i would take and get him tested for adhd and odd.  he sounds just like my 6 year old who is adhd and odd.  let us know what happens.  but get a refferal from your regular dr and take him to a childs psychiatrist who specializes in this or a neuro dr.

good luck we are all here for support if you need to vent or just talk

My son's med's stopped working too.  Just last night I thought to myself that my son needs a tranquilizer to calm himself down - he was acting like a drunk!   My son is six too and has been stealing small things from school (erasers, etc.) and still after six years doesn't sleep through the night.  He gets up at least once a night and won't go back to sleep until I lay down with him.  By 8:00 a.m. I feel tired.  He sometimes wakes up and has an attitude like a teenager.  Other times, he's as loving as pie. 

 I say you talk to your doctor to let him know the med's aren't working and tell him/her what your son is doing at home.  Maybe they can give him something at night to help him relax - I'm not pro drug but if it's going to make or break your sanity and your reaction towards him, then consider it.  I don't think kids like to be "bad" and he's either acting out to get you upset (it's stimulating for ADHD kids to argue) or he's not feeling good about himself.  I say ignore the attitude and go after he behavior.  Punish him so he means that you're serious.  You should have zero tolerance for hurting other people and acting like he is.  I'm sure you know that their ADHD symptons come back with avengence when the med's wear off.  There is so much help out there - if you're doctor isn't helping you, find another.  Hang in there and make sure you are taking care of yourself.

Julie,

Thank you for your reply. It's nice to know that other people go through a lot of the same things I do. I do have a hard time punishing him, I go way too easy on him because it's hard for me to see him upset. I also need to work harder at creating structure. My biggest concern right now is that he bullies his little brother (three years his junior) constantly. Do you have any suggestions for curbing this violent behavior besides time out? Time out does NOT work. And spanking seems hypocritical to me. (Don't hit your brother, SMACK)

I think for the most part the meds do work, but only during some of the day. Maybe he needs a higher dose, and twice a day ,  but he's already on a pretty high dose. Plus, if I give him anything after 2pm, he doesn't sleep that night, and the sleeping pills the doctor gave me don't work anymore. When I went to him and explained all this, he just kinda shrugged his shoulders and told me there was nothing more he could do. I know I need to be a better parent, but where is the maual? Cuz what works on most kids doesn't work on him. So if anyone out there has any suggestions tailored to a child with ADHD, PLEASE SHARE!

Hey! I have been there and done this.. you're son needs not just a doctor but a pediatric neurologist. My daughter is on a medication called tenex along with her regular stimulent. this med builds up a level in her blood and keeps her calmer and enables her to sleep. Also most stimulent medications, when she takes them all the time,  she builds up a resistance to and they stop working for her. I have found that she is not so hard to deal with when I do not give her the stimulent if she remains on her tenex.(I do not give her her stimulent on weekends and vacations, only give it when she has school to cencentrate on!)Good luck and keep you're chin up, it will get better!!!

Sarah957,

I agree...a pediatric neurologist would be more equipped to help you.  You need a specialist who can understand and advise.  You do need to create structure and create a safe environment for the others in your family and your son.  If he's feeling like his environment isn't structured, it will make him feel and act more out of control.  Unfortunately, the pressure is on the Mom most of the time.  Have you ever asked your son why he behaves and does things?  With my son, I don't react when he does something horrible but it's taken a lot of practice.  When I did react strongly, he got emotional and things got out of hand.  Now I calmly ask him why he did something and we usually end up having a reasonable conversation.  Then I explain to him what his punishment is and that it's not to hurt him but to help him learn.  I'm always telling him that I love him but also let him know that certain behavior will not go ignored.  Kids with ADHD will not respond to regular methods of discpline.  In fact, they can have adverse effects. 

Don't give warning after warning.  Nip the behavior right away and provide the consequences with few words but more action on your part.   You have to let him know that you are in charge and have a handle on the family.  If not, he'll feel so out of control (like may kids with ADHD already feel). 

I know it's hard but you have to take control and stick to it - consistency is a biggie.  I suggest you read some books on ADHD behaviors and strong willed/defiant children.  It will really help advise you and make you feel like you're not alone.  There are solutions out there.  Good luck - stay strong.

