Help with ADHD Meds/psychiatric Problems

My 8 yr old son last July started out taking Adderall XR and he was extremely violent towards everyone. We kept changing the dose and finally had him switched to Strattera. He is doing much better now since switching. I have heard other people say that their child was extrememly violent on Adderall XR as well. Maybe you should look into switching him to a non-stimulant med.

I am a mother of two and a therapist in the Northern Virginia area. It sounds like he may need a new medication so I am happy to hear that you have a re-evaluation of his medication scheduled. Also, have you considered counseling for him? I would be happy to assist you in this process if you are in the Northern Virginia area. I can be reached at ###-###-####. Hope this helps, N. Cohen, LPC

L.,,i have 2 children ages, 13 (girl) and 16 (son) who both are diagnosed ADHD, daughter ADHD w/inattentive, son ADHD/perdominately, hyper. Anyway my point is ADHD boys exhibit physically (such as your son with the punching, aggressive outburst). girls r different in the way the exhibit ADHD.

Please educate yourself and dad (or male figure in your household). Pls PLS PLS check out schwablearning.org. Alot of great information.

It is never just ADHD,,,their are also learning disabilities that can cause frustration among the children. Homework is a and will always be a struggle with our quirky children. It never never goes away, and you & school may need to accomodate your son's learning style. I cannot stress enough how much information is out there to help our families.

Please do not be offended by this, but be very careful with the styles of disciplne you display to your son. Give him the love he deserves and I wish you all the amount of patience needed. You r in my prayers. Peace....M., Mother of 2 ADHD, Great, Kind Children in Baltimore

I have a 6 y/o son that is ADHD/Aspergers. I can be reached at ____@____.com if you would like to talk more in depth about it. I live in Severna Park and feel I have the best support system. My after school provider is a nurse and she herself is ADD and her son is autistic. She is a great source of comfort as well as our psycologist that our whole family goes to weekly. I also found that my son was angry, verbally abusive and just not a happy kid while on
Adderall. He is now on the Concerta and is doing remarkable with some disipline changes from dad and I. I know how it feels to have your whole day depend on how his day goes and to worry constantly about what everyone thinks about your parenting skills (atleast the people who are unfamilair with ADD/ADHD children).

Hi my son is 8 and has Adhd, I have had him on several meds none of which he could stay on mainly because they made him very sick. I think sometimes the meds can do more harm then good but that is just me. I finally had to make a choice, keep trying meds and keep playing with his system ( that is what it was doing changing all the time) or accept him and his adhd and look for other methods to help him. I chose looking for other methods. I started doing research on natural things and alt. things. I was suprised how much a difference it makes just changing his diet, or making him sit each night and play his play station. I know that seems silly to say here go play when there is work to be done. But he gets to play for a half hour or so then its time to go back and play it. Since I started doing this he sits for longer periods and is able to concentrate a little easier. Homework is still a chore but he is doing better. Another thing a thought have you had him checked for celiac? I know they say it is something that is pased down but it is hard to det. in children. It cause learning problems and such in children. There is a blood test they can do for it. I have a few friends now that have done this and found out that their child had it, and you simply change the way he eats, no wheat, glutin sounds like work but what a difference and it is drug free. I please I dont say this to scare anyone, but a year ago I lost my nephew, he had adhd pretty badly and was one different meds and finally on stratera...he wasnt checked properly and the doctors missed that he had developed jv. diab. and he passed away. Scotty was only 13, I think maybe that was what really started to change my way of thinking, since some of the problems my son had didnt start until they started messing with his meds and changing things....also there are books out there that they can read, one for ex is the boy and the bear, my son had trouble going to sleep...he likes the book and it teaches him breathing techs that he does not knowingly with the book and is out in 5 mins, and when he is wound up I say trying your breathing like the bear and he does and it helps....

