nail biting | ADHD Information

My son has the exact same problem.  He has been on regular Ritalin, Ritalin LA and now Concerta and all have had the same effect with him chewing. He also picks at his skin around his nails and they can bleed at times.  I get so frustrated with him chewing!  He has gotten better though because he used to pull off his socks and chew his toenails. He gave himself ingrown toenails by doing this.   Thank goodness he rarely does that anymore.

We tried him on Strattera and the chewing was reduced, but it didn't do anything for his impulsivity. I would much rather have him chewing rather than impulsive!   I think now he has been chewing for so long that it has become a habit for him.

My sons Dr. is now saying that she thinks he may be showing signs of obsessive compulsive disorder and they are going to totally reevaluate him to look for anything else that could be going on with the ADHD.

 

Interesting....
I have been biting, chewing, and picking my nails, toenails, and skin since I was about 5 years old. I just started taking medication (i'm 21 now) and all of the biting, chewing, and picking remains the same.

I ahve also had that problem with my meds...I am 17 and still my mom has to tell me to star chewing my nails....lol....I ahte it when she does...even when I don't take meds then I don't bite my nails...but when on I do...I take about 10 mg of ritalin...and 20mg of valporic acid and a slow release ritalin....Does anyone have a problem with nail biting when on their medication? My son is on 36mg of Concerta and he has chewed his finger nails down to next to nothing. He also picks at his toe nails if he isn't wearing his shoes or socks. He could sit for hours ( really!) and pick at his nails. If he is not on his medication he doesn't do this at all. I know I always chew the inside corner of my lips and outsides of my lips when I'm on adderall.  The next day I always have canker sores and chapped lips.  But then again... I'm not perscribed or anything... Big Cheezy38304.9489583333Lots of kids and adults get compulsive/anxious behaviors on the stimulants. For someone who is like that and does not do well with strattera(better concentration perhaps, but very impulsive/hyperactive), you can try guanfacine (tenex), at dosing of 1-2 tabs twice a day. Just start slow to avoid sedation. For some kids, including my own, this is ten times better than a stimulant.

 

I too am new to all of this.  My son was just diagnosed last week with ADHD and we have not started meds today.  I have noticed in the past though that he had a biting problem.  Especially when he was younger.  He would bite anybody and anything he could get his hands on.  I find this interesting.  Is the biting just a part of the ADHD?????

I’m very new to this as well. My daughter was only just diagnosed. She bites the inside of her lower lip incessantly ... to the point of bleeding and she doesn't even realise it.

Well...I'm not a parent, I'm a 16 year old, but yea I do have a problem with biting my skin and I did used to have a problem with biting my nails but I quite after making them bleed. But now I just bite the inside of my cheeks and my side of my nail where the skin is. I've been doing it since maybe when I was 6 or 7. My mom calls it a habit, but she really hated it when I bit my nail and made them bleed. She hates blood, but she could care less that I bit the skin, as long as I one) don't start to eat people, two) eat my skin till I bleed, and three) don't bit my nails. 

Hi!

I just found this message board by Googling for ADHD+biting...

My son is almost 8, diagnosed with ADHD this past February... He is now on Adderall 25 mg. 1x/day.

He started biting objects this summer when he was still on Concerta (our remote controls look like beavers attacked them!)... They then put him on Strattera, which did NOTHING for him. The Adderall seems to be working, but he is coming home bleeding from biting the skin around his fingers!

As a mother, this is heartbreaking to watch... I cried when he came home last Friday and I had to put bandages on 3 fingers because they were so bad.

[QUOTE=alapeds]you can try guanfacine (tenex), at dosing of 1-2 tabs twice a day. Just start slow to avoid sedation. For some kids, including my own, this is ten times better than a stimulant.[/QUOTE]

Is Quanfacine a prescription? Do they take it along with the medication they're already on? 

Thank you in advance for any support you can give me!

Carrie

I still chew the skin off the tops of my fingers