Anyone have simular problems

Debi - posted on 07/25/2010

I have a 9 year old who wasdiagnosed adhd when he started school then he was diagnosed o.d.d. then they said he has anxiety. We have been to several doctors and all any of them want to do is try another medication. He needs an I.Q. test and a neorpsycological evaluation befor they can tell us what is really going on with him. He also has trouble sleeping at night. We finally meet a doctor that suggested melatonin for his sleep and it worked. My advice would be to see a doctor who specializes in childhood disorders and mental health they would be the best ones for an adhd diagnoses. I would also suggest not trying medication after medication that was our mistake and our son is getting worse all the time. We don't know if its just because he is older or if its the medication. School has gotten so bad that he is only allowed to be there for 3 hours a day 4 days a week with a one on one aide. I hope everything works out for you and your son and you don't experience the same problems we have.

Jennifer - posted on 06/07/2010

Phyllis has given you EXCELLANT advice! I would suggest trying the melatonin too. It works for my 4yr old and I have used it too. The fact that bendryl does nothing too him (maybe even hypes him up) is a good indicator it is ADHD, and so something with caffine may help but make sure it is early in the day. My son loves "cold coffee" . I am a former kinder teacher and definately talk to the school before school starts! I don't know what state your in but many states include ADHD in thier learning disabilities (something else you will want to keep an eye on as they often go hand in hand with ADHD) an having accomadations set up before hand makes a huge differance in a childs sucess! ADHD should be handled as just another disability and not mark a child as a behavior problem, but without proper handling of it that often times happens. Also what sort of doctor are you seeing? As much as I love my pediatrtion I would still use a physcologist to deal with ADHD and if I chose to use medicine (and sometimes that is definately the best option) I would want to work with a physciatrist. You might also look into play therapy or behavioral therapy as I have seen too many ADHD children with social problems and problems understanding why they act the way they act (it's thier wiring). Oh, we have had sucess eliminating the yellow and red dyes, but they seem to be in everything!!! As it is now June I hope your May appt. went well!

Phyllis - posted on 04/15/2010

For sleep, ask your pharmacist about Melatonin. A dropperful or a caplet before bed may help his body re adjust to the night time rhythm. Try giving him a cup of coffee or coca cola in the morning, and see if he settles down. This often helps my son when his meds don't seem to be working full steam. You can start changing his diet, first eliminate red and yellow food dyes as these are big culprits for hyper activity. If that helps, start eliminating gluten and dairy. None of these things helped my son, but it did help others kids and at least I knew I had tried everything before going to meds. Now he takes Concerta in the morning, and clonidine with Melatonin at night. It has saved our family. Make sure you talk to his school about his problems BEFORE he starts, so that the school can be prepared to work with you. And see that they do. You are the only one who can stand up for him, don't let him slip through the cracks. Best of luck, message me if you need to talk.