That's what I'd call a rapid cycle and I think it would be a good thing to get a definite diagnosis. The thing is, if it's mania where is the depressive part of the cycle? It might be very expensive to get a comprehensive evaluation but maybe there are supportive state agencies. You could discuss it with his doctor. My autistic son, now an adult, was finally diagnosed after a week-long evaluation at university in California. It's not an easy undertaking, but worthwhile.

The problem is he's too young to be diagnosed with a Mood Disorder that has Mania as a primary symptom....and yes I'm referring to BiPolar Disorder. There is no current Diagnostic Tool to Diagnose children younger than 18 of BiPolar Disorder. Some Psychiatrists will do so, but they do so against every Rule in the book. To control mania your son would have to be put on a cocktail of medications to balance out the brain chemistry that is out of balance. He is on Lamictal and from what your saying it's not controlling his behavior. A Psychiatrist would typically then move to a mixture of Anti-Psychotics, Anti-Seizure and/or Anti-Depressant medications. Those are very strong Psychiatric medications for a 12 year old child to be on especially if there is no diagnosis to support there need. Those meds in children have advanced rates of Suicide Risk, Eating Disorders, Long Term Weight Issues, Long Term Learning Interruption Behaviors pertaining to Reading Comprehension, Scanning Ability (the time it takes your eyes to see an image and your brain to understand it as "such" image) and Advanced Math Functions.

There are lots of risks that a child doesn't need to be subjected to unless a Pdoc (Psychiatrist) is 100% positive that they have an Atypical diagnosis on a BiPolar level which would cause Repetitive Manic Episodes. What your describing sounds more like behaviors on the Autism Spectrum though and would be more appropriate of a Diagnosis for a 12 year old child. If your son was tested for Autism and proved to have that Diagnosis, it would be easier to prescribe medication more on target for that Diagnosis than randomly trying to find a medication combination for what might me a Mood Disorder Manic Episode.....

Have you talked with your sons Dr.'s about Autism testing?

Agree with OldPer.

There is also a strong theory that says you cannot actually have bipolar until you are about 18 - it's based on the fact that before then the age the brain hasn't physically matured and so the bipolar isn't expressed. The same is for schizophrenia where the onset age is usually 19.

I think that childhood bipolar was taken out of the DSM this time around and there is a new disorder which doesn't have the same treatment (like no meds).

Hi....I have bp, and my son has Aspergers....he was Horrible with tantrums and anger issues from about 3 to 16. I take lamictal as a mood stabilizer, 200mg....is your son social, have friends, can he look you or others in the eye when speaking, does he have a hard time processing information, these are just a few areas to think about....https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/autism.htm I believe this might help you...see what areas ring a bell concerning your son's behaviors....best of luck!

Get a second opinion from a professional.

Bear in mind that half of info on the net about autism is just plain wrong and most of the rest is incomplete.

The DSM has been changed from Autism and Asprerger's on a sort of sliding scale to a spectrum of disorders - the relevance to your son is that it means that some classic symptoms, like inability to read expressions can be entirely missing.

So you need to get that second opinion and also be aware that when you read the leaflets included in the medications they frequently include side effects which are the opposite to what the med is supposed to do - that's in adults - no one really knows what the side effects are in children. So this behaviour could be coming from the med itself.

Yes, Acurio it was removed from the DSM, until the Frontal Lobe and Pre-Frontal Cortex are mature, which can actually be as late as 22, you can't Diagnose a child with a Brain Chemistry Mood Disorder

I would definitely get a 2nd opinion and I'd make sure that the Dr. has some specialty in the Spectrum which encompasses Autism, Asperger's and all the ranges of those illnesses. It can be difficult to get a definitive Diagnosis, so some patience is in need....but I would try every other thing possible to not put my child on strong psych meds when there is no way to get the Diagnosis needed to warrant them.

It's not helpful to make personal attacks on other members. Please stop. (comment now removed)

This is a straight cut and past from some research I did a while ago.

