(@) any parents of kids with ADHD?

[whereintheworld]

Yes, my 6yo has ADHD-impulsive/hyperactive presentation. He has been on medication since September 2015. We are finally on the right dose and it's like night and day for him. It has been hugely positive especially at school.

[whereintheworld]

And we don't have a current plan on when/how to wean from meds but I know he's learning lots of important social skills while he's medicated right now that before wasn't sinking in. So I do have confidence he can eventually be off meds since he's learning some self-regulation coping skills. Pre-medication he wouldn't have been able to learn these skills. The medication gives him the ability to practice them and get positive feedback to reinforce the behaviour.

[ijack]

May 5, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

my worry is that if we medicate her, it will screw up her developing brain and/or she has to be on meds forever.

I don't have a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD, but I have it. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30 and I wish almost every day that it had been discovered sooner. I can tell you without a doubt that I would be a different person if they had treated my ADHD as a child and it would make so many of my struggles easier. I know it's hard to decide to give a child a medication, especially a stimulant, but please know you won't be screwing her up. It's possible that she may need to be on meds forever, but it's also possible that if you treat early she'll learn how to manage her ADHD and won't always struggle and some day might not need meds.
Hugs!

[laurenpetro]

May 5, 2016 15:20:32 GMT -5 @dontcallmeshirley1 said:

May 5, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

my worry is that if we medicate her, it will screw up her developing brain and/or she has to be on meds forever.

Actually, the opposite has been shown to be true--appropriate medication preserves brain function later and increases the likelihood that meds as an adult aren't needed. I'm on my phone so I can't find the study, but I'm tagging folks who know about this.@lolligoespop and eclaires

@barefootbarista

[buffalogal]

I just posted over on ML about my little guy. he may be moving from an 8:1:1 class he's been in for K & 1st (K no meds, 1st on meds) to a reg gen ed class (with additional teachers) next year- because of the meds.

he can focus, sit, and write legibly on his meds. a completely different child. doesn't argue, will cooperate with what you ask of him (the 1st time!)

I know the med route is scary, but it is worth trying.

[cbwm1]

Will will be 8 in August (in 2nd grade now) and has been on Adderall since October of kindergarten.

He went from not being able to write a word pre-meds to being able to copy multiple sentences in two days of meds.

So far, it's not done anything to his learning ability. In fact, he's able to understand things more because his brain isn't a jumbled mess. We've seen such a huge improvement in him since we started meds that we couldn't be happier.

Also - SPD is still a very real possibility. Usually things like ADHD/SPD/ASDs are all comorbid. So when a child has SPD, it's very typical to have ADHD.

[onomatopoeia]

May 5, 2016 16:21:20 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

My almost 5 yr old takes a very low dose of Quillivant XR. .75ml

It has always been obvious that she is hyper. Walked early, talked late. Slight speech delay. Super coordinated, pretty artistic, but I could never enroll her in any classes to channel her energy and hone her talents.

We had a long road to meds. We did speech therapy and OT. Her OT compared her to a 3 yo crossfitter. We went to an integrative pedi that diagnosed her, did some blood work and started her on some supplements and diet changes.
finally in December of last yr we were able to get a script for meds. Metadate was awful, but Quillivant has been great.

Her integrative pedi is cool with us using meds (got the script from her regular pedi) and I truly think her dosage is so low because we've done some real diet overhaul and added iron,zinc, vitamin d&k and a probiotic. I'm trying to increase magnesium rich foods because magnesium is supposed to help with calming.

She gets lots of exercise which she NEEDS.

I hate to hijack but can I ask what happened and why it was awful?  PM me if you'd rather (and if you don't mind telling me).  DS was dx with ADHD in December and was prescribed that.  It worked great at first, but now I'm not so sure its the best fit.  

OP, meds can be a lifesaver and make a huge difference in the quality of life for both you and your kid.  Like PP's mentioned, they can allow a child to actually learn and implement the skills they're being taught.  It might take a bit to find the right med and right dosage but it's worth it.

