ADHD crisis mode....be gentle.

[Juniper]

I posted this on a FB group I am a part of, but since posting it things have quickly deteriorated. I am keeping ds(10) close to me, because he has reached the point of being a risk to himself and others.

 

HE has online classes he and his brother does and he has been grabbing the laptop, talking constantly, going over and "messing" with his brother. This is with me right here. When I bring him back in line he is dropping to ground and now he is just growling deep in his throat and chest.

 

Here is what I posted earlier and is the background leading to this present situation. I have a " A couple weeks ago I started a thread about needing to get in some sort regular exercise/prayer walk/centering time. My driveway is half a mile long and I can see the house the entire time. We have walkie talkies so I am in constant communication.

 

Here is what is happening with me. I LOVE the walks! They do clear my head, I can listen to podcast and get a bit of perspective. I am developing a better habit of morning prayer and just generally feel more at peace, patient, and capable of being a good mom. I feel healthier and have energy to boot!

 

Here is what is happening with Twin A: (first I hate that he gets the majority of negative focus. He is the one with extreme impulse issues and unfortunately the fear of what he might/does chose to do drives a lot of my anger and anxiety.) The rules are no going outside, nothing dangerous (which we do go over what that means) they do school work or watch their online classes, and only call if there is an emergency or someone is doing something dangerous. Yesterday, he left the house, went to the fire pit and began sawing a large log directly over a bed of hot coals. Dd called and we were able to deal with that quickly. Today, he started by running around with a lighter (dd called and it was removed) a little while later I glanced at the house and all 3 of my boys were outside...running towards the house as they had caught sight of me.

 

This is a bit worse than normal. :( I am racking my brain to figure what is going on and here is what I have come up with. I was so taken aback that dd's weight loss with the adderall and the Dr saying to increase calories all around that I completely stopped restricting simple sugars. We had a church function at our house and I was left with 3 cakes. One was a wedding cake and was huge. I did feed the majority to the chickens, but I was also left with a few dozen donuts that have been letting the kids devour.

 

Even though my son is on his medication, he is acting like it is having no effect. Completely, different from last week. ;C

 

Can this type of diet change have this drastic of an effect? The other's are having issues, but not the dangerous behavior. Please be gentle, I normally do not let them eat like this, but I struggled with dumping all the food that was given to us. I LOVE my walks, but I am again thinking I cannot do them. Taking the kids on the walk with me is good for them and family unity, but it will not accomplish the personal centering, head clearing, and peacefulness that I need.

 

Right now this is no longer about my walks. Something is going on and I am at a lost and very concerned.

[LittleIzumi]

Diet/food sensitivities are often a huge factor in worsening ADHD symptoms.

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Diet/food sensitivities are often a huge factor in worsening ADHD symptoms.

 

I've heard this enough that I think I believe it, though we've never tried any alterations with DD to test it out.

[LittleIzumi]

I've heard this enough that I think I believe it, though we've never tried any alterations with DD to test it out.

 

There was a study about it published in Lancet last year, too!

[Unicorn.]

nm

Edited October 30, 2012 by Unicorn

[curlylocks]

Any chance you recently refilled the Rx? (sometimes the manufacturer changes -- especially with generics)

[Juniper]

Diet/food sensitivities are often a huge factor in worsening ADHD symptoms.

 

I've heard this enough that I think I believe it, though we've never tried any alterations with DD to test it out.

 

 

We did Feingold for a few months with little to know difference....pre-medication. The adderall made such a huge difference I just discounted the diet issues for the most part. I did find that if ds had an afternoon snack high in protein it took the edge off his meds wearing off.

 

This is just so extreme and he is one his medication, but I cannot tell.

 

I am ready to concede that there is a diet element, but I cannot figure out what it is.

 

This is my child that will NOT drink milk and really dislikes cheese.

 

Edited: We have been on the medication route for a couple years. It has been a God send, but this has really thrown me.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Juniper

[jeninok]

Diet makes a big difference for DS, he needs protein and lots of it.

