I HAVE A WONDERFUL 11 YEAR OLD BOY WHO WAS DIAGNOSED ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO WITH ADHD. WE HAVE GONE THE FULL ROUND WITH ALL THE MED (CONCERTA, ADDERALL, STRATTERA, ETC, ETC....) CHANGING DOSES, DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS. HE HAS SHOWN SIGNS OF DEPRESSION AND IS TERRIBLY FRUSTRATED. HE IS VERY "COMPLEX" PER HIS PSYCIATRIST AND VERY CHALLENGING FOR HIS TEACHERS (HE'S LIKE A KID WITH ADHD WHO'S NOT ON MEDS). LAST SUMMER HE TOLD HIS DOCTOR HE WAS HEARING VOICES. THE DOCTOR SAID THAT IF IT WAS AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS THAT HIS ADHD MED WOULD MAKE IT WORSE. SO WE STOPPED THEM ALL AND STARTED A VERY LOW DOSE ANTIPSYCOTIC (I CRIED ALL THE WAY HOME FROM THE PHARMACY). tHESE MEDS AFTER ONE DOSE COMPLETELY SEDATED HIM. WE THEN SPENT 2 WEEKS AT HAVENWICK IN THE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAM. THAT DOCTOR SAID HE WAS NOT HAVING HALLUCINATIONS, THE VOICES WERE HIS "SELF TALK", THAT HE HAD A TERRIBLE NEGATIVE SELF IMAGE AND POOR SELF ESTEEM. MY GOD IS IT ANY WONDER. AS OF THE END OF JULY HE WAS ON 4 MED - ADDERALL, DEPAKOTE, SEROQUEL AND TENEX. STILL HE WAS HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY. lAST TIME AT THE DOCOTRS HE WANTED TO INCREASE THE TENEX. I SAID LET'S JUST STOP. TAKE HIM OFF EVERYTHING AND GIVE HIS POOR LITTLE BODY A REST FOR 2 WEEKS AND START OVER. WEEK 1 IS DONE. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT HE DOES NEED SOMETHING BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP, EVEN THE DOCTOR SEEMS STUMPED. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF AN "ADHD SPECIALIST" OR HAVE ANY ADVICE. I HAVE ALSO TRIED ALL THE NON-MEDICINAL STUFF TOO. REWARDS, CHARTS, CONSISTENCY, FIRM LIMITS, ABUNDANT PRAISE - IT ALL WORKS FOR A VERY SHORT TIME BUT NEVER FOR LONG. I'M FEELING VERY FRUSTRATED. HE'S MUCH TOO WONDERFUL A KID FOR THIS TO CAUSE HIM SO MUCH STRIFE , HE'S TOO YOUNG FOR ALL OF THIS!!!!!!
Nancy,
Have you tried Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor? I hear they are wonderful...
Good luck--
I don't have much to offer but have you considered working with his diet? A friend of my husband's had a son that sounds very similar to your son and they did some major dietary changes and he improved and was able to be off all medication. It had something to do with wheat and artificial preservatives and hormones. I'm not positive but maybe it would be worth checking out.
I feel for you going through all of this and also for your son. I hope you can find some relief and help with all of this.
I have a son who the dr's thought was ADHD but id BIPOLAR which the ADHD meds don't work I theink you need to get a 2nd opion i was told the two are very similar and its hard to figure out which the child has i don't know where you are but i recommend Dr.William Fikter in Bainbridge Oh
Have you had him checked for allergies.
Hi Nancy,
My heart goes out to you and your son! I wish I had medical advice for you but I don't.
I do believe in prayer and that with God all things are possible. I will be praying for you and him. That you will find the right person with answers and he will find relief.
God Bless you and keep you both! Kathy
Have you tried changing his diet and using a more holistic approach. Foremost, what is his activity level, social skills and do you pray with your child? As a nurse, you know that change doesn't happen overnight. Good luck and if you need support i.e. someone to talk to etc.. you can e-mail using my personal ([email protected]) and we'll exchange phone numbers.
Juanita
Hi Nancy,
Probably sounds far-fetched, but I'm a firm believer in the "healers", Chinese herbal medicine - no drugs! Not sure what area you're in, but your son may need to learn what it feels like to be calm & peaceful, but not with drugs. I see Dr. Cheung in Windsor, probably about 1 or 2 miles away from the bridge. Everything is natural & he can look at your son's eyes and tongue and tell you what his needs are. You can look him up on the internet @ Cheungstrading.com . You can email him and ask him questions also. Also in www.phenomenews.com is a publication that does have adds where they have helped children with ADHD/Anxiety issues. I've had positive results. Good Luck.
Karen
Hi Nancy,
Hang in there!! I have a wonderful doctor at Suburban Pediatrics whose name is Dr. Heyman - he is a behavioral specialist and is on CIncinnati's top 50 Pediatricians list. First and formost, he LISTENS to your concerns and works step by step with you to help dignose, develop a WORKING plan and adjust as necessary.
