hi, new here | ADHD Information

WElcome!

My son was dx'd at ~7years of age and is now 18 and doing well.  To help with the drug's effect of appetite suppression when he was young, I gave him a cereal bar along with his medicine first thing in the morning.  It also settled his stomach from any rection to the med.  He didn't eat too much in the day time but would make up for itin the evening when Ritalin would wear off.  Hope this helps.

hope you find much support and information here.

He does see his psychiatrist next Wednesday so I will mention the Tenex and periactin.  Those both sound like they could work for him. 

He has ADHD with Anxiety.  Educationally, he has low processing abilities.  He also has some social skills issues. The psych noticed some tics when talking to him before but we have not discussed that more. 

I don't know what his levels of seraquel were- he didn't have a blood test. ?

Ugh I'm more confused than ever.

 

Jennifer

Hi, this is my first time here. I have a 7 year old boy who was dx'd with ADHD in October (but I've known there was something up since he was 2  )  I also have a 3 year old boy who is nothing like his brother.

He is currently on 27mg of Concerta, and 26 mg of seraquil at night to sleep.  But I need to have that changed- it does nothing for his sleeping.  I like the Concerta, it's like night and day with him, but the dr is worried about his weight, and I'm tired of fighting with him every meal.  He is at 54 lbs.

I find that he has "missed" a lot of school, until he was on the meds, and now he is struggling.  I have him enrolled in Sylvan, but he hasn't started yet.

Anyway, it looks like there's great information here, and I look forward to "meeting" all of you!

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer. My son is 6 and is in the process of getting diagnosed(I know he has ADHD) but I guess I need the experts to tell me...Anyway, he is not on meds or anything yet but hopefully he will get some assistance in some form in the next few months(before he starts first grade!)He too is a picky eater already and I am worried about his appetite being supressed. He weighs about as much as your son...so I don't know if I will pick concerta for him?? My niece takes straterra and she seems to eat fine so I am aiming towards that one a little more. I was having problems getting my son to sleep but like others on here so I have been giving him melatonin. It works great so you may want to try that. Since they are around the same weight I would say it should effect him around the same-can't say for sure...Anyway, welcome to the board and like you it is one day and some times one hour at a time here!! Good Luck

54 pounds at age 7...my guy was 54 pounds at age 10....just a few months ago....he is finally gaining weight, and is up to about 59-60....

Ask the doctor about periactin for appetite stimulation, and either melatonin or tenex/guanfacine for the sleep.  The tenex also has been known to aid in weight gain.  I don't know about you, but I would rather try to treat side effects of a drug that is working for ADHD symptoms, than get on the med roller coaster looking for another ADHD med....sleep and appetite issues are a side effect of almost all of them....

The periactin is just an antihistamine that has been shown to stimulate appetite, even in anorexics and the elderly.  Chase has been taking it for months now and there are no bad side effects at all. Within 3 days he was hungry.  He has gained from about 53 to almost 60 pounds since about November or so....some of that was weight lost on the med, some is new weight.  This child has never seen 60 pounds his whole life and he will be 11 in July.  He has only been on meds for 1 year...

There is a 5-6 page thread in the meds forum on the tenex....go and read up on it, maybe it is something you would like to suggest to the doctor.

Welcome to the board!

Thank you!  Yeah, we tried Melatonin and it didn't do anything either.  Many of his behaviours are rooted in anxiety, so I think I'm going to discuss trying clonodine at bedtime, because I think that helps with anxiety??  (somebody correct if I'm wrong...).  It's a vicious circle with him because if he doesn't get sleep he's super grumpy, gets in trouble at home and at school, then refuses to eat...kwim?

Sometimes it's one minute at a time! 

What's that saying- if I don't laugh, I'll cry.

I think the tenex helps with the anxiety as well, but is less sedating and can be taken in the morning as well for aiding in the hyperactivity and impulsiveness.  It has mellowed Chase a ton, and I really think that it has been a big part of the weight gain, though my ped said she had never seen it make any of her patients gain weight....

Google it and read up or go the the medications forum and read that thread...it is very informative.

Here is the link

http://www.adhdnews.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24770& PN=1

Is ADHD the only diagnosis? or is there a comorbid?

What were the levels of Seroquel at his last blood draw? This may be why he is not sleeping.