[Queen Mamadala]

May 5, 2016 15:16:14 GMT -5 whereintheworld said:

Yes, my 6yo has ADHD-impulsive/hyperactive presentation. He has been on medication since September 2015. We are finally on the right dose and it's like night and day for him. It has been hugely positive especially at school.

This is so good to hear. 

We suspect our 6 year old son has ADHD. He can be very hyperactive and impulsive. I've suspected it for years. I have an appt with his ped next month to hopefully get a referral for evaluation. He can be difficult at times, and just... exhausting. 

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

my worry is that if we medicate her, it will screw up her developing brain and/or she has to be on meds forever.

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and my doctor told me that untreated, it damages you (can't remember which part lol) because you go on differently wired as it were for so long that your brain develops methods to try to control it/normalize it but those methods increase the difficulties managing it.

But when children are treated, first of all, they don't have to develop various coping mechanisms. They just function properly. So in that way, they get used to processing and prioritizing in the right way which often means they need less meds or even no meds later in life.

And as a bonus, they may not have to deal with the shame and embarrassment that comes with the ways in which having ADHD makes you feel like a fuck up and a failure who can't get their shit straight.

But like any med taken to treat an issue like this, it's going to take some patience and time to find the right meds and the right does to make a difference.

What issues is she having?

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

my worry is that if we medicate her, it will screw up her developing brain and/or she has to be on meds forever.

If she does have ADHD, her brain cannot and will not develop in what we consider a "normal" way.

(And yes, I'm requoting but I thought of another point lol)

The difference since I started taking my meds is so effin dramatic and such a life changer for me that I honestly feel as if my life would have turned out sooooooooooooooo differently had I been treated for it when I was younger. I think of all the ideas and plans I had and my chronic inability to follow through or even just start and I'm kind of horrified. 

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 15:37:37 GMT -5 ijack said:

May 5, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

my worry is that if we medicate her, it will screw up her developing brain and/or she has to be on meds forever.

I don't have a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD, but I have it. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30 and I wish almost every day that it had been discovered sooner. I can tell you without a doubt that I would be a different person if they had treated my ADHD as a child and it would make so many of my struggles easier. I know it's hard to decide to give a child a medication, especially a stimulant, but please know you won't be screwing her up. It's possible that she may need to be on meds forever, but it's also possible that if you treat early she'll learn how to manage her ADHD and won't always struggle and some day might not need meds.
Hugs!

I'd be the same person but I would have fucking gotten shit done, dammit. I would have either finished college or quit with a goddamned plan instead of just being like uhm, I'm bored so let me go find something else to do. 

I'm about to finish writing my very first book thanks to these meds and when I do, I'm dedicating this shit to Vyvanse. If I remember correctly, I started this particular one as a NaNo project a good three years ago. And I created the story, characters, and plot in my early 20s.

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 15:37:37 GMT -5 ijack said:

May 5, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

my worry is that if we medicate her, it will screw up her developing brain and/or she has to be on meds forever.

I don't have a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD, but I have it. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30 and I wish almost every day that it had been discovered sooner. I can tell you without a doubt that I would be a different person if they had treated my ADHD as a child and it would make so many of my struggles easier. I know it's hard to decide to give a child a medication, especially a stimulant, but please know you won't be screwing her up. It's possible that she may need to be on meds forever, but it's also possible that if you treat early she'll learn how to manage her ADHD and won't always struggle and some day might not need meds.
Hugs!

I'd be the same person but I would have fucking gotten shit done, dammit. I would have either finished college or quit with a goddamned plan instead of just being like uhm, I'm bored so let me go find something else to do. 

I'm about to finish writing my very first book thanks to these meds and when I do, I'm dedicating this shit to Vyvanse. If I remember correctly, I started this particular one as a NaNo project a good three years ago. And I created the story, characters, and plot in my early 20s.

[cjeanette]

I have a long response to this post that I will try to remember to come back later when I have more time and add.

The Readers Digest version - my 11 year old son has been on meds for two years. It took us a while to find the right drug. Still, after exhausting all other options for years it was the best thing we could have done for him.