With your amount of frustratio nwith your doctors, I would start over with someone fresh as he may think of something the others may not be seeing because of your son's histroy. Sometimes history can be negative.
I agree with the person who wrote that it sounds more like bipolar disprder, and that with that type of diagnosis, the ADHD meds would definitely not work. Dr. Heyman is taking new patients (825.9595) - he's terrific, dedicated, patient, and like I said - he is going to LISTEN to your concerns and strat from scratch; I would meet with him alone first and write down (rationally if you can) all your concerns and history. Give it a try - and I hope that things get better for you soon. I can relate to your frustration level - there is nothing worse than seeing your son have low self-esteem.
Best of luck - please keep us posted on how things turn out!!
mj
Hi Nancy,
Hi Nancy,
First of all, your son is very lucky to have a mom like you who is so dedicated to helping him have a better life.
I don't have expertise on the medications, but I do have a degree in education so I have a few ideas about how you might help him build up some self confidence and even have some fun in the meantime. Does your son have any subject or activity he's particularly interested in? Drawing, making clay models, computers, horses, space, dinosaurs, animals, baseball cards,...? Whatever it is, try to help him get more into it. They have educational programs at museums, and zoos. Sign him up for art classes or get him supplies to learn on his own etc. He can learn more about something he's really interested in and maybe meet other kids like him. If a kid can find something he's really interested in and get himself absorbed in that, it can help distract him from his problems and without even realizing it, build his self confidence. Another idea is to volunteer somewhere like an animal shelter, youth program working with kids younger than himself, mow an elderly neighbor's grass or just go visit. It all goes along with distracting himself from his own issues and helping him feel good about himself. These certainly aren't cures, but maybe you and he can find something he enjoys that will help his life be a little better.
Best of Luck!
Nancy
Depends on where you live? There is a Doctor in Elyria, Dr. Parikh who is very good. He did treat my son for ADD and Epilepsy. The next thing I would suggest is a Dr. Kotagal at the Cleveland Clinic. ADD is horrible. My son no longer takes meds for ADD. I did not like what they did to him. So I stopped and when they diagnosed him with Epilepsy, he is on so many meds now. Just be patient. It is hard, believe me I know. I went through so many drugs with my son, when they said he had ADD. Hopefully you will find a doc, who can help!! My prayers are with you!!
Debbie
Single mother of two.
Nancy,
My heart goes out to you and to your son. I expect you feel at the end of your rope (a rope with no knot) and are about ready to give up. A few years ago, no doubt I would have done many of the same things you have tried but after much study and learning what success others have had dealing with a child's nutrition that is where I would turn today. I would be thrilled to share with you what I have learned and see if we can't help that special little man overcome these very difficult challenges. Don't give up - there is hope.
Sharon
Hi Nancy-
I know what you are going through is not easy- I just started seeing a psychatrist with my oldest (8) and I know that in itself is not an esay thing to do. Someone already mentioned bi-polar disorder but I thought I would share with you what I know too. My husband is bi-polar and spent much of his childhood taking adhd medications- which did him no good- they in fact made most of his problems worse. He had alot of trouble in school and from a young age remembers being very anxious, depressed and even having sucicidal thoughts. All they did was keep upping his dose (his mother however wasn't near as concerned as you and I think just wanted to not be bothered) eventually he stopped taking the meds and just lived his life with severe ups and downs (including the first 4 years of our marriage) until he was finally diagnosed. It has taken about 3 years to get his "cocktail" right (including several bouts with the antipsychotics- I feel you there- its not a fun word to hear) but now he is stable and doing better than ever.
So anyway my point.... a little research into bi-polar may be very useful. I have read in more than one place that in children in particular it is often misdiagnosed as add/adhd and those meds only serve to make the problem worse. Besides meds exercise, regular sleeping and eating times effect bi-polar. There is alot of info available online. I think it maybe what I am dealing with too- we've yet to find out. But alot of what you described sounds all too familiar. - worth a try at least.
I'll stop soon I promise :) but another thing you might consider- although I realize working full time it may not be possible. If school is a huge problem there is a great cyber school here in ohio. Their site is www.go2boss.com . It is a homeschooling program but alot of it can be done online in a virtual classroom. So the child still has a teacher they are just not in a classroom setting. They are also done in about 3 hours instead of sitting all day. It has done wonders for my son who's anxiety made getting ready for school world war 3 every morning. Just an option. I know alot of parents who's childre with add, bi-polar, dyslexia etc have really benefited.
I hope my rambling was somewhat helpful. I hope it all works out for you. Good luck. ~~ Krista
Hi Nancy,
This might sound a little strange but try giving him a cup of black coffee each morning. Most of my family are ADHD. My mom had alot of problems with me and my brother when we were little. The doc put us on coffee, caffienated, not decaf. Every morning we sat at the table and had coffee with her. It helped a great deal. We never ever took medication. I have a nephew that sounds like the same situation with your son. My sister finally said no more. She now has him on coffee and he is much better. He was "seeing" ppl and having conversations. We couldnt see anybody though. Very scary situation and I will sure keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Try the coffee for a couple weeks and see if that helps without the meds. No promises, but it has worked for alot of ppl in my family.
