About our Daughter

I am mother to four wonderful daughters, ages 17, 19, 21, and 23, and wife to the greatest husband on earth. God has given us a special child to raise one who was diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder at the age of seven, though she showed signs of it from the age of fifteen months. She also has ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder (sensory seeking), Dyslexia, and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder-NOS, all typical comorbidities for a bipolar child. In spite of the trials, she enjoys lacrosse, running (finished her first marathon in October of 2014!), and reading and writing her own books. I will share with you the many joys and sorrows we have faced and will face in the future with the hope that you may find better understanding about this mental illness caused by both chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain. I desire that you will be encouraged by this blog if you are also dealing with a bipolar child. Thank you for reading and sharing in our journey.

How Did You Know She Was Bipolar So Young?

I wrote a long explanation of how we came to this bipolar diagnosis in a child so young under my post of March 19th of 2009. If your child or a child you know bears similarities, please seek out a good psychiatrist and don't wait for "things to get better." Often they will simply get worse, and the longer a child is unmedicated, the more damage their brain can accrue. Early diagnoses and treatment are key to providing these children with a chance at a successful life later as a teen and an adult.
Never change, start or stop a medication without the approval of your child's physician!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Anti-Convulsants Deplete Vitamin B

Another mom on the CABF support group shared this bit of info with us. I have Caroline on a B-complex vitamin every day, and now I am very glad we have been doing this for years. I didn't know about the effect of drugs like Trileptal, Topomax, and Lamictal. I found a University of Michigan Health System article detailing which drugs can deplete which nutrients. This article is found under Health Topics Knowledge Base. B-6 is the vitamin most affected by these anti-convulsants. I would think it wise for any child on these medications to take vitamin and calcium supplements, as well as the Omegas just as a precaution.
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6 comments:

Chynna said...

WOW! I had no idea. VERY important to know, thank you so much, Megan.

Chynna
www.lilywolfwords.ca
www.the-gift-blog.com
www.seethewhiteelephants.blogspot.com

September 13, 2010 at 12:03 AM
marythemom said...

I can't find the article. Can you link to it please?

Mary in TX

September 13, 2010 at 3:11 PM
E said...

Thanks Megan, I hope Caroline gets to class tomorrow- I will send positive thoughts and prayers your way today- while I am giving my own (slightly manic but that's better than depressed today) some vitamins!

September 13, 2010 at 5:28 PM
Accidental Expert said...

Good stuff to know. Would this include Depakote too? I need to check into it.

September 13, 2010 at 11:30 PM
Unknown said...

searched and search the umhs website and couldn't find the article -- sounds like it would be a fantastic resource. can you please share the link? :)

September 14, 2010 at 9:12 AM
Megan said...

I posted the link tonight on the page. Sorry about that!

September 14, 2010 at 9:33 PM

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