Ix-Nay On The Alium-Vay

Yep.  I said it…kinda.

We scrapped the Diazepam, anti-seizure med (otherwise known as Valium) after we were left with an EXTREMELY angry, violent, drooling, blob of a boy, who still was having Awakenings.  No matter the dosage.

Strattera, we decided, was the main culprit.  We “thought” we detected a rise in aggression and agitation with him when he started taking that.  We previously attempted other ADHD medications which were horrible for him (if you’ve ever seen hyper-obsessiveness…that would have been him).  Strattera seemed to help, but the aggression increased, and the Diazepam exaggerated the negative effects.

We knew it had to end when he fought and kicked at a doctor, a specialist.    Never has he done this.  To family yes.  Even as far extended as Nana and Poppy.  But not to a doctor.

And when the specialist looked at him with wordless concern…we knew.  An immediate phone call to Dr. M (his neurologist) and we all agreed.  Alex was at his worst ever.  No more.

We had a ten minute powwow, over the phone, discussing the probability that Alex’s experiences with ADHD medications may be because he doesn’t have ADHD. This is one of the many “looks and smells” of Landau-Kleffner.  It looks like ADHD, it smells like ADHD….but it’s NOT ADHD.  It would follow that many of the medications Alex is on may be wholly wrong for him, masking symptoms of other medication, wrongly diagnosed in consideration of one of only 2 diagnosis we know for sure.

Slapping on a medication to “fix” a side-effect of another thought necessary, with another on top of that to “fix” the “fixer’s” side-effects when there’s a clear probability that the original medication was wrong to begin with doesn’t seem like a good idea. Good theory (we came up with that one).

Powwow results:  A Cleanse.

We have weaned the Diazepam.  Cut out the Strattera.  We are decreasing his original anti-seizure medication (Trileptal) and replacing it with another that should interrupt the Landau-Kleffner as well as stop the original seizures.  Once we have that stabilized, we’ll rid him of one last medication, which was introduced for reasons we now know were wrong….and we’ll see who Alex really is.

In case you’re wondering.  He still has Awakenings, since he’s not even close to the appropriate anti-seizure dose, it’s not surprising.  He’s at times hyper, but can usually be redirected…though it’s no more than when he was on Strattera; he’s still impulsive…again no more than when he was on Strattera….BUT, he’s not angry.  Not aggressive with intent to be hurtful.  No drooling.  No violence.

Just laughter.

Do you have to deal with prescription drugs to deal with certian issues?

generalhysteria

I’m a mother to 3 children, one with special needs.. I have done a great many things in my life thus far, but being a wife and mother is the most challenging.