Good luck,
Linda
P.S. I can remember her starting us out with black coffee poured over lightly sugared toast for breakfast :-/
P.S.S. Check him for bi-polar first. I dont know anything about being bi-polar, all I know is the coffee helped with ADHD.
Hi Nancy,
I was very compelled by your message. I dont have all the answers for you. I have for several years worked with children who are ADHD and have other disabilities with in my family day care. My suggestion to you is. You need to call your doctor. Make and appointment and request a referal to the Neuro Psyshoology Associates. There number is 375-2222. They will evaluate your young man and from there will direct you to the very best ADHD and ODD specialiest and counseling. I am not sure where you are located at. They have done wonders with so many young people I have had personal experience with. Many of them worse than your son. You are not alone so never fee like you are so. There are so many parents in your situtation that are reaching out to try to get better resources for their children. If you need someone to talk with our vent to you feel free to give me a call. I can be reached at 269-624-3708.
Kind Regards,
Kelly
Nancy,
I don't have any ADHD advice for you, but I read your request and I just want to say that my heart goes out to you. Being a single mom is tough enough without the extra challenges. Hang in there.
Nancy, I read your e-mail this morning and my heart goes out to you. I can relate to many of your worries as I have two children both with special needs. My son, Kyle is 9 1/2 and has been diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Psycosis, Bi-Polar, Learning Disabled and more.... In addition he also underwent Open-Heart Surgery at the age of 7 1/2 weeks for repair of an AP-Window and an ASD murmor. I've truly been blessed and dealt a special hand. So much is going through my mind that I would like to share but don't know where to start! Good news is always an easy way to get started so ........I'll let you know Kyle's current diagnosis is Learning Disabled, he's appx. 2 years delayed, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is currently under the care of a Psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey London whom has two offices. One is out of Havenwyck Hospital (where your son was) and the other out of Birmingham Maple Clinic in Birmingham (15 mile & Woodward). Dr. London began seeing Kyle three years ago and I'm very pleased with his inutitive yet conservative means of medicating children. He always leans on the side of caution which avoids over medicating and if possible he tries to prescribe one medication change at a time so he and the parent can better decifer what medication is causing which changes in our children. I've found that in general Psychiatrists over prescribe medication and then have no idea what the real problem is. Kyle has taken many medications: Zyprexa, Zoloft, Catapress, Straterra, Adderall, Remerom, etc.... I'm told constantly by school staff that his attention span is awful and they would feel ADD medication should be tried again. However, Kyle is also in therapy with a terrific Psychologist, Dr. Thomas Mervak and between myself, Dr. London and Dr. Mervak we are quite sure (as much as we can be) that Kyle's inattentiveness stems from his Anxiety. Medications for the ADD/ADHD caused mood swings, manic behavior and even suicdial thoughts. He currently takes Zoloft and Remeron. This combination has stopped the nightmares for me and my son. But it hasn't been medicaiton alone. A lot of therapy, behavior modification, patience and time. I'd be glad to share more information with you. Please let me know if your interested before I keep going on.... If I can leave you with some advice it would be: Be certain the Physician prescribing the medication knows you and your son well, Find a Child Psychologist that is experienced in some of the areas your son needs help (Like Dr. Mervak for instance), take into consideration the separation you are going through and it's effect's on your son. I am divorced single mother and have two children with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder along with some other issues. I know how frustrating and hurtful it is to watch our children suffer. You are doing the right thing by reaching out for help. I hope I can help further.
Michelle
I don't personally have experience with ADHD but a friend of mine at work does with her 7yr old daughter. She highly recommends the program at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. They have a whole staff of doctors,nurses,psychiatrists and teachers that can maybe help you with your son. It's a complete program with meds and behavior management. I don't know the number but the main ph# for Beaumont is (248)551-5000 and just ask for the behavior management center. I hope that this is helpful. If you need anymore info you can email me at [email protected]
Good luck,
Carie
There may be homeopathic / herbal substitutes that could work. The hard paart is getting the cost OKed for insurance. A friend o mine paid it all out of pocket, but the results are well worth it...Less of other bills and co-pays since her kid, now 22, responds so well to the meds and is very good about taking them properly. You may need to consult a Homeopathic doctor. If your regular physician / pediatrician poo-poo's the idea, try an appointment anyway..You've got nuthin' to lose! P.
My advice to you is to go to this site and find out for yourself what is really going on. http://www.cchr.org/
Your son for sure needs vitamins, a calm environment, good food and tools to help him with study. I instruct Life Improvement courses and have helped MANY children who have been falsely diagnosed with "ADHD" and put on medication. NONE of those children are on medication and their "ADHD" is gone. You can e-mail me [email protected]. You are not alone and there are real solutions. You are a wise woman to know that something is not right.
Kindest Regards,
Peg