Hi, I know what you are going through. I also have a daughter that was diagnosed at 3 yrs old with ad/hd. She is now 12 yrs old and since has been diagnosed with ad/hd, oppositonal defient disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and bi-polar. At the age of 7, I had to place her in Hershey medical center psychiatric center. She was talking strange and doing things. She went two weeks there. They took her off everything. Then started new meds. She is currently taking Strattera, Depekote and seroquel. She has been on concerta, adderal and a couple others. But Strattera seems to be what has worked. I picked Hershey b/c I know ppl that dealt with other hospitals and that was the best. I understand about the violent tempers too. I go through it. If you ever need to talk, let me know, my screenname is the same as this name. I have also been through the "I hate you", "you aren't my parents", "I want new parents", And also she has gone as far as saying, "I wish you was dead". I hope that some of this helps you. That hospital is great and they explain everything to you. Good luck.

my son who is 5 was on addrella at age 4 and he was mean and even more violent plus he didnt want to sleep. i took him off and he returned to being his normal of hyper and volent but not as bad. also my niece was on it and it made her hulusinate

Hi L.,

My son who is now 8 was diagnosed much to my disbelief when he was 6 with ADHD, sensory integration disorder and pragmatic language disorder. They told me he had it severe and needed meds and therapy (speech and occupational therapy). Talk about a shock. They also told me he has an over the average IQ which I did not doubt because he was reading fluently when he 3 and did first grade math when he was 4. Nevertheless, I was at a loss. I've a nursing background and am intimate with the effects of drugs which can be beneficial but as you know also bad. I fought with physicians, and stayed away from pro med doctors and psychiatrists that told me he would be a social outcast and fall back in school if he did not take meds at this young age. I was scared at what I was told and the literature I read did not help either. All doom and gloom mostly. Initially, out of fear from all I was told by the doctors, I did put him on Addreall XR when he started first grade. His teacher really could not handle him and he would come home each day crying about how he hates school and it broke my heart. I literally cried myself to sleep some nights feeling so much at a loss. My son has always been a happy and well rounded child but first grade started to make him feel that he was worth nothing with a teacher that did not understand or support him. Each time he cried after coming home from school, I used this as a sprinboard to explain to my son why we can't change other people's opinion of who we are but that we in turn must know who we are in ourselves, what are our potential, what we are capable of and that no one should tell us that we are bad, that we can't do this or that. He would tell me that he feels something is wrong with his mind and that it must be fixed. I kept telling him that nothing is wrong with it, absolutely nothing. But being 6 and still immature, he could not digest what I relayed although he knew I supported and believed in him. I needed him to know or to sense that I trust him and in his abilities to overcome this. I would not give up on taking him off the pill because taking the pill itself was a challenge. He would choke and was just not good at swallowing it. After a few months (whilst also relentlessly coaching my son about his behavior and having behaviour charts at home and in school), I decided to do a little test and took him off meds for a few days. His teacher did not mention that his behaviour was any worse during those times because she thought he was still on the pill. I tried it again the following weeks to see if she would notice and I would say 7 or 8 out of 10 times, she did not notice he did not take his meds that day. This indicated to me that my son was already applying some compensatory skills he was learning as he matures. One day my son told me he does not want to take the pill anymore because it made him feel different. I then made a pack with my son. I told him that if we are to stop taking it, then he must learn on his own to stay focussed, to be aware of his behavior at every moment and to really respect the rules of the classroom regardless of how he may feel. We made a pack and untill today, he has not been on any meds since then. It has been over 1.5 years since he took any medication. It has been a struggle and continue to be a challenge which we wholeheartedly face.

My partner and I have very very strict discipline and behavioral guidelines in the house and when we are in public. I limit his electronic game playing to a bare minimum and is used as a reward which works. We eat as much natural foods as we can. I educate my son each and every day, sounding like a broken record about what he has to be responsible for what he puts into his mouth and his body because his behaviour is modified with the food he eats. I've to instill in him self reliance and responsibility for his behaviour and his actions. There's been some battle of the wits but at the end of the day, I tell him whether he likes it or not, it is the rule and that we had an agreement. There is no other way if we are to remain healthy and happy. He has been a math wizard in school every month since he started 2nd grade, still drug free and doing so well. He has made some friends which is such a boost for his self esteem. He has had them in our house for sleep overs and has gone to their house for play dates. I don't second guess anymore, when I feel weak and worry over things especially if his teacher tells me something I dont like, my partner and I discuss it in depth and I am so thankful for him. He dispells any single doubt I may have that his behaviour is due to ADHD or anything else. He is a normal developing boy and has a lot of energy. We invest in things to do that allows him to channel his energy and creativity in positive ways. We still do have bad days but I would say, his good days are usually 90% spot on. There isn't any junk food in our house, he swims the lap pool, plays tennis, soccer, does the dishes every night, takes out the trash, recently started dance class as a creative avenue for him, I involve him in as much activities as possible. As he grows we modify our approach with him and so far things are working out. I wish you all the best and being med free is not impossible.

