Hello, Hopeful, and welcome to the Biplar Forum.
Lamictal is one of the newer psychotropic medications used to stabilize the chemical balance in the brain, and it is used more frequently for depression than for mania. Abilify is used, I think, more in the treatment of bipolar, type I illness, a more serious
form of biplar illness in which psychotic breaks may occur.
Depression does carry with it irritation, rage, and anger issues among other emotional problems. It may be that you need to talk to his psychiatrist and let the doctor know what symptoms your son is revealing now that the Lamictal level is being dropped. It could be that your son was being over-sedated by adding Lamictal to his schedule of medications.
I found Lamictal to be one of the best medications on the market for bipolar illness, type II, which is what it is designed now to treat. I don't think that bipolar illness is diagnosed in children thirteen years of age, because a child is too young at that age to have emotions that remain stable into adulthood.
Lamictal does have some possibility for danger to some teenagers and to a few adults: it's a syndrome that develops when the medication is first begun that begins as a rash, and it is dangerous to take the drug if that is happening. If it were happening in your son's case, his psychiatrist would have removed the drug immediately and without attempting to lower the dosage over a period of time. So I don't think you have that to worry about. It's a rare occurrence.
He may work out his anger in positive ways by engaging in physical work, such as cutting grass, doing odd jobs that will help with home maintenance--anything that will let him relase the anger in a positive way rather than in rages or other negative ways. Teach him that it is never okay to take anger out physically on others (except in a life-or-death situation). And let him know that nothing violent ever endures, in case he's wondering about it.
He's so young; work with him and his psychiatrist to help him grow into a strong, happy, and mature young man.
For your own interest, do you know whether there is bipolar illness in your family's history? Or alcoholism? Those two things seem to be indicative of a possible inheritance for bipolar illness, although it isn't a requirement, by any means! Bipolar illness can develop as a result of strong stress or other serious adverse conditions, such as prolonged exposure to someone who is mentally ill and untreated.
Take care of both of you.
It's Genetic
Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 4/18/2012 12:27:52 PM (GMT-6)