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 18:15:37 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

May 5, 2016 17:56:01 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

What issues is she having?

mainly fidgeting, not sitting still and shouting out answers.

she is above her grade level for all her subjects but she cant sit still and the teacher worried that in a few years it will impact her socially.

we havent worried too much about it so far b/c she is so smart otherwise.

Read up on ADHD/ADD in girls.

But this right here idk, it could be an issue but it could be classroom management. 

What do you think of her impulse control? Not in school, but in general? How does she react when she finds something that interests her? How easy is it for her to stick to a topic or interest?

How much attention can she give to a task or project when she's interested? And how much attention can she give to a task or project when she isn't interested?

[dcrunnergirl52]

May 5, 2016 15:16:14 GMT -5 whereintheworld said:

Yes, my 6yo has ADHD-impulsive/hyperactive presentation. He has been on medication since September 2015. We are finally on the right dose and it's like night and day for him. It has been hugely positive especially at school.

Very similar story here. DS1 (5.5 years old) had issues in preschool for years, and I've known for a long time that he probably had ADHD, but everyone brushed me off ("boys will be boys"). He was really struggling in kinder this year--not on the academics but in staying focused in class and with general behavior. It was to the point that he was asking his twin sister, "Will you please teach me how to be good at school? I can't seem to do it," and saying to me, "I can't control my mind. It's just telling me all these jumbled things to do."

In January, his kinder teacher recommended talking to the pedi after she tried all her tricks to help him (yoga ball to sit on, stress balls to help with fidgeting, special chair in class, positive rewards for completing tasks, elastic band over his chair legs to kick, etc.). Best thing we ever did. We saw a developmental pedi a few weeks later, where he was diagnosed, and he got on meds. The pedi basically said that we could try therapy but it takes much longer to be effective, is costly, and if it is effective, likely won't ever be as good as finding the right meds. And, you see the difference with meds within 30 minutes (good or bad depending on if the meds are right for your child). If you don't like the way the meds impact your kids, they will be out of his system within a few hours and you can try something different.

We started on metadate, and we immediately had awesome results. He was like a new kid. It was incredible. However, the dosage wasn't helping with his focus, just his impulse control. We upped the dosage but that just made him incredibly angry and likely to burst into tears at the drop of a hat. He also had a terrible rebound at the end of the day, where his behavior was worse than ever.

So, we switched to Concerta, and it's been amazing. He used to get the lowest scores on his daily classroom behavior report and now he gets the highest scores everyday. He's gotten the weekly classroom award for good behavior at least three times in the past two months. He never got it before--we didn't even know it existed. And, his report card this semester was a huge improvement from the past semester.

It has also helped us so much at home. We spend so much less time trying to discipline him for not listening, following directions, etc. (which the dev pedi told us would never work b/c you can't discipline the ADHD out of him--he needed help b/c he literally wasn't in control). And, it felt so good to have affirmed what I've known since he was a toddler and to know his challenges weren't just because I was a bad parent, not consistent with discipline, etc.

[imobviouslystaying]

If you do go that route, I would suggest trying the meds but don't tell the teacher. And see what happens.

[imojoebunny]

My DD was diagnosed and medicated for ADHD in 1st grade. We no longer believe she has it, in 4th grade. Meds caused a number of issues for her, each a different one from violence to narcolepsy to never sleeping. She was followed very closely by a pediatric neurologist, after our pediatrician re-prescribed a med that contributed to her kicking her brother in the head repeatedly, she is normally not at all violent. Nothing made it better, though one med did improve her focus, the side effects were not good.

This is probably not what you want to hear, but it is important to realize that meds do not work for every child, though they work for many. I am not opposed to trying them. obviously. We moved DD to a different school with a different philosophy and support system. We got her help for her learning disability and some OT for her sensory issues, and she now performs, 3 years later, at a much higher level, both in the classroom, and on standardized test. It is an avenue to explore and something to try. I know kids for whom it is very effective, and I agree with the others, that if it is your child's true issue, it can be great, but I would encourage you to watch closely, keep a journal before and after with each med you try, and to look at other solutions, if this one doesn't work well.