W.

Hi L..

Please go to www.cchr.org . Go to the sections that are labeled "ADHD & Learning Disorders" and "Child Drugging". Also, check out the "Resources" section. Let me know what you think or if you need further assistance. Thanks!

M.

1) I hope your child is seeing a therapist who sees him once a week for 50 minutes.

2) I hope it's not just a 15-minute med check.

3) If you have a member of the family that is having serious issues, EVERYONE needs counseling, not just the one person. I'd say this if you were taking care of a parent with Alzheimer's. Everyone needs counseling, not just your son.

4) Your child's doctor -- whoever is prescribed the meds -- should have been the first person you contacted, not Mamasource. I am hoping that you and this doctor and the child's school are in close communication.

It could be that it's the wrong meds. It could be something else. Unless the whole family is in counseling, and your child isn't seeing a therapist in addition to being medicated, you have no way of knowing. The right medication can be a blessing. Please don't listen to people who say that medicating children is always wrong. But you can't expect medication to do everything.

Please contact your child's doctor. If your child's doctor only does 15-minute med checks, please switch doctors.

The right medication can be a godsend. But not every medication is good for every child. In fact, for one of my children, Adderall XR was literally a lifesaver for about a year (now he's not medicated), but Adderall XR for the other child was a nightmare. So each child is different.

My son is 11 and we had this problem also with Adderall XR, two weeks ago. When I spoke to my sons doctor about it he informed me that some people experience sever mood swings when the medicine is wearing out of their system. We switched back to just Adderall and all seems ok now. My son has taken concerta and stratera also, but we have been the happiest with the adderall.

L.,

For you and any other parents having issues with this, PLEASE check out this article regarding ADHD drug warnings
<http://counterpunch.org/pringle03072007.html&gt;

The gluten free diet is an awesome idea. There is a published diet available for the treatment and maintenance of children with ADD/ADHD called The Feingold Diet <http://www.feingold.org/&gt;. Definitely something to look into. As with any treatment there are opponents as well. I just want to provide you with an alternative or tow.

Here's a few more:
<http://www.nativeremedies.com/focus_for_adhd-HBX1.shtml&gt;
<http://www.nativeremedies.com/brightspark_for_add.shtml&gt;

Wishing you the best with this.

Blessings,

Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend

My daughter is 15 now and when she was diagnosed with ADHD/ODD (at 7 or 8) she was placed on Adderall. She had terrible mood swings and the whole "I hate you!" was too common place. She became a different child.

In her case, she was switched to Concerta and all that went away. I'm just wondering why your doctor switched your son off of Concerta? It seems from at least 3 of our experiences that mood swings/ defiance may be commonplace with the adderall.

Talk to your doctor again. Please don't wait for things to get worse. In our case family counseling helped a great deal as well.

My son too has ADHD and was put on Adderall. Before this he was a sweet kid with no mood swings. Kinda of a happy go lucky type. After taking Adderall for about 2 months I started noticing different moods that he had never experienced before. He was angry all the time. His sisters got on his nerves. He started crying over nothing. I stopped giving him this medicine when he started saying he wanted to kill himself. I think it was the meds that did this to him. He no longer takes it and he's back to his normal self. Please call his doctor right away & let him/her know these changes. Ask if there is another med or some kind of counseling to get him off the meds. I know how hard it is to raise a child with this condition. But my son has been off all meds for a year now & he's doing alot better than before. It takes a lot of hard work & patience.

I hope all goes well with you and your son. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help in this process.

Missy

I really don't think it's an underlying psychological problem. When my stepdaughter was on Adderall, I saw a special about it on a news show (like 20/20) about the drug and the long term effects. Apparently, there have been several cases of adults who were on it at one time that developed SERIOUS violent tendencies and committed violent crimes. We took her off of it immediately and her behavior improved. We separated, so I'm not really sure what she's on now, if anything, but I honestly believe that it is the drug that's doing it. If I were you I would do some serious research on Adderall. I have adult ADHD myself and I have found that certain vitamins make a world of difference without the negative side effects. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers.

