I just feel like I am not getting any answers any help.
My son is soon to be 7 and in the first grade and forced to change schools already. He was in a parochial school for K and this year. This week he just started a public school.
There has always been something different about him. He was a good baby unless strangers were around and he usually freaked out when anyone would come near. He was an ornery toddler, did not like to listen, hitting. Preschool he just did not seem to grow out of it. Became more violent with me. Before K we took him to a counselor. She said his maturity has not caught up with his intelliegence. We talked to our family Dr., he said to see what happens in school they can test him there. So K was some good days ,mixed with mostly bad days. Defiant, refusing to do his school work, disturbing kids around him, hitting.
We had him tested by a clinical psychologist- ADHD and Adjustment disorder. I started him on Concerta over the summer to head a head start on first grade. It was a nightmare. Although it slowed down some of his impulsiveness it made him much more irritable, more agressive, more defiant. So he started the school year, mostly all bad days. No focus, making noises, annoying kids around him, hitting. I also had him evaluated by an occuaptional therapist for Sensory Processing Disorder. So now he has been diagnosed with it. But my insurance company keep denying for therapy. After it seemed obvious they may kick him out I started him on Strattera. After a couple of days or so I noticed a HUGE difference. It seemed like I finally found my child. He was cooperative, easy going, agression virtually disappeared. Then we went to the follow up appt. The dr did not like how it made him zone out for a couple of hours a little while after taking it. He started taking 25mg. Then she switched it to 18mg in the morning and 18mg after school. Much of the impulsiveness and bad habits returned. The agression returned. So we went back to the 25mg at 5am so he would sleep during the zone out phase. Then he could barely get up fro school. So then 25mg at bedtime. He was all over the place, basically like taking nothing at all. I started seeing the level of aggression and irritableness as with Concerta, many more OCD type behaviors, more noises. Now enter Lexapro. He was on it for 2 weeks and made no difference at all. Maybe made him worse. So the Dr. took him off that and increase the Strattera- 25mg early morning, 10mg early afternoon. I noticed that instead of him going through the zone out phase, he got incrediably irritable and aggressive. I could almost set my watch by it with the doses. After a day or 2 of increasing the Strattera his school decides they can no longer handle him in the classroom.
Going with my instincts, I took him off Strattera. I did not even talk to the Dr aobut it. Everytime I talked to her all she did was have her prescription pad out. How about Tenex or Clonadine, how about Antipsychotics like Risperdal?
All he is taking now is Omega 3, which I started a couple of days before Strattera. Since he is off the Strattera his mood is stabilizing, and the agression is lessoning but still a long way to go.
Any thoughts?????? Please???
Should I also mention my husband singlehandedly decided to take another job 4 states away when my ds started K. And I have a 2yr old dd. I can't believe I have any hair left.
What sets him off? Sounds like, rather than ADHD, he could be on the autism spectrum. Has he ever seen a Developmental Pediatrician? Psycologists aren't the best diagnosticians. Mom9439039.8715625
What sets him off is people (not on his ok list) getting too close to him, change in routine, having to do soemthing different than what he wants/needs. He is very senstive to his environment. Once I read up on Sensory Processing Disorder, it described him perfectly. He has never seen a Developmental Pediatrician, we just have a GP. Maybe that is the key to getting him approved for occupatinal therapy that he desparately needs.
I have read up on some of Autism Spectrems but they don't quite seem to fit. His psychiatristt seems to think he has a little bit of this, little bit of that.
To me it sounds like other things are going on and as for your doctor when you move you will get a new one hopefully a better onen who will listen and not just write scripts. My heart goes out to you and i wish you the best. My friends son has bi-polar ADHD and ODD and she went through a lot he was in special behavior school was thrown out of 2-3 daycares for hitting. She has him on Addefal and Tenex and he is a new child and has good insight at age 7 he is in a study and they wanted to observe him without meds and he knew the difference. I wish you the best and If I went on and on I am tired and got up early and cannot fall back asleep.Kemi have you tried Adderall or Dexedrine? these are stimulants but are in a different family as compared to Ritalin, concerta,and focalin. My son had terrible rebound with the meds in the Ritalin group he also did not do well with Strattera. Some kids do well with Adderall and others do not. Basically getting the meds right is all trial and error, keeping good notes and working with an informed doc.
Will your insurance cover a neurologist?
I have to disagree with the statement that if concerta and stratterra don't work, no other meds will work. That just is NOT true! I am very questionable about the doctor that said this! Some people, children included, can handle adderall just fine, but not concerta. Plus there are SO many other meds out there that that is such a generalized statement made by a professional! Please seek out another professional when dealing with meds. I don't believe the one you are working with knows what they are talking about, and I am just a mother, not a doctor.
