eating habits | ADHD Information
Has your son ever been evaluated by a neuropsychologist?Thank-you small mom the sites were interesting and helpful especially the second one. I am going to show my husband them tomorrow and see if he thinks we should give his doc a call. At our last visit our psychiatrist was saying something about Asperger Syndrome. I don't know it seems like we have had a million and one possibilities.[QUOTE=nammomma]What is Praeder Willi?[/QUOTE]
It's a clinical condition which results in an obsession with food. I'm not suggesting your child has this but it did ring a bell when I read your post. Again. I don't know the severity of your case.
Just about anything that isn't a fruit or vegtable. He has been a super picky eater for years and we have tried everything trust me. Mainly things with lots of salt and or carbs like packages of lunchmeat,boxes of snack crackers,bricks of cheese-his favorite though is canned cheese which I don't buy anymore because if he does take it he will eat the whole can in one setting. When we sit down and eat a meal it is like he can not get enough.He will out eat his dad and me both if I let him.
Maybe he has a lot of food sensitivities. Generally people with food sensitivities will be drawn towards that very item of food. His body may crave it. Once it's removed and his body is detoxified, his eating habits may improve.
Another thing that came to mind was Praeder Willi.. but I don't know how extent the problem is.
What is Praeder Willi?Nammomma, the non-stop eating (particularly salt and carbs) you are describing is typical of both a mood disorder and a side effect of taking an atypical antipsychotic (Abilify). Here are some websites you might want to check out:
Good luck.
What exactly are all the foods he's stealing?O.k. this answer is going to sound bad -but I don't know. I know his doctor is a child psyciatrist at the local behavioural clinic but I don't know if he is a neuropsycologist what is the difference?
Could he be going through a growth spurt? That really wouldn't explain the sneaky behavior, though. Also is he the only one in the house who might be taking the food? I don't want to scare you or anything, but I come from a family of eating disordered people and sneaking food in typical of both bulimic and compulsive over eaters. I'd watch closely for any signs of abnormal eating behavior and keep close tabs on the food. If your sure it's him taking it have a conversation about it, no accusations, just ask why. It could be as simple as he's been really hungry and is embarrassed about it in some way.
Thanks jaderock for your reply and yes that has crossed our mind. Yes he has recently gone through a growth spurt growing taller than his dad but this stealing food has gone on for about five months now and each time he seems get sneakier and try harder to find ways to lie about it. We have also had extreme outbursts from him lately to the point where we almost called the law because we were concerned for the safety of him and his siblings. Last time we made him go with us to a quick trip out of town because we couldn't trust him at home he created such a problem even trying to open his door on the interstate to jump out while we were driving. I am completely frustrated and don't know what to do.We can't take him with us ll the time but yet we can't leave him all the time either. We do not have any family or friends here in our town because we just moved here in July. Sometimes I feel like I am going crazy.
What meds is he on? They could in fact be making him worse.
What you're describing doesn't sound like ADHD at all. It sounds more like depression or bipolar disorder. I'd get him for an evaluation with a board-certified child psychiatrist ASAP. Good luck.
My son is thirteen, and yesterday he ate French toast and juice for breakfast; a sandwich, bag of raw vegetables, banana, and water for lunch; a bowl of cooked fish that was left over from fish tacos the night before, grapes, chocolate milk, and a smoothie for a snack in the afternoon; scallops, rice, and a salad for dinner; then complained he was hungry before bed 
. I wouldn't worry about the food or make a big deal out of it.
The explosiveness and the trying to jump out of the car are quite different, though. And I agree with SmallMom's advice to have him evaluated for this.
He is taking a new med for mood disorder diagnosed by his psyciatrist but we are starting to question it in more ways than one. It is Abilify. Tried to find some feedback on the internet but couldn't find any saying it could actually intensify the moods. Depression could be an issue also as we feel both sets of his grandparents are to certain extents. He also has two siblings with adhd/odd/mood disorder one older and on younger. Another twist to this whole thing the food he has been stealing is stuff that he knows we need to have for the next day or so like that lunch meat was his dad's lunch for the week leaving all the packs in there for the kids. He also knows that right at this time finances are extremly tight and that we had this discussion when the groceries were put away that this pack was dad's for the week to leave it alone. Which he acknowledged he understood. See it's not so much the food as it is the deciet that goes with it.Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat the mania associated with bipolar disorder as well as anger and aggression. Abilify increases appetite TREMENDOUSLY, which is why your son is eating so much. He may be sneaky because he fears you will be angry about all his eating, but in all honesty, he can't control his appetite while on a med like Abilify. My 13-year-old son gained 12 pounds in a month on Risperdal, Abilify's cousin. I know money is tight, but I personally wouldn't get angry with him for all the eating he's doing while taking Abilify. Perhaps you can work out a system with him about acceptable and not acceptable foods he can eat (and you may have to hide or lock up foods you don't want him to eat).
If his behavior is worsening on Abilify, it may not be the med for him. While taking Risperdal, my son experienced akathisia, which is a sense of internal and external restlessness. We ended up stopping it and putting him on mood stabilizers (his working dx is bipolar disorder). In addition, your son sounds depressed (either unipolar or bipolar), and Abilify is unlikely to touch depression. He may actually need a mood stabilizer, but you should absolutely check with a board-certified child psychiatrist. Have your other children been diagnosed with bipolar disorder? What meds are they on?
An interesting website about med side effects that you may want to check out is www.crazymeds.com. It's written by a layperson and it can't be a substitute for a doctor, but it has some very insightful information.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Some meds increase hunger also. Our kids are both skinny so they could use the extra meals. Daniel's moodstabilizer is a spray vitamin by neuroscience. We add it in his drink daily. Eating may help his mood.
He's a growing boy.
Buy more food and let him be healthy and happy.I have a 13 year old son who has adhd and latley we have been having a big problem with him stealing food from the fridge like whole packs of lunchmeat and eating them and then trying to lie about it when there was noone else in the house but him, even when we know he has had plenty to eat that day. Is this normal? Does anyone have any suggestions?