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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Teenagers and Older children
Is 14, oppositional defiant,has ADHD and tics please help



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amother


 

Post Wed, May 02 2012, 11:52 pm
Our 14 year old son takes Concerta sonce he needs something very badly to control his impulsivity or he cannot function. Ove the years we have gone to psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists etc... and have tried everything under the sun. After spending thousands and thousands of dollars, I cannot say we are in a better place. He is a good kid, but the teenage years scare us so much. He also questions religion and davening which we are teriffied of and not sure how to handle that. WE have consulted experts, Rabanim etc.. his teachers, but no one has any suggestions or help. He is in a small school now, and they mean well, but he is not really learning there. They work with each kid and so they are working on his behavior and are o.k. A lot of his verbal behavior (which is so hard for us) is tic related so it makes it even harder. Making fun over and over etc...
Any tips? Have you had the same experience? He is going to high school next year and we are terrified. He is the youngest in the family.
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amother


 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 12:37 am
I forgot to add that he also has certain obsessive compulsive behaviors as well. Baruch Hashem! We love him and want the best for him. Oy..... Would love to get ideas of what might work.
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 2:34 am
The tics make me think Tourette's. Ask the neuro about it.
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shalhevet




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 2:45 am
The tics can be a side effect from the medication. Maybe it needs to be switched.
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 3:14 am
Meds should not cause tics; they CAN exacerbate existing tics. In any case, the neuro needs to be re-consulted (either for a meds change or an additional diagnosis). All of the things OP is saying her DS suffers from are often co-occuring with Tourette's.
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chani8




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 3:55 am
Tics can definately be a side effect of ADD medication.

Check out Dr Amen's books, the one I read was about the 6 types of ADD. He was a neuro-psychologist for the us army before he became an expert in criminal neuro-psychology, and now he's famous for his work using spect studies and proper meds for different brain types.

It sounds like you may not have the correct meds for your DS, or need a supplement that minimizes the side effects, namely the tics. Please read Dr Amen's book, asap, so you will understand how using the wrong meds for your child's brain type can be useless at best and dangerous for many. You'll know much better how to advocate for your son after reading the book. Otherwise you are at the mercy of the docs who are limited by standard adhd meds, when it could be that something else would be better.

On the pashat, I can tell you that if ritilin type meds are not working for impulsivity, you can add the herb called valerian, which you can get in your pharmacy, in drops. Valarian increases the GABA in the brain, which can be calming. It also reduced the side effects of the ritilin for my (adhd) child.
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amother


 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 4:54 am
OP here. Thanks so much everyone for your responses. There are a few things I would like to add.

I went to a special clinic for Tourette's with 6 of the top doctors in the room. Neurologist, psychiatrist, neuropsyc, social worker, Ot and someone else I forgot. My DH and I and son were there. ( a few years ago...) They would not allow son to go out and they were talking about his challenges while he was in the room. The end result- we think he has Tourettes and he needs emotional therapy. We have done that and told them and then we asked ok we will try again, but do you have a referal. And no they did not. When we left the room DS was in tears and said wow I am a messed up kid. This is what top doctors did!

We know that Ritalin is not the best. Since he was six we really tried almost all the meds that were out there. WE noticed tics starting when he started meds. We tried blood pressure meds, psychiatric meds, stratera, adderall... you name it. Combination of meds too. We also tried having him off all meds for a while to see (about 6 weeks) and that was a disaster too. This is a child that really needs medication.

I did read Dr. Amen's book a while back. Good idea maybe to look again.

Tried going to the psychiatrists, neurologists, developmental pediatricians etc... but they have nothing new to tell us.

As much as we were told by everyone that homeopathic is dangerous and we should not try it etc.. etc.. I am just wondering if they are right.

So, I guess I turn to you ladies since I am not getting anywhere and things I feel are getting worse and not better. Maybe someone has the same experience and have tried someone or something that has helped....
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amother


 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 4:54 am
OP here. Thanks so much everyone for your responses. There are a few things I would like to add.

I went to a special clinic for Tourette's with 6 of the top doctors in the room. Neurologist, psychiatrist, neuropsyc, social worker, Ot and someone else I forgot. My DH and I and son were there. ( a few years ago...) They would not allow son to go out and they were talking about his challenges while he was in the room. The end result- we think he has Tourettes and he needs emotional therapy. We have done that and told them and then we asked ok we will try again, but do you have a referal. And no they did not. When we left the room DS was in tears and said wow I am a messed up kid. This is what top doctors did!

We know that Ritalin is not the best. Since he was six we really tried almost all the meds that were out there. WE noticed tics starting when he started meds. We tried blood pressure meds, psychiatric meds, stratera, adderall... you name it. Combination of meds too. We also tried having him off all meds for a while to see (about 6 weeks) and that was a disaster too. This is a child that really needs medication.

I did read Dr. Amen's book a while back. Good idea maybe to look again.

Tried going to the psychiatrists, neurologists, developmental pediatricians etc... but they have nothing new to tell us.

As much as we were told by everyone that homeopathic is dangerous and we should not try it etc.. etc.. I am just wondering if they are right.

