Mom of ADHD 7 yr old -- heartbroken | ADHD Information

Make sure that you make a list of things that you want to ask the doctor. It is so easy to forget that one thing, and some doctors are not too available by phone to ask. If you are interested in the tenex (guanfacine), you may want to google it, print out the info, and take it with you....or go to the medications forum here, find the 7 page tenex thread, and print out all the parent's comments on the med. Maybe then if the ped is unfamiliar, that will prompt her to learn more about it! You may be helping more ADHD children on the base in the future!

Let us know what you find out!

Thank you guys so much for all your input this thursdays doctors appt should be interesting. My husband is in the military so we see military doctors and so far i am not happy with this pediatrician. I may have to demand to see a doctor out in town if she doesnt have the enthusiam that i need for her to about this. This is my little girls happiness and i wont settle for anything but the best!!! Thanks again to all of you and please keep the info coming. I will let you know how the doctors appointment goes.

Wow, you made a good chioce getting out of that office. He probably got a little insecure that you had researched things. And as far as crackpot info on the internet. I must say I have gotten more out of this board than I have in the past year and half with the psyhciatrist. I suggested Daytrana for my son who couldn't take meds through mouth. He said lets try it. And my life is alot easier through knowledge of interent and this board. Good luck!

Wow. You did the right thing getting a new doc. My kids' psychiatrist discusses with me current study results and articles I bring in. He has even thanked me for picking up something he had not seen yet. He keeps a busy schedule and cannot keep up on every new bit of info.

I hope you get a good fit with a new doc.

Like many others, my child doesn't eat much while the meds are in his system during the day, but he's starving at night after the meds wear off. He eats as much as two-three dinners! He eats right up until he falls asleep. We've compromised that he's allowed nonmessy foods in his room as long as he continues to eat them neatly. He eats bags of cereal (Cheerios or Chex), egg rolls and dumplings (no sauce), bowls of pasta, pizza, hot dogs, corn dogs. We have him eat in his room because it allows DH and me some time to ourselves and to do household jobs.

If he eats no lunch at all, he gets hungry around 5:15. If he eats something for lunch, he eats the first dinner at about 6:15. He then eats a batch more at 7:30, and the last round at 8:30ish. We cut off food at 9:00 usually, but we make exceptions for another 15 minutes or so if he's still hungry (we rarely need to do this). He's asleep at around 9:30.

I should add that we brush his teeth before the last round of food. If we wait until too close to bedtime, he gets too tired and ADHD is acting up too much to brush his teeth. We give him foods without sugar and that won't get stuck in his teeth. It's not ideal, but it's a compromise we've had to make.

OH MY GOD I AM SOOOOO MAAAAADDDDDD!! We went to the doctor today and it was horrible. I brought along letters from the teacher, report cards, you guys posts and a ton of info on Tenex and he pretty much told me that i was an idiot and to stay off the internet that all you get is crackpot info on the internet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been so mad in my life. I ended the visit, insisted that he write a new script for her adderall, cause she was out, and told him i would find another doctor to control emilys adhs. I promptly called a child pshycologist and made a new patient appointment. She sees him on may 15th. I have never been more mad. He wouldnt even look at the stuff i brought. His solution was to up her adderall and reevaluate in 6 months. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So we will go to the child pshycologist in may and hopefully he will have a brain in his head!!!!

Do you mean psychologist or psychiatrist? A psychologist can't prescribe meds, but a psychiatrist(who has an MD)can prescribe. Either way, you want a specialist in ADHD to manage the meds. Good luck!hey guys i totally agree chasesmom needs a medall!!! Now a question how much melatonin do i need to give her and how often? She is 7 and weighs 53 pounds!!!!!!They say the less the better...so give 1mg about 1/2 to 1 hour before bedtime.....it should be enough. It is not weight dependant...the studies show the higher doses may cause the opposite effect (sleep problems) or nightmares. The pills I have are 3 mg, so I often break one in half. Marcelmom also uses 1.2 of a 3mg tablet for her son and reports that it works famously.

