Advice Please!! | ADHD Information

My son is 8, turning 9 in a few weeks.  He was officially diagnosed with ADD in November of last year ('08) and prescribed Ritalin (or Methylphenidate Hydrochloride) 15mg 2x a day.  A few months in, he developed some minor tics, but nothing that was overly concerning.  He never took the medication on the weekends and the plan was to d/c over the summer, since our main concern was focus at school and he complains that he doesn't feel "normal or fun" when he takes the meds.  Pediatrician said this plan was fine.  Towards the end of the school year, his tic started getting more noticable and the pediatrician made an appointment to come in two weeks into the summer to discuss alternatives, etc.;  I d/c'd the meds on the last day of school as planned.  One week into no meds, he was ticking out of control.  I freaked out, called the pediatrician, we went in right away.  Never got any real answer or found out if it was a withdrawl or what that made him tic so severely.  It is now 5 weeks into no meds and while he is still ticking pretty heavily it has changed from a very, very obvious head jerking to a sort of strange sucking/breathing thing that is much less apparent and will not be obvious to his peers or anyone who isn't really paying attention.  The pediatrician did recommend a blood pressure medication that starts with a "c" (sorry, drawing a blank, but I have it written down) that is known to help with tics and also tenex (sp?) alone over the summer and then in conjunction with meds when school starts back.  I'm terrified to go back to the Ritalin, but am lost.  I just don't know what to do.  His focus is ZERO without the meds, he thrived when on them, straight A's, never wanted to miss school, great peer relationships - all a huge change from the year before.  Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have any advice (medication or otherwise)?  Thank you sooo much! My daughter is on stimulants and has tic issues that come and go.  We added tenex to her Concerta and it has helped reduce the tics.   They still do appear from time to time though usually when she anxious about something. He must be talking about clonidine. It slows the heart rate.Jessica N40017.9035763889My son has never had tics before (at least not that I recognized) but you mentioned a " sort of strange sucking/breathing thing"   and that's what my son has been doing lately.  I've been trying to figure out what it is.  It's almost like a quick breathy sign almost like "ahhh".  Maybe it is a tic?  I'll have to ask the doc. My son is on Ritalin and Tenex already.hi jennifer and welcome...

I experience (motor) tics...I'm an adult taking stimulant medication for my ADD.  My tics are mild enough that I continue to take the medication.

When my tics first appeared I read up about the relation between them and ADD meds as much as I could.   A common theory is that the stimulant meds don't cause tics; the tic tendancy already exists in the person and the stims make it more apparent.  The bottom line I got from my investigations (limited as they were--I basically just read what I Googled on this) is that tics caused by these meds should be taken seriously--as you are doing.

You should be very comfortable that your son's doctor is well informed (if not alos well experienced) in how to minimize or avoid tics and these meds--if you are not satisfied, it's perfectly all right to seek a second opinion.  I'm no doc, but it seems to me that an alternative ADD medication should be considered as an option, not just adding another med to the mix.  The med your doc mentioned may be Clonidine (sp?) which is covered in a number of message threads here, along with Tenex--I suggest you take a look at them.  Good luck and keep us posted!