Tonsils? | ADHD Information

I have just been informed that removing tonsils can improve attention and behaviors. My sons are Extremely Huge and it seems they may have been creating "sleep apnia (cs)" over the years. Has anyone ever heard of this?Yes, it can help some. my son had both his tonisils and adnoids removed before he was diagnosed ADHD because we researched and found that enlarged tonsils will creat sleep apena, in turn which makes the symptoms of ADHD worse because they are tired & grumpy.  9 months later, he was diagnosed with ADHD although having them removed he is sleep much better and is not quite as hyper so he can pay attention longer than he did before.  His all but touched.dillon had both his tonisils and adnoids removed... didn't see any differents in his behavior... sorry..My daughter had tonsils and adenoids removed at age 5, and was diagnosed at age 6 with ADHD.  I think that the quality of her sleep has improved-but I'm not so sure that it had any effect on her behavior.My son was on the verge of getting his tonsils out at age 4 when the surgeon recommended that we try taking him off dairy first. That was just the ticket, as that was the reason his resistance was low and he kept getting hit with strepthroat, over and over.
Same deal, my son's almost touched they were so large. The surgeon assured me that as he grew, they would grow further apart. It wasn't until last year that he was dx'd with ADD, and he's 12 now. I don't know if removing them would have made any difference... but I sure can tell you that getting a handle on his allergies helped a lot. In my son's own words "it's hard to focus on anything when you feel like crap". Well said!

PB
Thank you for your input, I never really believed my son had ADHD but he got a dianosis. Now his neurologist after seeing that some meds made no difference is going on this tonsil approach? I was just wondering. My son is definately not treated right at school and some of his new friends I am finding out have been given this same treatment. I have mensioned before that our school system is big on classifying kids for the grant money and then not really doing anything to help them.

There was big media hype about that a few years ago but as usual, accuracy by the media and journalists should be investigated as more times than not,they sensationalize or exaggerate the truth.

Children that have had their tonsils removed who have been diagnosed with ADHD are sometimes misdiagnosed and actually have sleep apnea or diseased tonsils and enlarged adenoids. Lack of sleep impairs their ability to go into a deep sleep and lack of sleep causes behaviors that mimic the symptoms of ADHD. In this case once the tonsils and adenoids are removed, the quality of sleep may improve a bit but the symptoms of ADHD are still ever so present if the child truly has ADHD.  Children diagnosed with ADHD also have problems falling asleep and staying asleep so it takes an astute clinician to make a proper diagnosis. Lack of sleep can impair anyone's ability to function but if the behaviors cease after removal of tonsils and adenoids, more than likely the child never had ADHD to begin with.

Forgive me. I started a new post today on this topic
(which I have since deleted) because I missed this thread. I've posted
below a recent article on the topic. A story also appears in this week's
issue of TIME. It is interesting to hear your personal experiences.

Tonsil Surgery Helps Kids With ADHD
Study Links Sleep Treatment, Behavior in Some Children
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News

New research suggests a surprising potential treatment for at least some
children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- surgical removal
of the tonsils.

Children in the study who had their tonsils removed showed
improvements in both behavior and sleeping, and half of those diagnosed
with ADHD prior to surgery no longer had the diagnosis a year later.

The University of Michigan study included 78 children who had their
tonsils and adenoids removed and 27 children who had unrelated
surgery.

Prior to surgery, behavior and sleep problems were much more common
among the children with the sleep breathing issues. By the end of the
study, a year after surgery, tests showed little difference between the two
groups.

"These findings help support the idea that sleep-disordered breathing is
actually helping to cause behavioral problems in children, and making
them sleepy," says Ronald D. Chervin, MD, one of the researchers.

Chervin tells WebMD that it is not clear how many children with ADHD
also have undiagnosed sleep-related breathing problems, but he says a
"substantial minority" might.

Enlarged Tonsils Cause Sleep Problems

Chervin and colleagues had previously reported that children who snore
have a higher incidence of ADHD and other attention and behavior-
related problems.

Snoring is the most common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),
which occurs when breathing stops and starts repeatedly during the
night. This usually happens because the throat is narrowed or blocked,
keeping air from getting into the windpipe and lungs.

Enlarged adenoids and tonsils are often to blame when a child has OSA. It
is estimated that about 1% to 3% of children have the condition.

In their latest study, published in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics,
the researchers conducted sleep testing on children with and without
suspected sleep-disordered breathing, as well as behavioral, cognitive,
and psychiatric testing.

All children were assessed upon study entry, prior to the removal of the
tonsils and adenoids, and then again a year after surgery. Parents also
completed standardized questionnaires designed to assess their child's
behavior.

