I have three children two of which are on medication for ADHD and ADHD/bi-polar. I have to switch the older of the two from a medication I felt comfortable with to a different brand as my ex-husband couldn't afford the cost of splitting the meds as neither of us have insurance. Since the change (little over a year) we have gone down hill! His behavior has changed dramatically. He is 13 years old, started running away, am getting non-stop phone calls from the school(Swear my # is on the principle's speed dial!), and he steals everything he lays sight on! They evaluated him at the school as well and said they had huge concern with depression and we were informed to remove all guns from the house and surrounding area. What a heart dropper that was! Just curious if there is anyone else out there dealing with this difficulty and if there is some wonder drug or great idea any of you have used. I am a mother who is at her wits end!!!
Is it possible that puberty and his meds are not mixing well?? I know that the brain chemicals change and wondered if these behavior issues correlated with his being 13...something to consider. Sorry though, no answers for you. How frustrating for all of you.
i honestly dont have any advice other than to check with the company that makes the med. (the GOOD one, the one your ex-hubby cant afford) and see if they have any type of financial help available. i know i am on 2 different meds for bipolar, lexapro and trileptal, and both of those companies that make them have programs available for families that cannot afford the medication, for example, i dont pay anything for the meds. so depending on your financial situation, you may qualify for free meds, or for a reduced price on the med that works the best with your son. but DEFFINITLY talk to the dr about his behavior on that med. it is dangerous for him and for those around him if the med isnt doing what it is supposed to!!!
Counseling. Get him into Counseling- quickly. Get what help you can from the state, but there are free services and income assisted services as well. I am a single mother with low income- just not low enough for assistance, and there is help out there. there is also Bipolar alliance I think it's called here in Omaha. It's a support group that I have actually attended with my ex boyfriends mom for awhile. They are good for lots of resources. And most of all, love him, love him, love him.
Hi,
Since going the "western medicine" route hasn't solved the issues, seeing a natrupathic dr. could really help. I found this out the hard way like you. Our family had multiple adhd children and we needed to find out what was causing the adhd behavior-not covering them up with meds. My case may not be the same as yours, but we found out a bacterial infection from antibiotics from when my son was a baby caused adhd symptoms. Don't yank the meds, get a consultation from a natrupathic dr. and get their advice to get your family healthy. We also read the book "Healing the New Childhood Epidemic" and it brought us to getting the kids and myself tested biomedically by a Natrupathic Doctor. You really have to be the detective in your childrens life because it could be multiple things. I hope this helps! The website for the book is www.4ahealing.com
My son had a similar response when they put him on different meds last year. The psychiatrist thought he was bipolar/ADD but turns out he is Asperger's/ADD. These particular meds made him agressive and irrational and he was one more incident away from expulsion (luckily it was worse the last few weeks of school). The principal, to help me out(I am also a single mom), kept him in his office the last two weeks of school to complete his work while we switched meds again. He is now on an amazing med that is working wonders. I would suggest stopping the meds or at least trying something different ASAP. Hang in there.
Word of advice...my son is almost 4 and he has a learning disability and we signed him up for the Katie Beckett Program thru the state and we are able to get him the help he needs and we don't pay for anything. Its a program based on the kids income which our child isn't old enough to work. Its been great. They cover him for meds, psych appts, any medical and his glasses. Any assistance you can search for will be helpful. Get them the help they need. Contact me if you need anymore help. Chin UP! :0)
Hi L.~
I have a couple suggestions for you in case you are still looking for something that might help:
1. Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free diet
2. Read the book "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies"
3. Keep him away from sugar and dyes as much as possible
4. Try to get some good quality food supplements into him that will help to calm his brain down(I have a few suggestions here so feel free to email me at: ____@____.com)
I hope you will investigate these for yourself!!!
Take care~
A.
We use symbyax for add and bipolar. For us, it works great. Our son is 16 and not hyperactive but attention deficit.
If you are a full time working mother and can't afford the proper medication for your son, there has to be a problem somewhere (and I mean the system, NOT YOU!). If you are on your own, with such little medical support, there MUST be help at your local welfare office. I just can't understand how this happens, because it's not YOUR fault, you're working full time and STILL can't get medical needs covered.... geez. I'm so sorry this happens to moms in America. I'd pound on more doors and see if there is some financial support from somewhere to get the other medication and some serious counseling, mentoring, something, to completely change the track your son is on. Can the father offer more help and support? The father's employer?
All I can suggest is some DRASTIC action and the sooner the better. Kids fall into a rut and it becomes habit and the habits become very difficult to 'unlearn'. The confusion and feelings of helplessness, anger... it all becomes a permanent and constant negative self-talk in their heads and it will take a very big shift in their routine to change it.
Good luck. Keep some wits about you because you'd be surprised how they keep coming and don't seem to end when you think they're running out!
I am sorry for your difficult situation! We have depression issues in our family and have friends with ADD/ADHD issues with there kids. We are trying a complete switch in our diet as well as removing the toxins from our home. Many of the cleaning, laundry, personal care items, etc. have chemicals in them that effect our behavior. We shop with Melaleuca. I would be happy to show you how to take the first step with switching your home. The nutritionist we are working with is Christine Stueve. Here office is in Chanhassen, MN. Here email is ____@____.com has a pHd in nutrition. She knows what she is talking about. We have found that meds only treat the symptoms, but not the problem. Melaleuca also has a great opportunity for business that may help your financial situation as well. My husband, Christopher, shares the information about shopping and income with anyone that is interested. Absolutely no pressure, simply information to make an informed decision. His email is ____@____.com this gives you an alternative. God Bless
Hi L., Sorry to hear about all the difficulties. I've got a six year old who is ADHD and I made the decision not to put him on one of the commonly prescribed drugs. We have been using an herbal supplement called "Pediactive." This is a chewable supplement and you can get it at some herbal stores and also the HyVee on 72nd and Hwy 370 (in Papillion). This has made a dramatic change in my son since he began taking it. Also, since your son is 13, he can probably swallow pills with no problem. There has been alot of information/studies published about the success of Omega 3 (fish oil) with bi polar and ADHD. It might be something else you can check into. I would have tried Omega 3 with my son, but he can't swallow pills yet. Hope things improve for you. ~R.