 

Things like Donuts, sweet and sour sauce, and pigging out on potato chips really effect his behavior. Some days he also needs a cup of coffee or heavy exercise to be able to pull it together.

 

He does take meds for his ADD, but I find they are much much more effective when he also takes Omega 3 oils, and L-acetyl Carnitine and Co-Q10.

 

I have also found that his seasonal allergies do not manifest with stuff nose and sneezing, but rather being extra spacey, defiant, and run down (which makes him more impulsive and scattered)

 

It is hard to always remember in the spring and fall to give him his Claritin or Allegra, but it makes a big difference behavior wise.

 

At 10 hormones also seem to swing a lot, I see it at 11 with my son!

[Juniper]

In short, yes. I took my son out of youth group at church, becasue they had free access to candy and soda. He would turn into a raging beast for three days after every meeting! He of course, couldn't see it, and so kept on consuming the crap! Take them off the sugar, and you should see some results within a week. Of course, you might have some sugar withdrawal associated anger, but it should help w/ the other issues.

 

I also want to give you a heads up- the growling kind of concerns me. Adhd meds can cause psychiatric reactions such as hallucinations, twisted sense of reality, etc. If his behavior continues after removing the sugar, you need to take him in. PM me if you want more details on this.

 

I am bothered by it as well. I just sat him down and made him eat some lunch meat. The growling was technically in context, because he was mad at me for separating him from his brother.

 

I am basically sitting here with the phone next to me watching his every move.

He has had a total mood swing and is now doing what I call the "rabid squirrel mode." Bright shiny eyes, Joker grin, hopping around the room. Happy as lark! :glare:

 

Any chance you recently refilled the Rx? (sometimes the manufacturer changes -- especially with generics)

 

Yes, the pills are a different color this month and I just checked inside. Instead of the normal dual colored tiny balls, they are all white. He only has 5 days left though and the last 3 weeks have been good....until yesterday and today.

[Mandylubug]

any chance he needs his rx re-evaluated? The only reason I ask, is our physician did tell us that as they gain weight, age and get accustomed to the medications they will need to increase their dosage slightly. That was one main reason of not taking the adderall on the weekends and days that they aren't doing school work, etc..

 

Now, to the walking scenario. We are similar with our runs and have just came to the conclusion of them being outside with us; within our sight. I do wear ear buds and listen to my ipod and so does DH.. I just make sure I keep tabs on their behavior. I can keep focused on myself enough. They know not to interupt unless it is a true need and for the most part it works well. Since your son has impulse issues (like my own) I would consider locking them outside with you and make sure there aren't any hazards that they can get into like the lighters, saws, etc... hot coals would be hard to avoid but perhaps but a cement block or stepping stone on top?

[curlylocks]

Yes, the pills are a different color this month and I just checked inside. Instead of the normal dual colored tiny balls, they are all white. He only has 5 days left though and the last 3 weeks have been good....until yesterday and today.

 

I would be suspicious that something is different about the Rx and it has taken his body a while to "adjust". (add in the diet changes and it sounds like a recipe for disaster)

 

:grouphug:

[Juniper]

Diet makes a big difference for DS, he needs protein and lots of it.

 

Things like Donuts, sweet and sour sauce, and pigging out on potato chips really effect his behavior. Some days he also needs a cup of coffee or heavy exercise to be able to pull it together.

 

He does take meds for his ADD, but I find they are much much more effective when he also takes Omega 3 oils, and L-acetyl Carnitine and Co-Q10.

 

I have also found that his seasonal allergies do not manifest with stuff nose and sneezing, but rather being extra spacey, defiant, and run down (which makes him more impulsive and scattered)

 

It is hard to always remember in the spring and fall to give him his Claritin or Allegra, but it makes a big difference behavior wise.

 

At 10 hormones also seem to swing a lot, I see it at 11 with my son!