You really need to speak to your Psych.

Seroquel is an anti-psychotic, used to control manic episodes in bi polar and schizophrenic patients, and cannot be stopped cold turkey.

I would definetely speak to your psych about it, and if he is not seeing a psychiatrist i would get to one ASAP.

 

My son is 10 and weighs 60,  I take him off the meds on the weekends so he can eat like crazy.  He also eats a lot before bed.  The doctors says give him anything he wants at night.  This is the only way to keep his weight up, or steady.  I just bought Melatonin today so we will see if helps with sleep,  I couldnt find chewable pills so i crushed it and put it in his fetticine.  So far he doesnt seem to tired.  Maybe because he didnt eat it all.  Lets see what happens.  Chasesmom, youre the expert.  Chewable Melatonin? what brand.?  Thanks

aus10  I would not say I am an expert...just a mom who has had good results with the melatonin.....but thanks!

Are you in the U.S.?  If so, go to GNC, and ask for the sublingual melatonin.  It is right next to the regular kind on the shelf at my GNC.  It is cherry flavored and melts under the tongue....if not look online...google sublingual melatonin....I think it may be better to crush the other kind and stick it on a spoonful of applesauce...the studies say 1/2 to 1mg is the optimal dose..too much can have the opposite affect and keep people awake.

Mina...ask your doc about periactin for appetite...it has done wonders for Chase and his appetite issues.  It is just an antihistamine that has a side effect of appetite stimulation.  No other side effects that I have seen in Chase except perhaps it has helped Chase sleep a little better....tenex/guanfacine has also helped him to gain weight and sleep much better.  Once the periactin was added, within 3 days Chase was saying "I am hungry!  What do you have to eat?!"  I had not heard those words in months.  He gained back the 4 pounds or so that he had lost, but stagnated there.  We added guanfacine for aggression/anger, etc...and the pounds started coming on..in one month, he gained 3 pounds.  My ped said she had not had the experience of the guanfacine aiding in weight gain, but I think it is helping....AND the guanfacine helps Chase so much in other ways as well...he is calmer, better able to cope with frustration, just more mellow..at age 10 (11 in July) he is just now hovering at 60 pounds...

Have you tried the ritalin LA?  This has been a great drug for Chase.  He was on the concerta, and this totally sucked away his appetite, then after about 8 months was not effective any longer, and I did not want to go up on the mg...so we tried ritalin LA.  This one releases in 2 doses...one immediately, and one about 4 hours later.  Chase is now hungry for lunch, and an afterschool snack, and eats a fair dinner.  Then after dinner, in the evening, he is hungry again and usually eats a snack.  He is doing well in school, and the ritalin LA/guanfacine combo is a gold mine!  I am not sure whether it is the new stim, or the combo of the stim and the guanfacine, but we have a winner here. It lasts him all day at school....sometimes when he does not get to his homework immediately after school, we have to give a fast acting ritalin to get through it, but not too often....I give it to him at 8 am, and it seems to be in his system till about 6 pm....it is all individual, but you may want to try it....

Hi, I am also new to this site.

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to know someone understands what I am going through with my 7 yr old son. He is 42 pounds gains up to 3 pounds only to lose again. He is taking ritalin. It works very well for him. It is like night and day. I tried to take him off the meds on the weekends, um no. I cut back to half when I can. If we are not going anywhere, or having company. The teacher and everyone at his school are very aware of him when his meds end. I had to ask the school nurse to give him his meds before lunch now, so that he could focus in class. He is getting good reports since we did this. I am just concerned about his eating lunch. He has always been a picky eater. The nurse said that she is watching him at lunch. He calls her the luch police. Ha,ha he is a funny one. I dread the SAT test coming up. He has such a hard time in the evening sitting down to do anything. Study time is so hard for him and me. I have ADD. This is tough!!!!!
Thank God he does sleep well.I guess we're lucky.  7 year old son is on 36mg Concerta.  It lasts about 10 hours.  He eats alot in the morning before I even give him his meds and then it wears of around 5:30 pm so by 6:30 he's famished and I let him eat all he wants  as long as it's healthy foods.  He's in bed by 8 and sleeps well.  If I need him to concentrate for an evening event I just give him his med a little later.