ADHD/Anxiety (Bugs) | ADHD Information
My ds is 6 1/2. He has ADHD and anxiety. Daytrana has been wonderfulfor him. However, now that spring has arrived, his anxiety with insects
has taken over. Last summer we had to reduce his focalin (med. he was
on at the time) so that he could participate in outdoor activities. This
spring, the bug thing is happening again. We took him to the zoo and he
nearly had a panic attack. He was terrified of any bees he saw (we saw 1
or 2 maybe). He is so anxious about bees and getting stung. He hates
flies as well. He had never gotten stung or had a bad experience. I know
the Daytrana 15 mg is probably making his anxiety worse. We are
considering trying 10mg patch for weekends and in summer. For school,
he needs 15 mg. I don't know what to do. We are trying to get him
outside to play more and desensitize him. He sees a therapist for his
anxiety every month or so. We talk, read books, etc. about bugs. Does
anyone have any suggestions? I really hate to put him on Zoloft or
another med. since it is only a "warm weather" anxiety. I need some
advice please. I want him to enjoy t-ball, swimming and just playing
outside without all the stress it gives him.My 7 1/2 year old daughter is the same way! She nearly got herself hit by a car because she was freaking out over a bug flying around her, she thought it was a bee. I'm at a lost also with what to do about this, we have started to do the same thing, read about bugs and I've tried to talk to her about her fear about them. My daughter is on ritalin for her ADHD, but has the same thing your son has the summer anxiety with bugs. I wish I could offer you some more advice, but am trying to figure out a way to help my dd as well. I'm glad to know that we are not alone. I am going to see if reducing his
Daytrana to 10 mg (weekends/summer) will help. I would hate to add
another med. Let me know if you have a breakthrough on this.
I can't really advise on this either. My hubby and two sons all run from a room to leave me to deal with a bee but luckily not scared enough to keep them from going outside. I gather you've tried the positive things, like saying a bee gives us honey, or it's God's creature (my son once chastised me for killing an insect, quite rightly telling me it was God's creature). I think keeping the communications lines open is important. Try to bring discussing them into daily conversation (perhaps not around the dining room table though 
) and keep it positive. We used to have a great kids TV programme here called Maya the Bee, showing how USEFUL and FRIENDLY all the bugs were. Maybe trying to get him something like that on DVD would help?
Hey my 6 yo dd also freaks out about bees. We were on a school field trip to the zoo and there two or three of them in our general area and she completely lost it. I don't know what it is, she thinks that they are going to go in her ear. Right now we are on the tough love stage, where she can either deal with nature or go inside. usually when she goes inside she will come back out again and just stay away from them. I know in her class they had a couple of weeks where they talked about bugs and insects, i think that it only made her more spooked by them. sorry i couldn't be more help. good luck. please let us know if you find something that helps.
My daughter was 5 when she was diagnosed with a severe form of ADHD..
constantly having "bad dreams" of bugs crawling all over her..Id rush to her room and pull the covers back and find no bugs....she would lay there rubbing spots all over...frantically...telling me they bit her....and yet not one red spot...
She had sever food allergies...earlier on in life..we continued to endure these nightmares....then as she got older it changed to relentless itching...and squirming....that would in turn "set off" horriable bad moods...this develpoed in to a pattern...i was lost...
before when she was young she had food allergies....which popped up as asthma..bad cases of asthma....that was our only sign of food allergies other than vomiting every now and then....
as she grew up and the itching continued it seemed to come when she was stressed....and appeared as aggitation...
recently we went to a gastro dr.because she has bad case of GERD .he took several biopsies of her stomach and found a bacterial infection in the lining of her stomach..along with a severe over growth of yeast....he treats her with flovent to swallow, singulair..to chew...and aciphex...I asked him why are you treating a bacterial infection with asthma meds...none the less swallowing it...he said she was allergic to a "cell" her body was producing and that was it...and walks out....
well I come home and do extensive research...on what she was diagnosed with...
