.org (Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation)
http://www.thesamscenter.com/
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/adhd.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADHD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder
http://www.dbsalliance.org (depression and bipolar support alliance)

You can find all sorts of information on the web about Bipolar, ADD, ADHD, and natural supplements to help with these disorders. You would be surprised how much is out there if you haven’t already found that out. Don’t be afraid to stand up to your doctor and ask questions. This is your son, and he deserves the best treatments to help him overcome this disorder. You and your husband will be able to overcome this trial in life. It is hard at first, but once you understand what is going on in his little brain, you will begin to see and learn how to help him.

Keep a journal and write down what triggers his mood swings. When you start to change his food, make sure that you do one item at a time and remove that item for a whole week. Introduce it once back into his system and see how he reacts. If his moods change or he becomes sick, you know he is probably allergic to that food. You will be surprised how much food and products have red dye in them. All kids that I have met that have this disorder is allergic to red dye. Check his toothpaste, candy, gum, cereal, drinks, medicine, anything he puts into his mouth. Most cereal has wheat or whole wheat in it, including breads. Bleached flour is the worst for a child with this disorder. White bread is better than the wheat bread, and limits of one or two servings a week. Of course this is all based on research that I have been doing for about 20 plus years, and with trial and era with my son. Some children react differently than others, so it will only come in time to know what exactly sets him off.

I have friends that give their child a cup of coffee before school, no sugar in or a glass of diet soda, and they say this helps their child. I don’t like artificial sweeteners, that is a whole other topic that is scary in itself. Read up on aspartame sometime, I promise you will think twice about using it when you see what all it does to your body. That is a poison that all people need to read up on. http://www.sweetpoison.com/

Well, I am going to close for now, sorry about the long post. I am here if you need someone to talk to. Research the drugs the doctors want to put your son on, and try and look for an alternative if possible. Drugs have so many side effects and do harm to our children. Good luck with your research and may God bless you and keep you and your family safe and give you peace in the trial.

I would DEFINITELY check into food allergies. I have a 5 year old son who almost turns into a different child whenever he had Red # 40 or wheat. Usually he is sweet loving, thoughtful, intelligent and makes good decisions. However, if he has any wheat products or anything with Red # 40, it's as if he can't control himself. He pushes his brother, run out of stores, and completely freaks out with tantrum like screaming and crying over the tiniest things, and he absolutely cannot pay attention when you try to talk to him about it. It has been such a huge blessing for us to realize that all we have to do is make certain he doesn't eat those things and we have our wonderful, sweet little boy back.

We were fortunate to realize that he might have reaction to these foods because believe it or not, every single one of my nieces and nephews also have allergies and/or sensitivies to different foods with similar responses. It's far more common than people think.

There are a lot of great books on the connection between food and behavior, but Dr. Doris Rapp's book "Is This Your Child?" is one of the best resources:
http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Child-Doris-Rapp/dp/06881...

If it turns out that your son's bad behavior is entirely reversible just by changing how he eats, it will be well worth any efforts involved!

Also he is only 4 years old, and 4 year olds aren't always good about staying focused or controlling their emotions. Be clear with your expectations to him and consistent in your responses, and always, always loving.

Good luck, be patient, and listen to your instincts.

D. I am so sorry to hear that your having to go through this. It is very difficult, we have a 4 year old foster child that was diagnosed with bipolarism around March of this year. We also go to a psychiatrist and psychologist for her behaviors and outbursts. I know exactly where your coming from, I don't know about the spanking because with her being a foster child we can not spank her, but if we place her in timeout for something that she had done her ourbusrt would be the same. I had been telling the doctors about it for several months and they would try her on a different med every month. The thing that finally got her on the meds that have FINALLY worked was she had an outburst in the doctors office. She was so bad that the doctor came into the waiting room and told us to come on back, she then asked how long this had been going on like this and I was furious. Well, sorry enough about our issue, when that happened she prescribed 3 different meds for her and it is a difference between night and day. She is now more like a normal 4 year old girl.

