Desprite mom needs help!

[monand]

My son has been labeled with adhd, ocd, odd, bipolar and sleep insomnia. I am a single mother of two and am tired of looking for answers on where to turn for my son who is 9 years old. He has been in a mental hospital three times since first grade hads started  and his screaming and severe outbursts are to much for social outings and even going shopping. He has a sensitivity to most of these meds and we have only found Concerta and Serquel that helps him. But everytime they up his dose he seems better but is complaining of feeling upset to his stomach.  He is also on Clonidine and Serquel for sleep. Please some one give me some advice!

[cutiegirl]

Have you tried Ritalin or Dexamphetamine for the ADHD? I have ADD ( ADHD without the Hyperactivity) and Ritalin worked pretty well for me. I know that lots of people are against it, but it's not that bad. Dexamphetamine is what I am on now and it works really well too. Also, are you taking your son to a psychologist/psychiatrist for treatment/proper diagnosis for the ADHD, OCD and ODD? A child psychologist can determine whether the ODD is just part of the ADHD, and how bad each condition is. I recommend you talk to your GP or public heath nurse. Good luck  

[monand]

Concerta is ritalin just time leased, not many people know that. My son was diagnosed in kindergarden. My son has received many services ever since he was 3 we started noticed his problems by the age of 2. He just had this energy that we could not control. We had to have extra locks put on front and back doors and child alarm systems and window locks, my son has problems with safety. He always managed to get through the locks and disable the alarm systems when he was 3. He managed to get my dead bolt off the front door with a screw driver.  We got so frustrated with how much work it was trying to keep him from escaping the house. The police station at one point told me to get him a identification bracelet.  He is extremely smart and bright child, and he is very good with his hands.  But I have struggled for years and finally gave into medication in first grade. I pulled him out of the school district and enrolled him in a school called Vitalistic Therapeutic school Charter school where he received medication treatment and therapy. But He is now in fourth grade and the school only went up to third grade.  He screams a lot and I can't leave him alone with my two year old daughter. He now is in the hospital getting his medication reviewed, but he is complaining of upset stomach from medication. I have no help from my family, and am turning to others for help.

[Rozanna]

Hi, I will start out by saying I’m also a single mom of three. My oldest that is 7 years old has been also labeled with BP, OCD, SID, and ADD.  He is currently on Seroquel 200mgs, and depokote. We have used clonidine in the past when he was much younger I think the mg was 1mg and we ended up using 2 mg before we stopped it. So I know where you are coming from.  There are many medications we have used I must admit I hate strattra it made my son sick. His stomach hurt so bad that he couldn’t walk, he also complained of being dizzy, and feeling sick. What’s going on with your son, behavior problems?  I know where you are coming from with being homebound because I wouldn’t dare take mine out with some back up. (Another adult). It was to the point where I would have to throw him in a buggy and run him out of the store because his fits were so loud and he would throw things. My son Micah didn’t respond well to medication but he is on Depokote sprinkles which also control his seizures and seroquel. He would never sleep unless he was on sleep medication. In the past we have used effexor, lithium, prozac, and risperdal. And several ADD medications.  I must ask you just because I know it has help my son in many was has he every been tested for SID? Sensory Integration Disorder! How does he do at school? Micah is worse at school than at home. That’s where I have the most trouble out of him, I have trouble with him but I have him on a daily routine so he knows what comes next. Well I know I didn’t give you much advice but I’m here if you need me. Also I will leave you with a very good SID website. I know you don’t want another label but on your child but if he does have this disorder O.T will help a lot also there is no medication for it. Just a lot of O.T and playing!  
*******************************************www.sensory-processing -disorder.com*****************
Rozanna

[monand]

Thank you for the new input I will read into SID a little more, but I always thought that my son had some type of autism because he was bad at home and worse in school just like your son, but after he attended the therapeutic charter school I had him in it took him two years to finally adapt, then he didn't want to leave but the school ends in 3rd grade. He still has problems with transition changes and thats where problems come up again, problems at school and problems at home, he gets worse all around again. Every time I feel were making progress he takes a step back again. He is very social but he holds alot into himself, unless I sit there and pound it out of him will he tell me. His newest thing is the screaming fits and bad lies. He has never been tested for SID but its always a possibility, I never stop looking at others things for him, cause of considering he seems much worse then most children with adhd and bipolar alone.  Rozanne at what age was your son diagnosed with SID and how did they come to there conclusion of it?   Thanks Monica