"To address concerns about potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment of bipolar disorder in children, a new diagnosis, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, is included for children up to age 18 years who exhibit persistent irritability and frequent episodes of extreme behavioral dyscontrol.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

This disorder, which was new to the DSM-5 in 2013, was created in an effort to replace the diagnosis of childhood bipolar disorder. The prevalence of this disorder is not yet known, but is expected to be within the 2 to 5 percent range for children.
The onset of symptoms must be before age 10, and a diagnosis should not be made for the first time before age 6 or after age 18.

Allen Francis, one of the authors of the DSM 4 writing in 2010 talks about problems with the "fad" in diagnosing childhood bipolar.

“But the childhood bipolar fad did not arise from anything we wrote into DSM-IV. Instead, it started because clinicians ignored the DSM-IV definition in favor of a new and largely untested idea that Bipolar Disorder presents very differently in children. Most kids who now get the diagnosis have non-episodic temper outbursts and irritability--not the classic mood swings between mania and depression. The boundaries of childhood Bipolar Disorder have pushed far into unfamiliar territory, to label kids who previously received other diagnoses (eg, Attention Deficit, Conduct, Oppositional, or Anxiety Disorder) or no diagnosis at all ("temperamental" but normal kids).”

Chair of the DSM 5 task force, David Kupfer, explains why it was brought in.

“Currently”, Kupfer said, “children suffering from these types of rages are being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, which means they’re not being properly or successfully treated—and, in the process, may be overmedicated with drugs carrying potential side effects from severe weight gain to diabetes". However, treatments for DMDD are unclear at this point, experts agree, and trial studies are just now testing the effects of antidepressants and stimulants as a possibility.

and

“The road to mental health begins with an accurate diagnosis,” David Kupfer, chair of the DSM-5 Task Force that authored the changes, told Yahoo! Shine.

It’s how he explained the need for adding DMDD, which addresses children who have chronic irritability, as well as frequent episodes of temper outbursts several times a week for more than a year. Those temper outbursts, according to the diagnostic guidelines, are not your typical tantrums; they are, rather, explosions that are grossly out of proportion with the situation, out of sync with the child’s development level, occur at least three times a week, and began happening before the child was 10 years old. Parents of explosive toddlers and preschoolers need not worry. The diagnosis should not be made before the age of 6 or after 18.  "

Links


http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/changes%20from%20dsm-iv-tr%20to%20dsm-5.pdf

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/symptoms-of-disruptive-mood-dysregulation-disorder/

https://shine.yahoo.com/team-mom/diagnosing-bipolar-disorder-in-kids--here-s-the-dsm-5-s-controversial-new-update-213957480.html

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychiatric-diagnosis-gone-wild-epidemic-childhood-bipolar-disorder"

Lamictal is used as a mood stabilizer as a maintenance therapy, to prevent manic and depressive episodes. If this is being prescribed to him under his ODD diagnoses have you seen any improvement or has his behaviour
worsened ? Do his outbursts have a trigger? Is his diet consistent and high or low in sugar?
There are many things to consider before labeling It mania. It could simply be a conduct disorder. My son went through the exact same thing and I refused to medicate him for a bipolar diagnosis. Now that he is 10 he has outgrown the cycles of agitation and insomnia and is diagnosed ADHD. People should not rely solely on doctors opinions but on what you know about your child and what he has to say. It could be a simple case of prepubescent frustration mixed with his ODD issues for all anyone knows. My advice is to try a child
Psychiatrist to allow him to have an individual person of his own to confide in. Some children just need to vent their problems to someone outside the home to discover what the issues really are. I refer to therapy not a Psych Evaluation.
If the Psychiatrist suggests further testing after a few private sessions without you present then you at least have a reliable source and your son has communicated his issues. My son has a Psychiatrist he adores and he sees her at his discretion instead of using medication he has an outlet. Currently he only sees her once a year and he is doing great with his communication
, frustration
, insomnia and motor skills. I wish you both the best of luck and never settle for an answer that does not satisfy you. That is what 2nd and 3rd opinions are for
:)