WOW | ADHD Information

Hi Jamie-

My 5 year old just got diagnosed in September. It has been ROUGH! The meds ups and downs ...whoa! If it weren't for this board, I would have lost my mind. We are always here for you, questions or if you just need to vent!

THANK YOU!!!

Your child definatly does need to sleep and the OCD symptoms can be handled. It is a matter of having the right doctor to treat and being up on things as you said read these posts. I have learned so much from these boards and the members I cannot believe it. Sometimes more than our walking RX pad(psychiatrist I call him that cause he is good for nothing else). Melatonin is a great place to start with sleep aids as it is natural and in smaller doses(under 5 mg) should not cause problems. Some people have nightmares on more than 3 mg. but we use up to 5 with stims 2.5 without and had been a lifesaver for us.

Good luck with your doc and I hope you get things straightend out.

jamye, my daughter developed trichotillomania and skin picking last spring while taking Concerta. Guanfacine helped some (same "family" as Clonidine), but it did not stop unitl we went off stimulants completely. She had never done it before (and was on stims before) and has not done it since. WE switched to Desipramine last spring which is a tricyclic antidressant. This was her only med and it helped dramatically, all that picking and tics stopped, fidgeting and impulsiveness were gone, no more bouncing around and silly. She ate and gained a solid amount of weight. Once school started this wasnt good enough for focus so we swicthed to Daytrana, and none of that stuff came back except the tics and loss of appetite. We have now moved on to Strattera, but will add back the Daytrana if need be.

Trich probably wont stop without addressing the trigger (for us it was stimulant meds she does not have OCD), if it's psychological or from the OCD, he'll need cognitive behavioral therapy. I'd get a psychiatrist who will address all these things together and a psychologist for therapy.

I feel for you, that time in our life was one of my most heart wrenching to see her that way . In our case it was all due to meds to help her focus in school. I elt terrible at the time, but obviousl thought I was doing what was best, and I was, also the day I juts stopped the Concerta until I could reach the psych and say I'm done, no more stims she is a wreck and she was.

Well last friday...we went to the Dr and Jordan had a good ol' time picking that day. So he had a nice bald spot. So that got her attention......Jordan told her for the 1000th time that he can't sleep and FINALLY she gave him CLONIDINE. Thats when she said oh...no sleep can make OCD worst....REALLY???? We have been telling you he can't sleep....you said try a warm bath and shut the TV off.....GEZZZZZZ!!! If you ever see on TV that a mom from Peoria IL snapped @ the Dr office and killed...mmmm that will be ME!!!!

Yeah...I'm calling the Dr and I'm going to tell them about my NEW medical degree!! I will tell them how to do their job.

Yeah in class he can pick his whole seam out of his shirt in mintues without anybody noticing....he is sneaky

I will let you know how it goes.....wish us luck!!!

I suffer from tricholtillomania. I'm 30 and I've been doing it since the age of 13. It SUCKS!!!

But there is a technique that works incredibly well. It is really simple....

Make fists with both hands for three minutes at a time. Therapists call it "incompatible response." It works- it really does!

I still pull- I admit it- but try this technique. Be sure to keep the fist closed for no less than three minutes. Good luck!

P.S. try it when you are watching TV...

Thank you to everyone who relpied.....I am really thinking it is the stims......Ya think ONE of the DOCTORS he sees would of seen this. We have been dealing with this for @ least 4 years on and off!! ERRRRR....

I will try to tell him about the fist technique...but he doesn't like to admit to picking....he says his hair just falls out......although...he knows I know he is pickin' again....It's kinda our "thing" I know he doesn't want to pick....so I don't rag him about it. I will just say "oh your spot looks bigger today....anything happen?" What can ya do? Again...thank you for everyone's help!!!!

cotton gloves help too. If he can wear them while watching tv, Cant pick with gloves on! And no one has to know. It doesnt help with class time though. You need think about trying to stop the stims for a while if possible.

I'm talling you try the Desipramine, may be albe to drop a couple if meds and use just that. It does involvoe blood work and EKG.

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Get another doctor if you can.

If you can't I suggest you buy an earwax syringe, hand it to him and say, "It's obvious to me that your hearing skills are in need of improvement"

I can't stop reading the other post....it's like OMG,I can't beleive this!!! He is not the only child with ADD,OCD,ect....I want to call everyone I know and tell them, see...it's not just my kid!!!! So now when we see the Dr again...I won't feel like I'm being petty about all the bad stuff LIKE SLEEP!!!!!

After reading some of the other post....I can't believe I haven't found this message board before!!! My son has been on ADD meds for 7 YEARS!! I have had more questions answered in an hour than I have in those 7 yrs!!! I didn't realize anxiety was linked with ADD meds...I was started to feel that way, but no Dr ever really told me that. For years I always thought we were the only family with a child with bad anxiety, I felt bad because my child had to be on zoloft.

Wow...I'm kinda feeling mixed right now...I'm happy to know that something can be done, he doesn't have to pick his clothes or pick his hair out...he doesn't have to not sleep, he doesn't have to be unfocused, he doesn't have to be dopey from the drugs!! BUT I also feel really pissed off that I not one of the DRs he sees told me this....ERRRRRR So in the morning I'm calling the DR and helping my baby!! I kinda feel like a bad Mom for letting all this go on!!!

Don't feel bad I'm 49 with ADD. I've raised two sons with ADD/ADHD and have learned more from other's experiences in the last 2 mos than in the previous 20 years.

I think a lot of Drs don't introduce some information concerning ADD because they want to hear about you or your child's individual experiences. They are afraid by telling you it may project this onto the patient and the patient may convince themselves they are suffering from something they may not really have. What the Drs don't seem to realize that we may take for granted the things we are feeling or doing are in no way related to our condition, then we fail to mention it to the Dr. So a complete diagnosis is lost.