STOP STOP STOP!!!!!!

So when we last left off Christian had been diagnosed. A week into Christians treatment on lithium we had an incident. Christian had been in the pool with his Grandpa and was going to ride his bike to a friends house. Christian got down the street and started to feel "funny" I thank God he was smart enough to know something was wrong and turn around. He was headed home when he lost coordination and fell off his bike. By the time he got to my parents house he was having terrible tremors. My stepdad knowing we had been down this road before rushed Christian to the ER. The amazing ER staff brought him right back and started a work up to check him for lithium toxicity.

Lithium Toxicity can present the following symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Stomach pains
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Coma

• Hand tremors
• Incoordination of arms and legs (ataxia)
• Muscle twitches
• Seizures
• Slurred speech
• Uncontrollable eye movement (nystagmus)

By the time the physician had examined Christian he was having the ataxia, hand tremors and muscle spasticity. They drew labs and took and EKG to make sure he was not having cardiac arrhythmia.  The EKG was fine... Thank God. More interestingly enough when his lab work came back Christian was not toxic he was actually sub therapeutic! The physician diagnosed Christian with sub therapeutic Lithium toxicity, yeah that's right.... This means Christian had a toxic reaction at a below therapeutic level. The physician gave Christian IV fluids and rechecked his levels to make sure they were dropping and I said he is not taking that medication any more. I have been down this road with Joseph and I am not doing it again. The psychiatrist has called a few times to say there are other options for medications we could try... I DON'T THINK SO!!!! Christian is much better and thank God has no residual effects from the reaction. 

This brings me to my next mission. For months I have been advocating that we need to try to bring Joey down from his medication and my feelings and requests have fallen on deaf ears. Joseph has been on medications for almost 2 years with NO improvement. At this point because of his sensitivity I don't know if the medications make things worse. Take Abilify that Joey takes, side effects may include increased aggression. Now don't get me wrong I know Joseph has some issues that need to be dealt with but at this point I don't know what is him or what may be because of his medications. Josephs levels are always therapeutic even during the most violent outbursts. How can that be possible? These medications are supposed to make him better. Its very easy for the doctors to put a child on medications but than no one wants to take them off. I know I agreed to medications for Joseph because I feel that at the time I was so desperate to try anything to help my son. Well now we are two years in and need a new game plan. I know the doctors will not do a true medication wash but at this point we need to start one at a time and see what happens. If Joey gets worse well we know they were helping some. If he gets better well than awesome! If he doesn't change at all than there was no benefit to having him on these medications anyway. I know what these medications do to peoples bodies and what they have done to Joseph's at this time I want to start fresh and see where are true baseline is with him. 

I spoke with his case worker and the director of his house at the residential facility and thankfully they are both on board with me. We have our medication review on Thursday both of them are coming to the meeting and hopefully with a united front we can get somethings changed and fingers crossed maybe Joseph will improve. Until than we are just running the coarse. Joey has his good days and bad but we continue to hope and pray that we figure out the key to making him better.