Posted by Solstice on October 15, 2011, at 13:22:21
In reply to Re: Antidepressant to Geodon... » Solstice, posted by Phillipa on October 14, 2011, at 18:46:36
> So true. I did google but will have to again as didn't read your response til now. I do get confused with add meds and then geodon and bipolar. Will she require add meds when older? Or does this need remain? Congrats on having a talented gifted Daughter. Teens are turbulant times for sure. Phillipa
ADHD was diagnosed first. Treating it helped some, but her impulsiveness was still through the roof. When she had some manic episodes after being taken off all of her medications while she went through a series of cardiac workups. Her high heart rate prompted her psychiatrist to order an EKG, which led to recognition of the long QT interval. She was off meds for about a month, and during that time (which coincided with puberty), her behaviors escalated rapidly and became extreme. That's when her psychiatrist said "THIS is bipolar." She'd been considering it for a while, butwanted to hold off until the evidence was overwhelming. I think treatment for ADHD kept the bipolar symptoms suppressed just enough to make it difficult to be sure of. After it was determined (by a leading pediatric cardiologist) that she could safely resume medications, she resumed treatment for both ADHD and Bipolar. I initially wondered if Bipolar didn't explain ALL of her symptoms (including those attributed to ADHD), but it didn't take long for us to all see that if she even missed her afternoon booster stimulant, she was a mess. It was like she was on a tightrope of sorts between ADHD and Bipolar (which are often comorbid). She still struggles mightily with distractibility, but her impulsiveness is very nicely addressed, and her irritability is much suppressed. It pops up, but doesn't take her to the point of no return. But if she misses her stimulant, it all goes out the window. Same with Geodon. Missing intuniv makes it more difficult - but it doesn't throw everything out of whack.
Anyway, you're right. There is an overlap of bipolar/ADHD symptoms. That's why it's not uncommon for those with bipolar to be misdiagnosed as either having ADHD if they are hypomanic, or as ADHD and MDD if they have depression.
Solstice
upon reaching puberty that provoked extreme behaviors, her psychiatrist (who has treated her since age 5)said "THIS is bipolar." She'd been considering it for a while, but held off that diagnosis until the evidence was overwhelming. Initially, I questioned whether all her symptoms might actually be biplar rather than ADHD. She had to go off all her meds while she went through cardiac
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