Moody when hungry - help please!

[dsmith]

Ds has always become moody (often anger leading to sadness) while hungry, so we've always made sure to keep him from getting hungry. We have recently increased his Abilify dose, and with that increase came a huge increase in hunger. Now it is hard to keep on top of the hunger, plus he is starting to gain weight. We have been seeing benefits from the Abilify, including a decrease in tics, and when he is not hungry, a decrease in moodiness. He has been coping much better with life in general. When he is hungry though, it's a Jekyll/Hyde situation. He has even been violent at times. Anyone else experience this? He would be like this anyway without the Abilify but it's a lot harder to stay on top of it, and it's almost negating the good he has experienced with the drug. I'm thinking that a call to his ped. may be in order - perhaps some bloodwork should be done? Any tips for handling the extreme hunger these meds can cause without ds gaining more weight? He never lost the weight he gained from his last antipsychotic.

[SamanthaBea]

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to let you know that I have a similar problem with my ds. :grouphug:

[Ottakee]

I would call the doctor and see about trying a different med. We did not have the weight gain at all on Risperdal but I know some kids have huge weight gains on it. Once they gain it, it is hard to loose it.

 

There are quite a few different meds to try and depending on the reason for the med, they might be able to try a different class of meds or even an older med in the same class to help with the side effects.

 

If you don't have a top notch peds. psychiatrist, I would see about finding one if possible. The more experience they have with the meds the better they can help you figure out the correct med, dose, etc.

[dsmith]

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to let you know that I have a similar problem with my ds. :grouphug:

 

We've decided we are going to try smaller meals every 2 hours and see if that makes a difference. I've made an appt. with his pediatrician, so hopefully she will have some insight. :grouphug: to you also!

[MelanieM]

Will he drink smoothies? Maybe you could make a green smoothie in the morning and he could sip throughout the day, as needed. Something like baby spinach, banana, avacado and berries (blended with water) would be very healthful and filling.

 

I agree that small, frequent meals is a great idea. Really, that's how we all should be eating for optimal health.

 

Good luck!

[dsmith]

I would call the doctor and see about trying a different med. We did not have the weight gain at all on Risperdal but I know some kids have huge weight gains on it. Once they gain it, it is hard to loose it.

 

Risperdal was his previous med. We didn't see any results with it, but he did gain about 25 lbs. At the time, the extreme hunger was a benefit because he had stopped eating anything but vanilla pudding, and was just hitting 7% weight loss. If it had continued, hospital admission would have been next. We are seeing benefits with the Abilify, but I don't want to go through the weight gain again! We are going to give it a month or two with trying to manage his diet and increase exercise. I wish he didn't need anything at all!

 

We don't see a psychiatrist for his meds. Every one I have found in the area will only schedule a 15 minute appointment. The only one I found who took longer worked with sex offenders in the same office. That just creeped me out! I do keep a lookout though. His neuro is excellent, and actually listens to me about the meds. His previous neuro didn't believe me that the Risperdal was making his tics worse (told me I was imagining things!), or that too much Prozac makes ds talk nonstop all day. This dr. believes me right away and values my observations. Definitely a keeper!

[SusanEAC]

I think these are all good ideas but want to also suggest something else. I know that, for me personally, I really have to watch my sugar intake in order to keep my moods on an even keel. I also get very cranky whenever I get hungry and am sure that my mom used the same technique with me (fill her up before she gets angry). I know that keeping my blood sugar levels more or less constant and avoiding the highs and lows helps keep my moods constant. Small frequent meals will help and so will watching carbs. Focus on protein and fruits and veggies for snacks. Avoid breads, crackers, anything with artificial sugar in it, etc.

 

Good luck!

[Verity]

I think these are all good ideas but want to also suggest something else. I know that, for me personally, I really have to watch my sugar intake in order to keep my moods on an even keel. I also get very cranky whenever I get hungry and am sure that my mom used the same technique with me (fill her up before she gets angry). I know that keeping my blood sugar levels more or less constant and avoiding the highs and lows helps keep my moods constant. Small frequent meals will help and so will watching carbs. Focus on protein and fruits and veggies for snacks. Avoid breads, crackers, anything with artificial sugar in it, etc.

 

Good luck!

 

I was going to suggest this same thing. I've found that if I give my Aspie ds a protein rich breakfast (with no bread) that he does better with his attention and hunger throughout the day. Just a thought!

[dsmith]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Some good ideas here. He loves smoothies, but usually the unhealthy types - I will have to try out some recipes. He is limited in the types of protien he eats - I'm wondering if maybe adding protien powder to a smoothie would help? I think he is a bit of a carb addict, which is something I struggle with myself.

[micandme]

Sounds like low blood sugar to me. Now, I don't know a lot about those meds so I don't know if it's related to that in some way.

 

For low blood sugar, you treat it much the same way as diabetes. Get rid of the "bad carbs" - white flour, sugar, processed foods, etc., and replace them with "good carbs" - whole grains, oatmeal instead of cold cereal, etc. And ALSO make sure he's getting plenty of protein (cheese, eggs, lean meat, milk - does have some sugar, but it's not a bad form of sugar), especially at breakfast. Adding protein powder to a smoothie is good. That all sounds like big steps that a kid might not be impressed with, so...

 

Do it a step at a time.... ADD a protein at breakfast (let him have his "regular" breakfast PLUS peanut butter on his toast, a string cheese stick, a hard boiled egg, etc.); and add a protein at any snacks or replace a "carby" snack with a healthier snack all together. Don't take anything away that he really enjoys right at first.

 

See how he does with that.... when you (and he) are used to that; start taking out the really carby stuff, one item at a time (like over a LONG period of time - stop buying juice for breakfast or chips for lunch for a few weeks before "forgetting" to buy Little Debbies, for example). Remind him that he'll feel better overall if he can give up some of that. Replace it with something acceptable (skip the orange juice, but let him have grapes at breakfast). You know what kinds of things you can work with and what is "not negotiable". :D Don't try to eliminate sweet cereal, pop, juice, dessert, white bread, and poptarts all at once, or you WILL have a crabby kid on your hands!!! :tongue_smilie:

 

The idea is that when we eat sugary/carby foods, our blood sugar rises, the insulin is produced in abundance, and then suddenly, the blood sugar drops down lower than it should have, making that crabby, sweaty, shaky, light-headed, starving feeling. So you don't want to initiate that insulin "spike" by eating those high-carb foods especially alone. Just adding a protein will stabilize that sugar level over a longer period of time.

 

Hope that helps a little! My daughter and I both struggle with this. I feel the VERY best when I have a very low carb breakfast.... even if I'm not as careful the rest of the day, it makes a huge difference. You have to see what's best for your son, but these ideas are a start! :)

 

~Michelle

Edited August 5, 2010 by micandme