Replies

No, but one underlying cause of his ADHD is suspected FAS (fetal alchol syndrome), which means he has brain damage in the area of his brain that affects executive level thinking.

The neuropsychologist who tested him suggested teaming his ADHD medication (adderall) with risperdal to improve his mood and better organize his thinking. He is only 8, but the future prognosis suggests FAS/FAE kids are great risk for developing depression, conduct disorder among other problems. Probably because many of them do not have informed medical, social, emotional and educational support for their behaviors. So we are working with every cutting edge suggestion to beat the odds and dodge a future bullet.

It did give me pause to realize that risperdal is recognized for treatment of psychosis and bipolarity. But it has had a very very good effect for my son (he takes a tiny dose. My regular pediatrician admitted she had not heard of treating FAS/ADHD kids with risperdal, all her patients taking it were bi polar. I have networked with parents of 3 yr olds who have been diagnosed as bi-polar.

I suppose the psychiatric community did not use to think they could diagnose some of these disorders, including ADHD (or the precursors to them) in very young pediatric patients. The fact that research has improved to the point that they can diagnose (and treat rather quickly and effectively) also suggests a reason more pediatric patients are using ADHD and/or anti-psychotic medication.

Personally I blame environmental toxins that affect our fetuses, and the myriad of mercury-based injections that every child must now take...for some portion of young kids with behavior problems, even to the epidemic of autism. My poor kid had a birth mother who drank, he was starved before birth and after, he was lead exposed, he was institutionalized from birth to age 5...he had every risk factor in the book. But you would only see him now as a very bright, charming, creative, artistically talented, talkative and verbally precocious kid who loves to be part of a team.

For my son, risperdal alone has no effect on his severe hyperactivity. Adderall alone helped him control his impulsivity and to focus, but left him irritable and emotionally volatile when it wore off.

So the combination has been good for us and I am so glad we went the neuropsychologist testing route for diagnosis and management. My child now processes his thoughts a LOT more logically, his mood is stable, and his ability to focus has "unlocked" him (in the words of his teachers)

This article about kids being prescibed "anti psychotic medication" is so much hoo-haa. Many drugs have been developed for one disorder, and then found to have a good effect in treating other disorders.

Hypothetically, if risperdal helped prevent breast cancer, non-psychotic women would be lined up to take it and the MSM headlines would say "Doctors Prescribe Increasing Use of Anti-Psychotic Medication to Female Patients"

....and the usual suspect freepers would be shocked....... shocked I tell ya.