5 weeks after starting meds | ADHD Information

High Fructose Corn Syrup is one we like to avoid. It was really surprised to find it in Yoplait Yogurt.   It took me a long time to figure out why she would bounce off the walls after eating it.  The popsicles and lemonade they liked also had it as well.  Switching brands made a big difference.   We read the labels much more closely now and avoid it where we can.

HorseMom-  so are other sweeteners (in moderation of course) better?  We did a trip to the health food store and I found that there are a good number of 'treats' sweetened with other things- naturally with fruit juice, xylitol, maple syrup, etc. 

What bums me out is the food coloring thing.  I agree that food colorings are something we should probably all be avoiding, but it's in EVERYTHING, including a lot of sugar-free stuff unfortunately. 

I guess I am grappling with how hardcore 'elimination' has to be to see effects.  It's not as if dd is out of control.  And she is truly mourning the fact that she will "never" (her words) be able to have candy. 

And, another question about the effects of eliminating this stuff- is it an all-or-nothing, cumulative thing, or a gradual thing?  In other words, if we largely eliminate these things, are we likely to see improvements?  If she "slips up" and has a piece of birthday cake at some kid's party next month, will it undo the effects of the diet, or will any effect from cake be temporary?

Thanks all :)
So.  Back from the dr.  He is recommending that for now she stay on the 18 mg Concerta.  When I told him that there are some very slight, subtle improvements, he said that this is GOOD- we don't want to see major changes when starting on this low a dose.  He also feels that the inattention is hard to assess based only on what we are telling him, that it would be helpful to give her a few weeks of school and have her teacher observe her and fill out his questionnaire.  At that point, if it's evident that inattention is a problem in class, he'll then up her to 27 mg. 

He is also totally okay with the melatonin.  I had been concerned that she should not be on it for a particular length of time.  1 mg is a low dose he said, and it's great that it works.  He also felt that we should bump the time we give her Concerta to her to 6:30 a.m., and that if we did that, it might be enough in and of itself to have her fall asleep easier.

He also suggested we do an elimination diet, taking out red & yellow food colorings, added sugars, chocolate, caffeine.  Dd was *not* impressed, LOL.  She is a total sugar junkie, and unfortunately she has grandparents who believe that love=candy.  Sigh.  I will have to read them the riot act.

(BTW- I would love to hear about others' experiences in eliminating this stuff.  I know it's stuff that isn't great for any of us, but at the same time, there's a difference between drastically cutting back and out-and-out elimination, you know?  Dd is already mourning Halloween, poor thing!)

So I guess at the end of the day he really believes in a multi-modal approach- a little meds, a little behavior modification, a little dietary stuff.  I feel okay about it, even though I walked in expecting to have him up her meds at this visit.

Thanks all :)
tosca39668.6334143519Dd (8) started Concerta 18 mg 5 weeks ago.  Today we go back to the specialist for our first follow-up.  I am trying to sort out my thoughts to be ready for this afternoon...so bear with me ;)

If there have been changes, they have been subtle.  She is definitely *trying* to be more organized- she still is struggling with where she left things, her room, etc., but her motivation is better.  There are still certain inattention issues- crossing streets, etc.  But at the same time, she is staying engaged with certain activities longer. 

But- I do think she is a bit less hyper.  Her impulsiveness, while never really a *huge* problem, is maybe a bit better too. 

As for side effects- no anxiety, no loss of appetite.  She has had some problems falling asleep- it takes her a good hour to hour and a half without melatonin.  A small dose (1 mg) works really well for her, but I don't know if it's okay to give this to her par for the course- thoughts anyone? 

I'm curious to see what the dr. will suggest.  Maybe sticking to the Concerta at a higher dose?  I know 18 mg is low.  And everything I have heard suggests that if the right med is found at the right dose, the difference can be pretty dramatic.  And I guess what we've seen is that while there may have been a difference in the last few weeks, it's been subtle, not dramatic. 

It's been a tricky thing to assess, whatever differences there might be, now that it's summer and we're not in school.  At the same time, I do trust our judgement as her parents far more than the teacher she just finished up with. 

Thanks all- I read this site almost every day and I learn something from all of you :)

hi tosca

   you're right 18 mg of Concerta is pretty low. If you're seeing minimal to no side effects, I think it's worth going up a bit on the dose. It may make the insomnia worse. Is there anyway you can give it to her an hour earlier? I wake my daughter up at 5:00 for her stimulant. Then she goes back to sleep and when she gets up at 6:00 it's already working, then we can give her another long acting dose at 12:00. During the summer I just give her one around 9:00, but the twice dosing works for us for school. The point is, if you give it earlier, it will wear off earlier and maybe she will be able to sleep earlier.

 

Hi Diane-

You are definitely on to something with the timing.  We've been in total summer mode- I'm off work for the summer and just hanging out with the kids, and so we've been more slack than usual on waking and bedtimes.  She usually has had her meds between 8 and 9 in the morning.  Today she had it at 7:30.  I think I will try your suggestion of setting an extra alarm and giving to her even earlier, all pending of course what happens with our appt. this afternoon.  I'm sure once school starts it'll all change again- we are usually up at 6:30 during the school year since school begins early, at 8:00 a.m.  Owie, I don't want to think about that yet!


I hear ya!! But you may find the sleep issue not so much of an issue if she takes her meds at 6:00. Good luck!

I have found that sticking with our 6:30 am routine makes things easier to deal with. I only let him sleep in till 7:00 am. So he does go to bed (pm with a dose of 5mg Melatonin that he has been on for a couple of years. just now he isn't sleeping through the night.