Hi! I'm new to this forum, but could use some help in knowing whether a medication such as clonidine would be helpful to my nine year old daugher with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). She took risperdal for six months, and her behavior showed real improvement, but she started to develop breasts in a kind of precocious puberty, so we (with our doctor's full agreement) stopped it. Our doctor said he has recommended clonidine to a number of his young patients with some success. Also, has anyone used oxytocin, which is said to calm down the activity of the amygdala?
Medication for Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) kids
- Thread starter hope4hon
- Start date
LittleDudesMom
Well-Known Member
Hi hope4hon,
welcome to the site. I am going to move your post over the our General Forum where it will be seen by more members and will probably generate more responses. This forum, Healthful Living, is more for making healthy life choices as parents.
As a rule, often we find that our children all react differently to medications - unfortunately, there isn't one drug or one drug combo that works on our kids that share symptoms, behaviors, disorders, etc. But there are definitely some members here on our site with kids diagnosis'd with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) who can share their experiences with you.
Again, welcome.
Sharon
welcome to the site. I am going to move your post over the our General Forum where it will be seen by more members and will probably generate more responses. This forum, Healthful Living, is more for making healthy life choices as parents.
As a rule, often we find that our children all react differently to medications - unfortunately, there isn't one drug or one drug combo that works on our kids that share symptoms, behaviors, disorders, etc. But there are definitely some members here on our site with kids diagnosis'd with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) who can share their experiences with you.
Again, welcome.
Sharon
LittleDudesMom
Well-Known Member
Sorry, one more thing. Might be a dumb question on my part, but I thought oxytocin was a uterus contraction hormone? Why would that be considered for your 9-year old and what does it have to do with the amygdala? Does your daughter have sensory issues?
I've been reading a lot about oxytocin as a "love hormone" which calms aggresive or anxious behavior. Here is something I just read on this website.
Scientists call it the "love hormone" because it's released in the body naturally at childbirth -- and during sex. It's oxytocin, a peptide found in the brain that also affects behavior like trust, empathy and generosity - as well as jealousy and gloating.
Now, oxytocin is being used in trials with young adults (18 and older) who have Autistic Spectrum Disorders (Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)), and the results of the trials to date have been truly amazing.
I wonder if anyone has tried this.
timer lady
Queen of Hearts
There is no one medication for Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). It's more an emotional disorder.
With my tweedles we knew that we had Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) on board from day one. How to "treat" it was another story. We found that we had to slow kt & wm down to a point where they could handle therapy & treatment. wm has been in risperdal & clonodine for years. kt has been on seroquel. ktbug developed quite early due to, in part, medications but also the fact that she was sexualized so very young. Children who have a hx of sexual abuse tend to mature a great deal earlier than their peers.
As both of the tweedles had been diagnosis'd with bipolar along with the severe Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) & complex PTSD some heavy duty medications were brought on board. Once their moods & behaviors were more "balanced" the Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) & PTSD could be addressed.
Saying that the medications that worked best for wm was risperdal; for kt it has been seroquel. Again, we dealt with the early onset of menses ~ there was no choice in the matter.
As LDM stated, our kids react very individually to medications - it becomes a cr@p shoot of sorts. Please keep us updated.
With my tweedles we knew that we had Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) on board from day one. How to "treat" it was another story. We found that we had to slow kt & wm down to a point where they could handle therapy & treatment. wm has been in risperdal & clonodine for years. kt has been on seroquel. ktbug developed quite early due to, in part, medications but also the fact that she was sexualized so very young. Children who have a hx of sexual abuse tend to mature a great deal earlier than their peers.
As both of the tweedles had been diagnosis'd with bipolar along with the severe Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) & complex PTSD some heavy duty medications were brought on board. Once their moods & behaviors were more "balanced" the Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) & PTSD could be addressed.
Saying that the medications that worked best for wm was risperdal; for kt it has been seroquel. Again, we dealt with the early onset of menses ~ there was no choice in the matter.
As LDM stated, our kids react very individually to medications - it becomes a cr@p shoot of sorts. Please keep us updated.
Thank you for sharing. I'd be interested in knowing where your kids are in the "healing journey." Best wishes.
timer lady
Queen of Hearts
Hope the tweedles are much further along the healing process than I (husband) would have anticipated. It's taken time, patience, tears & the ability to make some significant & difficult decisions. Decisions most parents aren't asked to make.
We have incredible therapist's who specialize in trauma & attachment/adoption issues. We spent years reparenting ~ giving kt & wm the chance to hit the developmental milestones that they didn't in the birth home. We used bottles, pacifiers, & spent endless hours rocking. We swaddled the children in their beds. Purchased bed tents so they would feel swaddled & safe. I used monster spray & danced cheek to cheek. I had sensory boxes in my house (boxes filled with rice & beans) for self calming as neither kt or wm knew how to self calm. We got down on the floor to play with blocks & toys. I gave the tweedles 2 choices in many areas of their lives - choices that I could live with. I read book after book on trauma & attachment disorder & spent endless hours researching & finding the right therapist who specialized in the issues kt & wm survived in the birth home.
kt & wm now know they have Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) & PTSD & have been educated in both along with their bipolar. kt especially recognizes her Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) behaviors & knows that she has 3 "redo's" to correct that behavior. wm isn't as far along as I would have hoped. wm doesn't live here because of his serious reactions & behaviors toward kt & myself. We are a "family of different addresses".
I'm here to tell you that love doesn't cure all. In many areas, love is the last thing an attachment disordered child will accept. They will accept (after the initial fight) structure, constancy & acceptance. Sometimes hugs get thrown in ~ other times not so much.
Please post here as much as you need to; vent, cry & laugh with us. I survived the tweedles in part because of the wise & loving parents here.
We have incredible therapist's who specialize in trauma & attachment/adoption issues. We spent years reparenting ~ giving kt & wm the chance to hit the developmental milestones that they didn't in the birth home. We used bottles, pacifiers, & spent endless hours rocking. We swaddled the children in their beds. Purchased bed tents so they would feel swaddled & safe. I used monster spray & danced cheek to cheek. I had sensory boxes in my house (boxes filled with rice & beans) for self calming as neither kt or wm knew how to self calm. We got down on the floor to play with blocks & toys. I gave the tweedles 2 choices in many areas of their lives - choices that I could live with. I read book after book on trauma & attachment disorder & spent endless hours researching & finding the right therapist who specialized in the issues kt & wm survived in the birth home.
kt & wm now know they have Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) & PTSD & have been educated in both along with their bipolar. kt especially recognizes her Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) behaviors & knows that she has 3 "redo's" to correct that behavior. wm isn't as far along as I would have hoped. wm doesn't live here because of his serious reactions & behaviors toward kt & myself. We are a "family of different addresses".
I'm here to tell you that love doesn't cure all. In many areas, love is the last thing an attachment disordered child will accept. They will accept (after the initial fight) structure, constancy & acceptance. Sometimes hugs get thrown in ~ other times not so much.
Please post here as much as you need to; vent, cry & laugh with us. I survived the tweedles in part because of the wise & loving parents here.
Thank you for your wise and experienced response. It brings tears to my eyes. I am glad to be a part of this community of people who find themselves the parents of children with severe behaviors.
H
HaoZi
Guest
Clonidine is a blood pressure medication with off-label uses including being used to curb aggressiveness. My daughter is on it though she recently switched to the extended release version called Kapvay. It's also used to help them sleep, so since the switch she doesn't go to bed as she should but we're having less aggression in the late afternoons.
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