Returning after 3 yrs - Son changed meds | ADHD Information

The change our children go through when the meds stop being so effective is usually slow and hard to pinpoint. I have a monthly Check List that I run down with concerning my 9 year old son. Some of the items on it are: appetite changes, sleeping changes, more moody, gets angry easier, takes longer to finish school work, has trouble with friends etc. When it is on paper with the date, it is easier to see a trend.

My son needs to go up on his focalin but I have been so resistant to it because of health issues we have had before and also rebound issues. However, at his next appointment in November I will go over my chart with his doctor and probably go up 5mg in the morning.

All of us have had the same experiences and it doesn't make us any poorer as parents. We just need to be a little more vigilant with our special kids.

Welcome back!

Randy

CherishMyKids,
I just thought I'd ask, since you mentioned the struggles with hours of homework and the problem of your son losing a piece of a project, does he have an IEP or 504 plan??
These can really help with some of the school and homework issues by having accommodations such as perhaps reducing the amount of homework if it is overwhelming, allowing for late work, and help with organization.
Good luck!
[QUOTE=CherishMyKids08]

Hi again,

Thanks Ogram for the info - I'll definitely look into that. Losing weight wouldn't be bad! Really, the good thing here is that after suffering through Sept, Oct and Nov with my stomach, the Prilosec seems to have calmed things down, and I just got switched to Protonix to further heal things. Once March rolls around, the doctor wants me to go off of it and see how it goes. He's still concerned about the gallstones.

Inspired..., yes we do have an IEP. The teacher's been great about utilizing the steps outlined in it. My DS pretty much seems to have a C average, where before he was A and B in everything, but realistically, he does need to learn to adapt a bit. This whole fall has been such a challenge - he's a really good kid, but he's going to have to gain the organizational skills to survive in the higher grades. Sometimes I don't think I'm doing the right things at all......I know we all feel that way.

You're trying. If he's a "good kid" and is kind-hearted--you've done the most important part of the job. The rest is gravy.

And NOW, we had that psychiatric evaluation on Wednesday evening, and this doctor definitely diagnosed anxiety - and DS is now on Celexa (the generic form). Starting at 5mg daily for a week, then if that goes well, bump him to 10MG next week. I think the Dr wants to see him get to 20mg over time.

And here's what has my husband and me reeling - for the very first time ever in 9 years, after tube surgeries and his cleft palate repair and ADHD and asthma and allergies.........this Dr wants us to have him tested to see if he falls in the spectrum of Autism and Aspergers!

That must have knocked you right off your feet

I'm honestly not knowing even what to think about that! That has never been brought up before and I am totally clueless about these disorders - I don't even know anyone personally who is dealing with them. My husband is a high school teacher, so he's happened to have had a handful of just awful kids with Aspergers, and he's just shaking his head. He doesn't see any similarity at all with the kids he's experienced and our DS. He's also had a "highly functioning" kid with Autism, but all these terms just go right over my head.

Really, all these diagnosis are, is descriptions of behaviour/symptom pattern. If those don't fit your little fella, they're not accurate.

Labels are only accurate in that they give us a place to start helping with behavioural patterns and possible medical solutions.

I just feel like I don't know where to focus my energies. And I don't know how best to help my boy. He's anxious and nervous and although I think I know him pretty well, I don't know quite how we got to this point.

You got to this point regardless of the diagnosis you are good parents and he is turning out to be a good kid. I'm not surprised he's anxious or shy, given all his past health issues.

Asthma is so common nowadays that we forget what it was like before ventolin [which doesn't work on 23% of the population] when families and people with it were terrified and panicky, watching a loved one heaving for air and wondering if they were going to die. Nowadays, what used to be seen as a life-threatening illness is seen as a minor inconvenience. Believe me--it is NOT.

Yes, some people manage to ignore it and brush it off. Especially those who respond well to medication. For others, it's a serious adjustment.

Thanks for listening!

[/QUOTE]

I hope the little fella improves with some help.

I sometimes wonder, since ventolin can cause what the body perceives as an anxiety attack, if the body begins to spread that response out into different areas of the person's life over time. Wish someone would research that sort of thing!

Good luck and kepp us posted!

MetisRebel39794.367650463

Hey there,

Thought I'd do an update - things still very much a work in progress. Its been a hard fall!!! Seems like the start of school this year, everything's been different. We've just finished a month on an extended release Adderall - 20 mg. The two little pills spaced during the day was not working out. Things have been better on the XR - he's really concentrating on his homework and has been a bit more productive in school. However, he has a facial grimace/tic that has cropped up, and his speech therapist noticed it too.

Frustrating things - we work on a project, make sure he has everything he needs, and then he loses a piece and then has an incomplete project. Sigh.

I've started taking him to a therapist on the recommendation of his doctor - two sessions in and she says his main issue his a huge amount of anxiety. I have anxiety too, and I've had it all my life. We've got our work cut out for us, I think. She want's him to see a psychiatrist for a real evaluation - to judge his anxiety level, look for depression, and to see if he's on the right track with the med.