 

Can you elaborate on this? When I brought him in for his physical this summer his ped said, "So, he has allergies." I said, "No, he has no symptoms of allergies." The ped said his nasal passages and inner eyelids showed evidence of allergies. That I should call if he developed symptoms. He never has. My allergies have been going crazy this week!

[Spryte]

 

I have also found that his seasonal allergies do not manifest with stuff nose and sneezing, but rather being extra spacey, defiant, and run down (which makes him more impulsive and scattered)

 

It is hard to always remember in the spring and fall to give him his Claritin or Allegra, but it makes a big difference behavior wise.

 

This rings true here, too. DS doesn't often have a stuffy nose or the typical allergy symptoms, but they clearly have an effect on his behavior and docs can always see it during exams. Add to that, he has cough variant asthma with zero wheezing ... And our only clue is behavioral until things are extremely bad ... It's a mess. Apparently there is a connection between allergies, asthma, and inflammation in the brain which can trigger some behavioral issues that seem extreme. What we have found is that measuring peak flow during these episodes almost always shows a major asthma issue. Treating that helps. Not to say your kiddo has asthma, but perhaps the allergies are a large component at this time of year.

 

I would probably call the pharmacist about the change in his pills, too.

 

And, of course, do all the diet changes.

 

Hang in there, mama.

[Juniper]

I am calling the Dr in a couple min. He just started spinning around the kitchen with a knife in his hand while singing and the top of his lungs. He was doing the dishes (I am right here with him and it is his chore) Something is not right!!!!

 

Called pharmacist, ...ummm pharmacist is anti-ADHD meds so that was a carp shoot of helpfulness.

 

Have done some research. Ds is on the new Actavis generic and I am hearing some serious mixed reviews.

[curlylocks]

Have done some research. Ds is on the new Actavis generic and I am hearing some serious mixed reviews.

 

:grouphug: -- I am praying for you.

[NorthwestMom]

I am calling the Dr in a couple min. He just started spinning around the kitchen with a knife in his hand while singing and the top of his lungs. He was doing the dishes (I am right here with him and it is his chore) Something is not right!!!!

 

Called pharmacist, ...ummm pharmacist is anti-ADHD meds so that was a carp shoot of helpfulness.

 

Have done some research. Ds is on the new Actavis generic and I am hearing some serious mixed reviews.

 

I think this is the best course of action. He is really unsafe. I hope you can get to the bottom of this quickly. :grouphug::grouphug:

[Spryte]

Will be thinking of you! :grouphug:

[Terabith]

I have to say that sounds rather manic to me. Was this typical of his behavior pre-medication? I'm wondering if the medication/ possibly new formulation in this batch is triggering something?

[Juniper]

Got my first helpful pharmacist!!!! Go Sam's club!!! She told me to get the additive info for the Activas brand and we will compare to the Barr (which they have had before) and figure out what has triggered/what he is allergic too.

 

Dr is reissuing scripts (which I will have to fight with insurance on) but it feels good to have a plan. Deep sigh!:001_smile:

 

He has had no real history of manic behavior...except when he was on Aderall XR and IR at the same time. It was how we got him through his homework when he was in PS. When we took him off the IR the major head banging fits stopped.

[tex-mex]

We did Feingold for a few months with little to know difference....pre-medication. The adderall made such a huge difference I just discounted the diet issues for the most part. I did find that if ds had an afternoon snack high in protein it took the edge off his meds wearing off.

 

This is just so extreme and he is one his medication, but I cannot tell.

 

I am ready to concede that there is a diet element, but I cannot figure out what it is.

 

This is my child that will NOT drink milk and really dislikes cheese.

 

Edited: We have been on the medication route for a couple years. It has been a God send, but this has really thrown me.

The one student I taught who was a holy terror in grades K-3... came to my 4th grade classroom on Ritalin and the Feingold Diet. He was not a problem in my classroom. But it took the entire family and my help being super strict with rules/consequences, food, scents (i.e. Glade plug-ins in the classroom), perfume, etc. It did work in combination.