Here is a list of the meds that she takes, BUT keep in mind that with bipolarism one med that works for one person may not work for another. We have a support group that we attend and that is what I have learned from them. They have also told me that a med will work for a period of time and then one day it will not be working and you have to adjust the dosage or try a different med that is just something that goes along with being bipolar. She takes the following:

Concerta 18 mg every AM
Trileptal 150 mg every AM and PM
Risperdal 0.5 mg 3 times daily

But keep in mind that what works for one person that is biplar does NOT always work for another. I can actually say that I have been in your shoes, I will pray for you because I know this is hard to see your child out of control and it not anyones fault, it us just the way God made him.

If at any time you need someone to talk with that has been through it as well I would be glad to talk.

D., I have a soon to be 15 year old son who was diagnosed with Bipolar. He is not on any medications and hasn't been for a few years. We never even tried medications with him until he was 10 so you can see we only tried it, without success, for a couple of years. You are correct about discipline and really, unless a family has lived through it, they often feel it is in the parenting. I think my in-laws STILL feel that way. I have 6 children and only my son had these extreme mood swings. My youngest (6) can get explosive at times, but I can usually pinpoint it to him being hungry, tired, or in pain of some sort and discipline doesn't heighten his aggression, but tames it. My oldest son I never could figure out. Discipline only made it worse, like you said. It was like walking on egg shells. I will tell you that he has done SO much better since he turned 13, but I definitely have to parent him differently than the rest. He's not a perfect kid, but I haven't had him rage at me for over 2 years. He's very much a typical teenage boy, but still more difficult than the rest of my children. I still get nervous that he'll regress at some point and lose control. I homeschool my children too and tried public school as well for my son. That was more of a nightmare for us so I took him back home. I was able to monitor him and work with him a whole lot more.

One book you should really read is The Bipolar Child. They also have a website www.bipolarchild.com. There are numerous articles as well. From all my years of reading and research, life is never completely normal with these kids with or without medications.

I would be happy to talk with you more. I have been through SO much with my son and have spent MANY hours in tears over the years. I worry about his influence on his younger siblings (3 more boys). I'm very fortunate that his next younger brother (11) is a VERY sweet, easy and compliant child. He can be the positive role model for the youngest 2 boys. My oldest two children are girls (17 and 19) and they were a breeze (even as teens).

M.

I read a great book called Healing ADD by Daniel Amen. It describes the 6 types of ADD and great supplements to put your child on. It's worked wonders for our family, especially with my son's anger outbursts. You have to get creative and mix them in pudding,smoothies, and such. So far, we're not using any RX meds. I also read books by Hallowell which have chapters about supplements in them that were helpful. My son only has ADD and not bipolar disorder, but I'm sure anything will help!

Contact an HerbaLife consultant and try NRG Tea before you put him on chemical medicine! I have seen the tea work wonders in these situations.

Good Luck.

I see you have been overwhelmed with responses. I wanted to ask if you had gotten a 2nd opinion and if you have considered chiropractic. I would be very sceptical of such a big diagnosis for such a little boy. I love the idea of behavioral therapy. Chiropracters are very gentle with children and don't do the "popping" necessarily that people associate with them. Its amazing how the slightest subluxation (misalignment) can affect children since obviously all things with the body pass through the spine. Just something to throw in your now very large bucket of ideas.

