Help needed! | ADHD Information

The first few times I took him to the ped he just ignored my ADD/ADHD ideas. They have brochures in their office about it but refuse to acknowledge it??? I finally told them I was going to the psych. When I brought him back to the ped and showed them the psych files they seemed to be more accepting of the diagnosis. Maybe because of my young age, he assumed I was over-reacting ??? I don't know ... I've yet to find a ped/family dr that will treat any kind of "mental illness" (depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD) ... Everyone that I know has had to go to a psych to get help ... And our psych said that is very common these days because of so many misdiagnoses ...

Did he show this behavior before meds came into the picture? If not, it may be due to the meds, as mentioned above. I've read that a common side-effect of stimulants is aggression and a side-effect of strattera is a testy attitude (to put it nicely). I would start by finding a well-known child psychiatrist with expertise in medication management for ADHD and go from there. You might want to research the side-effects of those two meds.

I read the temporal lobe ADHD description, but don't you need to get a baseline off meds? I mean, off meds you'd see what he really has. I would think that meds could muck up the real diagnosis if you don't have the right meds at the right dosage.

I totally agree....a good psych can evaluate his issues and effectively give him the right meds and manage dosages. 

Yes he always has shown signs of aggression. Severe temper tantrums. The psych was thinking anger management issue and/or ADHD but after a positive response from the meds she stuck with just ADHD. She gave me tips on the anger management but it hasnt been an issue in ages. Its like he's another child ...

Really sad

Everything has so many negative side effects. I dont like the meds, although I really dont know where we'd be without them (especially since the behavior has gone down hill - what would it be like without the meds?!?!?) ... I feel like I have to use my son as a guinea pig ... I know its necessary to see what works for him but I feel bad when I hear about kids having negative side effects, losing weight, insomnia ... I just dont want him to have to experience anything worse than he already does ...

Oh, and the meds have not affected his appetite. The kid eats from sunrise to sundown! He just doesnt gain weight ... Someone told me to give him foods high in protein ... He really wants to play football (he already plays soccer) but he is underweight ...

 

My daughter (aged 20) has always eaten like a horse...and was 50 pounds in 7th grade...in high school, the health teacher was concerned that she may have a disorder....started questioning her friends on her eating habits....did she diet, etc.  Then the teacher finally asked Chelsea herself....she was in cheerleading, dance, etc,and between all the practices, games and lessons, was active almost every night after school.  She just burned it off...she is still an enthusiastic eater and 5 foot 4 inches tall, about 125 pounds...she just has a fast metabolism....

That could be the case with your son....he will gain eventually as long as he is still eating the right foods.  Try feeding more protein....but don't worry so much, he is still very young, he will be fine....

If a med drastically decreases his appetite, try another....if one affects his sleep, add melatonin...all natural, and a tiny bit brings on a good night's sleep in many cases....try not to worry about what 'may' happen....just take it as it comes and deal with it....could be the meds will not affect him in that way at all....

At 45 lbs his target dose is somewhere between 24 and 36 mgs, that is why you are seeing the behaviors you are seeing, he is too low. Too Low of a dose od Strat causes mood swings, just as too high will cause other side effectsALso, most peds will not diagnose ADHD, it is not in their area of expertise.

My son is 5 and has been on medication for about a year now. Here's our story ...

We tried Metadate 10mg and he did "okay" with that. The doctor increased it to 20mg and his behavior went backwards. We took him off the meds and changed his diet. That lasted for about two weeks when I could not handle it anymore. I didn't know what to do. I read 100 books, websites, articles, etc - nothing was working. We put him back on 10mg and continued to monitor his diet.

When he started kindergarten the teacher made a comment about his attention span, or lack there of, and his inability to sit still for extended periods of time. I took him back to the doctor and he added 18mg of Strattera to his 10mg of Metadate. He takes both in the morning before school. I actually wake him up an hour or so before so he can take his meds. This way, they are in his system by the time he has to get up and out the door for school. I really believe this helps because the days that he takes the meds with his breakfast, he always acts out, cant stay on task, etc.....

