Help with my 8 yr old daughter!

Hello all,

I'm new to this so bear with me. My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 4 and unfortunately her dad wouldn't allow her to have medications. Now 4 years later and court fees up the wazoo, he can no longer keep her from medications. She has been taking Tenex now for 4 weeks and doesn't seem to be helping other than making her more aggressive.Now her teacher says she wrote in her journal when asked if she were a snowball what would she do, she responded with she would fly around having fun killing all the schools. This is sooooo out of character for her. I definitely intend to wean her off this medication. I'm just devestated with all this and hope someone can give me some good advice.

Go back to the prescribing doc and tell him/her that the medication is increasing the child's aggression and her focus is not increasing.

Get that med changed and I'm sorry to hear it took so long due to Dad to do something for this child. You might have to try a few different ones, or combos to get the correct medications and/or dosages for this particular child.

Is she aggressive to other kids, or just in words?
She just started getting aggressive physically. A little girl laughed at her Friday and she punched her five times in the back. She started with verbal aggression and it just seems to be getting worse. I'm so sad that my beautiful little angel has gotten this bad. You have GOT to get a medication that works. She can't go around hitting other kids [unless they're hitting first].

Is she that aggressive with NO medication?

This must be incredibly upsetting for you.

No, she was never aggressive before. She just started getting like this. She would be disrespectful and hyper, can't stay in her seat, your typical ADHD symptoms. Just since her being on this Tenex she passes out right in the middle of a sentence, has gotten aggressive. I am weaning her off of it, the problem is that her dad told me he won't agree to another medication. He is pig headed and doesn't want to admit that she has a disorder. He is doing her a disservice by always fighting whats best for her. Very frustrating! Of course I don't intend to keep her on it or not try her on something different, it's just a matter of the battle to do it.Did the diagnosing psychiatrist speak with her father?

This is ridiculous--WHAT is this guy's problem?

Is there any way the psych can write a court letter stating that the father is being neglectful if he does not attend to this child's mental health?

I feel for you and the kid, really. It's a big enough struggle without a court hassle every time you have to change meds...which you may have to do a few times before she does well on one

The last court ruling was that if the doctors said she needed meds he couldn't stop them. However even though the docs know that they told me that they wouldn't start her on anything until her father ok'd it. BS! Thats all I have ever gotten from anyone in trying to get her help. Her dad is major controlling and if it's not his idea then he wants nothing to do with it and will fight it just to have something to do. She is definitely worth it though.

Cripes controlling ex. Can you get the custody order changed?

Or better yet, get a legal guardian [lawyer] on behalf of the child and have HIM psych evaluated?

I can sympathize with you. My daughter was diagnosed at 6 with ADHD and her father was diagnosed with adult ADD. She has gone through most of the meds out there (metadate, focalin, stratera, vyvance and Adirall - finally settling on Adirall) But her father tried Adirall for his own problem and didn't like the way it made him feel, so he is also against my daughter taking it. Since she only goes to him every other weekend (and does not take meds on the weekend) it has not been an issue, but I believe that he has made comments about the medicine in front of her causing her to argue with me about making her take it. She is already extremely thin and it kills her appetite (which is why she goes off of it on the weekends) but her grades suffer as well as her social skills when she is off the medicine. I worry about the side effects, but I also worry about her self esteem and grades. She has difficulties keeping friends and argues with EVERYTHING that I say. I have been trying to find a support group locally for single parents of children with ADHD but have had no luck.

Metadate had an adverse effect on my child, and all meds react differently with each child, however I have had the best luck with Adirall. Maybe you should ask your physician about it. Good Luck!

Thanks for the response...It's just comforting to know that I'm not alone!

Were weaning her off the Tenex and hopefully being starting something new soon.

Well Mr. 21 year old college student who thinks he knows and understands everything, try being a single mother of a child who cries because she gets so frustrated with herself for not being able to focus on her lessons long enough to understand what she is doing. The medication affects different people in different ways, which is why it is important to monitor the childs behavior on the drug and discontinue when necessary. If you turned into a Meth addict after adolescence, you cannot necessarily blame it on the fact that your parents listened to your doctors. Levels of ability to become addicted to ANYTHING is something that is in your blood line. You may come from a history of not necessarily addicts, but people who are more PRONE to addiction. Nonetheless, I am raising my child by myself with good values and morals and have no fear that just because I give her Adirall for her ADHD that she is going to later in life become addicted to Meth. It's easy to place blame on others for your downfalls, but in reality, at 21, YOU are the only one responsible for YOU! Step up to the plate and take responsibility for your own actions.Opinions are easy to have when you are not the parent. You have no room to judge people if you have not been in thier shoes. Let's hear back from you when you are trying to raise a child by yourself who has this imaginary learning disorder and you are struggling with their self-esteem because they can't pass a grade or are constantly in trouble in class because of behavior that they have no control over. Or better yet, Let's hear back from you when YOU get your doctorate in child psychology, because being a chemistry major does not make you an expert in the medical field.abpuckett39801.5137847222

Yes, Thank you abpuckett!

You know what they say about opinions. Unfortunately discipline is not the issue. It doens't matter how much you discipline, take away from or any other form, my daughter has a need. I can only hope medication will help and yes, you shouldn't judge until you have walked in someone elses shoes!

[QUOTE=rizzler]I'm not a meth addict, I was an ADHD med junkie like all of your messed up children. Imaginary learning disabilities can be countered naturally without powerful drugs. You are poisoning your children. [/QUOTE]

This is a troll folks and take comfort in knowing that this person is so gone from our board

Good thank you!

Yes, thank you. We, as parents already struggle with whether or not to give our children medication for this problem. All medications have their down sides, but it is our jobs as parents who love our children to determine whether the risks associated with each drug measures up to the good that it do for them. I sought out this site because I struggle with the issues of having a child with ADHD every day and am seeking support and words of wisdom from other parents with similar issues that they deal with.

So, again, thank you.

Okay folks BREATHE.

Trolls or not--there are whackjobs in the world that do not believe in medical science.

The word "research" doesn't enter their vocabulary. They can't provide proof or statistics for their idiotic statements. Instead of trying to explain your position or defend your decisions try demanding scientific evidence [not anecdotal] and just keep repeating it

I usually find I either change their minds or they get flustered and go away

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