light at the end our long tunnel??? | ADHD Information
I just have to write this out .
After this horrible year...........were doing OK on the tricyclic antidpressant Nortryptiline for 1 1/2 years. Started middle shcool this year and was falling asleep. We decided to try stimulants again..........BAD move..........some of you have heard this already...........sorry.......anyway, the second she went back on stims, here come the tics.....anxiety out the roof, a touch of depression, so here we go again, add some antidpressant, add some of this some of that and send her out the roof with side effects, restlessness, tics, tics, tics, anxiety and the terrible couple of months of trichotillomania (pulling out her eylashaes and brows 
). Soooooo I put the brakes on...........stopped the stims, added Guanfacine. We have now been building Desipramine and stopped the Guanfacine. For the past few weeks, we did the trade off, no more hair pulling (which was the priority in my mind), no more tics 
, eating normally......but, fidgety, hyper, unable to stay on task, super, super impulsive.............we are hitting week 2 of our upped dose............... the past couple of days has remembered to put her retainer in at night without me prompting her, has handled multi tasked directions and just this morning, I am talking to her sister from one room and she starts from another room, I say, "OK I can only talk to one at a time", she STOPPED, waited until my other conversation finshed, then asked her question . These sound silly, but are huge for us, I am SO relieved...............I hope we are finally on the right path!
She also got her report card in the mail and got her first A this year and went up in every subject!
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I am with you on the anxiety! Her working memory is GREATLY improving!
Yes Desipramine is is Norpramin. I think this is going to work. We may need to tweak a little higher, but boy am I LOVING no side effects.
Of course she's out of school, sooooooooooooo way less anxiety. Today she sees her new therapist for the first time to help with anxiety also. Yesterday we were reading her journal from the school year and one page was how you'd feel if there was no more school and she said so happy. I asked her about it and she said, well that was when I didnt like school, but I got over that 
. Only because it's over and she got a good report card!
I am so glad to hear things are going well! And congrats to her on the A!! It's always good to hear good news from our children. Hugs! 
Tina
Wonderful news!!
Isn't the smallest of things sometimes just what we need?
Well done Diane!!! It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!
I've been reading alot about working memory and the effect of anxiety. For so many of these kids, coping with the anxiety takes so much of the working memory that in fact there is little left for the retention of information. I am spending my days walking around after son, cleaning up after him!!!
We haven't tried desipramine - is it also known as norpramin and a relation to tofranil? I'm sure I'd be able to get a degree in pharmachology soon!!!
That is great news. The last 2 years of med. trials have been the hardest times of my life and marriage. I have stuck with some meds. that have not worked well because I have been afraid to try another. I give you a ton of credit for hanging in there. You should really be celebrating.
Tara
mc5239266.3634027778I was....................now we're back to not so great! I should know by now not to get too EXCITED! Boy...................what a differnce a week makes. I dont stick things out any more. I know I drive our doctor crazy, but I've learned what is just NOT right. I still think this is right, but needs tweaking...............or maybe it's wishful thinking. It's much easier to deal without school though.Diane sometimes it is really just immaturity. As parents of ADHD kids we can get so hyper vigilant. Give it another day or two and see...Sometimes I get so frustrated with my kids behavior and then I see non ADHD kids behaving even worse! Their moms don't even know to wonder if something has changed and the meds are failing them.
No I've given it three days. It may have been longer but she was at her grnadmothers for 5 days so I dont know. We've been doing this long enough, I know when it's ADHD symptoms. I talked to the doctor today we're going to up her meds now rather than wait until August. She is all over the place. It's the combination of behaviors. Soem tics, terrible anxiety, very hyper (and she's usually not), very very argumentative, interrupting any and every conversation, messy, messy, messy, hair only half washed, room trashed, all of it. When it all comes back in a whoosh you can tell.Oh I am sorry... I hope you can find a way for her! I know, me too. I tried the PS for a few days but didnt see any change. So am going with my gut and doctors advice and sticking with waht we're doing, as you all know it is just so frustrating.Congrats to you and your daughter! Hope it keeps getting better! And I know exactly how the "little" things that most parents take for granted can be a reason to jump for joy!
You are so right! It's the million little things. My boys are so hyper and implusive, and the little one so controling... When ever I try to explain it to an "outsider" they smile and say "They sound like they are all boy!" And they are all boy and then some! It is the then some that makes the difference. When the other kids are tired and ready for a rest mine are just getting started!
I just wanted to say congratulations on a great report card for your daughter!Then when you are ready to throw a party just over them not interrupting a conversation people think we're neurotic and nuts
. If they even had a CLUE! It's not their fault, there is not reason for anyone else to get it. I'm glad they dont have to. I am also glad I have people here and in my life that really understand how huge of a step it is when my daughter can make it all the way to her room and make her bed without losing her way at the age of 12.