As a pharmacist I would advise holding off on the bipolar prescription medicines especially for a child. I would try as many behavioral therapy and natural remedies as possible, first. I would elimiate all processed foods from his diet. Start him on a good fish oil supplement such as Carlsons fish oil for kids as well as a whole foods vitamin. You can find lots of advice on www.mercola.com, and the Weston A. Price foundations websites as far as diet is concerned. A good naturopathic physician would be worth looking into.

i know what you are going through my son is 7 and i have been dealing with this for years. When it comes to medication we have tried many ritalin didnt work straterra worked for a short period of time then depekote he could only be on for 2 years because it just kind of stopped working and aderall and seriquil it is a terrible cycle trying to find the right medicine and i hate giving it to my son. He is only takingserquil xr now and he is doing better academically but he is very angry at times he has been suspended numerous times and im affraid he will be kicked out permanently. I cry over this all the time because we just cant pin point the right medication and im raising him and my daughter on my own and it is exhausting frustarting overwhelming and i feel as if im failing my child but I am trying everything..., I wish you the best of luck. oh and i was told my son was bipolar and adhd but hyperactivity is one sign of bipolar along with moodswings.

Hi D. I just came across your request.. I was diagnosed with ADAH at the age of 6 and then misdiagnosed with Bi-polar disorder at age 25. I very recently found that there are 6 sub-types of ADD one of which s called the "ring of fire" ADD. Children with this sub-type are constantly misdiagnosed with bi-polar disorder, it sounds to me like your child may have this, not bi-polar. First I want to tell you that I was medicated as a child and it had a drastically negative effect... Let me clarify.. It worked great as a child however now that I am an adult I have serious health problems b/c of it. People who say it is a "crock of *&^%" have no idea. This is as real as cancer and to leave it untreated will make it near impossible for your child to become a successful adult. At four medication is not unnecessary try a nutritionist instead instead. Also, take your child to an ADD specialist. Below is a link for a test that you can fill out to help determine what sub-type of ADD your child has.
http://www.oneaddplace.com/add-test-sub.php

D.,
Try Homeopathy. There is a doctor in Dallas named Dan Cook on Skillman. I would try EVERYTHING alternative before meds. And rememebr that your western doctor will not support that . Just do it anyway!
L.

Hi D., I read somewhere that taking him off sugar and anything that turns to sugar, like bread, pasta,corn etc. helps control it. It's worth a try. Also there's a book you can buy for 12.00 at www.bioinnovations.net click on books. The name of the book is "No More ADHD" By Dr. Mary Ann Block.
Good luck,
Rose

Hi D.-
I am doing nutrition response testing and I can fix your son. Call us, I'm a chiropractor in Irving.
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Dr. J.

Please don't use anti-psychotics yet. He is only 4. These drugs do have effects on the growing brian, and beyond ticks, your son could permanently get dyskenisia from these drugs. I have seen it! My son was aggressive and got kicked out of preschools as well. He was still aggressive in kinder, but it has calmed down some. My son is also EXTREMELY intellegent so we try reasoning. Spanking doesn't work. Have you done play therapy? That worked so much for us too! What about behavior charts, or filling up a jar with pennies and making him take so many out for bad behavior at school and put so many back for good behavior. What ever he has left at the end of the week he can keep.

We do natural supplements, Omega 3-6-9 pills, iron supplements, daily vitamins and extra Vitamin B. These all help to calm aggressive and hyperactive behavior. We have seen great improvements. Also watch his food. Use organic foods and milk, and NO high fructose corn syrup. Try these options first. Don't give up, we didn't and we have seen great improvement. Teach your child to cope with his issues, not rely on drugs at such a young age.
Thanks and God bless!

Hi D.,

My husband is a retired Naturopathic doctor and has had great success with bipolar using alternative medicine. If you are interested email me for more info.

While your son may indeed have ADHD and bipolar disorder, it is not really medically appropriate at his age to diagnose and it is certainly not appropriate to medicate him for either. Behavioral problems at this age can mean any number of things and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is fairly extreme . In addition, the drugs for bipolar are NOT aproved for use in children-they are very serious medications and should not be used off-label. There are ADHD meds that do not cause ticks-the one your doc is speaking of is NOT a first line med and he/she should be trying behavioral therapy first, older more trusted meds second-then waiting until a more appropriate age to diagnose a mental disease-