So this brings us to current day. The past few weeks have been pure hell. He is becoming violent, angry, aggressive ... The same signs that he showed in the very beginning. A few days ago, he threw a hamburger at my mom. Yesterday, she took him to the bookstore with my sister. My sister wanted an iced coffee and so did my son. My mom told him that they were going to go to the 7-11 to get him a slurpee and snack, like he asked for, and that he probably would not like the coffee ... His response was running from her, into the parking lot and darting in front of a truck. She dropped everything in her hands and dove to stop him, which she did, but then he bit her, scratched her, punched her ...

The only thing I can come up with is that his meds are having a negative effect on him. All his old behaviors are coming back. His attention span is about 50/50, while it has been great at school. He still has the normal 5-year-old impulses but I'm concerned that this is the beginning of a downward spiral (as if its not downward enough).

I've spent my morning doing more research and the only thing I come across is Temporal Lobe ADHD. Does anyone know what this is? This site I was reading was listing all of these homeopathic meds (Attend, Neuran - made by Vaxa). Can anyone provide me insight??? I've done the diet, the meds, and I don't know what else to do ... Please help!

*** I wanted to add that his old behavior does not just consist of angry outbursts - his outbursts spawn from being frustrated with him not getting what he wants - more like a temper tantrum - not just agressive for no reason. Okay, so that is kind of "no reason" but I think you know what I mean ... ***

First of all...is metadate the only stim he has tried?  There are many to choose from, and just because metadate is not a good fit, that does not mean that one of the others will not be wonderful for his symptoms.

Secondly, I have never heard of temporal lobe ADHD, but that just means I have never heard of it, I am sure it is out there....but I do know that even among those that use the alternative methods with good results, they all maintain that going this route takes a long while, that the supplements, and homeopathic meds (attend, focus....) may help, but take time, some not kicking in fully for weeks ..same with diet.  Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds like your patience is quite thin.....weeks may not be what you are looking for...

Call the doctor, discuss your son's reactions to the med....be sure to rule out bipolar, as this disorder reacts quite badly to ADHD meds when it is not addressed medically first, before the introduction of ADHD meds.  Ask to try a different stim...there are others that can be sprinkled on to applesauce if your child cannot swallow pills yet, if you do choose to try a pill, there are many strategies to help you teach him to swallow a pill.  A med change may be all that is called for. Many times for no real reason, what used to work (it did work for a while?) suddenly stops working and the med needs changed.  Also, there is a med called tenex(guanfacine) that works well for impulsive behaviors (running out in front of a truck), hyperactivity (is this why you could not stand it any longer during the med break to try diet changes?), aggression (hitting his grandma, throwing food at people) and anger (getting angry when told he could not have the iced coffee).  This is a BP med that has been used quite successfully as an augment to the stim meds, and sometimes alone to help with many ADHD symptoms...focus is the only one that it does not seem to be a big help with.  Google it or PM me, I would be glad to answer any questions on it as would vickie, or bethann....

Good luck and be sure to keep us posted, I am sure that there will soon be more postings to help you in your dilemma...perhaps vickie will post her med chart with all of the meds for ADHD listed.

chasesmom7939142.4248611111

His pediatrician is against meds as is - I had to go to a psychiatrist to get him on the metadate - once he was on that, his pediatrician would write the script for him, and his pediatrician is the one who added the Strattera. Which was surprising to me, because his psych was so against it ... A woman I used to worked with had her son on Aderral (sp?) and he was EXACTLY like my son, but she said it caused her son to lose alot of weight. My son is already a little guy, and he holds strong at about 44lbs! I can't imagine him losing more ...

My patience is thin not for my own sanity, well maybe a little, but I feel so helpless sometimes. I can't imagine how he must feel in his busy little mind and body. I feel horrible that a hug just doesn't work anymore ...

Temporal Lobe ADHD ADHD Different Types

There are six different types of ADHD. Here we describe the most difficult type to live with and to treat.

Really Hard ADHD

The Temporal Lobes and ADHD

Some people with ADHD can be very hard to live with. They can have gigantic mood swings, get very angry for almost no reason, and be nearly impossible to live with on a daily basis. The key to look for with this type of ADHD is anger outbursts for little or no reason...

