We finally heard back from Dr. S

We had been playing phone tag with Dr. S for the last couple of weeks. I finally got to have quite a long conversation with him the other night. (I just have to add that he is truly an exceptional Dr. He spoke with me for 35 minutes on the phone about Boo).

We are cutting back on one of his meds to see if that will decrease his paranoia. We also have an appt to go see Dr. S next week at which point we'll discuss where we go from here.

He feels that Boo could be showing the beginning signs of bipolar disorder (this is not a shock as we've discussed the possibility in the past) or even possibly schizophrenia. The last possibility is that because Boo has so many different challenges, he may not respond to medication in the same way *most* people with autism, adhd, gad, fae or bipolar may respond.

When we first discussed the use of medication, I was told it was a matter of finding the *right* medication. Some kids do great on one med, while others may not respond at all. Usually after trying a few, you find the right one and start seeing an improvement in behavior/symptoms.
So far, after 4 different meds we have seen no improvement and in fact, we've seen symptoms worsen. Dr. S is trying to figure out if the symptoms that have increased are due to the medication and if so, was the medication working on one symptom while worsening another. Or , is the medication doing nothing but Boo's symptoms are intensifying despite the meds.
For example, when we tried Ritalin, we saw an increase in his anger and rigidity. I thought it was because the medication was NOT working when in fact it was the opposite. The Ritalin gave him the ability to focus more but in giving him that ability it gave way to "hyperfocusing" and more of an Obsessive Compulsive behavior. So while it helps one symptom, it can worsen another.

Despite the unsuccessful attempts with medication, I am hopeful that the right treatment is out there. For me, half the battle was getting a Dr. to hear what I had to say and see with his own eyes what we see day in and day out with Boo. We finally have someone who sees the severity of the situation and is committed to helping us and for that, I am truly grateful.