N.

My son, also 9 was diagnosed with ADD when he was 7. We just started Adderall XR as his first med. Although it has just been one week of medicating, he is moody. I see the mmods amplified when he had a bad night sleeping. Could insomnia be a cause of short temper? Is there violence anywhere else in his life? for example, do you hit him or does he play or watch violent video games or movies? Is there an older child who could be influencing him to act out? If you have no cause or influence I would check out counseling for him. Maybe counseling is needed no matter why the violent temper has started. I wish you the best in quick recovery for your confused and angry son.

Hi L.,
I have a 11 year old son that is on Adderall XR. He was moody also and I had a talk with the doctor so they put him on a higher dosage and put him on Citalopram 10 mg. that seems to help him alot. If he doesn't take Citalopram he is so mean and hateful.

I hope that I was some help to you.
Kim

Hi L.! Let me first start by saying I am praying for you and your family. My son is 9 and also has ADHD. He is currently taking the Concerta XR. We like the Concerta simply because it does not effect HIS (each child is different) personality or moods. Along with is medication, we have met with his teachers, principal, school nurse & psychologist to come up with an IEP (individual learning plan) for him. This does help a great deal. It also allows me to monitor that he is in fact learning the things he needs to know without getting PUSHED through the school system. His teachers and I communicate daily through his agenda book. However, after school he was having a problem with getting his homework done without frustrating everyone in the house, including me. What I came up with is an afternoon routine. With this routine it allows him to rest a little before and after his homework and chores are done. I also have a POSITIVE pamphlet that I received from our doctor. If you'd like me to forward a copy to you please email me at ____@____.com entire family should have patience with him and learn how to deal with his disorder. Good luck and just know that it can get better and will with time.

Jennifer L has some very good points. Meds can indeed be helpful, but not always with ALL children with all meds. (Does that make sense?) I've tried my son on both of the meds you've mentioned as well as Metadate... which I don't even think is FOR ADHD, but it worked for my son. He also has tourette syndrome and can't take the Stratera or some of the newer meds because they increase his ticks.

Gluten removal in ANYone's diet is a GOOD thing. Technically, the body is not meant to digest gluten (or milk after a certain age, similar to cats). The body just doesn't process it properly. Even 'normal' adults would feel MUCH better eating soy products, some of which TASTE normal.

Buckwheat pancake mix is a wonderful substitute for many bread items (cookies even!) Some of them you don't even use milk with it. I think I'll even put this on the recipe page. My husband (who has Celiac) can eat a DOZEN chocolate chip cookies and the guys at the shop don't even KNOW they are eating 'healthy'. HEHE, I find it humorous, actually!

If indeed, your son can't take the meds, the playstation trick seems to work for Jennifers son, it may work for yours too. Why? Because it gives him something to 'pay attention to' that HE wants to pay attention to. Amazing, but it works! I must try this on MY son...Gotta convince my husband it may work... when he gets 'ants' in his pants and the weather is not good for working in the yard with us. (I must work out with him or he won't do it. He'd just sit looking at the ants building their hill if I left him to do a chore alone.)

Hi L.,

I had the same type of problems when I medicated my son he was on 7 different medications since the ages of 3-8. All of the symptoms were similar moodiness, violent type tendencies, fatigue, he wouldn’t eat anything and he would cry all of the time. I love my son more then anything in the world and that wasn’t him (my only child) I couldn’t take the reactions to his medication, it was killing me. So I took him off of all meds at the age of 8, believe me that wasn’t an easy decision and the school didn’t make it better (I think the get money from the drug companies because they fought me and still are). My son has been off meds and is holding his own he is a b or c student, he still gets hyper but he had learned to try to control it. I also am very involved in school (I do work so not the PTA) I have meeting anywhere from 1 x a month to when I want them. I have set up a behavioral counselor and have set up many different programs in the school. I know these types of children can be difficult and heart breaking (I v been there). Try to do some research on the computer for your area and see what programs you have to help him with out meds. If you are going to take him off meds and you need help tying to get programs in place for him let me know. If you just want to talk to someone who has and is going through the same thing please write me.

L. Michelle