Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Ask the doctor about Stratera, I spelled that wrong, this is the problem you are having, all adhd meds are stimulants, but they work differently with kids, stratera is not a stimulant, we were on adderall, and dexedrine, and uped the dose as much as we could stratera is great and is a non stimulant.

Regardless of what you do medically, take your son to a counselor, psychologist, or therapist. He needs help beyond just medicines. My son, usually a very sweet boy, was sometimes given to fits of rage or panic. He's seen a psychologist for several years, who has helped him immensely, and he is now rarely angry, and doesn't have explosions. Get your doctor to refer you to Children's Behavioral Health. It may take 6 months to get an appointment, but schedule it now anyway. Once it's scheduled, see if they can get you in sooner, but even if they can't, plan to start going later.

Personal opinion from a mom who is studying child psychology and child development.

Take him to a therapist before you do meds, art therapy is wonderful for this problem, if you have one in the area. I hate seeing children medicated with no other intervention, there are so many side effects and problem that can arise with medications, and a family Dr is not an expert in psychological disorders.

You might be surprised at how it goes. If the therapy doesn't work after a few months then go on meds but continue the therapy. Children are way over medicated these days. If the therapist suggests staying on the medication, then stay on it, but there are alternatives to medication and it should not be the first thing you try.

Good luck.

My son has ADHD as well as some other disorders. I can not put him on Adderall or any drug like that because it might cause him to seize. I have tried a ADD, ADHD diet that has seemed to help. If you want I could e-mail it to your personal e-mail. It consists of nothing at all processed, fried, not artifical sweetners or sugars, and all whole grain items and a lot of organic products. It has really seemed to help my child, but I think it is the IED making him so uncontrolable, however my son has been in those situations before and I have felt so helpless in knowing what to do. I will pray for you.

Kathleen Weir

My daughter id ADHD/ODD and your son sounds alot like my daughter before her meds. were better matched. Its a long shot but you should look into Tenex its not an ADHD med. however its been used alot for children with ADHD and aggression. It has worked wonders for us. My daughter can now be at school! Good luck!

Have you discussed the possibility of maybe doing the RIP Program with your Pediatrician/Doctor? We have had some issues last few months with our son. He does not have ADHD or anything like that, that we know of. I had him evaluated last fall and doctor said then definitely not ADD OR ADHD. He did say that if there are a few to a lot of changes in childs life, even small changes, that they can be significant to the child and take several months to adjust. Anyway, last month our pediatrician suggested we do the RIP Program. It is free...sort of. It can be a long program for some and shorter for others. They have a video on their website you can check out, it is interviews and testamonials from other parents (very relatable). Don't know if that would be of some help to you or not, but it might be worth checking out. There is no charge for the program. It does require 2 hours a day twice a week, once you successfully complete the program, you then become sort of a teacher of the program for new families entering the program, for however many weeks it took your family to complete the program. Our pediatrician said it was an excellent program and produces great results, so did the director of our preschool. I must admit, we have not started the program ourselves...yet. I know how difficult this must be, as I have 2 nephews with ADHD. One of them was diagnosed with the most extreme ADHD you can have. That was several years ago...He still has problems...he is a good hearted boy (young man now), but still has problems with authority and holding job.

Also, you might get a second or third opinion. I did read up alot lately on ADD and ADHD...some doctors jump to diagnose ADD and ADHD; only to find out later, that the child had a medical problem that caused very smilar symptoms and behaviors. I read that something as simple as inner ear problems can cause same behaviors as ADD and ADHD. You should also make sure that you research and get all the info you can on any meds that the doctor prescribes or suggests...it is ultimately your decision what meds your child takes. The best of luck to you.

I have 2 children that have been diagnosed as ADD/ADHD. They have not been diagnosed IED, BUT we just changed their medicine FROM Adderall XR to Concerta BECAUSE of anger and explosiveness. If you read the side effects of Adderall, you will see that severe mood swings is one of them. I would suggest talking to your dr about the Adderall. My girls have been SO MUCH better on the Concerta. Just food for thought. I hope and pray that you find what works for him. I know how stressful it can be on the entire family. Pray often is my other suggestion.

Do you have a therapist/counselor nearby who offers the S.M.A.R.T. Brain Games as part of their therapy with ADHD patients? I haven't tried it yet with my son, but have been researching it and it looks promising as as least part of an approach to ADHD symptoms. You can read more online. They offer the system now for at-home use, but it's expensive. Good luck.

Sounds like my nephew. They thought he had ADD (also has Autisim) so he was on medication for that for years, but he got worse as time went on. Finally after he got kicked out of several after school programs along with attempted suicide (had other family problems). Turned out he did not have ADD but is bipolar - the ADD medication was making him lash out and turning violent. Check him to see if he is bipolar, which is often misdiagnosed in children. Once he started a new medication (with a few adjustments) he is like a whole new person.

well all i can speak for is the ADHD and the Adderall, my son was on that and it made hin alot meaner!!! but all kids react different to meds, because my son wouldn't eat either when he was on the adderall. so now he takes foaclin. and i have never heard of the ied before sorry i can't help with that one =(

Hi C.,
I'm no expert but I definitely think you should seek a second opinion. This seems like a pretty serious diagnosis and you want to make sure it's right. Also, maybe there are some alternative forms of treatment (such as diet, therapy, etc...)that can be used instead of or in conjuction with medication. Good luck to you.

C.,

I am a behavior Analyst and can tell you that at his age his diagnosis is really early. Have they ruled out ALL medical issues. Prior to diagnosing a child that young I would run a gamete of tests on him MEDICALLY. Doctors are so quick to diagnose a child without looking at ALL components that make up that child. I don't know where you live or even if I am off base here. But, have your doctor check your child's aednoids, tonsils, etc. Is he getting enouch sleep at night? What does he eat everyday there is so much that makes up behavior that I would not take just the one dianosis if this is the first.

Good Luck,

L.

Hi C.. My son doesn't have IED but he has Asperger Syndrome (which is an autism spectrum disorder). We too have had horrible behavioral problems in the past. He has thrown chairs at teachers, jumped on other kids when he's angry at them, yells, screams (saying very ugly things). These are part of "meltdowns" that come along with autism. They were happening every day at school. It stems from the fact that his environment at school was irritating his disorder. They were not providing the things he needed to keep his autistic world in check and comfortable. We recently put him on Prozac. I cannot tell you how much it has helped! He has calmed down immensely!!!! He has only had one episode this year so far at school (from having them every day, that is a blessing!)

Does your child have an IEP at school? Does he fall under special education or 504? If he does, there are laws protecting him at school which say that they have to provide what he needs to get the same education as everyone else. My son falls under special education services. They cannot call me constantly to come get him because of behaviors that result from his disability. They have to find a way to deal with it AT SCHOOL without removing him from the classroom. If you would like more information about all this please feel free to email me: ____@____.com

Thats all IED baby its the worst I hear ya. Your son is being treated just for adhd thats what the slow release adderall is for- focusing thats it. If you find an answer plmk too im dyin ova here. No help either all on my own. Now that she is16 I get attacked every night. Salt container to the head lemonade bottle etc... I now flinch and she thinks its funny, try apartment living I divorced moved out of house cuz her *€€~~%%~>ex father molested her (as if , as if she isn't disabled enuf.