I have an 11 year old with ADHD and you should see the fits of temper and defiance. At times he is the most considerate and compassionate kids and then it is the like another person has taken over. Alot of this seem to be when he is coming down from his meds. I always try to keep the meds even escpecially if we are going out or he is playing sports. He is o 20 mg of strattera in the morning 20 mg and 10mg of ritalin in the morning 10 mg ritalin at lunch and 20 mg and strattera and 10 mg of ritalin around 4. We are lucky it does not affect his sleep. I don't find the Strattera to work for his ADHD but has done wonders for his Anxiety and Panic Attacks.
Welcome to the board. Well, I don't have an 11 year old boy, I have a 7 yo girl, so take these thoughts for what they're worth! First of all, he is 11. There are probably hormones in the mix here. Then he is probably working very hard to do well in school, extra hard for a kid with ADHD. So when he comes home, he needs to decompress. My dd also lets it all hang out after school. Hopefully he has time to relax after school, get a good snack in and maybe some exercise. And then there is the rebound issue. And maybe there is something that is bothering him with his friends, and he takes it out on you. Is there a man in his life that he looks up to that he can talk to? So there are some of my thoughts. Good luck and keep us posted!Sounds like rebound to me too. Here's a link I got off another thread about bp. It's a questionnaire you can take to see if you're bp.How long has he been on the new medication? I don't know anything about Tenex, but I know the Zoloft takes about 6 weeks before you will see the full effects.
Also, you said he does good at school, but poorly when he gets home. I'm wondering if he is rebounding....meds wearing off at the wrong time? Could his first dose be wearing off before the 2nd dose has a chance to kick in? Could the second dose be too low now, and is not working any longer?
I personally would give his new meds the recommended time to see how the full effect works, and would call the doctor if you don't see improvements at that time. Unless of course things get to out of hand, then call immediately.
Just my opinion :)
Good luck!
ladym38940.0644097222Here is some information on the Tenex:
http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/topic/detail/drug/hw164961/ detail.htm
Welcome! Jfla is right -- bipolar disorder is hereditary, and most kids with BP receive a dx of ADHD first. Both stimulants like Ritalin and antidepressants like Zoloft can make kids with BP much worse (my own 13-year-old son had a manic reaction to Zoloft that led us down the bipolar path). How long has your son been on Zoloft? Have his anger and defiance gotten worse since he started Zoloft?
A couple other questions: Why do you doubt your dx of bipolar disorder? What meds are you taking?
If your son is not already seeing a child psychiatrist, I would strongly recommend a re-evaluation with one. You really need to know what you're dealing with in the event your son's meds are actually making him worse. Good luck.
I have an 11 year old wonderful son who has ADHD. He has been taking 40mg of Ritalin LA in the morning and 10 mgs at 4:00 in the evening for about 5 years. He was also taking Clonidine to sleep. I have no behaviour problems with him in school, he has gotten good citizen four times and he makes mostly straight A's and B's so school is not a problem. The problem is when he gets home he can turn into a very defiant child. If I ask him to do something and he doesn't want to do it he will just blatantly tell me NO and not do it, defiant as hell. If I threaten to punish him or scold him he goes into a screaming fit, and at times, will throw things. I am a single parent who lives behind my parents so if he gets mad at me, he will run to his grandparents house and lock me out. The next day he will be like a different child, just as sweet as can be. It's almost like he has anger issues. I took him to his ADHD doctor because our insurance does not cover mental health. She took him off the clonidine (it was not working anymore) and put him on tenex and zoloft, along with the ritalin. So far, I see no change in him, besides sleeping better. I just don't know what to do. I have been diagnosed with bipolar I, but I am not real sure the diagnosis is accurate. My bipolar meds seem to make me down and depressed. Anyway, my question to all is, do any of your ADHD kids have bursts of defiance and anger? I am at my wits end and would appreciate any advice. Thanks so much.There has got to be someone out there that has experienced a similiar situation. Please, please offer your advice.....I am so concerned for my son.
Thanks to all for your responses. Sorry I have not been able to come back sooner but my internet was down for three days.
I agree with most who say I need to give the zoloft a chance. I also to have wondered if he is bipolar. I have read up on child bipolar and he definitely has some of the signs.
He started Jr. High yesterday and I worry about him, because he is very immature and has very little self esteem. Yesterday when he came home he threw a fit because he has to shower with other kids after P.E. and swore he would never go to school again. I strugged with him this morning, but the school day went okay today. When I asked him how it was, he said "fine".
I will keep you all posted on his progress and thanks again for all your information.
Hi Isu. I agree with Smallmom that it would be a good idea to have a board certified child/adolescent psychiatrist do an evaluation....especially with a family history of BP.
Another thing that may be going on is heightened anxiety from starting Jr High. I know the transistion to middle school for my now 13 yr old was a nightmare. His anxiety was in FULL force and it was showing up at home in the form of anger, agitation, defiance, etc. My son has a dual dx of ADHD Primary Inattentive/Anxiety and is on a combo of Concerta/Tenex/Zoloft. He started the Zoloft back when he was 9 when his anxiety seriously began impacting school/home and for him, Zoloft was a miracle drug. Not all kids respond that way however. Even with the Zoloft, however, the anxiety of starting middle school showed up and it took cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to get him through that rough patch. Once he adjusted to middle school....all was well.
Okiemom