zombie kid | ADHD Information

My son (6 YO) ADHD takes Medidate CD 30 MG 1-2 times a day... When he first started taking it He was soooo calm I would try getting him hyped up cause that it what I was used to him being. I did worry a little at first but after a month or so he seemed to get used to it and his personality came back full force... He was just easier to handle and listened and responded appropiately.  Since then I was also diagnosed with ADD and am on Medidate CD also and When I am on it I am happy but a lot more subdued (Spelling?) than I would be normally... It is good though I now have a filter betwween my mouth and my brain that was never there before.

 

I am a newbie here but very much have alot of experience with adhd and bipolar children.  I know all kids are very different but both my kids one with adhd and one with bipolar had very negative results from adderall.  I was just wondering if anyone else has had this same problem.  Adderall made both my kids very angry and violent. 

We took him off the meds last Thursday for a special trip to a water park with his camp. He came home filthy, but EXUBERANT!!! and HAPPY!!! He also ate a whole personal pizza and then some. The next day, we decided to have another med free day - he ate twice as much as he does on the meds.  But he came home upset because he lost his temper and control and hit another kid (the other kid has teased him the last two summers, so I'm not sure how much was loss of control and how much was deserved). He wanted to go back on the Concerta.

So, yesterday we decided to try him on 27 mg Concerta - this time I did see a difference - a little calmer and more focused. Maybe not enough for school, but maybe enough for camp. And he was eating.  He really prefers his world on the Concerta, so we'll try a lower dose for a while. 

I'd rather have an active, happy obnoxious kid than a zombie kid, and his counselors seem to agree. School, however, may be a different story.

Thanks again for all your input.

 

This sounds like a great plan. If he is eating and incontrol of his behaviors  then this sounds like the perfect dose for summer.

yes he says he's fine. I'm just not used to CALM - he's been on this for two weeks now. He still seems to enjoy playing and so forth, but he's just quieter. Necochan: I'm curious what your experience was with Focalin? I was considering asking out Dr. about switching our son from Adderall to Focalin..... I know ea. kid is different and reactions can't be consistant..... just curious...... As far as what you are seeing, yes, I think that's normal and it will get better with time. Hang in there and Good Luck!nekochan,

I had similar questions when we were trying to get the right dose for my son.  I felt odd as though I were attempting to create or mold a personality.  The consultation nurse commented that maybe this would be his "normal" personality.  Quiet and calm.

In finetuning dosage, I look to retain the sparkle and the ease in smiling, laughing and enjoying life.  My son preferred the Ritalin LA to concerta, partly because we could make slight adjustments to the dosage...whereas Concerta could not be tampered with.

Kids are different, but if it helps any...

I was diagnosed and started meds as an adult.   Initially, I had the same concerns because I was so different on meds.  Like you said quiet and calm.  The first month or so, my brain worked so differently it took time to learn to work this new "steering wheel" and "mouth brakes."  It was also the first time in my life that I actually felt relaxed.

Gradually, I became accustomed to the effects of my meds, and the sparkly bits of my personality resurfaced... minus the ones that got me in trouble.  I am exactly the same person I was before meds, but this is the me without constant chaos in my head.

Best wishes, keep us posted!

[QUOTE=nekochan]yes he says he's fine. I'm just not used to CALM - he's been on this for two weeks now. He still seems to enjoy playing and so forth, but he's just quieter. [/QUOTE]

 

*I sayif he is able to still play and enjoy himself then keep an eye on him as a parent and  relax and enjoy.  That happened to us too having her stay by my side at the mall felt weird. 

On strattera or not Daniel seemed to like things that don't require another person. Schools want a zombie kid. It doesn't take a good focus to learn anything. I learn best handson/auditory style. The fact  is schools no very little on how sensory issues effect daily life for a person. They don't get it at all.

oldtimer38901.8912268519If he says he okay, I say "Enjoy" Reisa,

I really appreciate your sharing of your experience.  Thank you so much for your insight. 
Did you try 27 mg Concerta?  If so, what did you notice?Does he say he's ok?27 mg concerta did pretty much nothing for him. I just can't get used to a quiet kid - I keep asking him what's wrong and if he's okay. I'm probably making him totally neurotic.

We finally found a med that works for my son without severe side effects -(concerta 36 mg) - his temper and focus are so much better. But it seems like his 'sparkle' is not as shiny as it used to be. He just seems so QUIET and CALM. He seems okay, but not his usual exuberant 'bouncy tigger' self (he's 11).

Is this normal for medicated ADD kids? Am I just used to 'bouncy tigger' kid? Or, can it be (dare I say it) adolescence creeping in? or maybe we need a different medication? (focalin and adderall were horrible, and I'm afraid to really try anything else).

Thanks

 

 

 

YES.WE USE GOOD FATS TO CALM DOWN OUR SON. I personally would just stay with what you have him on.  Give it a chance.  Maybe you have already, but if you haven't had him on it long, it may just be getting adjusted to the new med.  I know with my son we go monthly to review how he is doing on his med.  Good luck.

Nekochan, I had the same situation with my DS (now 8). We switched from the long-acting Ritalin (similar to Concerta) to the short-acting for this very reason.

At first we were amazed and thrilled with the meds. He was calm, he would sit and write or color, he did fantastically well in school. Teachers were beyond thrilled as he went from a behavior nightmare to a "GOOD kid". However. When I would be in school for holiday parties or whatever, I noticed that my formerly goofy, nutty, (yes, overly-excitable and obnoxious) kid was sitting quietly, sullenly in the corner. During a school party.  I felt an overwhelming sadness. OK, the teachers no longer had to "handle" him... but he looked miserable. If I asked, he'd say he was fine, but he sure didn't appear to be happy. He told me at recess he just looked for rocks, alone.

So, midway through last year we switched him from 20mg Ritalin LA to 10 mg Short-acting Ritalin in the morning. He was Mr. supercalm in the morning during the bulk of his schoolwork, then as it wore off, he ate more, and played at recess with other kids. His schoolwork did slip here and there, but he is in the top percentile for reading fluency, so we don't care if he's not getting straight As, as long as he's a little happier.

It is SUCH a tricky balance. He has been off meds all summer (and doing well) and gaining weight (that's a good thing for him), so not sure if the dosage will still work when school starts. May need adjusting, and we're interested in the patch, etc... but I am saying, be careful of TOO much calmness. My DS definitely had lost ALL his spark on the meds and now that we've been around him all summer without meds, I have to say I enjoy him immensely. AND HE DRIVES ME NUTS, but as I said, it's a tricky, tricky balance.  Best of luck.

Mom2Bean

Can't you give him less???  Sounds like he is getting too much.
We hated the drugs for our son so tried Omega 3.  It worked wonders!
He is a different kid----less impulsive, concentrates, calmer.  It has been a Godsend for us.