So anyway, we've had all that. I also thought before I was looking at gallbladder surgery, but my diagnosis was "mild chronic inactive gastritis". Based on how miserable I've been since early September, I'd hate to see active gastritis! So I'm on a double dose of prilosec and things are slowly improving. I still need to squeeze in a followup with my doctor.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We saw Disney's Bolt, and went to a Chinese buffet! No family! It was awesome!

Take care,

Michele

[QUOTE=CherishMyKids08]

Hey there,

Frustrating things - we work on a project, make sure he has everything he needs, and then he loses a piece and then has an incomplete project. Sigh.

You might want to see if vyanse (sp) would work. It doesn't have the rebound and works well with the anziety also. It has been fantastic for my ds.

As for this issue, I know a LOT about digestive issues, so if you need any help, pm me and I'll give you some advice on this. i suffer from chronic pancreatitis, and it's the worse pain the human body can withstand. There is a new all natural thing I started taking about 3 months ago and it has been very good for my stomach and digestion. It's called Bromelain. I have been sick for 11 years now and this is the first time that I have found some thing that really helps! You might want to try it. I have never been a fan of alt meds, but this one is a God send! It might make you loose a bit of weight, but you will feel better. All it does is help your stomach and digestive tract digest food better. I hope it helps. If you have any questions or probs, pm me I know how you feel. it sucks being sick.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We saw Disney's Bolt, and went to a Chinese buffet! No family! It was awesome!

Take care,

Michele

[/QUOTE]

Hi there,

I've not been on here for forever! I used to get such great help here, and I'm hoping to find it again. You'd think after dealing with ADHD for four years, I'd be more comfortable in what I know, but you know? I'm not.

My son, age 9, is in 4th grade. He started with 5mg Ritalin in Kindergarten, then sometime in 1st grade, we switched to Concerta. We gradually increased as time went on, and he was up to 54mg. He seems to have hit a wall with 4th grade - so many changes and responsibility from just last year. We had afternoons of homework those first weeks of almost 3 hours - largely because he just couldn't stay on task.

Long story short, (for tonight anyway), we had a long talk with the doctor last week and we've made the switch to Adderall. My son is getting two tablets a day, at 7:30am and about 3:30pm. We started him on it last Thursday.

He's a different kid! He's the kid from long ago that I haven't seen in a long time. Playful, cooperative, focused, and oh - he's sleeping so good! He's been spending weeks laying awake in the dark until 11:30 and beyond.

I still have so many challenges - almost too many to list. But has anyone else had this experience? Makes me feel bad that I didn't realize sooner that the moody, irritable kid in the house didn't use to be that way!

Thanks Randy.

You never stop learning with this, do you? One really nice thing this week is that in talking with my son's speech therapist at school, I explained the med change and that he'd seemed brighter and happier these past few days, and she said that when she saw him on Friday that she noticed he was different, but couldn't pinpoint it.

For years, I hear the opinons of people who are anti-medication, and that's all fine - they deserve their opinion. Even my sister-in-law does it to me. But I was feeling guilty I guess because I feel like I should have noticed that he wasn't right. You know? You always second-guess yourself. I know he needs to take something, but I guess I wish my intuition had been better.

Homework is going much easier though, and a note from his teacher today said he had a good morning, but was off target for the afternoon. We have to watch so we can tweak the hour he gets his second dose for the day.

Thanks again for replying to me!

~Michele

My ds was on Adderal for about 2 years and he never really pulled out of the "funk" mood. I don't know what to call it. I didn't notice it a first. He seemed better than the when on the Strattera, so I didn't notice it. Luvmykids called the mood "nasty". lol After his hand tremors got worse the neuropsy switched him to Vyanse and he is GREAT. No ticks, no "nasty" side effects, just my fun loving little boy.

Oh, yeah, This med brought this boy out in him that I knew was there all this time. He is fantastic!! A honor roll, excellent conduct, perfect attendance, and all of his teachers think he hung the moon (most of the time, any way; and I am one of those parents that knows my son is a little toot at times.) Watch that mood on Adderal, it might be fine, but I know a LOT of people that went through what we did and it was a slow and gradual thing so you might not notice it right away. But, for now, it sounds like it's working well. I am happy for him, his teachers and mostly for you. Keep us posted on how he is doing. Isn't it nice when you find that little boy you knew was there, but the med was masking and suppressing it? Then, all of the sudden the right meds kick in and then WOW, there he is, your little love bug! It's just great!

Hi again,

Thanks for listening!

There have been times that I thought my ADHD'er had aspbergers as well. He does NOT. But I did think it. And he was about your son's age. My DS's psychopharm thought that because he wouldn't talk at his meetings, that may be he was aspb, but through getting older and maturing, he talks more to him. Our son is shy and quiet, and has a speech delay which I think makes him self conscience.

We skipped the evaluation and just kept moving forward. He is now 11 1/2 and is doing his best.

Have him tested if you feel the need. Some aspberger kids are great, others more difficult. Same with autistic and even ADHD'ers. They all have another diagnosis ontop of the autisms and a lot of adhd'ers do as well. it usually is anxiety or depression. The apsbergers seem to have adhd in addition.

do what you feel is best for your family. DO NOT panic, as I did. He is still the great little boy in the world to your family and that isn't going to change.

Plus if you guys don't see it, then you are probably rights, especially with your husband around kids with is.

Please keep us posted with how you all are doing!!