16 yo Daughter - Possible ODD?

My 16 yo daughter (she'll be 17 in September) was dx'd as bipolar back in Dec 2005 and was put on 3 meds (wellbutrin, risperdal and trileptal). It seemed to work - somewhat - however, within the past 3 months, I've had to call the police 2 times and have her taken to the Detention Center (DC) where she stayed a few days then went to a treatment facility (what a joke!).

Anyway, this last time - about a month and a half ago - we finally got her court committed to the state hospital's adolescent program, which is supposed to be really good. So far, I'm fairly impressed. The doc decided to take her off all her meds to see how she'd act, etc., and at this point, he and his team do NOT see any bipolar disease in her. He seems to feel it's more ODD-related issues. And after researching a bit on the internet, the ODD symptoms fit Cara (my daughter) perfectly.

Are there meds that they can take for ODD? Some things I read indicate there are not, some say there are, i.e., Risperdal among others.

I guess I'll just wait and see how things go. They want to keep her till at least the end of August. I miss her so much, but want her to get the help she needs. She's my heart and soul. I'm a single mom, too, which makes it that much harder.

God bless.....
Carole

It sounds like things are looking up for you. So far no medications have been made specificly for ODD but I've gotten good feedback about stimulants usually used for ADHD like concerta or adderall. These can help impulstivity & hyperactivity that leads to the behavior and some with aggression. A good friend of mine with ODD began strattera about 6 months ago and the difference is amazing. She's been able to get along at home, has straight A's, hasn't been talking back to her teachers, and has been able to make some more friends. However the difficulty with medication is that there is often more to the behaviors and it's only part of the treatment program. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy has proved very effective with teens who have ODD because it allows the person to be in control of her life. Also most schools offer services & accomadtions for students with ODD and if you haven't allready caling an IEP or 509 plan (a version of IEP for high-functioning students with disabilities) can really help.

If you'd like to talk or have any questions I'd more than love speak with you.
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~Jen