Although the children who had their adenoids and tonsils out scored
worse than the other children on behavioral tests before the surgery,
scores among the two groups were similar a year later.

Of the 22 children in the adenotonsillectomy group who had been
diagnosed with ADHD, 11 no longer met the conditions for the behavioral
disorder a year after surgery.

Aww man!

11 kids misdiagnosed, and now every idiot on the street is going to tell me to get my tonsils out?!  **edit colorful comments** 

 I urge parents not to fall prey to media hype and sensationalism. Sleep deprivation occurs in children with ADHD because the mind is always racing even though the body is exhausted. ADHD doesnt fall under the category of a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea in combination with ADHD would inflame the symptoms of ADHD or a misdiagnosis of ADHD will make it seem to appear like ADHD symptoms are cured. For those children who truly have ADHD, sleep deprivation further agitates the already existing behaviors but in true ADHD, after tonsil removal the symptoms are still ever so present. Those 11 children are a perfect example of how high the rate of misdianosis is as there are many mimickers of ADHD and thats why an accurate diagnosis requires an astute clinication who is qualified to make a differential diagnosis. Journalism and the media are hardly a source of accurate, factual information as the agenda is not about awareness, its about rating and selling papers. Every one must decide for themselves what they consider accurate information but before making any decisions, I urge parents to not only consider the information but also the source of the information.

What is more dangerous, meds or surgery?  I think it is a toss up.

Also just to add this - I went to an ENT doctor today and he confirmed that enlarged tonsils could cause sleep apnea. However he said that my son would have to go have a sleep study done (which means sleep over night at a hospital while being hooked up and monitored) in order to determine is he stops breathing during his sleep. No doctor would authorize tonsil removal without a good reason to do so. ADHD is not a reason to remove them, sleep apnea/stopping breathing in sleep is.

Both my kids have larger than average tonsils.  My ADHD child had a major snoring problem, but the doctor insisted on a "wait and see" approach.  The snoring ended when he got a little older.  The ADHD symptoms were just the same on uninterrupted sleep.

My younger son (not ADHD) was seen for sleep apnea caused by repeat strep which enlarged his tonsils even more.  THAT doctor chose the same "wait and see" approach since he didn't meet all the "criteria" for surgery.  As soon as the strep cleared up completely, the sleep apnea ended. 

 

I think the whole tonsil/adnoid removal getting rid of ADHD thing is a major stretch.  Sleep deprivation or breaks in the sleep cycle can cause anyone to have troulbe focusing during the day time.  In my opinion, if the tonsil and adnoid surgery suddenly removed the ADHD symptoms, then it probably wasn't ADHD in the first place.  It was sleep deprivation.  JMO. 

My son had his tonsils removed at age 4 because of recurrent infections with high fevers.  He was dxed with ADHD at age 9.  I would only remove tonsils if it is medically necessary because it is not an easy operation with a quick recovery.  Likewise, I would only medicate a child if it significantly improves his day-to-day ability to function.  Parents are the only ones who can weigh the benefits vs. the risks for their own child.  No difference my child had hers removed in September due to them being enlarged. 

Well, if it is true, I would hate to see how my daughter acted if she still had them!

She also had them removed around 2 yrs of age and she has always been crazy!

My son had adenoids and tonsils removes 3 years ago and have not seen any differences.

 

 

My son had his tonsils out in kindergarten (5th grade now)for medical reasons, his behavior changed a little bit right afterwards because he was finally getting a good nights sleep. But was diagnosed ADHD/ADD @ 8 yrs old. Don't think removing the tonsils really does anything on the ADD side, just helps with the chronic illness part-strep, tonsilitis, ect.

My son had his tonsils and adnoids removed at 6, unfortunately it did not remove the ADHD.  :( 

He had repeated tonsillitus.

My son had his adnoids and tonsils out at 15 months because of sleep apnia.  We thought his sudden surge of energy was because of the added oxygen his body was now getting regularly. I think the ADHD was hiding all along. 

He was the youngest patient our pediatrician has diagnosed to date. He was 3 1/2 when Ritalin was perscribed. First 10mg daily, then 2X's daily.  Then to 15mg 2X's, and then 20mg 2X's. It did not work for him longer than 4 hr intervals.

He's on Adderall XR / 15mg daily and it seems to work. He's still in 50% for weight and 70% for height. 45 1/2 inches tall and 44.75 lbs. My husband and I are still concerned because it's like pulling teeth to get him to eat sometimes.

What % range does the Dr say your child falls in?

My DD had her tonsils and adenoids removed at age 4, and was diagnosed with ADHD /innatentive/impulsive at age 6, the only thing getting the tonsils removed did was cut down on ear infections and sore throats.