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 20:26:16 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

I've wondered if its classroom management but I've seen here in dance class and girl scouts and she is always the wiggly one.

Her teacher filled out an assessment and I mostly agree with everything she said except that lb is intimidating/bossy to others and that she lies or cons to get her way. Maybe my mom goggles are blinding me here. Idk.

She is such a strong willed outgoinging kid. Like I can see her easily be a pagent or acting kid BC she wants that attention.

LOL Dude, none of that answers my questions. ADHD/ADD is about how one's brain works and how those workings affect your daily life. So the fact that she fidgets or whatever can definitely be a sign but isn't necessarily what ADD/ADHD is.

Also, I'm not talking about what her teacher sees, though of course that has value. I'm wondering what you see as her mother. Do you think she talks a lot because she feels like talking or do you think she really just does not have the impulse control to wait until it's her time to contribute to the conversation?

Is it really attention seeking or is that when she likes something, she's entirely too excited and focused on it and cannot move onto the next thing without fully working out and talking about everything wrt to that topic?

[anaps28]

Does anyone's ADHD kid have low iron?

DS1 has major impulse issues, super fidgety. He can focus and follow through on directions etc but body control is a big issue. Down time and transitions it's like he doesn't know what to do with his body.
I had his blood work done and his iron was at 30 and the norm for his age (5) should be 70-120.

Our pedi hesitates medicating kids under 7. He feels we should take the iron supplements and see what happens.
I feel like I am constantly disciplining. It's exhausting.

[imobviouslystaying]

I'm admittedly new to the whole ADHD thing so forgive me but this diet/iron supplement thing just kind of feels like telling people with depression to exercise.

Obviously exercise can definitely elevate mood and give people routine and help them manage their symptoms but it doesn't actually treat the depression, doesn't alter the imbalance.

So by all means, treat your kid's iron deficiency. But I don't know that I would expect that to cure a child's impulse control.

But, also like depression, ADHD/ADD can affect each person in a different manner and you may be able to manage your symptoms without pharmaceutical intervention. These issues aren't necessarily a matter of a cure as much as managing symptoms and mitigating a negative affect on your life.

Looking back I can definitely see periods of my life where my ADHD was more manageable but it had gotten nearly impossible to manage at all so I talked to someone. If I get to a point where it's more manageable, I'll go back to my doc and adjust.

[imobviouslystaying]

May 5, 2016 20:54:16 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

lol sorry

she has been talking just to talk her whole life. i think she cant control it. when she hears other people talk, she thinks it is TALKING TIME!!! and just will not stop.

but her concentration is good when she has a task at hand. she can play rounds of cards or candyland with laser focus. or coloring. she can easily color every fucking inch of a coloring sheet for several sheets. but she needs specific directions. 

we cant just say "go clean your room." we have to say "clean your books, then clean your dollhouse then your closet" and she has to come to us between each one.

i can see impulse control and immaturity for sure. 

We traditionally think of ADD/ADHD as the inability to focus period but a better way to think of it is an inability to prioritize your focus. Girls with ADD/ADHD are often overlooked and underdiagnosed because they hyperfocus on school work. So since they're going great in school owing all that hyperfocus it's easy to overlook their lack of focus in other areas.


www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/612.html

For me, I tend to talk a lot because I can't help it, like I need to say this thing before I forget and I'm fixated until I get it out there and let it go. I'll keep running over what I want to say in my head repeatedly until it's time to say it. And sometimes I'll say it even when it's not my "turn" necessarily because I literally cannot move on until the thing is said.


ETA: That room cleaning process you mentioned is a coping mechanism for people with ADHD btw. You're prioritizing for her instead of leaving her to stand in her room and be overwhelmed by the idea of the entire process or start somewhere and inevitably hop around as other things get her attention. She does mean to clean her room, I swear. Just like I totally mean to clean shit. I just, well I know what my problem is now, but when I was a kid (or even two months ago) I would have so many issues just getting shit done. I'd decide to clean under my bed and oh look, I haven't see that book in a while. Twenty minutes and four chapters later, my other is at the door wanting to know how on earth I'm not done yet.

