Non-stop talking

[wakeupcall]

OMGoodness...........if he doesn't shut up I'm going to lose my ever-lovin' mind!!!!! Good grief, he talks ALL the time and LOUDLY! If he doesn't have something to say, he says the same things over and over. I'm not kiddin', I think I'm going crazy!!! What can be causing this? He hasn't done this since he was a toddler.

AAAARRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

 

[BusynMember]

The Straterra could. It can take a few months, but antidepressants like Straterra can throw kids into a mania. He is also on a stimulant. Stimulants plus antidepressants equal lots of hyper and it can get worse. I'd tell the doctor ASAP unless he was always like this. If not, suspect the medication. Also, I personally wouldn't like so much fast medication switching. These are strong medications and they mess with the body chemistry. in my opinion the medication weaning and adding should be done very slowly. I've had fast medication switching done to me and it really throws me off so I don't allow it anymore.

 

[Wiped Out]

My difficult child gets like this when he is hypomanic or manic. Literally I feel like I need earplugs some days. Hugs.

 

[crazymama30]

I second wiped out, my difficult child does this when he is hypo or manic. He also does this if he is very excited or has been very excited. It is very hard, and the repeating thing drives me nuts.

 

[Fran]

Sounds like you need to let the doctor know the change in his behavior. Is it pressured?
I hated when difficult child got so intense that he talked and talked and talked. I wanted a vacation for my ears. I imagined tying his tongue in a knot to stop all the words from pouring out. It was brutal. Eventually, I got "deaf" to his non stop talking and/or would just wander into another room.

 

[tiredmommy]

Duckie does this when she's stressed (overtired, under pressure, or sick). I've been known to hide in the laundry room to catch a breather from her!

 

[susiestar]

Wiz spent about five or six years doing this. He even did it all night in his sleep, though it didn't seem to disturb his rest.

Will he play the Quiet Game where on count of 3 everyone has to stop talking and the first one who talks loses? This used to give us a tiny window of not hearing him babble.

The antidepressants like strattera can cause mania in some children. If the stimulant calms him then he truly is ADHD, but if it doesn't then something else is going on. I was never really happy with Strattera as it applies to moods. It is a SNRI and those are truly tough to properly prescribe, in my humble opinion. (I do have a child on strattera but he always needs more than one antidepressant so it works well that way as well as also with his ADHD type problems.)

Many times, esp in our sons, these medications trigger problems a few months after the child starts taking them. I have seem it firsthand with many AD's and also in other board members' difficult children.

You need to call the psychiatrist. This will interfere with difficult child's ability to function in any group situation, so changing this should be fairly important.

Noise cancelling headphones and/or earplugs are a real blessing.

 

[WSM]

I think everyone is right and it's probably the medications. But there's another possibility.

My mother in law does this, and has done it for as long as everyone can remember, right down to repeating the stories. And she repeats them exactly the same way every time. She's not interested in conversation, if you respond, she is quiet for about 10 words and then talks right over you, usually switching to another subject.

She's neurotic no doubt, but not mentally ill. The doctor suggested the reason for it (because it will drive you xxxxxxx crazy...particularly since she follows you from room to room to do it and will even stand outside the bathroom door and speak louder while you are in there) was if she was talking, she wasn't thinking, or at least not hearing herself think, and that compulsive talkers are often trying to drown out unpleasant thoughts (in my mother in law's case likely painful thoughts of inadequacy and unworthiness).

I'd guess the most likely explanation for your child would be the drugs, especially since he's changed medications, but an alternative theory that could explain other people might be to cover intrusive thoughts, hearing voices, or blocking unpleasant memories.

You have my sympathy and I hope it gets sorted out soon, it's a hard thing to live with.

 

[timer lady]

When the tweedles are anxious (not manic) they tend to talk on & on & on & on.......

It's also a symptom of the ever present Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Saying that I've learned to tune out the nonsense, reply to nonsense questions with "what do you think?" & make kt take a quiet break ~ if only for 5 minutes. Mostly I use video games or television as respite to this level of mania/anxiety/Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) whatever the case may be.

In some ways, it's good to have a hearing loss - I can take my hearing aids out & miss a great deal of nonsense.

 

[wakeupcall]

Today he seemed a little less talkative. He has a medication check tomorrow(already scheduled), so perhaps she'll have some ideas. The thing is...when we go in for a medication check, he sits there like a zombie, honest! It's so embarrassing; kinda like he's zoned out or something. Did I tell you I love having a thirteen-year-old????

 

[susiestar]

Well, at least you know you won't have to work at tuning him out for a little while this coming week. (off to my corner now.)

I think many of our kids do the silent zombie thing at the doctor. It sure can make getting the right treatment tough, esp on things like the nonstop talking.

I hope the doctor can help.

 

[KTMom91]

Miss KT did the zombie thing, too, and it drove me nuts because I'm trying to tell the doctor my concerns, he asks her about it, and she's sitting there stuck on stupid. As soon as we leave, though, life is beautiful again.

She also does the TALKING REALLY FAST AND LOUD when she's nervous about something. She starts summer school at college tomorrow...brand new campus, brand new people, and SHE'S BEEN LETTING US KNOW THAT SHE HAS TO BE AT SCHOOL BY 8 SO SHE'S GOING TO LEAVE ABOUT 7 BECAUSE OF PARKING...you get the idea. She hasn't been to a new campus since freshman year of high school.

 

[TerryJ2]

Wakeupcall, I hear you about the medication check. My difficult child is so perfect for that 15 min. session!

if she was talking, she wasn't thinking, or at least not hearing herself think, and that compulsive talkers are often trying to drown out unpleasant thoughts (in my mother in law's case likely painful thoughts of inadequacy and unworthiness).

Wow, I never knew that. I have a cousin who is a compulsive talker. She's much better when she takes Effexor and Xanax, but she's inconsistent about her medications. Sigh.

 

[wakeupcall]

The medication doctor kept his medications the same....no change. She wants to get some bloodwork and we'll talk about it the next visit. She thinks he's just anxious about something. I also asked, "In YOUR opinion, will he EVER be respectful of me...?" And she told me that I was expecting too much. Huh??? She has NO idea how tired I get of the disrespect. Once again, they just don't know unless they have one....right?

 

[susiestar]

They have no clue.

So many of our kids behavior problems can SOUND typical teen stuff. difficult children take them to a whole new level though. So many times when I would vent to people I know, or the doctors, about what Wiz was doing they would tell me it was normal.

As in: It is normal for a child to get wrapped up in a story or set of characters.

So does this mean the child truly believes that they can go and catch a real live pokemon if they can just get to Japan?? Believe it to the point that they start to think that life really IS the game, and they have to get to "gyms" to find the pokemon and do battle? As in my 7yo child searched the YMCA top to bottom, including the adult workout center with a patient staff member and I indulging him, looking for where the pokemon battles happened?

I don't think it is "normal" behavior at that level. But so often people don't imagine a child could take something to that level.

That is why it takes a really special mom to get a difficult child. So many moms just wuoldn't be capable of handling it. it is what makes us Warrior Moms!

I would call her every few days until he stops. If for no other reason than to annoy her. (Sorry. I get miffed when they just brush us off.)

Hugs and earplugs to ya!