Eosinophilic Esophagitis Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment by Medicin
she was producing to much Histimine in her stomach..which was washing the lining of it away....in return it was being replaced with yeast...Histimine is a neurotransmitter..and goes straight to the brain.which I think caused the severe itching..etc....
thing is she was diagnosed with severe asthma at 6 months of age..every month we spent weeks in the hospital...with phnemonia...at 14 months of age she saw an allergist..who did the rast test and found she was allergic to wheat, eggs, corn, milk,..she will grow out of this he said...but she always vomited..since the first day I fed her...her allergies went from asthma to to affecting her inward...behaviorly....
the reason...I was just recently told....was that while she vomited..some of it went in to her lungs..causing asthma....anyway ...we removed everything the EE sight said from her diet....for the first time ever the itching stopped...
I asked her..did she always itch like this...she said yes..like creepy crawly bugs all over me...sometimes making me go numb...
so no more wheat gluten in our house...notice..though the baby cereals....ask why and I was told to desensetize...
it has been almost a year since shes been off the wheat, corn, her moods are so much better.. she can concetrate...and the ADHD symptoms have so much settled down...
heres her daily medicine routine...
Adderall 05mgs
Xanax 0.5
Singulair 5 mg <chewable>..
2 puffs of Flovent..<swallowed>
aciphex 1
Claritin 10mgs
I hope this helps some of you ....
with much love
Lore
Sadye39174.8225231481We have decided to reduce his Daytrana to 10 mg to help his anxiety. He isseeing his therapist next week again. She seems to help him. We are
working on "desensitizing" him. - bringing him outside, talking about bugs,
reading about bugs, watching bug videos. I am hoping as the spring
marches on, he will get better. I am also going to bring him to the nature
center in town to have them talk to him about bees and their benefits, etc.
Thanks for all your advice.I had a little boy in my class last year who was ADHD on ritalyn and he would run around the playground getting away from the bugs. We didn't always see the bugs he was referring to but it was a real fear for him. This year he is in first grade, on the same medication, same class, same playground....but no more fear of bugs! I don't know if he just got used to it or what!
Bless your Heart Iganio...
My daughter was 5 when she was diagnosed with ADHD..we have come a long way....I have done a great deal of research..my daughter was a severe case of ADHD..
when she was younger..she used to hit her self upside the head..and when she got older I asked why did you do that..? she said because I just couldnt get it Mom..and I hated my mind because I knew it should have "gotten" the message across....
she used to bite herself very badly..on her hands and wrist....I asked Why..? her reply was...Because my hands wouldnt do what my brain was telling them to do....shes much older now and we can talk about alot of the issues..
I have learned after many years that if you hear with your heart what these precious babies are showing you, you can learn by them to teach them...
alot of these precious babies dont understand facial expressions...and if you learn to say what you feel...along with expression..the point gets across so much faster...<these ADHDers never mind saying what they feel> eh?
and hands on...omg everything handson....they have a extradinary sense....of touch even though they dont like to be touched...and they are curious about everything....in fact...funny thing..the Curious George book...is what has helped my daughter learn to read...which she was in 3rd grade..before she could read..but in 4th grade..she excelled her class...they thrive on feeling security..and they grow....in stability....they need schedules....they love to escape the world in brilliant story telling...you could teach math in story telling...and english.etc.. They learn in colors,because They feel colors....their minds like a unconnected circuit board and you have to place the right current to the right socket...their learning style in repetativeness....like a rock with a tiny water drip..that hits the same spot over and over..till it breaks through....and then...out of the blue somewhere ..they got it....like someone flips on a switch.....and then your heart..enlarged with Joy..feels the tingles of delight..when they concieve....what you have taught them..like tiny little magic fingers...touching you and wrapping..and entertwining..their heart around yours...and a Bond..is fixed..something that will never be broken...
My daughter at age 5 asks....Mommy...Do you know why babies cant talk..? No , Jessica, why cant babies talk....Cuz she says with giggles, They have secrets...I asked with a puzzled look on my face.they have secrets.? Yes Mommy...and she whispers..They arent allowed to tell you about heaven....<tender smiles>
With Much Love2U
Lore