Julie

Look out while using stimulants in children who are predisposed to anytype of mood disorders.  The higher the stimulant, more of a chance for iducing these disorders.  Meaning Bi-polar, depression, anxiety....etc....They can aggravate something inside of them.  If you have mood disorders in your family, shrinks suggest lowest dose mood stabilizers and then add in low dose stimulants.  My son is 12 and he started having anxiety and depression while on Adderall XR.  Things always went great at first with dosage changes or medicine changes, and then 2 or 3 months into therapy he was mad, mean, crashing...etc....He is doing much better on the mood stabilizer and low dose stimulant but, we still have our moments. He has been on the same drugs for 6 months now.

 Thank God I found this page! I have been going through #### with my five year old son. He has been "hyper" from the day he could move...I swear he was like that in my womb!!!!! When he was around three, he got moderately aggressive and SOOOOO impulsive. Now that he is in kindergarten, I have been at school too many times to count and he had another "infraction" report today with nearly every misbehavior checked. I called just now and scheduled him to be evaluated for ADD or AdHD or whatever because I think he has a serious aggression problem and he has NO attention span. I am at my wits end and feel like a failure compared to the "other" moms I feel like sinking into the ground most of the time but I honestly have tried everything to control his behavior but I have failed...BIG TIME! I think the teacher looks down on me as a bad mother but I do so try...and try some more.

Colby's Momma,

You'll feel so much better after you start to get your son evaluated - this is probably going to be your most difficult time - and his.  I'm sure he doesn't like acting the way he does but he can't help it.  I had my son evaluated at five and started medication.  It was a tough decision but the med's allowed him to do well in school and maintain friendships.  He was never really out of control but he had no attention span unless it was a topic tha he was completely interested in (certainly not learning his A, B, C's) and he couldn't stop touching/irritating other kids.  He also was picking at his skin as a way to release his energy during school.  Now he's so much better but the med's do come with a price tag.  He doesn't eat all day and when the med's wear off he's starving, grouchy, moody and emotional.  Fortunately, it's not horrible but it hurts me to see him go through the change. 

I don't give my son (six yrs old) med's on weekend because of his lack of appetite and believe me come Sunday night I'm ready to collapse.  He's always singing, dancing, making a mess, etc.  He's non-stop and it wipes me out. 

You are not alone at all and you certainly are not a failure.  Just let the school know tha you are doing your part by seeking medical help and ask them to be as patient as possible during this time.  You don't want to make your son feel like he's "bad" because this will make his behavior even worse and he'll be frustrated and angry (causing even more aggression).  Try to stay calm (easier said than done) and try to refrain from losing it.  Traditional methods of discipline will not work for kids with ADHD - in fact, it will ignite him.  He feels so out of control and needs you to calm things down.  When he does something horrible, remove him from the situation and talk with him about it and then let him know what the penalty is.  Give praise and rewards when he does something good and be calm, yet firm when he's horrible.  The other side of the coin is medicine - between the behavioral modifications and med's, you should get some relief (and him!).  '

Keep in mind that it may take a while to find the right med's - that's another tough party of the battle.  Take breaks from your son when you can.  Hang in there.

Julie

I have never heard of a pediatric nerologist! I also didn't know about the risks involved with mood disorders. That scares me a little because in my family no one escapes SOME form of mood disorder or another: depression, anxiety, bipolar, ect. But what other options are there? I'm guessing that my insurance will not cover this pediatric neroligist, but I'll have to look into it anyway.

I often wonder if my sons ADHD is combined with anything else because I know that ADHD often does come with its own special package. What exactly does a nerologist do?

Sarah

A pediatric neurologist is a doctor who specializes in children and their brain make up.  They would be the experts in understanding you son's behavior and how to best treat him whether it's behavior modification or med's if necessary.

Depending on your insurance, you may have to get a referral from your primary care physcian.  Most pediatricians are aware of ADHD but to best treat your son and understand what may be happening, it's best to go to a specialist.  I had my son see a pediatric psychiatrist for a year and then once we understood his struggles with ADHD and got the med's under control, we only now see his primary care.  I think in the beginning of any evaluation you should see a psychiatrist or a neurologist who can explain things to you and understand you son's behavior.  Don't be alarmed by the title "pediatric neurologist."  It doesn't mean anything other than it's a specialist.  Yes, ADHD can accompany other things like anxiety, ODD, mood disorders, learning disabilities and at times bipolar but I don't think that is as common as the others.

Hope that helps.

Julie

Look at what they eat and make it healthier should help,supplements,no refine carbs either,allergie tests, 1,2,3 method works well on young ones.Processing tests. A person can have 1 more than 1 condition.

50 conditions that Mimic adhd

comorbid conditions with adhd

looks these up both.