And I can't tell you how much self loathing I developed in those moments. Like yeah, why aren't I done yet? Everyone else can clean their room, why can't I? I suck, don't I? Let me clean this room. Then twenty minutes later I'm organizing shit by color in my closet for no good goddamned reason and now my mother is back and she's taken away my radio for a week. And I'm sitting on my bed crying and angry at myself for fucking it up again.

My house isn't much cleaner, I won't lie. I'm still a working mom of three who would rather do other shit. But if I tell myself I'm going to dig through this shit until I find all of my work clothes, I am able to do that now instead of getting sucked into a pattern magazine and then a search for fabric for the pattern I picked out after the third magazine and never finishing the first task.

[wawa]

May 5, 2016 21:00:43 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

May 5, 2016 20:54:16 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

lol sorry

she has been talking just to talk her whole life. i think she cant control it. when she hears other people talk, she thinks it is TALKING TIME!!! and just will not stop.

but her concentration is good when she has a task at hand. she can play rounds of cards or candyland with laser focus. or coloring. she can easily color every fucking inch of a coloring sheet for several sheets. but she needs specific directions. 

we cant just say "go clean your room." we have to say "clean your books, then clean your dollhouse then your closet" and she has to come to us between each one.

i can see impulse control and immaturity for sure. 

We traditionally think of ADD/ADHD as the inability to focus period but a better way to think of it is an inability to prioritize your focus. Girls with ADD/ADHD are often overlooked and underdiagnosed because they hyperfocus on school work. So since they're going great in school owing all that hyperfocus it's easy to overlook their lack of focus in other areas.


www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/612.html

For me, I tend to talk a lot because I can't help it, like I need to say this thing before I forget and I'm fixated until I get it out there and let it go. I'll keep running over what I want to say in my head repeatedly until it's time to say it. And sometimes I'll say it even when it's not my "turn" necessarily because I literally cannot move on until the thing is said.

and here we see why adult ADHD sufferers are so wildly over-represented on our message board.  It's perfect!  Everybody can say everything that pops into their heads!  No turn waiting needed! 

(I still haven't seen a doctor about this btw.  I did just have a lovely long chat with an old time friend who started meds a few years ago.)

[lostrn]

Getting an official diagnosis from a neuro-psych and then getting ds on meds was a total game changer for us. He is doing so well in school this year, we hear so much positive feedback from his teacher, he's finally on track for his grade and age. It's such a relief. And I think he now has a lot more confidence in his abilities as well. We only give it to him on school days or days when he really needs to focus (ie, the day of his black belt graduation, first communion, etc).

[auntie]

You've got the cart before the horse.

Job one is to get a clear and complete dx from a competent clinical psychologist, psychiatrist or dev pedi. It may not be a matter or SPD -or- ADHD. It could be both. Or it could be something else entirely; a girl with ASD or anxiety might present as you describe your DD.

Is the BT a Behavior Therapist? Because I am side-eyeing the statement meds will probably be the only thing that helps. 

Assuming it is ADHD, without another comorbid condition, there are a lot of mainstream and alternative approaches to ADHD. Even when medication is chosen, and not all meds for ADHD are Schedule II stimulants, they should only be one part of a three part tx plan. Any child with ADHD should be getting supports and accommodations in school- preferential seating, movement breaks, overt structure in the classroom, etc. They should also being receiving appropriate instruction around behavior modification as well as executive function. The third part could be medication which should make her more available to access the supports and instruction in place for her. 

TBH, meds have been life changing, and now that he drives life preserving. He has said his meds help him be who he is instead of some jerk. Progress has come more quickly and more easily with meds, but he did make progress with a tx plan that had only interventions and accommodations in place before we decided to add medication. 

I agree with those who claim meds can actually preserve development. My kid is 22 and still medicated. He's a college senior; self esteem and mood intact. I don't know that he would have graduated from high school unmedicated. While there are always risks and side effects to medication, especially powerful psychoactive drugs, there are very real risks to not medicating where necessary. Social isolation, poor self esteem, increased risk of death through impulsive behavior and self medication. 

