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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Depakote, Risperdal, Luvox in 8 year old boy
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Depakote, Risperdal, Luvox in 8 year old boy
by flutemuse, Mar 24, 2002 12:00AM
My 8-year-old son has TS, ADHD, OCD, ODD, and some Asperger's-like symptoms. He has a genus-level IQ, but can no longer attend school because of extreme irritability, rage/violent outbursts.
Risperdal was just added to his medications to control rage, anger, irritability/mood disturbance. He is also taking Depakote (which has not worked well to control those symptoms), and 200 mg. Luvox for OCD.
1. How do you go off of Depakote? Does it have to be tapered?
2. What are the interactions of Depakote & Risperdal together?
3. 24 hours after starting Risperdal, he had EP side effects--trouble talking, mouth felt weird, trouble swallowing. Doctor put him on Benadryl 1st, and now Cogentin 0.5 mg BID to counteract. Does this side effect go away? Would he have to stay on Cogentin if he continues taking Risperdal? Does the EP side effect forewarn the risk of Tardive Diskenesia?
4. Risperdal is extremely tranquilizing. Does this side effect diminish?
5. I am very worried that so many mind-altering drugs will do irreversible damage to my son's brain.
Thank you for any advice.
Risperdal was just added to his medications to control rage, anger, irritability/mood disturbance. He is also taking Depakote (which has not worked well to control those symptoms), and 200 mg. Luvox for OCD.
1. How do you go off of Depakote? Does it have to be tapered?
2. What are the interactions of Depakote & Risperdal together?
3. 24 hours after starting Risperdal, he had EP side effects--trouble talking, mouth felt weird, trouble swallowing. Doctor put him on Benadryl 1st, and now Cogentin 0.5 mg BID to counteract. Does this side effect go away? Would he have to stay on Cogentin if he continues taking Risperdal? Does the EP side effect forewarn the risk of Tardive Diskenesia?
4. Risperdal is extremely tranquilizing. Does this side effect diminish?
5. I am very worried that so many mind-altering drugs will do irreversible damage to my son's brain.
Thank you for any advice.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Mar 25, 2002 12:00AM
, Mar 25, 2002 12:00AM
With your son's profile, the combination of medications you describe is not at all unusual. Medications such as Risperdal can produce neurologically-related side effects, and the Cogentin is a useful addition to prevent these - he will likely need to be maintained on it to insure the safety of the Risperdal. Perhaps a simple dose adjustment will help with the side effect of sedation - speak with the prescribing doctor about this. The Risperdal and Depakote can be taken together without difficulty. If your son does eventually go off the Depakote, it will have to be weaned. Hopefully the doctor is obtaining blood levels of this medication to be sure about its effectiveness within the therapeutic range.
Member Comments (3)
by mamasue, Apr 07, 2002 12:00AM
My 8 yr. old daughter was diagnosed with OCD / Anxiety Disorder 18 months ago. She recently was diagnosed with ADHD. Are ther certain tests the psychiatrists use to diagnose kids or are they just going by what the parents tell them. She takes Luvox for OCD, Risperdal for Anxiety, and now Adderal XR for ADHD. We are still having a very rough time with her. How do I find out what is really going on with her and what will help?
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Apr 08, 2002 12:00AM
, Apr 08, 2002 12:00AM
Careful and informed clinical evaluation is the appropriate way to diagnose mental and emotional disorders, all of which require the presence of particular symptoms. Trained mental health professionals from several disciplines are prepared to diagnose such conditions. Sometimes certain psychological tests are useful in pinpointing diagnoses, but such testing is not requires in order to reach a diagnosis. So, you may be relying on the psychiatrist's conclusion, but he/she is applying specific criteria to the determination of the respective conditions.
by Bongekile, Jun 25, 2008 08:51AM
A related discussion, Hyperactive, stubborn was started.