Give these meds on Full stomachs only.

Use liquid nutrition for picky eaters and non eaters also.

Hello everyone,

One thing also to check is food allergies. My daughter's behavior was off the wall whenever she ate food she shouldn't have. The reaction was always immediate. Some food coloring can cause problems too. Sugar and caffeine are culprits also. Anyone experience this effect too?

I’m new to ADHD. I am at my wits end with my 5 year old daughter. From the time she was born she has wanted to GO. Constantly on the move, never quiet, never calm. She is extremely smart. I always mentioned to her Pediatrician that I thought she seemed very "busy" and extremely "needy". She wanted to be independent but would never make a move with out me. Now she argues everything I say. She has behavior problems in school & bosses the other children to the point where they don’t want to be with her. She cannot keep her hands to hersefl. She has a hard time staying on task and completing her schoolwork w/o constant supervision. I feel horrible. She is a beautiful child. She wants to be loved and still she continues to make people angry or upset with her. It’s like she’s driven by something and she has no control over her actions. She knows what she’s doing is wrong, she will even tell you what she should do, but she does the bad thing anyway. It drives me CRAZY! She is impulsive, argumentative, and wild. I can’t remember the last time we had a completely good day. My husband and I are seeing a child psychologist Tuesday then my daughter will see her the 12th. I have also spoke to the head of the EC program at her school. They will observe her in class and give any recommendations to us after they completes her observation. Any suggestions as to what we do next? Any books to read on how to not go completely nuts? I feel so bad, I get so angry with her. Am I a bad parent? I try to reason with her but then I hear myself blaming her for her actions. I feel like a terrible mother. Please help...gg

Your daughter sounds a lot like my six year old son...very smart, loving, needing attention but busy as heck and annoying and doesn't listen.  High maintenance. My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was five (I knew it even when he was two).  His attention span was horrible and still isn't great but it's even better at six then when he was five. 

ADHD behavior isn't from bad parenting...don't go blaming yourself.  You do need to get educated on ADHD so you can best understand her and guide her through her inner struggles  Kids like ours will continue to make the same mistakes over but eventually you'll start to see improvments.  It takes so much patience in raising a child with ADHD and your daughter has to know that you're on her side and love her unconditionally.  My son got lots of rejection in school and his self esteem plummeted.  Fortunately, so far, I've had lots of support from his school and he's not defiant so that has helped.  He's also very charming and sweet so it helps tolerating the rest of his undesirable behaviors.

Continue with the evaluations and know that this is now the most challenging time.  You'll soon have some answers and know how to best proceed.  I started my son on med's when he was five (with lots of reservations) but he did so much better in school and he started feeling so much better about himself and even has a few friends.  The side of effects can be difficult though so you have to make sure you find the med's.  He doesn't take med's on weekends because his appetite is so horrible on them and the weekends can be very trying.  He was driving me nuts this weekend -  lots of annoying behavior.  Sometimes I can't wait for Monday to come so he goes back to school and I return to work.  So much for relaxing weekends.

Here's a book that you should read:

Thanks so much for your help Julie! I was able to talk to our daughters physician today. He assured me that we were taking the right course of action and wants to be updated regularly. I will look for the book you suggested first thing tomorrow. I can’t wait to finally feel like I’m helping my baby!

Sorry, I have ADD so there's NO WAY I'll be able to read this entire post replies so here's what I'm going to suggest. Have you thought about looking into his diet? I ask because if your son has some food sensitivities, no amount of meds is ever going to fix the root of the problem. You give him a 'toxic' food and numb him with a med .. back and forth; back and forth.

My son has ADHD and I've adjusted his diet and have taen away a lot of the 'crap' that are found in many foods. He's doing a lot better. I could even diagnose him with ADD now (instead of ADHD).

I can relate with the symptoms you've suggested. My son was the same way. It was UNbelievable how defiant he'd be. He's so impulsive. After his diet adjustments (he no angel) it helped a lot. Give it a whirl. You'll be surprised at the results .. if you go about it with accuracy.

Also, I did read some of the posts where parents are forever having to increase the dosages .. then it still doesn't work after a while. Where's the end in that? This sounds so serious! Also what I've noticed with medicated ADHD children/adults is that they're usually put on more than one drug to help with its side-effects. This doesn't sit well with me either.

Like I said, I have ADD and my son has ADHD and very impulsive (well we both are for that matter).  Although we still have our struggles, it's not in compare to what it used to be like. He's 5 years old and a long life to live yet.

Best of luck.