So, I guess I turn to you ladies since I am not getting anywhere and things I feel are getting worse and not better. Maybe someone has the same experience and have tried someone or something that has helped....
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chani8




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 5:31 am
I feel for you OP and your son.

I've had some very lously doctors, too. Their motto is not to hide the issues from the kids, that it helps calm the child to know what is going on. But it is so not true! I tell my child what they need to know, in the way that will build them up.

Anyway, what I learned from Dr Amen's book is that brains are different, and the goal is to calm the hot parts of the brain. There are various meds, but a friend of mine and I were very into this stuff at one point, and pretty much pinpointed that there are about 5 natural things to try that might work. It is easiest if you can pinpoint the brain type, because it eliminates what you would try.

In actuality, I had a hard time discerning which kids needed which natural meds. So I risked it, and tried my kids on what seemed most suitable. It taught me that you really have to be careful, because the wrong thing can cause dramatic and dangerous results. These are herbs and natural stuff that are deemed useless by the medical world and are even sometimes lumped together for marketing purposes. So you have to learn this stuff up.

For example, when I tried one teen (who actually needed St Johns Wort), on a dose of Valerian, she acted like a drunk, being silly and sloppy. BH it wears off, and she just went to bed and woke up feeling herself (which at the time wasnt a happy self however). Anyway, we tried the St Johns Wort, and she is a different person. She's been on it for many years, but now takes quite a low dose, but seems to require just enough to keep her moods stable and her concentration normal.

In desperation, I tried my hardest child (ADHD) on that same St Johns Wort (just a tiny dose) and he was trying to either climb the ceiling or push someone else out of the window (I'm being dramatic). BH we kept him safe until it wore off, and assured him that the med was just 'not his amino' and he'd feel better soon.

I am telling you this (probably should post it as amother) to open your eyes that natural stuff is no joke. Some herbal remedies for ADD can include both valerian and st johns wort together. Why, I don't understand, as it makes no sense to create a remedy like that for the general public.

So, just be careful, get smart, and don't take chances with any meds. If you try something, keep your child home and safe, and watch them carefully. And most of all, read the book to know the types of brains that you're dealing with before trying anything that a pharmacist or natural doctor tells you to try.

Oh, and the child with ADHD was not even ADHD, he was dyslexic, and doesn't take any meds now, we just encourage him to express his thoughts on paper.
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amother


 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 1:01 pm
Wow, this thread is so helpful to me. My 11 year old dd has ADHD, ODD and tics that came out with certain meds and then disappeared when we took her off of them. I never had any guidance with herbal supplements to go along with the ADD drugs, I really would have preferred to keep her on them as they helped a lot plus kept her appetite down when her other drugs kept it up.

I also thought she had a low level tourette's but her tics stopped for now and I read up on it that the cursing impulsivity only affects 10% or so. She curses a ton when upset but can control it if she wants to.

I am now considering reading Dr. Amen's book to see her brain type and which herb would be okay for her. Her moods are always changing and I HATE trying new meds or combinations or raising/lowering doses as we have to live with the effects and it is really hard. Is there a practitioner in Israel that knows about this stuff? I would love a recommendation.

I have another child who gets really bad tics when on certain meds. He is on Clonnirit (Chlondine? I think) and respiridex but really needs Concerta which worked really well for him but gave those tics. I'd be interested in tring those herbs for him too.
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chani8




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 1:40 pm
Just know that Dr Amen is very pro medicine. But for those who want an alternative, he gives recommendations for herbs and amino acids. He understands that not everyone wants to take hard core meds.
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amother


 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 1:48 pm
amother it is so hard to find anyone good. So many uncaring doctors out there. The school thinks we don't do anything. We haven't gone away, or bought new things etc... because our money goes into therapies!! If anyone knows of good therapists or doctors in Israel, we would love to hear!
When it is not a textbook case, it is so much more challenging!!!
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yksraya




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 1:57 pm
A good nutritionist can set him on a diet (usually off sugar) and it can help him instead of the medication. If he is willing to do that it might be the solution as medication does cause side affects and it's extremely harmful for long term use. if he will let himself follow advise from a nutritionist it might help him overcome his problem completely. just make sure to ask around for a good nutritionist as not all of them know what they are doing.
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RachaelLeah




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 03 2012, 6:33 pm
I know of a good natural practitioner in Israel - me Smile. I'm a newbie, but I'd love to help, and I don't charge a lot since I'm not quite out of gathering-experience mode. Imamothers get the first session free. I use a combination of EFT, nutrition, and lifestyle changes to get the results you want. You can pm me for more info.

I work over the phone worldwide, so if you're not in Israel, that's okay, too.
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amother


 

Post Sun, May 20 2012, 9:26 pm
I can't believe no one mentioned pandas. Classic symptoms are tics, OCD, and many kids have ADHD, anger issues as well. Speak to dr Susan Schulman in Boro park. She is very familiar with diagnosing it. She treated my kid with Zithromax which many benefit from. Unfortunately it did not do much for us but we embarked on the gaps diet and my kid is like a different person. It heals the immune system and really addresses the cause, not just the symptoms.

Please look into this...it will change your life. Hatzlocha
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