My son is not broke, just modified. | ADHD Information

Our Son Tristen (10) started on meds in 2nd year of kindergarten.  Medication results were great in the begining but in the middle of 1st grade we started having problems. We couldn't increase his med because of his weight. We had to change to adderal which turned him into a crying mess all the time. Many different cocktails of medidate, adderal, focalin, and focolin xr (which caused temp. blindness in one eye!!) ritalin, concerta, strattera have lead us to a resulting mix of concerta 54mg, strattera 25mg.  About two yrs ago he started having tic's, ranging from smelling hands and fidgiting hands to clearing of the throat, sticking out tongue, and making fish lips.  We were able to break him of one he would move on to the next. This went on for quite awhile which leads us to the current tic combination deep squeezing of the eyes, head bob, neck stretch, fish lip.  It is very unnerving to watch as this occurs about every 45sec to every 3-5 min intervals.   So now the choices are overwellming us.  Doc says take off the concerta, up the the strattera to 40mg and add a small dose of clonidine to "prevent" the tics.  I have read that tic can become permenant. With this new med am I masking the problem only to possibly affect his neurological growth in the long term? Should I give the clonidine or should I take him off all meds and take chances with his grades and the wrath of a school system uneducated to deal with a unique child.  I am tired of playing russian roulette with my child and these drugs!!!  Please help if you have any advice. 

Here is some information on tics (including info that they are not thought to become permanant due to the meds but that the meds unmask an underlying tic disorder):

http://tourettenowwhat.tripod.com/tics_and_stimulants.htm

Sometimes clonidine or guanfacine are given  with stimulants to reduce tics,  and since they also help with some ADHD symptoms, they may allow your doctor to lower the stimulant dose...Worth discussing with your doctor. Also, these are sometimes given to counteract the weight loss caused by the stimulants.

http://www.indegene.com/Psy/Home/indPsy_Ind_News_09-08-2001_ 1.asp

http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/neurology/dia gnose/tics-tourette.htm

Good luck finding the best treatment.

vickie38945.8281481481Are there any other methods to controlling these tics without having to medicate. I am sick and tired of drugging my kid.  He doesn't have the "normal" side effects..he ends up with the rare ones like extreme depression and temporary blindness!  What the heck is a parent supposed to do.  These Dr's go to school for half their lives and then fail to tell us all the options.  I've done my homework.  I don't know what else to do. 

I'm not sure what kind of doctor you're working with, but it sounds to me as if you should work with a board-certified child psychiatrist for med management and ask for a referral to a pediatric neurologist to have the tics assessed.  Those two professionals might get you the best results.

BTW, stimulants are known to exacerbate anxiety, depression and tics in children.  These are published side effects.  Side effects don't occur in all children, but they do in some.  My son had all three of these side effects (anxiety, depression and tics) on stimulants.  He is no longer taking stimulants; we have decided just to medicate his mood issues for now. 

My son was on Clondine for tics and helping him fall asleep, and it worked very well.  The issue you have to ask yourself is if the tics are causing a social problem for your son.  If so, you either need to remove the stimulants or try Clonidine.  Good luck.