Adhd - Shawnee,KS

I too suffer with a child with ADHD. My daughter is 8 and also in the 3rd grade. It is very hard because it is out of their control. I wish days that she could be just like every other kid that I see. I have taken my daughter to a psychiatrist and a psychologist and we are working on behavior modificaitons. A psychiatrist can prescribe medications for him and work with his dosing. We saw Dr. Buckingham in OVerland park and my daughter continues to see Dr. Joi with Clincal Associates. This is a good way to aleviate her stress and help her be successful. She does take a low dose of Focalin through her pediatrician, but the counseling is helping me too. Feel free to contact me at ____@____.com It is not something a person should go through alone.

N.,

Your discription of your son's behavior sounds so familiar... I know what you're going through because I've been there. Learning to cope is difficult for you AND your son and dynamically affects the whole family.

I have 4 children (1 girl, 3 boys)that are now 27, 26, 26, 21 years old respectively. 1 son has ADHD (Corey), 1 son has ADD; I remember all to well what trials and tribulations we went through.
I'm also a nurse.
If your physician isn't willing to work with you, change doctors; Remember who's paying who.
If I may ask, who diagnosed the ADHD? I'm a firm believer in specialist. Most physicians know some about ADHD, but unless they're specialized their knowledge base is limited.

I had my kids examined by a psychologist who specialized in ADD/ADHD; my pediatrician then wrote the prescriptions. There are psychiatrists that specialize in this and they can also write the scripts, which sometimes is easier.

One size fits all does not work with humans, everyone is unique and respond to medications/therapies differently. It's important to continue to try different meds until you find one that works well for your child. This is critical to your son's mental, emotional and psychosocial development. You don't have time to mess around with anyone, including professionals, that do not want to work with you and your son.

My son (well both did) went through 2 or 3 different meds until we found one that worked well. Corey also went to several therapy sessions with the psychologist and also had some biofeedback therapy with a nurse practitioner. Kids do not "grow out" of ADHD/ADD; it is an inherent brain chemical imbalance. With help kids learn to cope and be proactive in developing skills to identify behavioral cues and make adjustments; but this comes with maturity, which can be delayed in males/females with ADHD. The kids learn how their behavior impacts others and how to change it.

You might also watch his diet. Refined sugars, preservatives, artificial flavoring/coloring, MSG (asian food) can exacerbate
ADHD symptoms. I remember whenever we ate food with msg, Corey would literally bounce off the walls and everyone else.

There are many meds, knowledgable doctors and other professionals out there that are willing to help; don't stand for anything/anyone less. Your son (and you) deserve it!

Hope this helps. Good Luck,

D. B.

I know it can be frustrating living with ADHD...please check out the following website, just as an alternative to the medicines, which seem to be providing little change for your son right now. Let me know how I can help!

http://schumacherchiro.com/default.asp?ID=309&TYPE=SY...

http://www.chiro.org/pediatrics/ADD.shtml

I have a brother who has ADHD. He was diagnosed when he was in 6th grade, and things seemed to get worse after that. We did end up going to a psychologist with a specialty in ADHD children, and it really seemed to help my brother cope and undertand why he felt the way he did. He would meet with the whole family sometimes just so we could understand what was going on, too! He aided in the proper medication, and also found some food allergies my brother had that we didn't know about that aided in his discomfort and possible outbursts. I can get the info about this doctor if you're interested. Feel free to email me directly if you would like! I hope this helps!

I have a 23 year old, a 21 year old and a 10 year old, all either ADD or ADHD. Over the years, I've learned that it is very important to find a doctor who keeps on top of all the literature on medication, because different meds work differently on different kids - and even on the same kid, at different times of their lives (there are periods in a kid's life, low and behold, where their metabolism, hormones, etc, change and meds need to be adjusted!). Once that doctor was a very conscientious pediatrician. Another time, it was a pediatric psychiatrist who specialized in meds.

Another factor in controlling ADD & ADHD in my family has been sleep and eating habits. If their nutrition isn't that good, or they are pushing bedtime due to being wired, that is just going to complicate things. If you're not well-educated about nutrition (some people are, some aren't - please don't take offense at my saying this), there are a lot of good web sites. If, like our son, the problem isn't lack of knowledge, but limited willingness to eat, that's another matter. We've had limited success getting him to eat new foods (believe it or not, he's recently discovered that raw spinach has NO taste, and consequently he humors us by eating some), but you might try giving him one of those nutrient shakes along with his afternoon snack or something. Eating well and sleeping better made a huge difference with my kids, and reduced the amount of medication necessary in some cases.

Good luck to you. There are some great ADD and ADHD books out there that kept me sane (I think if I have something to try, I feel less helpless than if I'm totally stumped and don't know what to do). This is a life-long management problem, and my daughters are now experts in managing their own ADD!

You know your child better than the Doctor, if you feel the meds are making your child worse, find a new Doc (one that specializes in Childhood ADHD). If you don't know of a Child Psych, let me know, and I can reccomend someone. Has he been on addrell yet? Also, make sure he is not taking his meds with any type of citrus (such as orange juice), as it interferes with meds. How is his diet? You may want to look into that, as well.

A.

I think you should seriously reconsider taking him to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental/behavioral concerns. I understand the perception that psychiatrists only treat CRAZY people. That is simply untrue. If I was in your position, I would consult a psychiatrist. Best of luck.

My son was diagnosed as ADHD with a mood disorder to begin with and the very first thing he was put on was Focalin extended release. The teachers were totally amazed at the difference in his behavior. His grades went up from F's to A's and B's. His psyc described Focalin to me as a purer form of ritalin. It has been broken down into the ingredient that works without the other ingredients that cause the side effects. It did hurt Austyn's stomach sometimes, but he said he'd rather take it because it helped him so much. Google it on the internet to find out more if you'd like. We love it though! I hope this helps! Feel free to email me if I can help you!
Good luck!
J.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you check into his diet as well as his sleeping habits. Nutrition and sleep are intricately linked with behavior. You can even get your son a sleep study to determine if he is getting restful, restorative sleep that heals and helps the body grow. I would really watch the refined sugars and "junk" food as well as food additives. You may want to visit with or contact a nutritionist to help you determine what would be best for your son's individual case.

Hi N.,
Since the "MD's" have been unable to help, I would try another outlet, perhaps an alternative form of medicine. I would highly recommend looking at his diet... and begin to include Fish Oil. I would also suggest accupuncter and chiropractic. There are so many alternative and natural remedies... dont get discouraged. There is hope! Keep trying.

I don't personally have experience with this, but I would listen to your doctor. I do know that someone who is not invested in your family, can sometimes give more of an objective point of view on things. In many cases friends and family feel put on the spot when asked the opinion of one's child and will say anything to make a mother feel better! It is best to get that second opinion, because your son deserves to get a good start in life...which I'm sure you want for him. I wish you the best of luck in finding what your son needs!
A. R.