Switched from meds to alts??
[QUOTE=KidsInSpace] I think trying Alts/supplements without professional guidance is even more off a crap shoot than stimulant roulette- which is our current doctor's method for finding the right med/dose. It is all trial and error. The homepathist runs tests to see where deficiencies/and overproduction of certain hormones and natural chemicals are being produced in the body- then tries to balance the body's chemistry- preferrably through natural means.[/QUOTE]
I agree completely!
Have you thought of having him re-evaluated? Seeing a NauroPsych? May not be ADHD, which is why meds may not have worked.
Hi All,
I'm new here to the forum, but am really getting alot of valuable information--thank you for that. I have twin boys, age 6 that are currently in kindergarten but both are struggling with attention, staying on tasks, etc. They have been attending a special needs school for the prior 3 yrs. due to speech delays, motor skills etc. One has been diagnosed since Dec. 2003 and was on metadate for a brief time which doped him out and made him aggressive; now he is on Concerta-- 18 mg. The biggest side effect with him is the restlessness in trying to get to sleep at night- no stomach aches, or headaches like he had on metadate. I have noticed that lately he seems to be more immune to the meds and his having more episodes of tantrums, and his special ed and homeroom teacher are telling me that he is still not getting the routine, not staying on task, etc.... We are due to see a new doctor on Dec.28 (1st appt. I could get-exasperating!) but are seeing are pediatrician in 10 days- in the interim.
There are now indications that the other twin is showing signs of ADD-not hyper...and I have started the preliminary testing-questionnairre (Vanderbilt) for our appt.
I am so lost right now-- I am torn between taking the one off of meds and trying something natural and or trying another med?? I work full time and do as much as I can with the boys' when I get home in the evenings....working on fine motor skills, retention, etc. They do much better for me 1 on 1 then they do in the classrooms with 18-20 kids. I am looking for any insight any of you can provide to me.....
There is an alternative board on this forum if you are interested. Many people are having good results with this. A lot of people on the alternative /complementary medicine board have switched to alts. There are a few success stories over there. I have tried a few alt. treatments on my own with no luck. The meds effectiveness has worn off on my kids also and I am going to see a homeopathist in December. I think trying Alts/supplements without professional guidance is even more off a crap shoot than stimulant roulette- which is our current doctor's method for finding the right med/dose. It is all trial and error. The homepathist runs tests to see where deficiencies/and overproduction of certain hormones and natural chemicals are being produced in the body- then tries to balance the body's chemistry- preferrably through natural means.How do they test dopamine levels? Can they do that at the Ped. if the parents requests it? That might be interesting to tell the neuropsychologist. I am interested in knowing if you really can tell what the childs neurotransmitter levels are from a urine test. I am skeptical. Has anyone ever had their children on alternative natural supplements and had good luck?
[QUOTE=coolmomma]I am interested in knowing if you really can tell what the childs neurotransmitter levels are from a urine test. I am skeptical. Has anyone ever had their children on alternative natural supplements and had good luck?[/QUOTE]
Read the alternative board....we are doing very well on supplements.
[QUOTE=Bailey]How do they test dopamine levels? Can they do that at the Ped. if the parents requests it? That might be interesting to tell the neuropsychologist. [/QUOTE]
All info can be found on the alternative board....all questions will be answered for you there.
Thank you to all that have responded to my post. The doctor that had him on metadate never really addressed the 'aggressiveness' that it brought out in Trevor-- he just kept upping the dosage, which is why I left him after a short period of time.
The new doctor appt. I have is with a child psychiatrist on Dec.28-- I am going to look into having a neuropsychiatrist re-evaluate both twins'- Although Trevor definitely shows many signs of ADHD -I realize that many of the same symptoms can be related to other diagnoses'..... Spencer- the one that has not had a previous diagnosis does not have the hyperactivity, but many of the same other problems-- can't stay on task, inattentiveness, can't follow directions....