[Hedgehog]

Sniff has ADHD. He is 7. We find the following helpful:

 

- no refined carbs

- frequent bursts of exercise, and the day begins with an hour or two outside in the morning before we even try anything academic

- a daily Omega 3-6-9 supplement

- a fortnightly cranial osteopathy session, which seems to help him to sleep well.

- frequent lavender/geranium oil baths - Sniff is very smell/sight oriented.

 

We are also trialing a period of a gluten free diet, which appears to help him some. I'm also planning on moving more towards a whole-foods diet, so we'll see about that in due course.

 

The one thing that doesn't help him is caffeine. It has the same effect as eating sugar - he ends up bouncing off the walls. I did read somewhere that caffeine is one of those things that either really helps, or really hinders.

 

We haven't tried any medications, so I can't speak to that.

 

HTH some.

[walkermamaof4]

When you say you did feingold, can you provide more specifics? I am thinking something along these lines would help: http://www.nourishingmeals.com/p/elimination-diet.html

 

My ds7 has instantly worse behavior for 3+days after eating the tiniest morsel of something even processed on equipment used for gluten and dairy. It is unreal to me that this affects him so quickly and for so long with so little!

 

Also, you can go on youtube and search for brain gym and also superbrain yoga. Learn to do about 20 mins 3 x per day. We've learned lots by trying all different ones. The ones from India say that crossing arms and hugging oneself is commonly used there when a child's behavior goes downhill. If nothing else, read the superbrain yoga instructions online and do that 3x/day for 3 minutes each time.

 

Eliminate all screen time. This makes our ds run around in circles or be very hyper. Extended periods of audio also seem to affect him. I noticed others have mentioned that on this forum.

 

During Brain Balance, they dabbed mint on my son. I think it is calming.

 

HTH!

Edited October 30, 2012 by walkermamaof4

[walkermamaof4]

Also, here are some foods to eliminate. After maybe 4 weeks, add in 1 at a time and watch for 3 days. (I know, this is crazy hard! And my ds went practically rabid when we did this. It took him 6 weeks to calm down but then we saw enormous improvements when his diet was clean.)

 

milk and dairy

eggs

cereal grains

citrus

corn

chocolate

pork

artificial additives

cane sugar (only honey, molasses, agave, maple syrup for sweetener)

preservatives

caffeine

carbonation

calcium propianate in breads

msg

boxed foods and prepared foods

try to move to organic if possible

 

HTH!!!

:grouphug:

[Juniper]

If anyone wants to help me get a 2nd opionion before I head out here are the two lists of inactive ingredients. for 20 mg.

 

The bad reactive...

 

Activas: Inactive Ingredients: ammonio methacrylate copolymer NF, type A and type B, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sucrose, corn starch, talc, and triethyl citrate. The 5 mg capsule shell contains: FD&C Blue #1, gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. The 10 mg capsule shell contains: D&C Yellow #10, FD&C Blue #1, gelatin, and titanium dioxide. The 15 mg capsule shell contains: D&C Yellow #10, gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. The 20 mg capsule shell contains: FD&C Blue #1, gelatin, and titanium dioxide. The 25 mg capsule shell contains: D&C Yellow #10, gelatin, and titanium dioxide. The 30 mg capsule shell contains: gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. The ink ingredients are common for all strengths: Opacode S-1-8114 or S-1-8115 black contains: D&C Yellow #10 aluminum lake, FD&C blue #1 aluminum lake, FD&C blue #2 aluminum lake, FD&C red #40 aluminum lake, pharmaceutical glaze, synthetic black iron oxide, and propylene glycol.

 

The one he normally has:

 

Inactive Ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, compressible sugar, corn starch, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and saccharin sodium, USP. The 5 mg is a white to off-white tablet, which contains no color additive. The 7.5 and 10 mg also contain FD&C Blue #1 aluminum lake. The 12.5, 15, 20 and 30 mg also contain FD&C Yellow #6 aluminum lake.

