HELP

[rockytop]

Cassi-

I cannot answer whether or not she should be admitted. I went through very similar ot you and I was so afraid that if I admitted her- I woudl NEVER get her out of that psychiatric spiral. We kept a 24/7 watch on our child and we offered her love in the moments she would accept it- she would not get that at a facility-- however- we had massive family help to get through that time- not everyone has that luxury- so I cannot judge of you what you are able to do for her.

to answer about the Risperdal--- that medication really HELPED.....so much. one mom on here said to think of it as tool and it is. It helped more than I can explain here. We tried abilify for almost year and it did not help at all that we could see. Risperdal is great because it comes in a clear almost tasteless solution. you can give it covertly if you need to milk- water, lemonade, ice cream-- many vehicles work for it..

do not wait for CamK tests- get the risperdal going now! It was reocmmended by the psych and then also by our PANDAS doc.

Yes our daughter gained a huge amount of weight and there are potential problems, but psychosis and sucidal ideations are worse. Start slow and pay attention.

I will PM you if you want to talk more.

[airial95]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. My PANDAS son is still very young, so the extent of our violence hasn't risen quite to this level - but it teriifies me that this is what I have in store.

 

I would have to agree with the parents on here that are suggesting even short term use of the psych meds. The most important thing at the moment is to keep your daughter and the rest of your family safe. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut dx for PANDAS - even titers are inconclusive (my son's have never been elevated, even with a confirmed infection) and the CamK test is still in its infancy as far as a dx tool. Yes, these things are useful, but it sounds like you're in crisis right now and you have to do what you can to take control of the situation.

 

Having said that - knowing that psych meds don't work for many PANDAS kids and only act as a band aid for symptoms on those that they do work on - I would push for your pediatrican to give a trial of abx. Ours did a 30 day trial almost as a dx tool. See what happens - if there's no change, there's not really any harm in a 30 day script.

 

I'm not sure any of this helps, but hopefully it gives you some comfort to know that you're not alone, and everyone is here for you (in a virtual way)! I will keep you and your family in our prayers, and I hope things get better for you soon.

[momcap]

I want to echo what Nancy also said - that the Zoloft can be activating. It could even be causing the suicidal thoughts and behaviours. I was given Prozac as a young teen to combat anxiety and depression. It gave me the worst feeling of my life; an out-of-control super-anxious agitation that I can not even explain. It's the worst feeling I could imagine and I never ever ever want to feel that way again. Just a thought...

[Cassi]

It is amazing and a blessing to see so many parents that are overwhelmed with their own struggles, still take the time to help other children and parents as well. Thank you all so much for your suggestions. DD8 has calmed down, she had a good evening and morning. I gave her risperdal last night and we will slowly start taking her off the zoloft. I am still looking into antibiotics. Thank you again!!!!

[KaraM]

Thank goodness. And thank you for letting us know how things are. I've been thinking of you all day!

 

Kara

[tired mom]

I am so sorry for you and your dd. My dd did the knife thing too. She never put it to her throat but she would take the biggest knife out of the butcher block and tell my husband and I she wanted to kill us. We can only speak of our own children but I can tell you I just knew she was not capable of hurting us. At the time we were in counseling a couple times a week and the therapist said any threats we should go to crisis at the hospital. So the next time we were faced in this crisis mode off to the hospital we went.- BIG MISTAKE- if you have ever dealt with a crisis unit you will know where I am coming from. I came home feeling more desperate then before. Maybe in bigger cities with better hospitals you will find help but not in a small town like mine. In another desperate attempt I found myself back in the crisis unit and pleaded with them to take my daughter to Hershey Medial Center. While in the hospital her doctor was trying in vain to get her to Hershey. We ended up that day coming home lost in despair. The nurse at her doctors office phoned me that night just out of concern. She apologized to me and told me she cannot imagine how I must feel. She and the doctor had spent hours on the phone trying to find someplace for my daughter and came up empty handed. The reality of all this is that our children ARE NOT mentally ill and when in an exacerbation there is no safe haven for them. The thought of my daughter being placed in a psyc unit with some of the people I saw in the crisis unit was a---Lets just say I would rather have a knife in my face. _BAD MEMORY_