By the way, straterra is know to have a side effect causing depression, why does THAT med have to be one of the two on his/her list that you have to have work in order to take adhd meds? That makes no sense at all!!
I do think that a complete evaluation may rule some things out/in that everyone needs to know to be able to best help! Get the correct diagnosis, then deal with the medication. It will take time also finding the right medication, as well as the right dosage, but there are so many to try.
hang in there!!
I'm confused about why your doc stuck with the Straterra 1nstead of trying something else? Sounds like tunnel vision. I'd look for a new psych and start all over. I know it sounds overwhelming, but in terms of his whole life, it will just be a blip. Good luck!!
p.s. The best thing you can do is educate yourself about adhd and other disorders that could be mistaken for adhd, as well as what meds are out there. That way you can know the questions to ask, so the doc can know what info you need.
Thank you all for your support. I believe my insurance will cover a neurologist. I have an appt. scheduled with a new psychologist. This one has connective resources with others like to do genetic testing, MRI's etc. But of course the appt. seems an eternity away- Dec. 13.
Basically the psychiatrist said that if Concerta and Strattera did not work, the other ADHD meds probably would not either. She seems to think there are many issues going on with him but instead of trying to diagnose them her answer is just to write a prescription. I just want a diagosis instead of just submitting him to a variety of different types of meds.
Starting over, that is why I chose to take him off Strattera. I want to clean him out so to speak and get a fresh start. It was not working (only a glimmera for 2 weeks in the beginning) so why continue to subject him to it.
(And as a side note, my husband has been gone for over a year and I won't be following him out there. Tons of issues there too.)
My son did have normal development. Hit normal milestones at average times. Actually he pretty much potty trained himself before he was 2 1/2 yrs.
I truely believe that his issues are beyond ADHD. He has the characteristics of ADHD but there is just more than that going on. Sensory Processing Disorder often mimics ADHD and is misdiagnosed as such.
The impulsiveness was his worst symptom but both meds made him so much more irritable and aggresive, more disruptive noises. I really question his diagnoses because reading the side effects of the ADHD meds it says it may make anxiety, tics and such worse.
[QUOTE=kemi]Thank you all so much. I agree with al that has been said. The biggest problem that my son is having now is impulsiveness. He just can't keep his hands (feet) to himself. .
Those are the exact reasons that lead my husband and I to medication. My son's teacher talked to me and said that DS is a good boy, however, he is so impulsive that he himself doesn't even realize he did something(poking, touching, getting in other's space,etc.) until AFTER he does it!
Mediation is what put an end to all that impulsiveness for us.
Regards
Thank you all so much. I agree with al that has been said. The biggest problem that my son is having now is impulsiveness. He just can't keep his hands (feet) to himself. Yesterday was his 3rd day in the new school. I picked him up and he said he had a great day did not get in trouble at all. I told him I would treat him fopr dinner as a reward. A little while later the teacher called and said he had a horrible day. Poking and hitting kids, she moved his desk and then his disruptions started, mouth noises, banging, pounding, stomping.
What I have noticed at home is that he has been doing so much better on focusing on his homework but at school many times he refuses to do his work, erases the names off other kids papers and puts his name on. At his old school he was hiding papers, especially in transit to the office.
I strongly feel most of his issues are from the sensory processing disorder. Even though my ins. is not covering occupational therapy, I made him an appt. for this coming Monday. I will just have to pay out of pocket. I am desparate and my child is literally screaming for help.
Get a new doctor. The primary reason is that Strattera is never given the way you describe. Please read the link below - not necessarily to have your child take strattera but to see what the doctor should have told you regarding the medication.
http://millermom.proboards107.com/index.cgi?board=general&am p;action=display&thread=1067310659
Second, the way you should give any stimulant based meds is slow. You should not start with a long acting med. You need to start with a short acting med on a low dose, and slowly increase until you see the desired effects.
Find a Dr. that specializes in ADHD. It doesn't necessarily have to be a psychologist, neurologist, etc. Just someone with ALOT of experience dealing with ADHD. They need a large practice with a ton of experience so they know the disorder inside and out and know the effects of all the meds.
Best of luck. You need to know what you are dealing with before loading your child up on meds.
Did he have normal development? Speak on time? Does he know how to make friends? Personally, I'd take him to a NeuroPsych. They can test him for ADHD and beyond. He could other neurological issues. People setting him off is sort of a red flag for something more than ADHD, and a pill won't fix it if he has that. OCD is part of this problem too. These kids tend to have obsessions. I would see somebody else for diagnostics. ADHD treatment only help ADHD.