 

 

The hydroxypropyl cellulose has pinged my radar as it is banned in Australia, but I cannot figure out why. Otherwise, I am struggling to understand what triggered this (besides the separate diet issues).

[walkermamaof4]

There are dyes in ADHD meds? Isn't that a contradiction of terms? Crazy! But the food itself was enough to have made my ds respond this way, even without dyes.

[curlylocks]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I would be willing to put $$ on the food dyes.

Edited October 30, 2012 by curlylocks

[Clear Creek]

If anyone wants to help me get a 2nd opionion before I head out here are the two lists of inactive ingredients. for 20 mg.

 

The bad reactive...

 

Activas: Inactive Ingredients: ammonio methacrylate copolymer NF, type A and type B, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sucrose, corn starch, talc, and triethyl citrate. The 5 mg capsule shell contains: FD&C Blue #1, gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. The 10 mg capsule shell contains: D&C Yellow #10, FD&C Blue #1, gelatin, and titanium dioxide. The 15 mg capsule shell contains: D&C Yellow #10, gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. The 20 mg capsule shell contains: FD&C Blue #1, gelatin, and titanium dioxide. The 25 mg capsule shell contains: D&C Yellow #10, gelatin, and titanium dioxide. The 30 mg capsule shell contains: gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. The ink ingredients are common for all strengths: Opacode S-1-8114 or S-1-8115 black contains: D&C Yellow #10 aluminum lake, FD&C blue #1 aluminum lake, FD&C blue #2 aluminum lake, FD&C red #40 aluminum lake, pharmaceutical glaze, synthetic black iron oxide, and propylene glycol.

 

The one he normally has:

 

Inactive Ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, compressible sugar, corn starch, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and saccharin sodium, USP. The 5 mg is a white to off-white tablet, which contains no color additive. The 7.5 and 10 mg also contain FD&C Blue #1 aluminum lake. The 12.5, 15, 20 and 30 mg also contain FD&C Yellow #6 aluminum lake.

 

 

The hydroxypropyl cellulose has pinged my radar as it is banned in Australia, but I cannot figure out why. Otherwise, I am struggling to understand what triggered this (besides the separate diet issues).

Do you normally restrict food dyes in his regular diet? I ask because the difference between the two medications that I noticed is the red #40 in the 1st med, which is known to cause ADHD-like behavior in children. I believe that in Europe it requires a warning label on any products that contain it stating as much (that it can cause ADHD-like behavior). Any amount, even a small amount in a pill, can really affect a child's behavior. It would affect my daughter's, that is for sure.

[Juniper]

Do you normally restrict food dyes in his regular diet? I ask because the difference between the two medications that I noticed is the red #40 in the 1st med, which is known to cause ADHD-like behavior in children. I believe that in Europe it requires a warning label on any products that contain it stating as much (that it can cause ADHD-like behavior). Any amount, even a small amount in a pill, can really affect a child's behavior. It would affect my daughter's, that is for sure.

 

No, I do not. I did for the few months we did Feingold, but it just did not seem to make a difference.

 

He cycling a little slower now, but we just went through another round a few moments ago. I will say the cake they had was covered in dark BLUE frosting. I just don't know what could cause this drastic of a change....unless it was a perfect storm of issues.

 

I will say, that up until 2 days I had become really strict on whole grains, lots of good fats and proteins and fruit. The Dr being so concerned about dd's weight (the twins are even smaller) made me chuck it all just so they would gain. Obviously, I am reaping the consequences of that now, but I am still unsure of exactly what that it.

 

It looks like we will be doing an elimination diet as well as avoiding this manufacturer.

 

:(

[Sharon37127]

starting about 1-2 years ago, we began to have these roller coaster responses to medication. He had been on it for years, no side effects. Somewhere between 10-11 yo, we had these fluctuations in response- sometimes from day to day. He would go from zombie to unmedicated (:willy_nilly:) in his reactions. It seems to be leveling out with only a slight bump in dosage- he is almost 12. It maybe this age group- 10-12. The beginnings of puberty, body composition changes- all lead to a change in reaction to normally effective meds. We just held on for the ride or we would have been changing dosages every other day! Maybe this age combined with any dietary issues he has is just sending him over the edge.

