Adventures in ADHD - Installment 5 - Side Effects: Take 3

Styles spent a week with my grandparents in Tallahassee and the medicine seemed to wear off around lunch time but Styles was still having trouble falling asleep. There were also the strange side effects with his extreme emotions and serious sensitivities. We had another appointment with Doctor Chyu immediately after his return to Orlando. I told her about the emotional side effects and she said she didn't like that so much and that we could try something else, taking it in the morning and in the afternoon. Apparently the side emotional side effect is just one that we'll have to deal with (Kyle becomes EXTREMELY agitated when he is coming off of his medication so now I have to deal with 2 moody boys...). But Dr. Chyu said that we can try one in the afternoon to keep him at a constant level and that it shouldn't effect his ability to fall asleep any more than it already is. So we got a prescription for another ritalin-based drug which we had a VERY difficult time finding at a 10mg dose anywhere in Orlando.

TGFT. Thank God For Target. They had the meds but only just under 1/2 of them. I forefitted 50 of the 90 pills that we were supposed to have just so that we could get him started on the new drug because we were completely out of the other.

Day 1 of the new pill: Styles went to spend the night with Kyle's parents and was SUPER agitated while playing his favorite game and trying to explain the rules. He apparently cried and was very emotional over a simple game. Grandma "J" chalked it up to his being tired.

Day 2: a trip to the pool reveals that Styles is having some very adverse and serious mental side effects with the brand new drug. Styles is usually the first person to run up to new kids and ask to play. He is so easy going and makes friends very easily. Apparently he thought the kids were laughing at him and thought he was "a big dork". He was very emotional over it. He then saw a puffy white cloud and started freaking out that it was going to thunder and lightening and that they were going to die. Then he tried to hide under the Community Club House shelter. There were other things in a couple of hours that really concerned Janice enough to call me and I immediately called Dr. Chyu. I got a return phone call from her within a couple of hours and she said that although VERY rare, there are some cases where children experience psychosis with some of the meds that we are trying Styles on. This one caused Styles to have an almost bi-polar/schizophrenic mania so she told us to not take another one and to discard the rest of the pills. we talked about other options and she decided that Ritalin might not be the best drug for him so we switched to the Adderall family drug called Dextroamphetamine (generic name is Epsom Salts). He takes 5mg in the morning and 5mg in the afternoon. We will keep up with this schedule until school starts and see if we have a need to increase to 10mg (Dr. orders).

So far, they seem to be working. He is definitely more calm and was able to put a small lego set together on his own this morning without asking for help. He was actually REALLY quiet while he was doing it and I was so proud of him! He is having a difficult time eating, as he is never hungry and feels full shortly after he begins eating but we are trying to get him to at least finish what we give him, and are doing our best to feed him good, square, age appropriate meals. Bed time is still a difficult one but at the recommendation of my grandma, we are going to give him warm milk tonight. She said that it helped him while he was there and we are hoping that it will help him here at home too. Last night was a late one :(

Overall, I am happy with the pill that we are on now. He is still emotional but I am learning to give him warnings before switching activities, or giving him limits and rules before we start activities so that he knows what to expect. He will begin counseling at school when it starts again but we will also be seeking mental health counseling for him once we get him on some cheaper insurance, which should be in about 6 weeks. I want us all to get involved in the counseling. I think that it would be beneficial for Kyle and I both to learn how to best parent Styles, to save all 3 of us emotional distress. Styles is such an awesome, sweet little boy and I feel like finally, after a month, we are on the right track with this medicine.

YAY for small victories!

Adventures in ADHD - Installment 4 - Side Effects Take: 2

It's been a few days since I last wrote anything but I have been so busy with school, work and crocheting that I haven't taken the time.

Styles is spending the week with my grandparents in Tallahassee so there won't be much to cover this week but I do have an update from last week.

I believe it was Friday and Styles had spent much of the day watching TV and playing his DS out of sheer boredom and the fact that I was working. Normally, this is not acceptable behavior but I don't trust this world enough to let him go outside alone. He did spend some time reading but for the most part, watched TV. I eventually asked him to please stop watching TV and to pick up his book and read or to go play with his toys. He got very upset with me because "Phinneas and Ferb" was on and he wanted to finish watching it. I gave him a 5 minute countdown and when five minutes was up, I told him to please stop watching the TV. When he kept sitting there, I turned it off and it resulted in a flood of tears. He went over to the futon in our play area and began banging his head on it. I have NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER seen him act that way and aggression is not something that I've ever had to deal with, with him. There have been times when I knew he wanted to hit something but he always finds another outlet for his anger and all-in-all, is not an angry child, nor is he violent by any stretch of the imagination. I was really disturbed by his behavior but instead of flying off the handle and spanking him like I would have normally done, I asked him to follow me into his bedroom. I explained to him that it was okay to be upset but that banging his head on ANYTHING was absolutely not acceptable. We talked for a few minutes and I gave him a hug. I don't know if he'll do that again BUT I worry about more aggressive behaviors. What if that had happened out of frustration at school and instead of a futon, on a desk?

It really broke my heart and I cried about it for a while that night. I am completely realistic about the fact that any medication is going to have some sort of adverse side effect but he has been super sensitive since beginning this medication. As soon as it begins to wear off, he becomes maniacal and everything affects him. It's so, so sad. We go back to the Psychiatrist on August 10th and I am going to let her know everything that has been happening. I fully believe that she will take him off of this medication and let him take something else once she hears about his aggression and breakdowns. I just wish I could hold him and cuddle him and protect him from himself and the world. But I can't. I have to let him grow and learn and experience growing pains. I hate it. I don't want to go through anymore and this is just the beginning. But after seeing the wonders that Adderall has done for my husband, I am fully aware of the fact that Styles needs something. I know that we will find a solution, or a combination of solutions for him.