ADHD with (adoptive! not my drug use) drug exposed daughter

[Momma H]

I am not sure if this is a good place for this question but I have a daughter who is such a joy but is very ADHDish. I say ish because from what I understand when a child is exposed to drugs in-utero they have ADHD qualities that aren't necessarily cured with traditional ADHD meds. She was exposed to copious amounts of drugs (coke, meth, angel dust and perscription drugs were in her at birth alone) and her bio said she did coke EVERY day of the pregnancy. The main issues I have with her are she can't sit still--even at 3.5 she is always on the go and the other thing is she is exceedingly demanding. This is a hard thing for me because she is not doing anything wrong per se but she constantly "needs" something. She is a dripping faucet that drains the energy out of me and her dad because it is incessant. How do you discipline a kid who just "needs" ALL THE TIME? She is never just content. She is never satisfied. She won't just sit and not need. It is very frustrating! I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue with a drug exposed child. This is a hard thing to search for on the internet because it is super hard to define but it is really hard in my world! ETA: We try to discipline for her constant dissatisfaction but how do you discipline for a kid who is happy and sweet but is dissatisfied? She wants food or water or a game or play dough (she lasts for like 30 seconds on anything and always wants something new)--nothing is unusual or unreasonable, just CONSTANT!

I saw one article that said that drug exposed children can have ADHD like symptoms and be demanding but how do I fix it if traditional drugs don't work? I have tried several supplements and things but nothing helps. I want the magic bullet! OK, that may not happen but does any one have any advice or experience with this kind of thing?

Thank you for listenting.

Edited June 20, 2011 by Momma H
adding something

[Dobela]

:grouphug: I don't have any concrete answers for you. My dd was also drug exposed in-utero but fortunately for her she was born prematurely (although she definately has complications from being born 14 weeks too soo). We don't have the hyperactivity issues to the degree you do.

 

First, how long has she been with you? It is possible that some of the constant need for attention is a sign of attachment disorder. Not in the severe RAD way, but she could be having attachment issues none the less just because of the in-utero drugs effecting development.

 

Second, sometimes drug exposure is compared to FASD - particularly in how it presents itself. You will find much more information about FASD than you will for drug exposure.

 

Have you looked into early intervention at all? It could be that she has sensory needs that could be helped by occupational therapy, or even other therapies. Good early intervention centers have lots of experience with children who have been drug exposed. You may find some valuable resources that way.

 

Have you talked to your pediatrician at all? My dd is beginning a long series of appointments with neurologists at a children's hospital. THe screener told me that sometimes the drug use can effect the rate of mylenation of nerve endings and how the brain communicates. My dd is being scheduled for an MRI to check the myelination and to give us an idea of how extensive the brain damage is.

 

:grouphug::grouphug:

[Momma H]

Thank you for your thoughts! Good stuff.

I have actually had her since she was 2 weeks and thankfully is firmly attached. She does not have a clue she is adopted or anything other than mine (we don't hide that fact, we talk about it but she does not have any idea what it all means). She is amazingly secure and confident.

I am sure she has some sensory issues. We are going to persue therapy for that soon. (we are moving to a different state) SO, that is in the future.

I have talked to the pediatrician and he is of course more than willing to put her on ritalin or something (which we may eventually try but I have heard it does not help drug exposed kids who have ADHD for that reason--It may be worth a try)

One of the reasons for my post is to just see if other people have any of the same kind of experience. There is not a lot of information on the effects of drug exposure, really. I am thankful that she is not worse! She could have so many problems and she generally does pretty well. She is very smart and social--amazingly normal considering.

I am sure she was exposed to alcohol too. I have a 6 year old (also adopted) who was exposed to alcohol and he has more problems than her. Is there a test to see does any one know? Thanks again, any insight is helpful!

[Dobela]

I have a friend that I hope will respond later for more advice because her experiences are much closer to your than mine. I sent her a message about the thread.

Thank you for your thoughts! Good stuff.

I have actually had her since she was 2 weeks and thankfully is firmly attached. She does not have a clue she is adopted or anything other than mine (we don't hide that fact, we talk about it but she does not have any idea what it all means). She is amazingly secure and confident. My dd is as well. She came to us as soon as she was released from the hospital at 7 weeks. She has no clue what adoption is, but I have no doubt those days are fast approaching.

I am sure she has some sensory issues. We are going to persue therapy for that soon. (we are moving to a different state) SO, that is in the future.