Firstly, you'd want to have a professional do the dx. You'd probably also want the LEA (school district) to do their own eval so you can put together and IEP or Sec 504 to put supports and accommodations in place at school.

If she got an ADHD dx, meds might be appropriate. There are basically 3 types of meds prescribed for ADHD Hyperactive or combined type. It's important to work with a psychiatrist to find the appropriate medication. A PCP is not the best choice; they are not the specialists for this sort of tx. 

Some meds for ADHD are old line antihypertensives. Tenex, Intuniv, Kapvay are among these meds. IME, they aren't as effective as stimulants, but they can be appropriate for a child who can't take stimulants for some reason- poor sleep or appetite, pre-existing heart condition, anxiety, tic disorder.

Then there's Straterra which is not a stimulant and is said to also help anxiety to some degree. The downside to this one is that it does seem as effective, and even when it is, it sometimes just stops working after a couple years. GI upset is another common reason it is discontinued.

Stimulants break down into two "flavors"- those based on Ritalin and those based on Dexedrine. There are various iterations with different forms and periods of therapeutic benefit. Many people do significantly better on one kind rather than the other, so careful trials are done to find the right active ingredient, in the right formulation and proper dose. When you get it right, it can be life changing. Miss the mark? It's hell day. A good psychiatrist will trial shorting acting versions, titrating doseage up slowly so if you have a bad experience, it clears the system quickly. I don't see PCP take this caution as a rule. 

There are some complementary approaches. The Feingold diet has been disproven as a tx, but a few people I know claim they see real benefits. I grew up on Feingold because of my sister's ADHD. Yellow #5 was a huge trigger for her.  It can be a healthy diet, but it's not just about dyes and preservatives- you need to watch your child for a reaction to phenols and salicylates as well. These last two lurk in healthy natural foods. DS has ADHD, among other things, I always fed him a Feingold Diet and it really didn't impact his presentation of ADHD. 

Two other things to look at are iron and sleep. Both anemia and sleep deprivation can mimic and/or exacerbate the symptoms of ADHD so it is critical to correct them if they are playing into this. 

[dcrunnergirl52]

May 6, 2016 6:54:13 GMT -5 auntie said:

You've got the cart before the horse.

Job one is to get a clear and complete dx from a competent clinical psychologist, psychiatrist or dev pedi. It may not be a matter or SPD -or- ADHD. It could be both. Or it could be something else entirely; a girl with ASD or anxiety might present as you describe your DD.

Is the BT a Behavior Therapist? Because I am side-eyeing the statement meds will probably be the only thing that helps. 

Assuming it is ADHD, without another comorbid condition, there are a lot of mainstream and alternative approaches to ADHD. Even when medication is chosen, and not all meds for ADHD are Schedule II stimulants, they should only be one part of a three part tx plan. Any child with ADHD should be getting supports and accommodations in school- preferential seating, movement breaks, overt structure in the classroom, etc. They should also being receiving appropriate instruction around behavior modification as well as executive function. The third part could be medication which should make her more available to access the supports and instruction in place for her. 

TBH, meds have been life changing, and now that he drives life preserving. He has said his meds help him be who he is instead of some jerk. Progress has come more quickly and more easily with meds, but he did make progress with a tx plan that had only interventions and accommodations in place before we decided to add medication. 

I agree with those who claim meds can actually preserve development. My kid is 22 and still medicated. He's a college senior; self esteem and mood intact. I don't know that he would have graduated from high school unmedicated. While there are always risks and side effects to medication, especially powerful psychoactive drugs, there are very real risks to not medicating where necessary. Social isolation, poor self esteem, increased risk of death through impulsive behavior and self medication. 

Firstly, you'd want to have a professional do the dx. You'd probably also want the LEA (school district) to do their own eval so you can put together and IEP or Sec 504 to put supports and accommodations in place at school.

If she got an ADHD dx, meds might be appropriate. There are basically 3 types of meds prescribed for ADHD Hyperactive or combined type. It's important to work with a psychiatrist to find the appropriate medication. A PCP is not the best choice; they are not the specialists for this sort of tx. 

