Abilify (for my 12 year old?

Question:

I have a 12 yr old daughter. She was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and mood swings. She has to have everything "perfect." (Goes into a frenzy if one of her sisters has entered her room and touched something when she is out, etc. ) She threatens suicide (yet says she doesn't want to die), tells her sisters she wants to kill them (using graphic means. IE: stabbing, etc.), is extremely impusive (says inappropriate things in front of groups of people (church, family gatherings, play groups, etc..where she is NOT the center of attention)...by inappropriate I mean, disputes authority, acts out, says thing like, "In MY world, kids don't have to do what adults say!"...It is embarrassing. She has been in counseling for about 2 yrs now and was referred to a Med clinic. The DR there put her on 5MGs of ABILIFY. (DRug used for Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. Has anyone had any positive or negative effects from this drug?? Does anyone know of a child on this drug?

Answers:
I am on Abilify. It really helps me. However I have gained weight. However I don't know if the weight gain is from that one or the Paxil I am on. I really think the medicine works to help stabilize my sad moods. I break the pill and take half in the morning and half in the evening. When I took the whole dose at once, I had blurred vision. Now I don't. I hope she has good luck with this medicine. It has not been studied with children under 18. Here is a link.

http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/dru...

drugs have both negative and negative effects, but they should be used as they described. sports and good diet full of B vitamins also are very very useful. family history puts one in high risk group but your behavior and positive expectation from her can reduce its effect.

I work in adolescent mental health, so I have seen kids on this medicine, as the doctor where I work sometimes prescribes this for bipolar disorder. I haven't heard of anything outstandingly negative about this drug. All meds have their positive and negative qualities. She does sound as if she has bipolar...the way bipolar symptoms present themselves in children is different than how they present in adults with the disorder. I'd be curious as well if she might have some ADHD, given the impulsivity and attention seeking behaviors. If you have concerns about your daughter's medicine and her behaviors, by all means talk to her doctor. That's what he/she is there for and if you provide more information about her behaviors, that gives the doctor more information to work with in order to make a correct diagnosis, as well as helping to figure out what medicine would work best for her. Hope this helps.

This is a relatively new medication. I do not like to see children put on medications that have a limited track record. It may be a great medication but it hasn't been around long enough to know what the long term effects are. There may be a reason the doctor chose Abilify but I would ask him why he didn't choose a drug that has been around longer (with more safety data).
"How many children have you prescribed Abilify for ?"
"How many years (or months/or days) have you been prescribing it?"
"What did you prescribe in cases like this before Abilify came along?" "Why do you think Abilify is better?"
"How long as Abilify been approved for bipolar disorder?"
"Is it specifically approved for children?"
"What research studies do you base your choice of this medication on?" This might be an awkward question but you have a right to know.

Abilify (for my 12 year old?

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