help needed for 17 year daughter bipolar
 

Hi this is my first post, as I am trying to see if others have had similar experiences, or know where to go next!!
My daughter is turning 17 in a few weeks, she was diagnosed with bipolar when she was 13 and has been seeing a psychologist weekly since then. She has been hospitalized too many times to count!
she is in a private clinic at the moment suffering from an episode that was triggered by smoking some pot, in the past few weeks she has been drinking alcohol also. She has had major mood swings, smashed things, and even hurt her brother trying to leave the house. We noticed the mood changes early and tried to get help,they put up her medication but it didn't help.
so she is still in hospital,after 2 weeks she has got worse, has started self harming ( just with her nails) and has a possible fracture from hitting a door with her hand! They told me today, she has one last chance or they will discharge her! These behaviours are why she is there, I don't understand.
she desperately wants to get well and uses her strategies all the time.
She is on 600mg serequel,lithium,abilify,Lovan,valium and just been put on lamitical. She is on so much medication I'm surprised she can still think!
Any help would be great

Sending you some hugs. I am wondering if she is on to much medicine.

But that isn't my call, or anyone elses but yours. I am not sure were
to send you for more help. It also sounds like this might not be the
placement for her. So if they release or dismiss her have some other
options planned please.

Keep looking into things while she is still there. It sounds like they aren't
sure they can help her anymore.

Donna :hug::grouphug:

By the way you might want to post in the adult Bi-polar room. This isn't
as active. But I believe at 17 she is close enough to an adult it would
be good to post there. I know the folks there will welcome you.

Donna :hug::grouphug:

Great thanks Donna for your input, yes I worry about the medication too, I am going to speak with her doctor tomorrow if she is still there and her own psychologist . Thanks for the tip on adult section 😊

Hi,

1. It does not matter how many medications she is on.
It matters whether or not she is on the right meds.

2. Lithium only works for half the people who take it. Doctors like to start people on that for some reason.
Is she drinking enough fluid? Is she getting blood work done every six weeks to check the lithium levels?
Has she had her thyroid checked?

3. Lovan /Prozac is activating (causes agitation and anxiety). I hated that drug.

4. How much Valium? Does it seem to help her?

5. I have no personal experience with Seroqeul or Abilify but they are similar drugs. Why does she need to be on both of them?

6. Lamitcal!!?? It is weak. The FDA approved it for maintenance treatment (after the person is already stable.) It is also a little activating.

----
My guess is that Lovan /Prozac is causing her to act out.


Convince her to stop the pot and alchohol. Bipolar people cannot do those.
And they complicate things for the doctors trying to treat her.

Many people who use them take them
because they are self-medicating (their drugs are wrong).


This is a helpful website:
http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwik...dClass/MedList

M

Can you send an update?
Agree...be careful about activating medications.
Our relative doesn't take Abilify often due to side effects. However, she does take it sometimes when manic or in some sort of related state, and it has proven to be a very helpful medication for her.

couple ideas
 

We went through similar situation with our daughter a 2 years ago. While I'm not qualified to recommend which meds are best, we did do a couple things that helped. 1- She joined a closed teenager forum to connect with others going through the same thing. She now said that was one of the best things that happened, she was able to talk about how scared and confused she was without "parents and therapists judging and telling her what she should do..".....She was with peers and didn't feel alone....and 2- try this book, "An unquiet mind". The author went through a rough diagnosis and then went on to become a clinical pyschologist treating patients like herself. Our daughter read it, took notes and she said it was so helpful to understand what BP is and millions of people have it and it's ok. As parents we read it as well and learned so much. Glad your therapist is helping figure out the meds. There is hope!