My son and his troubles | ADHD Information

Hi, this is not so much about the med situation (we are still finetuning my 9 yr old son's meds) but about sports.  Baseball can be a very tricky sport for some boys with adhd.  Lots of down time, when you bat the focus is on you, and overall a tough sport.  My son would love to play baseball like his best friend, but after 3 yrs of T-Ball and coach pitch, he is done.  Thought karate would be fine, but no.  Soccer has worked out for us.  Plus keeping the coach advised of all updates has helped.  All kids get frustrated when things don't go their way.  The friend has a kid on his team who has a huge meltdown each time he strikes out.  Focalin XR (with a small focalin dose in the afternoon to minimize rebournding) and clonidine at night is working so far for my kid.

It is so painful to see my son become so frustrated (he will destroy his homework, break pencils, rage, etc)  The good news is as kids mature and develop they will acquire the tools to navigate the emotional landmines that every child growing up faces.  Keep being in your son's corner.

 

My son is 9 and has been dx with adhd for about 4 years. He has been on ritalin,adderall,strattera and finally concerta. We have had him on Concerta 18mg for about 10 months. He seemed like he needed an adjustment so we upped his dose to 27mg. It only took a few days to releize this was a mistake. He was weepy and would then become very angry. I think he has some anxiety issues as well. Everything he tries that is new has to be done perfect and correct the forst time around. I try to remind him noone is perfect and he is just learning but he beats himself up(not literally) if he isn't perfect. He joined little league baseball this year and if he misses the ball hitting he gets so made and frustrated. I am wondering if anyone has this type of problem or is it just my son? Is that part of ADHD to be that much of a perfectionist? I think we may go back to the lower dose of concerta or try a new med but the larger dose is not going to work for him. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I will say that when my son tried basketball, it was nearly hilarious.  The ball and the other players would be heading in one direction, and there he was, not quite realizing that the ball/group has changed directions. He would be the lone child not going where he should be, nearly routinely.  (I am almost positive he was on meds at the time, too.)
So, sports, as with everything else, are a challenge for our kids.  Our kids see how others have an easy time, and they do not.  It would frustrate you or I if we suddenly had a stroke and one of our arms no longer worked---right?  This has nothing to do with medication.  It is the "counseling" or "coping" side of ADHD. 

As far as trying all of those medications and not having luck, what are his symptoms when off meds vs. on?  Are you sure that you are dealing with ADHD and not something else? 

By the way, our bodies will adjust to these (and other) types of meds, and there may be a need to regularly consider a higher dose of what you are on.  Bodies are good like that (or bad-however you look at it).
I did have him on a higher dose recently of concerta and he was crying all the time and said he hated himself. He said he didn't want to live. I freaked and called his dr. and she said we needed to go back to samller dose.
When he is not on meds he doesn't pay attention,is impulsive, blurts out whatever he wants without thinking. Has a hard time focusing in general...except when it comes to his Nintendo DS. The kid can sit there for hours and play that thingThe teachers complain of his behavior at school. When he was in preschool he would walk up to other kids and take toys from them.  He seems angry. When he on the meds it seems to take the "edge off" him. Thats why I wonder if it adhd or something else.
has he taken any other meds? My daughter did not do well on Concerta at all, all meds are different for each individual, it may be worth trying something else.yes he was on ritalin,concerta(now) strattera and adderall...thats what I thought something different [QUOTE=Heather73]I did have him on a higher dose recently of concerta and he was crying all the time and said he hated himself. He said he didn't want to live. I freaked and called his dr. and she said we needed to go back to samller dose.
When he is not on meds he doesn't pay attention,is impulsive, blurts out whatever he wants without thinking. Has a hard time focusing in general...except when it comes to his Nintendo DS. The kid can sit there for hours and play that thingThe teachers complain of his behavior at school. When he was in preschool he would walk up to other kids and take toys from them.  He seems angry. When he on the meds it seems to take the "edge off" him. Thats why I wonder if it adhd or something else.
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Well, it sure sounds like ADHD.  (At least the symptoms he has when off meds.)  Brain chemistry is highly specific and tricky and it really should be handled by someone who specializes in what you are being treated for.  Not only changing medications, but doses should be done in a way that doesn't miss the "window" of treatment that would work for your child vs. another child.  Make sure you are working with someone highly specialized since this has been such a long, rough road (medication-wise).  I would have a child psychiatrist who works with MANY children with ADHD and other similar disorders help you from here on out if you aren't already.
Good luck finding the magic window for your son.  I found my son's and then changed insurance companies, not by our choice.  The medication that works for him isn't on their formulary and the one that is, kinda blows. So, will have to go through an appeals process now as his grades went from B's and C's to C's and 3 D's!!!  Grrrr.

[QUOTE=Heather73]Thanks!!! We have tried Martial Arts for 3 years( his instructor had no patients for him) soccer and now baseball. I encourage him to try any sport that catches his interest. They won't let anyone new do anything but be in the outfield. Their rules. He wants to try to pitch but the pitchers have to be there a few years. He has asked.We will look for a better program next year if he wants to continue baseball. I asked if he wanted to play summer soccer. He said no. I want to see if he would like to try horseback riding lessons. I read that that is good therapy. He is VERY small for his age. He weighs 58 pounds and is all bones. I defiantly am looking into swimming.  [/QUOTE]

I highly recommend swimming.  My ADHD son has been on a swim team for a number of years and I noticed that after an hour of swimming laps he is so much calmer for awhile.  When he first started swimming, practice was late afternoon and I noticed that on nights he had practice he didn't have as much rebounding from his meds.

Good luck!

Thanks!!! We have tried Martial Arts for 3 years( his instructor had no patients for him) soccer and now baseball. I encourage him to try any sport that catches his interest. They won't let anyone new do anything but be in the outfield. Their rules. He wants to try to pitch but the pitchers have to be there a few years. He has asked.We will look for a better program next year if he wants to continue baseball. I asked if he wanted to play summer soccer. He said no. I want to see if he would like to try horseback riding lessons. I read that that is good therapy. He is VERY small for his age. He weighs 58 pounds and is all bones. I defiantly am looking into swimming. 

Our 9 yo daughter is also a perfectionist.  She's gotten better with age but we still have problems.  Sometimes she doesn't finish her work at school because she is constantly erasing and rewriting things.  Just keep encouraging him and he will get past it eventually.  Also, you may want to let him know when you make mistakes to show him that even adults aren't perfect.

As for sports we've been very lucky.  Our daughter is a baseball fanatic and has just begun Karate, and loves it.  She played softball for 4 seasons and this year it's baseball, our base doesn't offer softball.  At first she would cry when she would miss the ball, strike out, or didn't throw well.  We had her watch a Major League Baseball game and pointed out when people missed.  It made her feal better to know that people that are professionals don't even hit all the time or always catch the ball.  The catch is also to get him in a position that has constant activity, our daughter's is catcher.

Also, each child has their different likes and dislikes.  Just encourage him to keep trying new sports until he finds one he likes but make sure he follows the season completely out, don't let him quit just because he doesn't like it right away.  Have you tried swimming or soccer or gymnastics?  Those are constant movement sports that may keep his attention better.  Just don't give up!