Reply to ASD/ADHD & anxiety - Lamictal or Lithium

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We did both.  Lithium requires periodic blood tests so there is an inconvenience.  Lithium was viewed as a last option after everything else failed - and by that point, there had been 13 different medication cocktails and multiple hospitalizations in a 13 month period.  My observation (because I can't really say how my son felt) was that Lamictal was a really good medication.  It worked quickly and did what it was supposed to do.  The only worrisome side effect is the potential for a rash that can have devastating consequences so you have to be really aware during the first six weeks, which is tough with a child with mental health issues.

Due to many hospitalizations, IOPs and PHPs during a relatively short period of time, we had many providers reviewing medications.  It was only the last one that prescribed the Lithium - everyone else disagreed and as soon as he was transferred to a long term inpatient program, Lithium was immediately discontinued.  Based on my experiences of providers avoiding Lithium at all costs and Lamictal working so effectively, if I were faced with the choice, I'd choose Lamictal.

If you are thinking about Lithium, have you tried Abilify?  It is often referred to as Lithium-lite.  That didn't work for my son - the weight gain was just awful, which sounds like a deal breaker for you, and it just wasn't effective for anything but a short period of time.

FWIW, what is working for my son and has been for years is Zyprexa.  It is combined with a stimulant and a sleep medication.  The key for him was getting the right combination.  Stimulants were a disaster until the right combination was found, but nothing else worked for the ADHD issues.  And, there was no miracle stand alone drug.  [/quote]

I think he’s talking about a very low (non-therapeutic) dose of lithium due to new research on this approach. I’m really afraid about the Lamictal rash, but it’s been suggested now for the 3rd time over the years. She has no history of hospitalizations or suicidality, but she periodically gets extremely dysregulated and it usually starts with either anxiety (and someone’s reaction to her anxiety) or rejection and she just flies off the handle.[/quote]

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