Some meds for ADHD are old line antihypertensives. Tenex, Intuniv, Kapvay are among these meds. IME, they aren't as effective as stimulants, but they can be appropriate for a child who can't take stimulants for some reason- poor sleep or appetite, pre-existing heart condition, anxiety, tic disorder.

Then there's Straterra which is not a stimulant and is said to also help anxiety to some degree. The downside to this one is that it does seem as effective, and even when it is, it sometimes just stops working after a couple years. GI upset is another common reason it is discontinued.

Stimulants break down into two "flavors"- those based on Ritalin and those based on Dexedrine. There are various iterations with different forms and periods of therapeutic benefit. Many people do significantly better on one kind rather than the other, so careful trials are done to find the right active ingredient, in the right formulation and proper dose. When you get it right, it can be life changing. Miss the mark? It's hell day. A good psychiatrist will trial shorting acting versions, titrating doseage up slowly so if you have a bad experience, it clears the system quickly. I don't see PCP take this caution as a rule. 

There are some complementary approaches. The Feingold diet has been disproven as a tx, but a few people I know claim they see real benefits. I grew up on Feingold because of my sister's ADHD. Yellow #5 was a huge trigger for her.  It can be a healthy diet, but it's not just about dyes and preservatives- you need to watch your child for a reaction to phenols and salicylates as well. These last two lurk in healthy natural foods. DS has ADHD, among other things, I always fed him a Feingold Diet and it really didn't impact his presentation of ADHD. 

Two other things to look at are iron and sleep. Both anemia and sleep deprivation can mimic and/or exacerbate the symptoms of ADHD so it is critical to correct them if they are playing into this. 

auntie, do you know if strawberries contain these things? My ADHD-Combined DS1 reacts terribly to strawberries--even in small amounts, whether it's straight strawberries, in yogurt, smoothies, frozen, fresh, jelly, etc. His behavior gets out of control, he fidgets way more than usual, etc. His worst days at preschool and kinder were when his class made strawberry smoothies (pre-K) and he picked strawberry milk at lunch (kinder). Now he knows he can't have them anymore.

[auntie]

Very high in salicylates-

salicylatesensitivity.com/about/food-guide/fruits/


www.autismnti.com/images/Diet.pdf

[dcrunnergirl52]

May 6, 2016 9:52:04 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

May 6, 2016 9:45:11 GMT -5 auntie said:

Very high in salicylates-

salicylatesensitivity.com/about/food-guide/fruits/


www.autismnti.com/images/Diet.pdf

Well damn, PSB loves blueberries, raisins, apples, and tomato sauces.  

Today she may eat all 4!

Are you supposed to avoid them all together, or offer only 1 per day?  Sheesh.  

How would you know if a kid has salicylate sensitivity?

We totally avoid strawberries, but the other foods don't seem to impact him. We noticed DS1 was having an issue b/c he was having pancakes with strawberry jam for breakfast every morning in pre-K and was having a terrible time with behavior and impulse control. One day, we decided to change things, and started having plain toast, and his behavior changed remarkably at school. We thought it was just the sugar, but then we had several other strawberry-related incidents, and every time he went nuts. It's the strangest thing.

[hopecounts]

May 6, 2016 9:52:04 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

May 6, 2016 9:45:11 GMT -5 auntie said:

Very high in salicylates-

salicylatesensitivity.com/about/food-guide/fruits/


www.autismnti.com/images/Diet.pdf

Well damn, PSB loves blueberries, raisins, apples, and tomato sauces.  

Today she may eat all 4!

Are you supposed to avoid them all together, or offer only 1 per day?  Sheesh.  

How would you know if a kid has salicylate sensitivity?

Try removing them from the diet and see what happens, if there is improvement it makes sense to avoid them.
you can also try adding back each one separately in limited quantities and see how she reacts it may be that certain ones are more problematic for her then others or that small amounts she can tolerate without issue but it needs to be limited.

