UPDATE.......upcoming appt....please read | ADHD Information
We had our appt. Tues. with the new pediatrician.
I am in love. He is absolutely amazing. I am so thankful that his original pediatrician was booked up b/c if they would not have been I would have never met this man.
Things that he Dr. wants........
He told me to call and talk to him if I needed him.
He wants to be in the loop with any other Dr. that my son sees. He wants this to be a team effort.
He wants to see Tommy on a very regular basis to build up their relationship and trust.
Now to the appt.
He asked me if anyone had ever mentioned aspergers to me and I told him no but I always brought it up to the Drs and they would tell me no. He said there were some things that stood out to him and concerns him. He told me to keep my appt. with Dev peds they would be the best people to make that diagnosis. In the meantime we are being set up with OT.
moving on the indicators for ADHD are obviously there. and he said ODD. The great thing about this is I did not have to say a word. So I did not feel like I was leading him into anything.
I knew both of those were going on.
So anyways,
He asked me how I felt about meds. I told him nothing else is working that I thought it was worth giving it a shot at least so we could get him calmed down to start implementing behavior therapy.
So tues he started Tommy on Clonidine .5 at night. and .5 in the morning.
and if this does not make any improvements by Fri to call HIM and he would start the next round of meds (stimulants).
I feel so relieved, I know I have a Dr. that is confident and not just passing me to the next person. GOD is good.
OK ladies and gentlemen let me know what you think.
worleyb39793.3428819444 Great news! A ped who wants to case manage a team for the child? Knows the kid has to build up trust? Can't get better than that
He's open to discussion. That's a good sign.
Get that diagnosis and see what they say. I'm glad you're getting some good help
MetisRebel39793.3461458333That is really great. Sounds like this person cares AND understands in both a clinical and an emotional way. :)
Dee
Congratulation, You are doing a great job as his mom and advocate.
Keep us posted with how things continue to go for you all!!
I feel very overwhelmed by all of this. If anyone understands that feeling I know you guys do.
The school system is who I am about to be up against I don't even know where to start. whole different ballgame
What do you think about the clonidine. Have any of your children tried this med by itself and had success.
It is helping with the anxiety. He seems more laid back but it still seems like he is not paying attention, almost like he is either a zombie or bouncing off the walls.
The Dr. wants to continue the clonidine this weekend and touch base on Mon.
Overall his behavior seems better (of course if he is zombie like), but his mind still seems flighty.
He also does not seem happy almost expressionless. Is that normal?
Brandi
Its wonderful that the primary care physician is on the same page with you because everyone involved in the child's life must make a collaborate effort in working towards treatments and interventions that are best suited for the child.
With regard to ADHD and Aspergers , to the untrained eye, many symptoms of the two disorders look similar or seem to overlap but actually there are vast distinctions but only a specialist can give you a differential diagnosis. I'm sure your pediatrician is great but they don't have the expertise to make these sometimes very complexed diagnosis. ODD is also a very difficult diagnosis to make, rarely stands alone and is seen mostly co existing with bipolar disorder. ODD is intentional defiance whereas in ADHD, breaking rules is an impulsive act, not an intentionally defiant act. Once effective medication is given for ADHD, the impulsivity tones down and what looks like ODD goes away. This doesn't happen when the ODD and bipolar disorder co exist because again, this is truly intentional defiance. In my opinion, ODD is an inaccurate label to give to an ADHD child.
Clonidine is given to the ADHD child to help them sleep at night. It does not aide in managing the symptoms of ADHD. It just may make your child a bit sleepy.
I'm very happy to hear that your having your child evaluated by a developmental pediatrician. That's another step in the right direction. Great job mom :) Once you get a formal diagnosis, please consider having the medications managed by a specialist...i.e.........child psychiatrist because your child will go through trial of medication and you want to make sure the doctor is well versed and specializes. Sometimes it takes a while before the right med and dose is found and you want to ensure that the doctor is well versed enough to follow the proper medication protocol. Your doing a super job mom. Keep us posted :)
[QUOTE=worleyb]I feel very overwhelmed by all of this. If anyone understands that feeling I know you guys do.
The school system is who I am about to be up against I don't even know where to start. whole different ballgame
Start with getting this child assessed. At this point, you don't have much in the way of answers to give the school other than, "We're working on diagnosis, support and medication. Please be patient."
What do you think about the clonidine. Have any of your children tried this med by itself and had success.
It is helping with the anxiety. He seems more laid back but it still seems like he is not paying attention, almost like he is either a zombie or bouncing off the walls.
The Dr. wants to continue the clonidine this weekend and touch base on Mon.
Overall his behavior seems better (of course if he is zombie like), but his mind still seems flighty.
He also does not seem happy almost expressionless. Is that normal?
Wait and see if his body adjusts. If he doesn't then bring that up with the doc. Don't forget your med diary!
Brandi
[/QUOTE]Whenever we've made a change (i.e. starting meds, changing the dose), it take a few days for things to "settle." I would touch base with the doctor as planned and wait a few days.
dee
If your son is not happy anymore, I would mention that to the doctor. You don't want his meds making him a zombie, which can happen if they are over medicated or on the wrong med, or if the diagnosis is wrong.
My son sometimes is hyperfocusing and mellow, but not a total zombie. As the meds work their way through his system, it get's less. I think it is the beginning of the meds. I know that there is less of a silly, goofy personality when he is medicated, he is more serious, but that may be his REAL personality.
I think the ADHD is what brings on his immature behavior. When the meds take affect, he becomes his true self, which is shy, self conscience, serious, sensitive, compassionate. Without his meds, he is so all over the place and laughing at every silly thing.
I hope as my son gets older and more mature, that he can self control this better. We do "talk" about this stuff with him so that he is aware, which I don't think he really is when it is happening.