[QUOTE=aus10]Chasesmom, Thanks for the info we have a GNC close. I want to try it to see if he may get tired earlier especially with star testing next week. You're very quick to respond. Thanks again, I would have vote you mom of the year![/QUOTE]

Thank you for the vote! You will have to clue my son in...he is currently mad at me because he is grounded off playstation due to having several missing (never turned in ) assignments on his progress report....and him informing me that he "doesn't need to fill in his planner every day"....I can't get through his head that if he fills in the planner, he won't forget assignments....we are kind of at an impasse right now...

Our testing is next week too...I think I will give the melatonin to Chase each night too. I usually only give it if he says he can't fall asleep, but it may be a good idea to be proactive during testing week.

Chasesmom, Thanks for the info we have a GNC close. I want to try it to see if he may get tired earlier especially with star testing next week. You're very quick to respond. Thanks again, I would have vote you mom of the year!

[QUOTE=aus10]Chasesmom I am looking for the chewable melatonin. I've been to Longs Walmart and nothing any ideas?[/QUOTE]

My child takes melatonin that dissolves in his mouth (sublingual). I got it at GNC.

dear noodlesmommy:

My son is nine years old and has had the same problems with eating at night. I asked my dr. about this and he said that I am to let him eat whenever he wants (even if it is befor bed) because concerta depresses his appetite and when the medication starts to wear off he will become hungry (which is usually at night). For a long time I was not letting him eat at night, and he was loosing weight (which according to my dr. was not good). Since I have been letting him eat at night, he has gained 2 lbs. in a month.

To everyone that has problems with the child/children sleeping: My dr. suggested that in addition to his concerta I should also give him 3 fish oils a day and at night, about 1/2 hour before bedtime 3 mg of melatonin (a vitamin that helps in sleep aid). Since my son has been on this regimin, things have been alot better at home and at school.Chasesmom and mom2adhdboys everything you are saying is true. If you don't have an outlet, to discuss these problems, it is only kept inside. It isn't something you can talk with everyone. A lot of my knowledge as a newbie has come from here, and I know that you all are here for me and I am here for you. I hope the next doc is much better.

You are so right to get a new doctor!! My ped was willing to look at the info that I brought in and though she was not as sold on the tenex as I was, she agreed it was a good med and worth a try for Chase's issues....

And like all the others here....I have learned so much on this board! If not for the parents on this board, Chase would not be eating, would still be struggling socially and in misery on the bus and at recess each day. With the info I have gained here, he is self confident and happy, and on honor roll at school for the 4th grading period in a row....and he has gone over 60 pounds for the first time in his life!

I love this board and a nurse at my ped's office sang the praises of message boards that are dedicated to supporting parents of children with this (or any) disorder. She said that the sharing of ideas and solutions can only help everyone involved.

[QUOTE=noodlesmommmy]

OH MY GOD I never knew that the meds could make her hungry like that. I was told they would supress her appetite. I really feel bad I was getting on to her for sneaking food and she couldnt help it. The micromanaging is horrible. And I feel bad cause she is so sweet and thinks she is helping. Like a t school when she was reading in partners, if her partner gpt stuck on a word she would tell them what it was, and then the partner would get mad and tell her to let them do it themselves, and I tried to explain to her that they are learning too and need to figure it out the same way she did and all she can say is i was just trying to help. I am taking her back to the doctor on thurs for a med check. She has been on adderall for over 9 months and it has worked great until now. I dont know if they should up the dose, add something else or change it all together. I hate to change her meds again and start all over. Anyway thank you all so much for your input you have put a whole new light on all of this for me. Thanks again.

Jes

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Hi,

I have a son who's on Concerta. He gets hungry around bedtime also. I never thought that would be when the meds are wearing off. I will start giving him more to eat. He's also very thin and has been since a baby.

How's your daughter with impulisive behavior? My son can't keep his hands to himself at school, which is really froned upon. He'll hit another child, but can't tell anyone why he did it.

Any thoughts on this.