People with decreased activity in the left temporal lobes can especially have problems with temper outbursts, aggressive behaviors, and even violence toward animals or other people.

Temporal Lobe ADHD is characterized by:

Inattention, just like in other kinds of ADHD because during concentration there is a decrease in activity in the pre-frontal cortex; Being easily irritated or frustrated; Aggressive behaviors; Dark moods, big mood swings; Impulsivity; Breaking rules, in trouble a lot, in fights a lot; Defiant toward authority, disobedient toward parents and others; Can't get along with others, can be anti-social or just in trouble a lot; Often has terrible handwriting and problems learning; You expect him to be arrested at any time...

Individuals with this type of ADHD are often treated with a combination of stimulants, like Ritalin, and anti-convulsants.

For someone who wanted to try an alternative treatment approach, or an additional treatment approach, we would recommend

GABA (an inhibitory nerortransmitter) to act as an anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety agent, Phosphatidyl Serine (and other phosphatidyls), DMAE, Pregnenolone, and Ginko as memory enhancers to help with the learning problems and these people sometimes are helped by Ibuprofen in small doses. no St. John's Wort or Hypericum, as it could make things worse.

Using the VAXA natural medicine product line, our recommended protocol would look like this:

ATTEND, 2 capsules per day NEURAN, 4 capsules per day

Two capsules of the ATTEND contain GABA (33mg), and DL-PA (16mg) for mood stabilization, plus L-Tyrosine (67mg), Ginko (33mg), Phosphatidyl Serine (0.5mg) and other phosphatidyls (200mg) and DMAE (33mg) and Pregnenolone (8mg) for learning enhancement. There are over 70 total ingredients in ATTEND to help with learning, performance, and mood.

Four capsules of NEURAN contain GABA (240mg), and DL-PA (32mg) for mood stabilization. Children might take less. Consult your healthcare professional.

As you can see, using the Neuran along with the Attend can enhance the mood stabilization components without adding either St. John's Wort or Hypericum, which can make the problem worse. These two products together can also enhance learning and memory, and therefore school performance or work performance.

What is his weight, 18 mg may not be enough, or may be too much. Straterra is dosed by weight, 1.2-1.8 mgs per kilo, and is VERY striclty dependent on formula.

Also, starting at 18 mgs was probably too high, how long has he been on it? it takes 4-6 weeks once you reach the target dose to see results.

OMG  this form sounds a lot like my oldest daughter....she was not really defiant, but was extremely hard to get along with, loner, no legal troubles....

I really think that you need to go back to the psych...strattera also made my best friend what she called "_itchy", she said it just made her feel angry all the time and ready to bite someones head off.  Ask for a med change (a trial of something else) and if it works, have your ped write the script.  It sounds like your ped is uninformed as to med management for ADHD, many of them are unfortunately.  I am lucky to have one who is not uninformed....

Unfortunately one of the side effects of the stims is often appetite suppression, but there are ways to counteract that....periactin, and also tenex is often prescribed to augment the stims for just this reason and works wonders for my son's appetite.

true, edbson..I am woefully uninformed as to strattera...I never thought of that.  And I would be uncomfortable with that ped....against meds, but prescribing them.....

He is about 45lbs ... He started at 10mgs for two weeks to make sure he had to adverse reaction and then it increased to 18mgs ... And hes been on it for about five months ... The Strattera made a HUGE impact almost instantly I saw a difference. At home, school, with friends. It was great ... Now I just dont know whats going on ...

she said his weight was 44 pounds...

Yes, you can double the 18, BUT that is at the high end of the spectrum for his weight, (1.8 mgs per kilo), so starting with 25 would be better, ramp it slowly .Both would have to be taken at the same time, or divide the dose in the am/pm.Straterra is a "24 hour" drug.

you can find out all the info you want at straterra.com

edbson39142.6719675926Wow, thanks. I am going to contact his ped to see what I can do. We just filled his meds so I wonder if he can double up on the 18? Maybe one in the am before school and one at lunch. Hmmmm...Im going to set an appt now. Thanks so much for everyones help!