Nervous Habit? Adhd?

Updated on January 08, 2013
A.M. asks from Oskaloosa, KS
7 answers

hey mamas!

today was my son's first day back to kindergarten after winter break. he was back on his patch adhd medication for the first time in 3 weeks. i know he has been worrying about school because for the last few days he's been mentioning not wanting to go back. it's not that he doesn't like it, or his teachers, or look forward to seeing his friends- but i could tell he was nervous because he does get in trouble every single day. ("in trouble" meaning in the "safe seat"). his teacher has said he's doing so much better since his medication was prescribed, however it's still every day. but other than that she is really encouraging and is sending home great reports - he is super smart and is excelling at everything else.

anyway, today i picked him up and he was working his lips/mouth/tongue as though he was chewing something. i asked him what was in his mouth, "Nothing." what are you chewing on then? "Nothing." is your mouth hurting you somehow? "No." sore throat? "No." at one point he said it felt like he had a hair in his mouth but then he just kept doing it and doing it all night long. sometimes it looked like he was pretending to be a lizard, flipping his tongue, and others it looked like he was maybe chewing on his tongue. weird!!

i have a feeling it's a nervous habit :( before break he would end up with these seriously red and raw lips and mouth area out of nowhere. now i think it's because he was licking his lips and stuff and i just wasn't noticing, or maybe he was doing it at school or in his sleep or something. argh!

we are changing his medication slightly and it will be to a slightly stronger prescription, so maybe that will help - if school gets easier, maybe less nerves? i don't know.

i should say this has only happened three times that i've noticed - twice when his lips magically turned up all chapped for seeming no reason, and then today. so it's not like it's all the time.

thoughts?

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So What Happened?

thanks ladies for the support...looks like it still could be 50/50 though, meds related or just a nervous habit...lol. but i appreciate it! and will keep an eye on him. and NOT FREAK OUT.....lol. thanks again mamas!

More Answers

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I suggest this is related to his ADHD and a processing disorder that frequently goes along with ADHD,but not his medicine unless the one he's taking causes his mouth to be dry. My grandson licks and sucks on his lips and frequently has a red chapped ring around his lips even when he's not on medication.

He's in special ed and they encourage him to chew gum. Sucking on hard candy would also help. Sucking on a straw to drink water might also help. The told us to have my grandson suck and blow on a straw for occupational therapy. He's had chapped lips less often since starting this.

4 moms found this helpful
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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

FYI, some ADHD medication can cause dry mouth as a side effect. If he's not used to it, he could end up licking his lips a lot in response, and then kind of doing it all the time because it's irritated.

Teach him to sip water throughout the day. Or suck a hard candy if that's allowed.

My son has a similar issue and is also on ADHD medication, but we just remind him to wear chapstick and sip water when he can.

Hope this helps.

T.

3 moms found this helpful
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G.D.

answers from Detroit on

Definitely sounds like a nervous habit. Those type of things usually work themselves out. Try not to draw too much attention to it-or it could get worse.
My little brother did something like that when he was struggling with S. grade. In his school picture he had a cowlick and a scab the entire length of his bottom lip from rubbing his tongue there. Being the lovely older sister I teased him relentlessly-and it only made the situation worse.

3 moms found this helpful

T.M.

answers from Redding on

We do weird things to naturally unstress. I've been a nailbiter my entire life. I used to lick my lips all the time when I was a little kid and had the red ring around my mouth... my mom said it was mostly in winter tho (dry weather).
I'd try not to make a big deal of it to him, but maybe when you see his mouth over working, offer him a bottle of water maybe witha straw in it.

3 moms found this helpful

M.B.

answers from Tampa on

My son does the same thing and he's not on ADHD meds, so I don't think it's his meds. He also picks the erasers off his pencils, picks his clothes everything he can. The dr said its like a involuntary thing some kids with ADHD do. Not so much an anxiety or nervious habit. Just something they do.

1 mom found this helpful

K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

It almost sounds like he is 'tweaking' (how crank users act and look when they are high)...my guess would be it's his medication.

So, yes...a nervous habit caused by the meds (is it a stimulant?)would be a fair guess.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.L.

answers from San Antonio on

My 9 year old daughter has been "chewing her tongue" for years now. It looks like she's eating or chewing gum, but she's just chewing her tongue. I've never worried about it, just figured it was a nervous habit like you mentioned. She doesn't take any medication, so that's not a factor for her.

1 mom found this helpful
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