Hey there Son has ADD,

The reason we put our son on meds is because of his impulsive behaviour, like what you describe in your post about your son! Mine would do things unacceptable, and not even realize he did it!! Even the teacher knew it!

If your son is on concerta and STILL being impulsive, then his meds are NOT working. The meds need to be increased. You may also want to try guanfacine/tenex for this in addition to the concerta.

Beth

When my son took fish oil, he got horrible acid reflux that made him vomit almost every night and have constant heartburn and acid.....it took me a month to figure out it was the fish oil and the poor kid had to throw up 3 or 4 times a night till I figured it out....I know lots of kids take it with no problems, but it did not agree with Chase and I am sure he isn't the only one....my ped said it is just like anything else...everyone is different and what works wonderfully for one, another cannot handle.

The melatonin, however is a godsend! Works like a charm!

Chasesmom I am looking for the chewable melatonin. I've been to Longs Walmart and nothing any ideas?I found sublinguil (melt under the tongue) cherry flavored 1 mg melatonin at GNC for my grand daughter.....like - for 60 tablets.... it may also be available online if there is no GNC near you....or try a health food store...they may have something similar. chasesmom7939199.7978703704

Hi, my daughter is the same way... she is on concerta and when it wears off she is hungry and at 8pm or so. I let her eat... and generally it helps her sleep with a fully tummy.

Try to give her a food bar... the odwalla bars are good, 240 calories.

Good luck

I find my son sneaks candy and cookies if he sees them. It's always been more of an impulse control issue than a hunger issue. However, once I started keeping the sweets up in a high cupboard with my mixing bowls that he never goes into for anything else he stopped swiping them. Out of site, out of mind. As an added bonus I lost a couple of pounds after I moved them.

I tried the bedtime snack, but it quickly turned into a huge ordeal so we moved dinner back to 6:45 so that his meds have worn off and he's hungry enough to eat. I just have to be sure to give my daughter a big healthy snack after school or she doesn't make it.

Yes that worked for me too for a time...moving dinnertime back til 7:00 made it easier for Chase to be hungry, but like you say, any other children will need a snack to tide them over. Since he has been on the ritalin LA, he has had a much better appetite, so it is no longer an issue, though he does still usually get hungry right at bedtime.

noodlesmommy, the meds do suppress the appetite, but once the med wears off, the child is often ravenous. If you can stay on the ball, and get the snack time in without a big hassle, so it doesn't turn into a huge ordeal with choices an dawdling ( I can totally see how that may happen jaderock), then this may keep her from being sneaky. Also if you do as jaderock says and keep the tempting things out of sight, that may make things easier as well.

Is your daughter sleeping well? Sometimes lack of sleep can cause some unwanted daytime behaviors as well.

If the med is working well for school, you almost hate to change it. It is sometimes easier to deal with the side effects, than to start all over with another med......discuss tenex with the doctor, it may just solve a lot of your dd's problems...

I second everything chasesmom79 said. My dd is also on tenex. She is eating a lot more now. Especially right before bed (perhaps this is just a delay tactic). She gained 3 lbs in the last 4 months and grew 1 inch. I simply could not believe it! If she wants a snack before bed, I have fruit lying around. She'll eat a banana or a pear, for instance.I am in the same situation, and have a younger child who drinks all the boost drinks, eats all the ice cream etc. As a rule i dont buy junk but trying to find something with health and fat, that my younger one wont touch. IMPOSSIBLE. His doc suggested LARABAR. You can buy it at wholefoods or trader joes. My son did it the apple. I think they are filling and full of nutriance. Its in the nutruent bar section. sorry spelling is bad at this hour.LOL If she wants food at night I'd give it to her just make sure the teeth get brushed. Its so hard I know and not my style at all but I have to do it for him. I never tell anyone I do this. But the doc told me to so I feel better.My daughter emily is wonderful. She was diagnosed 2 years ago when she started kindergarden. We have tried Concertta and currently she is on adderal xl. She did great on adderall for a while but lately it has gotten so bad all i can do is cry. She is having alot of problems with her peers. She tries to "micromanage" everyone and her friends at home and at school complain that she is bossy and mean. It breaks my heart to see her crying because no one wants to play with her. Her grades are great but her behavior at home and at school is horrible. She is very anxious and nervous all the time. She lies and hides things. Tonight i asked her to get ready for bed and she went to the kitchen to get water and when she came through the living room she had her hands in her shirt, I asked her to take them out and she started crying, I had to take her hands out of her shirt and thats when i saw she was holding a piece of cake. I dont understand what is going on. She does this kind of stuff alot. Always hiding things and then getting extemely emotional when she gets caught. I had getting on to her and I feel like I am always having to call her on something. I feel like a horrible parent and I dont know what to do!! Any sugggestions?

