Q:  1) Neurontin & Seizures  2) Learning Disabilities & Bipolar

my son is failing the 4th grade the second time..a year and half ago he tried to commit suicide and since this time my son has been living a nightmare. Im yet to get a diagnosis but i did finally get one psychologist to hint that he may be bi-polar. He is a text book case, racing thoughts, inability to sleep, severe mood swings, depression, hearing of voices, and very agitated at times. They have tried him on neurontin (the most recent) has made him worse, before Xanax and Wellbuterin..they did nothing but make him worse..they tried seroquel and he flipped out to where the authorities had to call..he is failing the 4th grade...he has no clue on how they are doing assignments etc..we are in due process as the school never adjusted his IEP. Last week he started having what appears to be seizures...my question to you is:
1. can nerontin cause seizures as a side affect...
2. do learning disabilities go hand in hand with bi-polar disorder..

im in desperate search for answers and trying to get the appropriate proffesionals for my 11 year old son...he is slipping thru the cracks and continues to become more and more unstable.

Thankyou...
 

Dear Ms. L' -- 
This is frustrating to hear (though nothing like the frustration of living it) in part because the list of medications you note here are not medications we routinely use in bipolar disorder.  The "child and adolescent psychiatrists" who are the specialists in this have pretty closely followed the medication approaches used in adults (they have to; the research is almost all, at least until recently, in adults).  You can learn more about them in the Treatment section of my website on bipolar disorder (although it's about bipolar II primarily, and your son's version sounds more like bipolar I, the treatment options come from the same list; we might pick those with more "antipsychotic" effects in bipolar I).  Sounds like you need a child/adolescent specialist, if you can find one; or a second opinion if you already have one; or to learn a ton on your own so you can gently talk to the doctor (some ideas on how in that link), which you can do via the excellent child/adolescent bipolar website bpkids.org. 

Dr. Phelps 
 

Published April, 2004