I have talked to the pediatrician and he is of course more than willing to put her on ritalin or something (which we may eventually try but I have heard it does not help drug exposed kids who have ADHD for that reason--It may be worth a try) Really, from my experiences (I formerly worked in EI), it depends on the child. Some did fine with Ritalin, some didn't. Some used ritalin and another drug. Some used mood stabilizers and anti-depressants... For every family it seemed to be a trial and error situation.

One of the reasons for my post is to just see if other people have any of the same kind of experience. There is not a lot of information on the effects of drug exposure, really. I am thankful that she is not worse! She could have so many problems and she generally does pretty well. She is very smart and social--amazingly normal considering.

I am sure she was exposed to alcohol too. I have a 6 year old (also adopted) who was exposed to alcohol and he has more problems than her. Is there a test to see does any one know? Thanks again, any insight is helpful!

[Murmer]

Go to a developmental pediatrician! My dd (who is adopted but not drug exposed as far as we know) is ADHD diagnosed at 3.5 years old. They also did a full newborn panel and genetic panel (that was $$$$$ fyi). This was to check for things that have ADHD symptoms but there are other reasons for. We have a behaviorist and Special Educators working with us to help her and it is working!

[Ottakee]

Sounds a lot like my daughter at that age. None of her behavior was atypical for her age, it was just that while a "normal" child might do it once or twice, she would do it 100 or more times. Her attention span when first tested was 15 SECONDS. The neuropsych came out and told me SHE was exhausted from trying to test my dd.

 

What we have here is exposure to prescription psych meds, bipolar and a mitochondrial disorder. No known alcohol exposure but lots of heavy smoking.

 

The fish oils can be very helpful for calming their nervous system and some research showed that alcohol kids need a lot more of these as it was blocked by the alcohol during development and the brain is mostly fats.

I would see about a neuropsychologist testing her.

 

Meds might be the answer, or at least part of it, but I would have a pediatric psychiatrist evaluate her along with the neuropsych testing and not just go based on the pediatrician. Meds have made a HUGE difference here but these kids are tricky when it comes to meds and esp. at her young age you want the BEST doctor you can working with her.

 

We started meds at 3 and I still say that if I had known then what I know now, we would have started at 18 months or younger.

[Momma H]

Thank you so much. I will be having her tested--I need to know exactly where she is at--I just never knew who to turn to. This all really helps us out. I want to get a life for my family! We are kind of prisoners due to her extreme personality! She is absolutely wonderful and she is very adored by all of us but it has been tough on all of us. Thank you again.

[Twinmom]

No magic bullets here, but I'm there with you! My twins were adopted out of a situation where meth was a daily activity. They tested positive for meth at birth and have been diagnosed with SPD/APD/dyspraxia. Tomorrow, we go in for testing to see if they have actual ADHD and to begin developing a tx plan. :grouphug: I also have a DD who was likely exposed to alcohol in utero and she has SPD/anxiety disorder. FASE is suspected in her case but impossible to prove. We did just have a session of brain-mapping (qEEG) done in order to ferret things out a bit more...we'll see.

 

It is tough, no doubt. Occupational therapy has made a big difference for them and one in particular has become WAY more self-controlled and has slowed down considerably. However, it is becoming clear that we need to look carefully at the possibility of a dual diagnosis of ADHD on the dyspraxic one in particular. We have appts. a developmental pediatrician set up, though the testing is first in our case so it will be in hand by the appt. date.

 

I did want to mention that when I expressed concerns over meds for said child, our dev. psych., she mentioned that there were good alternatives. Apparently they are seeing success with neurofeedback and brain training programs such as CogMed with ADHD kiddos. So, we'll be looking into those options as well as medication should we get a diagnosis.

 

Hang in there. It's tough but worth it, as I'm sure you know!!

Edited June 21, 2011 by Twinmom

[butterfly113]

I second the option of neurofeedback. IT has done MIRACLES for our son. Long story short, he was diagnosed with Asperger's in the fall of 09 and ADHD in the winter of 07. We have been going to neurofeedback therapy for a year. He has come off of ADHD meds after having been on them for 3 1/2 years. He has been medicationand adhd diagnosis free for 7 months. He is also in the process of losing his diagnosis of Aspergers as well... still cementing a few things in therapy... but long story short... IT WORKS! Feel free to PM me with any questions!