[Clear Creek]

No, I do not. I did for the few months we did Feingold, but it just did not seem to make a difference.

 

He cycling a little slower now, but we just went through another round a few moments ago. I will say the cake they had was covered in dark BLUE frosting. I just don't know what could cause this drastic of a change....unless it was a perfect storm of issues.

 

I will say, that up until 2 days I had become really strict on whole grains, lots of good fats and proteins and fruit. The Dr being so concerned about dd's weight (the twins are even smaller) made me chuck it all just so they would gain. Obviously, I am reaping the consequences of that now, but I am still unsure of exactly what that it.

 

It looks like we will be doing an elimination diet as well as avoiding this manufacturer.

 

:(

Most commercial frosting has red # 40 in it, even white, so unless the blue frosting was from a homemade cake (from a dye which you could check the ingredients), I would assume it had red # 40. I am not trying to say that red # 40 causes ADHD, just that it can really exacerbate the symptoms (and it's not the only dye that can do that). I first clued into it when my daughter had a couple glasses of Big Red soda, and afterwards she was spinning around and crashing into stuff and after I repeatedly asked her to stop she tearfully told me that she could not stop even though she wanted to.

 

I would definitely agree with the decision to do an elimination diet. :grouphug: I really hope your son finds relief soon.

[jeninok]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I would be willing to put $$ on the food dyes.

 

Me too, Sweet and sour sauce is an absolute nightmare here,last time my Ds was literally flopping around on the floor and rubbing his face on the walls, until he crashed and was way worse, total meltdown, anger and great big hiccuping sobs over nothing.

 

Food dyes in combination with the donuts.....:confused:

 

As for DS allergies, he gets really very grumpy, all his tween angst comes shining through times 10. He also is sore all over and cycles between almost manic sensory seeking to totally zoning out. He will just tell me he doesn't feel well, but there are no symptoms to speak of.

 

Yesterday he was literally unable to read a single sentence without stopping to talk, and kept putting his feet on me just to get a reaction, then laughing when I got mad. That is not normal at all for him (the feet, reading is more typical than I would like)

 

My mom showed up with some Allegra D for me, and since my allergies were so bad I remembered that his probably were too and gave him one as well. He calmed down within about an hour and was able to help me make dinner and do some chores.

[Juniper]

Most commercial frosting has red # 40 in it, even white, so unless the blue frosting was from a homemade cake (from a dye which you could check the ingredients), I would assume it had red # 40. I am not trying to say that red # 40 causes ADHD, just that it can really exacerbate the symptoms (and it's not the only dye that can do that). I first clued into it when my daughter had a couple glasses of Big Red soda, and afterwards she was spinning around and crashing into stuff and after I repeatedly asked her to stop she tearfully told me that she could not stop even though she wanted to.

 

I would definitely agree with the decision to do an elimination diet. :grouphug: I really hope your son finds relief soon.

So I am guessing those 98 cent bags of twizzlers at sam's were not a great idea? ;)

[curlylocks]

So I am guessing those 98 cent bags of twizzlers at sam's were not a great idea? ;)

 

yeah...not so much. ;)

[meena]

If I were you I would try Feingold again. Start with Stage One foods only for the first two months. That will give you a good baseline for elimination. There are plenty of ways to work healthy fats and calories into your diet and still be Stage One, since it sounds like that is a concern for you as well. After you establish your baseline, then add back natural Stage Two foods, one item per week so you can check for reactions.

 

If that seems too extreme, at the very least cut out all food dyes. Watch out for preservatives, artificial flavorings and glutamic acid (MSG, among others).

