It doesn't sound like you're talking about a true food allergy, for then you'd see hives and other allergic symptoms. Food sensitivities can affect ADHD symptoms. Try eliminating something from the diet for several weeks and see if you notice any difference.
My child's ADHD is far worse during tree pollen season. I never look forward to spring, and I always look forward to mid-June and the tree pollen counts dropping.
Wow! Thank you so much for all of the info Mom2ADHDboy! I am going to setup a appointment with a allergy specialist. It is so interesting to learn how allergies and other things could effect there behavior. I have been told that my son uses food as a coping mechanism and way to calm him self down. He is always asking for something to eat. I don't know where it goes though! He is tall and skinny! My son also has impulsitivity control issues and he is on concerta. Does your son take ADHD meds?My child's tree pollen numbers are off the charts. I think it's something like 1500, and I think >5 is considered significant. From mid-March through late June, he takes an antihistamine (Allegra), a steroid nasal spray (Nasonex), and an antileukotriene (Singulair). He needs all of these during seasons where the tree pollen counts are high. Two years ago, we had a very rainy spring, which kept washing the pollen away and keep the numbers low. That season, he never needed the Singulair.
Here's how it impacts his ADHD. His impulsivity is his worst ADHD issue, and that's what we see worsen the most. He starts lying, impulsively grabbing things from his brother, handwriting plummets as he rushes through writing, careless errors in math increase (again, rushing through things), not following directions as well, etc. He also becomes more bossy with peers, more fidgety, has excessive energy, doesn't always write down assignments, etc. Last year we tried not giving him the Singulair, and we literally saw these symptoms improve as soon as it had reached optimal levels in his body.
It's not only tree pollen that worsens his ADHD. Any time he is sick or fighting off illness, the ADHD gets worse. Here's how the doctor explained it to me: when his system is stressed due to allergies, illness or fighting off illness, hunger, or lack of sleep, then his body is out of sorts and the ADHD gets worse.
I hope that helps. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you.
What type of allergy testing has your child had? If his nose is running only during certain seasons, it would seem to indicate allergies.
You'd want to check out the Feingold diet. It will give you a method for this approach.Thanks for your reply Mom2ADHDboy! I never thought about the seasons effecting ADHD symptoms but that does make sense. Its hard to know exactly what foods to elimate but I will start trying different ones. Does your son have allergies in the spring? What type of ways does it effect his ADHD? It always seems as if my son has a runny nose and wakes up sneezing. He was tested for allergies and they found none. What do you use to help your son?Yes, he takes Metadate CD and Intuniv. For his anxiety, he also takes Zoloft.
When my child's ADHD isn't well controlled, he eats a ton. I think running at a high speed burns a lot of energy!