[humpty]

May 5, 2016 21:00:43 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

We traditionally think of ADD/ADHD as the inability to focus period but a better way to think of it is an inability to prioritize your focus. Girls with ADD/ADHD are often overlooked and underdiagnosed because they hyperfocus on school work. So since they're going great in school owing all that hyperfocus it's easy to overlook their lack of focus in other areas.


www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/612.html

For me, I tend to talk a lot because I can't help it, like I need to say this thing before I forget and I'm fixated until I get it out there and let it go. I'll keep running over what I want to say in my head repeatedly until it's time to say it. And sometimes I'll say it even when it's not my "turn" necessarily because I literally cannot move on until the thing is said.


ETA: That room cleaning process you mentioned is a coping mechanism for people with ADHD btw. You're prioritizing for her instead of leaving her to stand in her room and be overwhelmed by the idea of the entire process or start somewhere and inevitably hop around as other things get her attention. She does mean to clean her room, I swear. Just like I totally mean to clean shit. I just, well I know what my problem is now, but when I was a kid (or even two months ago) I would have so many issues just getting shit done. I'd decide to clean under my bed and oh look, I haven't see that book in a while. Twenty minutes and four chapters later, my other is at the door wanting to know how on earth I'm not done yet.

And I can't tell you how much self loathing I developed in those moments. Like yeah, why aren't I done yet? Everyone else can clean their room, why can't I? I suck, don't I? Let me clean this room. Then twenty minutes later I'm organizing shit by color in my closet for no good goddamned reason and now my mother is back and she's taken away my radio for a week. And I'm sitting on my bed crying and angry at myself for fucking it up again.

My house isn't much cleaner, I won't lie. I'm still a working mom of three who would rather do other shit. But if I tell myself I'm going to dig through this shit until I find all of my work clothes, I am able to do that now instead of getting sucked into a pattern magazine and then a search for fabric for the pattern I picked out after the third magazine and never finishing the first task.

What you described sounds so much like my childhood. Except I couldn't focus in class either. Most of my report cards have teacher comments about how well I would do if only I could focus harder. My parents never thought to have me evaluated which I didn't even know ADHD existed until I was in my 20s. The more I'm learning about it because we are now going through it with my 7 year old daughter the more I'm realizing the potential I could have had in my school years that I've missed out on. I have such extreme guilt over the fact that I can't recall much of anything that was taught during school. I have always felt extremely stupid because I couldn't remember anything I just read or been able to focus long enough to absorb what I'm hearing. Whenever I'm trying to tell my H about something I've read I'll have to pull it up and read it verbatim because I won't remember enough of what was said to give a summary. 

As for stuck on a topic, yes. My friends would be irritated that I was still going on about something or another because the that topic was so ten minutes ago and I'm like but I'm not done yet! And losing myself in a sea of mess because I found something that I hadn't seen in months so I'm spiraling on it for an hour or so. 

I see see myself in my daughter and it scares me because I don't want her to be like me. I want her to have a better chance for success in life. We chose to put her on meds and so far it's been working really well. There was an almost night and day difference from day one with her ability to focus. We went from having to constantly supervise her to keep her on task with a ton of direction and she was only able to write a sentence here or there and never completed any assignments during class to now being able to finish assignments as well as writing 3-4 sentence paragraphs. I can see the confedence building in her as well and it makes me happy.

[erbear]

May 5, 2016 15:18:33 GMT -5 whereintheworld said:

And we don't have a current plan on when/how to wean from meds but I know he's learning lots of important social skills while he's medicated right now that before wasn't sinking in. So I do have confidence he can eventually be off meds since he's learning some self-regulation coping skills. Pre-medication he wouldn't have been able to learn these skills. The medication gives him the ability to practice them and get positive feedback to reinforce the behaviour.

This! My DD (7) isn't on meds yet but I think an ADHD diagnosis is coming soon and we'll explore it. Our hope as teachers of kids with ADHD is that we work with them on the skills (knowing full well they won't be able to do some of it yet, but over time, they will develop the skills) and they are on meds until their brains develop the impulse control that is missing for kids with ADHD, then they are able to be weaned off.