[meena]

So I am guessing those 98 cent bags of twizzlers at sam's were not a great idea? ;)

 

Those are guaranteed-meltdowns-in-a-package in our house. :willy_nilly: :tongue_smilie:

[MercyA]

If that seems too extreme, at the very least cut out all food dyes. Watch out for preservatives, artificial flavorings and glutamic acid (MSG, among others).

 

:iagree:

 

Also, I have never been able to find any doughnuts that aren't full of artificial colorings, except the ones in natural food stores. Even very plain, unfrosted cake or yeast doughnuts contain yellow dye. Don't ask me why. :confused: If your son has been eating a lot of doughnuts, it may be more the dye and not so much the sugar causing (or exacerbating) the problem. Almost all cake contains dye, too--even white cake, as I think a previous poster noted. The blue frosting was most definitely bad news.

 

:grouphug: Hope things improve for you soon.

[Ottakee]

I am calling the Dr in a couple min. He just started spinning around the kitchen with a knife in his hand while singing and the top of his lungs. He was doing the dishes (I am right here with him and it is his chore) Something is not right!!!!

 

Called pharmacist, ...ummm pharmacist is anti-ADHD meds so that was a carp shoot of helpfulness.

 

Have done some research. Ds is on the new Actavis generic and I am hearing some serious mixed reviews.

 

Certainly sounds like more manic behavior. Have they ruled out a mood disorder or bipolar? Reactions to the meds can cause that in predisposed kids.

[Loudwater School]

but I struggled with dumping all the food that was given to us

 

Don't think of that stuff as food. Think of it as poison. Food nourishes and builds us up. That stuff does not do that.

[yslek]

Most commercial frosting has red # 40 in it, even white, so unless the blue frosting was from a homemade cake (from a dye which you could check the ingredients), I would assume it had red # 40. I am not trying to say that red # 40 causes ADHD, just that it can really exacerbate the symptoms (and it's not the only dye that can do that). I first clued into it when my daughter had a couple glasses of Big Red soda, and afterwards she was spinning around and crashing into stuff and after I repeatedly asked her to stop she tearfully told me that she could not stop even though she wanted to.

 

I would definitely agree with the decision to do an elimination diet. :grouphug: I really hope your son finds relief soon.

:iagree:

 

Also, this reminds me of a story famous in dh's family. One summer MIL decided to make a yummy drink for her kidlets. She called it "Apple Red" and had big plans to market it & get rich off of it (common theme with MIL :D). The ingredients were apple juice, red kool-aid, and several cups of sugar. :001_huh: Dh's older brother drank some & passed out right away. And that was the end of apple red. :tongue_smilie:

[Juniper]

Certainly sounds like more manic behavior. Have they ruled out a mood disorder or bipolar? Reactions to the meds can cause that in predisposed kids.

 

It does to me as well. I am not totally sure what is going with him. He has been prone to major meltdowns in the evenings when his meds wear off in the. Those, though, are always agressive/depressive in nature.

 

This was definite cycling. At one point I was talking with him in the kitchen about the knife twirling and he said, "I didn't do that!" Ummm, yes son you just did. Right then his little brother walked in and bumped his head on a bowl. Ds started hysterically laughing, stopped, then dropped to the floor sobbing. Seriously, seconds apart. I calmly asked him why he was crying and he said, "I just don't know! I don't know why I am doing this!" Within a few more seconds he had calmed down.

 

He went upstairs with his siblings and in about 10 minutes (I was on the phone with pharmacy) I could tell he was being physical with his brother. Went up and you could tell he was just a mess. I have seen him at his worst impulsive moments, but this just would not let go.

 

I had to get dressed to go to the Drs and in that time he went from fine to hiding behind the couch wrapped in blankets. That was something he has never done before. He looked scared of himself...lost...confused.

 

Got the new scripts from the Dr and went to Sam's. We had a few iffy moments in Sam's. He tried to climb in the chart twice. He hasn't ridden in a chart in YEARS!!!! He's almost 11!

 

He is now in bed. He has been horribly argumentative, borderline irrational, but that is somewhat normal for this time of night. His twin is being difficult as well so this is again within the realm of normal for us.

