hi, i just joined here with a desperate post of my own, but i had to reply to you. First of all how old is your son? did i miss that?
#1 thing i would ask you is have you taken out artificials form your sons diet?? colors, flavor, high fructose corn syrup etc? have you ever heard or thought about this? no not a cure all, but often help a lot. as a matter of fact a major British medical journal just recently proclaimed (im sure you could find this on google) that it is now protocol for kids with ADHD (and i would think related disorders too) consume NO artificial ingredients, they have proven it worsens symtoms. this is not as hard to do as it may sound and i am not some vitamin pusher or health freak, it just makes sense after the tons and tons of reading and research ive done. my 9 yr old is improved, not leaps and bounds or cured or anything, but improved when he is not consuming any junk at all, uncluding no sodas, nothing artificials. i also give him fish oil.
second, there are amino acid tests and actuially a whole bunch of non typical medical tests you can have done that often reveal some deficiency or abnormality that can be helped with a vitamin or supplement. it cant hurt to find out! maybe it will show nothing but like i said it doesnt hurt to know. the body is complex.
i know nothing about diabetes, i dont knwo what you treat it with, what the side effects are ertc. im sorry, i just wonder and would want to know how diabetes and its symptoms can compound and combine with ADHD and its neurology. my son had horrid behavior like you describe, now he has other isses that are horrible, but, i wonder, do you think your son does this as stimulation?? if so maybe his brain just cant distinguish between what is right and wrong to do in order to get the stimulation it needs? nothing helps? consequences?rewards for not doing these things? nothing has helped? have you asked the Dr about the ADHD med he is on? is he on it just for hyperness at school?
i would love to hear morebecause i sympathize with how youre feeling and i feel the same way for different reasons of course, but i may have some ideas that could help! good luck! tell us more if youd like!
I can totally sympathize with you as my son was exactly the same way at that age. I used to cry myself to sleep at night and the turmoil seemed endless once the med's wore off. However, I also think you should consider giving your son a booster dose because he is rebounding from the medication. I know your concerns about the sleep issues but the booster dose might actually quiet the brain down. The med's should go in quietly and leave quietly but when they don't rebound could rear its ugly head. It's just my opinion and my personal experience but changing his diet I doubt will make a significant difference. At this point I suggest that you consider going with what has proven to work. Trying this or that could take months to see change if any or worse bring you to a dead end street and that's a big problem as the child is in terrible turmoil as well as mom so immeidate and effective treatment is needed. Plese try to hang in there. We are here for you.
Let me see if I can address everything you all have asked about. Brandon is 8, and was formally dx at the end of Kindergarten. We went through about two months of behavioral modification before we started meds. I DO have to confess that we have slacked on the positive reinforcement and child directed play, but when he first started meds, our whole world went from horrific to fantastic! Brandon was also in gymnastics for two and a half years, which I think helped tremendously, but his gym closed at the end of August.
No, I haven't looked much into eliminating items from his diet. I have to admit that it is mostly because I have NO idea how to do it, and we have such a hard time getting him to eat to begin with. Granted it is mostly due to the Vyvanse, but I believe there are some things that we use (juices, snacks) to help manage diabetes.
We've had problems with his behavior since he was 2, but he wasn't dx'd with diabetes until almost 4-1/2. As far as diabetes and ADHD interacting, we run into problems when his blood glucose (BG) is high. High BG in general has side effects of not being able to think as clearly, and bad moods. Combine that with ADHD and it is a recipe for disaster! Try getting him to check BG, take insulin, and understand why he is in such a pissy mood. Doesn't make for a great time.
I am really interested in the amino acid aspect of all this. Or blood tests in general. I just called the doctor and we have an appointment for Thursday morning to talk about adjustments, etc. I know my pediatrician hates it when we come in, but I would like to know more if there is some kind of chemical imbalances that can be worked on. Of course we see an endocrinologist for his diabetes, and if I have to wait, we go back in April, but I'm not real sure if she deals with much other than diabetes.
So, since we have an appointment in two days, can you give me any suggestions on blood work that might shed some light? If we do go with adjustments, maybe we can lower the Vyvanse and add a shorter acting med for the afternoon, and possibly something for nighttime. Any other advice for our appointment would be greatly appreciated!
[QUOTE=twicker1]I'm curious as to why get an amino acid test? I've never heard of this before.
Our doctor did say he could prescribe a short acting med for evenings, but we never talked about it being used on a daily basis. Also, I'm afraid it would make it even harder to fall asleep. Do all the meds for ADHD increase sleeplessness?
[/QUOTE]what about a short acting for the afternoons?
Not all do it, but some need it!
I send you hugs and wish you all the very best!!
I'm curious as to why get an amino acid test? I've never heard of this before.
Our doctor did say he could prescribe a short acting med for evenings, but we never talked about it being used on a daily basis. Also, I'm afraid it would make it even harder to fall asleep. Do all the meds for ADHD increase sleeplessness?
I feel bad for even putting this down in writing, but I just can't take it anymore! Between ADHD and diabetes, I would have bet all my money on diabetes being the harder of the two to manage. Granted, diabetes is an hour to hour job with MANY problems and setbacks, but at least I can manage it. ADHD is a monster that can not be contained!
Last night I just started crying and couldn't stop. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my son, but there are so many times a week that I just don't want to be around him. I just want to run away. The school gets the best of him (when his Vyvanse-70mg is working), and I am left with an out of control child that won't even dress himself in the morning. I still have to phsically sit there and dress him or he won't do it!
When he was 2 and 3 and smearing my makeup all over my carpet, walls, and himself, pouring out full bottles of shampoo on the floor, drawing on walls, etc, I could at least look forward to him getting out the the "Terrible 2's", but it hasn't happened yet! Friday, he found some sunscreen in the bathroom closet and poured it all over his school shoes, pants and the floor. No reason. He is constantly getting into DH's things (tools, etc) even though we try to lock them up, and his brother's room and things.
He has no respect for items, and just says he will pay for it (he only has about left from his B-day). We are constantly telling him that it is not about replacing the items, but not destroying or losing them in the first place. We've taken away toys, priveleges, grounded, talked, yelled and nothing is working.
He is fine until about 5 pm, but after that, forget it. He isn't going to comply with ANYTHING! I know the doctor said we could possibly add another med for special evening events if needed, but I'm hesitant because we can't get him to go to bed as it is. He is already taking 3mg Melatonin with little or no success.
I'm just so tired of having to monitor him like he is a toddler. I've tried move things out of his view so he won't mess with them, but it doesn't matter. He will just find something else to pour out or get in to.
I guess the point of all this I am wondering if I am the only one that just wants to throw in the towel and give up? Or has anyone else had the same issues, and can offer any suggestions?
I feel for you. And I am no expert in this file (tho know a bit). If the melotonin isn't working it might not be what he needs. Look into other alternatives like PS or tyrosine, etc. There 'is' hope, ya just need to find what works for your kid on an individual level. For immediate releif, I read of one lady who makes her child black smoothies daily, which is tea (like liptons but get organic!) coupled with his favorite fruit, and anything else healing you want to put in it. The tea has low dose caffeine which is "treatment" so both of you can get thru the day, and the other things you may add like tyrosine are about healing. Its best tho, to get an amino acid test. Someone on here knows where to go to get those. I never did it cuz my ADDer is a big kid (my husband lol) who would never go for it. But if I had a child with ADD? I'd get it in a heartbeat. Good luck! And don't beat yourself up, you just had a bad day, this is a toughie, and still you're doing great! :)