A friend has a 6 year old granddaughter who was recently diagnosed with ADD and has started taking medication (not sure which one). She is constantly scratching her nose saying it itches. The father thinks it has something to do with the medication and he is constanting yelling at his daughter to stop scratching her nose. It causes the poor girl to break out in tears. The grandfather obviously does not think the father is handling the situation correctly and is looking for positive ways to help get his granddaugher to stop scratching her nose.
Has anyone experienced this type of side effect from A.D.D medicaiton and if so, did you do anything to help them stop the behavior? It seems to me that the best thing to do is NOT draw any attention to the tick. Maybe once her body adjusts to the medication, it will stop on its own.
Not from any ADHD medication I've encountered.
It's possible it's from allergies. It IS ragweed season.
If it is a side effect from meds then it will likely go away in time. But either way it needs to be reported to her Dr.
It's a common side effect with MANY medications... although that particular one is more common with opiates than stimulants, it's also fairly common in stimulants.
((And here's why: Stimulants make the body yank the blood supply into the interior, away from the skin. It's a self defense mechanism. When you're in danger, pulling the blood internal protects from blood loss in a fight for your life. It's why tweakers/cokeheads/etc. often start picking at their skin &/or start feeling like there are bugs crawling on them. The skin isn't getting enough blood, and so it gets tingly / itchy/ etc. AND loses some of it's plumpness so blackheads and other blemishes that are usually hard to see become quite visable. But yes. Reduced blood flow OFTEN causes tingling, burning, or itching. ))
It's RARE on the low doses of stimulants that ADHD meds are... but if someone is sensitive to it... here comes the itch!
I've taken a couple where that's happened. Imagine a mosquito bite time 60. THAT bad. It's so intolerable for many people that when they're on necessary medications that cause that side effect either they're also given an anti-itch med (usually an antihistamine, sometimes a muscle relaxer... to interupt the neural impulses, sometimes something else) OR it's deemed an intolerable side effect and a different medicaiton is chosen.
If it's a new med, though, give it about 3 months unless she's scratching herself bloody. The body will often reroute side effects so they're no longer noticeable.
Check with the pharmacist about this reaction. I've not heard of having an itchy nose as a side affect to any medication. I suggest it's a reaction to her physical environment. Pollen and dust can cause an itchy nose.
I also believe that yelling at her about it will only make her do it more. It causes her to focus on her nose so that she's more aware of any sensation. I urge her father to just ignore the scratching and suggest she will stop on her own. Scratching her nose will not hurt her. I don't understand why he's so upset.
ADHD medications can bring out tics in kids already prone to them. Our son has tics, which vary. During allergy season, he tends to get a throat clearing one, but it can also be hand or eye movements. It's not something he can control much.
No one should ever yell at a child for having a tic! That's horrible. Scratching her nose is hardly an obnoxious tic, either.
If the family has any concerns, it's best to bring it up with the prescribing doctor. It can take some trial and error to find the right medication.
It's always good to check with the doctor. Every person has an individual reaction (or not) to medicine. And if the doctor thinks it is not the medicine, it certainly could be a reaction to being yelled at!
You need to check with the doc. My dtr is ADD and no meds. My son is ADHD and was on a med that caused him to chew his nails non-stop. We just kept trying different meds and doses. It took a full YEAR to find one that's working for him. It basically wears off mid afternoon, but we can deal with it. check with the doctor and maybe switch to another one. Good luck!
Not from any meds I have taken or my kids. I would be helpful to know exactly which med she is on.
We are all on Adderall one on Stratera.
If you had an itch, and someone yelled at you to stop, would it actually make the itch, stop?
No.
Yelling at the child, will not help one bit.
My nose itches, JUST the tip of my nose, when my allergies are affecting me, or per the weather.
My parents never yelled at me for that, as a child.
And as an adult, my nose tip will still itch, like crazy, when my allergies are bugging me. It really, itches.
No yelling would make me stop nor make the itch stop.
And my itching nose, is NOT a "tic." My nose, really will itch.
It just happened to me this past weekend.
There are several ADD medications to choose from. I would suggest they let the doctor know about this problem and see if they can try a different medication.
I have a food allergy that causes my nose to itch. I'm sure glad no one yells at me to stop it!
I think this sounds like an allergy.
My son had a similar but more severe reaction to a seizure medication (as did my daughter), both of which got worse the longer they were on it: skin crawling, itching, neurologic side effects, etc. (It also took several months to get out of his system and for the side effects to cease.)
Knowing what my kids dealt with, I would strongly recommend they see the doctor and get the medication changed.
I wouldn't think it would be related, but you never know. Look up the medicine online and see what the side effects are.
If it is a side effect, try a different one.
My son takes ADHD meds, and we went through many many prescriptions before finding one that worked with the least side effects.