There are days that I can take Trevor off of the Concerta (weekends only) without too much difficulty-- may have more tantrums', but at least he can get to sleep in a normal manner. Yesterday I did not give him his meds, and he was a happy guy all day long-- not too much 'refereeing' until about 7:00pm when he usually has his 'overload' tantrum.
jfla wrote:
Does methylphenadate bring about agressiveness and tantrums in yurr son? I've heard of other children that became aggressive on stimulants. What type of doctor is
Usually, if such side effects are seen as a result of stimulant medication, the parents would be wise to have the childs diagnosis revisited as perhaps there is something more than ADHD going on or the child coud have been misdiagnosed. In addition, if the child appears to be doped up or as some refer to it as zombie like, that indicates the medication is too high or its the wrong med, While the child is going through a trial of meds, its crucial that the parent keep an open, on going dialogue with the doctor because if the doctor is a specilist in the field of diagnosing and treating childhood disorders, the doctor is well versed about the disorder and the medications. This takes away alot of the guess work and fears that parents expereince and the parent is more likey to get a definitive diagnosis.
Thanks JFLA- I will keep that in mind. Trevor is not on metadate anymore, and hasn't been for over a year. He wasn't aggressive on it at the onset, but the higher the doctor took his dose, the more zombie like and aggressive he was at times- not always. I removed him from the metadate and the doctor after only 3 months.
He has been on Concerta for 13 months now- same low dose of 18mg, but does not show signs of aggressiveness (other than his normal blow ups he has with his twin), and he has never been a behavior problem in the classroom. He is not disruptive, etc.--- just has a hard time focusing and maintaining concentration.
Stimulants tend to make kids with undiagnosed early onset bipolar quite aggressive. Before you see a homeopathic doctor, be sure you know what your child has (Just my opinion). I suggest a NeuroPsych Evaluation. Then you can gather the info and do whatever you want to treat whatever disorder your child has. ADHD is rarely a stand alone and ADHD also has many mimickers. I have bipolar, but was diagnosed ADHD first. A trial of Ritalin shot me to the moon and then I crashed into a terrible depression--reason? I was incorrectly medicated.
Stimulants will tend to make kids with higher than normal levels of dopamine (b/c of unbalanced neurotransmitters) quite aggressive....also true of other meds like SNRIs.
My son was a medication (Adderal) for a whiile and it did help with focusing in school. But he had really difficult side effects that he or we could not live with. He started with the sleeplessness and no appetite. It progressed to mood swings and really horrible headaches. We then switched to a couple others for a very short amt. of time with no success.
I don't believe that just because the meds. don't work for your child that he/she does not have ADHD. I am pretty sure my son has Inattentive ADD. He DID respond to the drug as far as focusing, which is what we were aiming at. But the other effects of the drug were just unbareable for him. I felt he was suffering more on the drug than off it.
We have not medicated for over a year now. He does still struggle with focusing but he has a wonderful teacher and he has had a tutor once a week
and we work with him at home every night.
We also added vitamins and omega 3 and flaxseed to his diet. We steer clear of most dyes & chemicals whenever we can. My son gets a little nuts when he gets red dye so we know to avoid that at all costs!
Good luck with your decision. I know how hard it is to have to make these decisions for your children at this age. It's so hard to get feedback from them and know how they are REALLY feeling.
It's like the drug surpresses their personality and when it wears off they just explode. I also think that when kids are really good at school, they have to vent a little when they get home.
We have a neuropsychologist appt. next Friday so I truly hope we will learn something about him and the issues he struggles with. We hope to rule out some of the issues I fear he might have (mild Autism)
It is a 6 hr. appt. so hopefully we will learn a lot!
Thank you Bailey! You're right, it is extremely hard to know what the right thing to do is. Trevor is not a behavioral problem in the classroom, but becomes very volatile at night when the meds are wearing off, and the 2hours to fall asleep at night is taking its toll on me, and him and the rest of the household.
I don't think Adderall will be a good choice for him either, as I've read alot of the side effects that you experienced with your son are quite common. He had appetite problems when he was on metadate-- he wouldn't eat for days, then other days he'd eat voraciously. Since he doesn't 'converse' alot- he can't really explain to me what he's experiencing-- and I usually can tell that when he 'explodes' its because he just has had enough for the day.
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