Thanks you all, it is so nice to know so many people know what I'm going through! Today was a much better day. I spoke with his principal, that went very well.
He takes 20 mg of methylin 2x per day, plus 0.1 mg clonidine at night to help him sleep. I have reservations about this one though, I like that it makes him sleep! But I hate what it does to him. He gets pale and cold and just looks so sick. He wakes up great in the morning though.
Aside from the behavior, another concern I have is his growth. He has always been a picky eater and very skinny, and since starting the medication a year ago, he has not gained any weight at all. He has grown slightly taller, but no weight gain. He is sooo skinny. I do everything I can to help him. He drinks Boost and I am always giving him the higher fat/higher calorie choices of food (like full fat milk, etc) He hardly eats lunch at school because he is too distracted by all the kids. I just worry he's not growing ok.
I am sorry you had such a bad day, i think we all can feel your pain, I would defineatly request and IEP this will help with school ETC. My son is 10 and just really got on meds this school year. He couldn't ingest a pill, so we found Daytrana a patch which he is doing great on. It sounds like the meds he is taking are not working anymore. You can get so much info on here and then bring your ideas to your doc or pshc. Welcome, I hope tommorrow is a better day. Just remember you're not alone! We all have had those embarassing days. keep in touchHi and welcome. Sounds like he is being very impulsive. Several of us have had great success adding Tenex (guanfacine) to help with the impulsivity issues. It is a blood pressure med used off-label for ADHD. It also helps with appetite and sleep issues. You should ask your doc about it. You're not alone!I hear you!!! I'm new here too, and I just wanted to say you're not alone.Hi! I am new here too. My son was diagnosed with ADHD combined when he was 5. We have had to change medications 3 times and dosages much more than that. My kid sounds just like yours when the meds stop working. If he is behaving this way while on medication you need to try something else. When it works, it's like a Miracle. You actually get time to breathe and like your child again. I hate it that we have to medicate him but until we find some other way this is a life saver. As for the sleep issue, we have been using Melatonin 1.5 mg every night for the last week and it seems to help. Give it to him like 1/2 hr before bedtime. The side effectgs of Clonidine are low blood pressure, depression and slowed heart rate. That could be the cause of the paleness and low temperature.
He is very smart, and already knows most of what they teach, he just can't concentrate for really any length of time, so it appears that he just doesn't WANT to do the work. He also gets very frustrated and emotional. He'll throw himself on the floor crying just over a simple math problem he can't figure out. He is at or above grade level for reading, but he HATES to read. Mostly I want an IEP for transitions at school, accomodations such as not having to stand in line for the restroom, or letting him go first at lunch, so he has time to eat before he is overstimulated by a lunch room full of children. Also, I want him to not have homework, or less anyway. He is up at 6am, at school for 7 hours a day, then daycare, then he still has an hour (he can turn it in to 2 hours) of homework at night, it is just too much for him. I'd cry and throw fits too! LOLFrom reading the original post, it sounds like what my son was like before medication. Your son may be overstimulated. My son acted like he had NEVER been let out of the house. And if anyone came over, oh my word, he literally FLEW the whole time! I used think that it was as if he was locked up and I finally opened the door. It was crazy some days!
My son has been very successful taking both concerta AND guanfacine. He has such HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that the guanfacine really helps with his overstimulation and impulsiveness.
My son got real skinny then all of a sudden he started to grow, gaining weight and getting taller. He grew 3 pant sizes this year since the fall. His pediatrian said that his body has adjusted to the medication. I never worried about the meds, it was to beneficial to his day.
I tell people that medication saved my son's life, and I truly believe that! Without it, he would have no life!
For an IEP, you will have to have him tested for learning disabilities to see if he qualifies. Is he also having trouble learning in school? Any feedback in this department from his teacher?
Beth
Poor little guy
I really feel bad for him and what he is going through!
What is he taking? It doesn't seem to be helping him, in fact sometimes it's the meds that cause the behavior. I know you mentioned that he was going back to the doctor next week. I would tell him about this and discuss either increasing the dosage or trying a different medication.
Medication takes a while to finally figure out which is the one and then what is the correct dosage. It took my son 6 months to level off! He is still at the same dosage 2 1/2 years later.
If the meds don't make their day successful then they are to be changed. I was told by my prescribing doctor to change immediately. If the dose wasn't successful for my son at school, we increased the VERY NEXT DAY. We never waited for a doctor's appointment. We would call him and tell him what occurred then he would write another prescription and I would pick it up or he would mail it depending on the time frame.
If you think about it it is really cruel to the child to keep sending him to school only to be in trouble.
I hope thing get better for him and your doctor is able to help!