 

Tomorrow we will begin an elimination diet and all dye and preservatives are going out as well.

 

Halloween is not going to be fun for them. :(

[Ottakee]

Please keep the doctors informed of this rapid cycling behavior and watch him very closely. It could be that there is more going on than ADHD and that the meds are increasing the cycling. A mood stabilizer might be in order.

 

Make sure the doctors know EXACTLY what is going on---the rapid mood shifts (with the examples you gave), the knives, his own feeling of being out of control, etc.

 

My dd was like this at age 5 and she was just crying for us to help her as she felt so out of control.

 

I am not saying you are dealing with bipolar but you might want to read up on it at http://www.bpkids.org and http://www.bipolarchild.com and the book The Bipolar Child. After reading the book you will likely go WOW, that is NOT what we have or WOW, someone must have been in our living room when they wrote that book.

[elfgivas]

:grouphug: its a rough time! and it being hallowe'en doesn't make it any better.

 

if you press a halloween cookie cutter into bread before you toast it (but don't cut thru), then the toast has a hallowe'en shape on it.

or cut the whole piece like a giant pumpkin.

you can do that at lunch with sandwiches, too.

 

there are tons of other food ideas out there that don't require too much sugar or food dye. ie. it can be fun. (i am doing stuffed green peppers for dinner tonight, with a face cut in the green pepper, and filled in with cheese.) a pizza with a pumpkin face made out of cut pepperoni can be fun. you can use feingold's simple syrup to make caramel corn. one year we did that, and stayed home with dc and watched "ghost busters". they still remember that as "the best hallowe'en ever".

 

good luck!

ann

[Juniper]

:grouphug: its a rough time! and it being hallowe'en doesn't make it any better.

 

if you press a halloween cookie cutter into bread before you toast it (but don't cut thru), then the toast has a hallowe'en shape on it.

or cut the whole piece like a giant pumpkin.

you can do that at lunch with sandwiches, too.

 

there are tons of other food ideas out there that don't require too much sugar or food dye. ie. it can be fun. (i am doing stuffed green peppers for dinner tonight, with a face cut in the green pepper, and filled in with cheese.) a pizza with a pumpkin face made out of cut pepperoni can be fun. you can use feingold's simple syrup to make caramel corn. one year we did that, and stayed home with dc and watched "ghost busters". they still remember that as "the best hallowe'en ever".

 

good luck!

ann

 

This is a great plan. I have really been struggling with the timing of this. Thankfully, we had already decided to forgo trick or treating. Now we are just trying to figure out how to make it enjoyable. :)

[jeninok]

I just came to check in on you guys, I know how rough it is when they get out of control and their little bodies and minds almost seem to betray them.

 

:grouphug:

[Clear Creek]

This is a great plan. I have really been struggling with the timing of this. Thankfully, we had already decided to forgo trick or treating. Now we are just trying to figure out how to make it enjoyable. :)

Chocolate bars!!!!! I have seen very few with artificial colors in them. We bought enough of a variety of miniatures to ensure that my daughter can feel that she has sufficiently gorged herself for halloween. :D If you have a Whole Foods near by, I hear that they sell dye-free candy, but I don't have one close enough to me to verify that.

[Juniper]

I just came to check in on you guys, I know how rough it is when they get out of control and their little bodies and minds almost seem to betray them.

 

:grouphug:

 

So far things are in the realm of normal. I did not go on my walk as it is just to soon. He has had some typical adhd lapses this morning. Not locking a gate properly and letting a goat and chickens in the yard. Placing a flake of hay to close to the horses fence line so they lean over trying to get it.

 

He has had his new script, vitamins, amino acids and claritin. When someone took a piece of his gum, he managed to simply say, "Sister, you took my gum." She then calmly went and got it, gave it back and apologized.

 

I think the ship is righting itself, but we still have to get through tonight. It is Halloween and we promised to take them to dinner and then do a bonfire.