Antidepressants, Stimulants, and Your Child

A cautionary note for parents and physicians on the use of antidepressants and stimulants.

Effective treatment depends on appropriate diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. There is some evidence that using antidepressant medication to treat depression in a person who has bipolar disorder may induce manic symptoms if it is taken without a mood stabilizer. In addition, using stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-like symptoms in a child with bipolar disorder may worsen manic symptoms. While it can be hard to determine which young patients will become manic, there is a greater likelihood among children and adolescents who have a family history of bipolar disorder. If manic symptoms develop or markedly worsen during antidepressant or stimulant use, a physician should be consulted immediately, and diagnosis and treatment for bipolar disorder should be considered.

From the National Institute of Mental Health

 

• • Children's Health
• • Depression

• Facts About Depression
• Learn the facts about depression, and what you can do to treat it.
• 
• The Symptoms of Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder
• See a list of symptoms and find out which diagnoses may be masking bipolar disorder in young children.
• 
• Bipolar Disorder: Where to Go for Information
• Websites and books for families managing bipolar disorder.
• 
• Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder: Is it an Epidemic?
• Overdiagnosed? Underdiagnosed? Experts weigh in on the unprecedented surge of bipolar diagnoses in youth.
• 
• A Candid Look at Bipolar Disorder
• Something was fueling Michael's disturbing behavior. His parents needed answers.
• 

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As a nightclub owner, I hired a pianist and a drummer to entertain my customers. After several performances, I discovered the drummer had walked away with some of my valuables. I notified police, who arrested him. Desperate for another drummer, I called a friend who knew some musicians."What happened to the drummer you had?" he asked me. "I had him arrested," I replied.We said good-bye and hung up. A few minutes later my friend called back and asked, "How badly did he play?"  

-- Mike Cavallo