[monand]

Also I took notice your son has OCD how is he with that, I know my son is really bad with everything from food i make him to toys he plays with that he lines up and snaps if they get moved even if I kick them by mistake. He snaps at his sister if she graps anything of his and tries to be the boss of her cause he wants to control her,  he has a problem with control issues and pretty much he wants us to live around him. He doesn't see me as an authority figure but rather he tries to be equal with me, and i have been trying for years to break that gap with him, I did have rap around services at one point with him but that didn't work well with him cause of his father.

[Rozanna]

The best way I can explain this is just imagine your at work, your in a meeting, the color of the walls are a bright orange, your work assignments are written everywhere on the wall also on the wall are bright colorful art. The man giving the meeting has a loud voice and also there is a woman with a high pitch voice speaking in a different language all at the same time. People are coming in and out getting snacks, warming up food. Some had smelly food like fish others had foods like tacos.    How would you feel? This is what kids with SID deal with all day longs. Smells that we might thinks smell good smell awful to them.   Noises are loud or not loud enough. I will stress to you to get him checked out ASAP it won’t hurt anything to see if he does have this disorder. I know with my son it was a miracle to find out that the reason for some of his actions were because he needed deep pressure. (For example the reason he was hitting, kicking, or slapping, wasn’t because he was bad instead he needed deep pressure.) Just like pinching he should have been a crab because he loves to pinch (Hard) so bubble wrap gave him the same feel as if he was pinching someone.      

Calming activities that I use with Micah are:  swinging, rocking in a chair, fidget toys, bear hugs, snuggling in his body sock.

Micah also is a biter even at the age of 7 he still bites. So with that its called mouthing activities to decrease biting.  Chewing appropriate things such as:  straws, rubber tubing, bumble ball.  (You can also use twizzlers, pretzels, and chewing gum)
  
Around the age of two is when he got diagnosed with SID.

OCD and Autism came up when he got stuck on the color yellow (everything had to be yellow). He has to stop at Pals to get breakfast, or the day is ruined. He don’t like to be around people he like to spend time with his family but the rest of the world doesn’t really matter to him. He is kinda in his own little world.

Food brings out the tears! He gets stuck on certain foods. Right now its chicken nuggets. He only drinks cherry 7-up. He switches from chicken nuggets, to corn dogs, to cheese potatoes. All food has to be a certain kind same box as before if the box changes he won’t eat it. I can’t trick him with different kind of food, even though chicken nuggets are chicken nuggets, he will know I don’t know how but he knows.  Mac n cheese has to be shell kind yellow box velveta.

A lot I have just learned to deal with when he was two doing this I didn’t think much about it I guess it was around age 5 when his addictions started to drive me crazy.  

School is really bad right now. He got suspended today because he kicked his principle in the face. They want me to but him in a mental hospital but he’s not as bad at home as he is in school. That’s a whole other story !

Well I hope this info helps you out ..
                                    Rozanna

[monand]

Thank you so much for the input, I think this will help me, and try to get him tested.

[Ebean]

Hi My son is 6 and we and the therapists were reluctant to label or diagnose him as anything, but because many of his symptoms of putting things in order, cleanliness, fussy eater etc.., which I see you have explained as OCD; we were told to picture him on the PDD (Asperegrs/Autism) spectrum because SID and ADD and even BP all have symptoms that are whithin this this spectrum. many of the help and advice and ideas given for PDD kids are also useful for  all the others.
my son was on meds already for BP and even Epilepsy and the DR ruled out BP after seeing the responses.
By the way there is so much info available for SID and as long as you experiment, or get a professional to, there are amazing results that help with the kid's frustration and anger. At first you have to do the activities to him by force, (I do not know if it will be the same for an older child), but eventually the kid is able to do it themselves. As by now you probably have read info on  SID, you will see it has a very "hands on" treatment - and since it is sensory based it is very effective treatment.
Well if this helps you both great - if not, I'm another Mom chatting about my special needs kid and airing my view.
Ebean