Hi, I was reading your post. Is she overweight? Or is this a rule, not to eat after a certain time. My is son 10yrs is very skinny and doesn't eat much during the day. It could be the meds and she really is hungry at night. His doc says give him anything at night he wants. As much as I hate to do it I do for him because he needs that bulk. I think at this point , make sure that your're keeping the communication with her, as it seems there is but if she is hiding things then she is feeling bad about something. Probably friends, find her niche where she is happiest. And encourage it. All of us have so much stress with our adhds, your not a horrible parent, especially if you are here trying to look for support and ideas. I may be the opposite in children as you but trust me its the same stress.

She is not overweight she is actually skinny and has been since she was a baby. The not eating before bed is just a rule, mostly to keep her from eating junk and staying up all night. Alot of times she wont eat her dinner but she wants junk right before bed. I dont know what to do

Hi noodlesmommy! Your poor little girl.

I think from reading your post that there is anxiety involved in this as well. It is like she is afraid to ask so she sneaks. And because she is so young, and innocent, she thinks she may get away with it, even though her hands are obviously hiding something.

I would talk with her, maybe find out what else is up with her. Make her feel comfortable and safe, secure. She may open up, she should, your her mom!

My son couldn't handle adderall xr, he was real mean and bossy on it. We stopped after 2-3 days because he is not like that at all and never has been again. Concerta along with guanfacine has really done the trick! Guanfacine helps with anxiety by the way, and overstimulation. It helps them relax. You may want to ask your doctor about it for your little girl.

What else is going on in school, is she having "girl trouble?" Girls are really tough. My son never went through anything that my daughter goes through socially. Boys are so laid back, oblivious to that social stuff. They just want to play.

I also find that when my son's meds start wearing off, he eats sugar. I also let him. He doesn't have any rebound issues as long as he eats something. Her body may be craving it from her meds, just a thought!

Keep us posted!

Beth

BETHANN39195.9062615741You might want to try a different med or give her guanfacine for the anxiety.
My ds did horrible on adderall. He was mean as well. Not himself at all. We
find that Daytrana works great. Now we are battling the anxiety and will
have to add something for that. I am so glad school is almost over!

I know it is your rule (and it used to be mine too) no eating before bed, but on these meds, that just happens to be when the hunger returns. I have found, as many of the moms here have, that it is often more time efficient to give the snack, then to argue the point. They get their belly filled and go to bed happily, without the tears..

Perhaps you should sit her down, and have a talk. Tell her that you will give her 2 snack choices 10 minutes before bedtime. She will need to choose one of them, eat it and proceed to teeth brushing and bed willingly. Make the choices appealing, and then her belly will be full, and she will be happier to go on to bed. To satisfy her sweet tooth (and add needed calories), maybe she could have some ice cream.....

The tearfulness and the micromanaging sound just like Chase before we added the guanfacine. I take care of a set of 5 year old autistic twins in my home daycare....and Chase was always saying to them "Hands out of your mouth!" "Sit up straight!" "Don't chew on that!" He was jumping up every 2 seconds with another command....I would even tell him he needed to stop micromanaging....these behaviors of the twins are things he is never going to alter anyhow....no on the guanfacine, he is more able to let it go.....and not issue command after command....that they didn't follow anyhow!

Jes