ODD & Tenex

[djsaxo]

After 2+ exhausting years of increasingly bad behaivor from my now 4 year old son, I turned to the internet for help and came across this site and others like it. I read article upon article and researched mood disorders, ADHD, Autism, everything I could come across until I found an article on trantrums that led me to believe that my child's behavior was certainly not normal (not that I didn't already know this) and that I needed to do something more than suffer through it. Here is a link to the article in case anyone is interested - http://children.webmd.com/news/20071219/5-tantrum-red-flags

The article led me to look into ODD and I made an appointment with my son's doctor, who after one visit has prescribed him Tenex.

He's been on the drug now for 5 days. The biggest side effect that I notice is that he seems tired all the time. He LOOKS tired all the time, eyes half open as though he's fighting to stay awake. The drug seems to act like Superman's kryptonite, comepletely zapping him of his energy and his will to fight back and act out.

In some ways the past 5 days have been better. There have been fewer tantrums and there's been less back talk and defiance, but he's just not himself. I feel guilty every time I look at him and his sleepy little face.

Does anyone else here have a child on Tenex? What has been your experience?

 

[jal]

My difficult child has been on Tenex before but it was with-a combo of other medications. At the time he was on Depakote, Abilify, Straterra and Tenex. The Straterra and Tenex were used together to help with-ADHD. Didn't really help at all and I think he was a bit tired in the beginning, but once he was used to the level the tiredness disappeared.

 

[jannie]

Tenex was one of the first medicaitons that worked well for my son. It decreased impulsivity and helped with anger. Yes he was tired, but after some time his body adjusted. He remained on that medication for at least two years.

 

[judytor]

In some ways the past 5 days have been better. There have been fewer tantrums and there's been less back talk and defiance, but he's just not himself. I feel guilty every time I look at him and his sleepy little face.

Does anyone else here have a child on Tenex? What has been your experience?

I don't have experience with Tenex but I wanted to tell you I can identify with the "guilt" you're talking about My ds4 just started on Clonidine the other day. His psychiatric told me I could give it to him once at night and once during the day if I wanted. I don't feel bad about the nighttime as I'm hoping it will help him sleep better but I wound up giving it to him this morning (late) after a really really rough morning. It knocked him out for 3 hours and when he got up he was still sleepy for an hour. It made me feel really really bad I won't give it to him again during the day.

 

[djsaxo]

Is the Clonidine prescribed for ODD alone? How long has your child been taking it? Tomorrow will be 7 days on Tenex for Jake and while it seemed to help (by zapping him of all his energy) the first few days he started in again yesterday and today he seemed to be back to his old tactics...scratching this morning drew blood...and this afternoon we had a 20+ minute ordeal over him not wanting to put his empty cup in the sink. We go back to the doctor tomorrow afternoon for a follow up and I don't know what to tell him...I guess it seemed to help at first, but now I don't really know...#$%@! I'm just losing my mind here!

 

[djsaxo]

Thanks to all who replied. Tomorrow we have our 1 week follow-up appointment with the doctor and I'm not sure what to tell him....is it working or not, well, I don't know?!?! First couple of days he seemed so out of it, just tired, too tired to argue. Then yesterday he seemed more grumpy, just cranky and irritable and back to hitting and being more oppositional. Today we had a full meltdown when he refused to put his cup in the sink. There was a time-out and threats of spanking on my part, then shoe throwing, lots of screaming and the a wrap up performance of stripping down to his underwear to top it all off....finally my threatening to spank him with a rolled up magazine got him to pick up the cup he'd earlier hurled across the room and put it in the sink. I know what you're thinking, "rolled up magazine?!?!?!" ***? Well, it worked! Before the medications he wouldn't have flinched, he seems to show some fear of punishment now at least.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I mean, is he doing better than he was a week ago, sorta, but not really. Was I looking for a miracle pill? Perhaps. Will I ever have a "normal" child?

I'll post results from the doctor's appointment tomorrow.

 

[judytor]

The Clonidine was prescribed to help him sleep better. He has severe ADHD (among many many other diagnosis's) and has a hard time settling down at night. He too is extremely oppositional.

I have yet to find a "miracle" pill.....and I know what you mean about hoping something would just help

Is the ODD the only diagnosis you have? It usually doesn't stand alone as a diagnosis. Oftentimes there are other things going on too.

Have you checked out the book "The Explosive Child"? It's a must read (in my opinion). Let us know how it goes tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you

 

[tessaturtle]

Our difficult child has been on guanfacine (generic form of Tenex) since Feb of this year. He takes it along with two other medications. Its a blood pressure medicine that has been found to help patients with ADHD symptoms. Our difficult child is Bipolar, ADHD, ODD, and learning disabled. He has been on MANY MANY MANY other medications, and this current combo (knock on wood) has proven to be the best so far. His body has really responded well to this combo. THe doctors (he was in the psychiatric hospital when this combo was initiated) explained to us that the tenex was added in to address his hyperactivity (and extreme motor restlessness) and inattention. It did take him a little bit to get used to it (sleepy at first) but once the body adjusts its fine. Good Luck!

 

[djsaxo]

By day 7 when we went back for our follow up appointment with the doctor, the sleepy side effects had worn off and Jake was back to his old self...clearly the Tenex was not working.

doctor has now put him on Resperdal. Started at .25 mg at bedtime for 3 days and now we're on our first day of .25 mg morning and night...so far I can't really tell that it's helping at all. I haven't noticed any side effects, he's not been tired or sleepy like before on the Tenex.

I read on a website that it can take weeks before you notice results from being on Resperdal. Know anything about this?

I just wish something could help him. I don't know how much more I can take.

 

[judytor]

Hi there My ds4 is on Risperdal. He takes 1mg in the am and one in the pm. I don't remember how fast it's supposed to work. It sounds like they are starting him off on a small dose so it might be a while before you get the full effects.
I would give it a few weeks and if you don't see a big difference then maybe they can increase it.
I honestly have not seen much of a difference at all since ds has been on it I have heard that it works really well for some kids. Sorry I'm not much help

 

[m0m_0fa_SpasticAutastic]

after 2+ exhausting years of increasingly bad behaivor from my now 4 year old son, i turned to the internet for help and came across this site and others like it. I read article upon article and researched mood disorders, adhd, autism, everything i could come across until i found an article on trantrums that led me to believe that my child's behavior was certainly not normal (not that i didn't already know this) and that i needed to do something more than suffer through it. Here is a link to the article in case anyone is interested - http://children.webmd.com/news/20071219/5-tantrum-red-flags

the article led me to look into odd and i made an appointment with my son's doctor, who after one visit has prescribed him tenex.

he's been on the drug now for 5 days. The biggest side effect that i notice is that he seems tired all the time. He looks tired all the time, eyes half open as though he's fighting to stay awake. The drug seems to act like superman's kryptonite, comepletely zapping him of his energy and his will to fight back and act out.

in some ways the past 5 days have been better. There have been fewer tantrums and there's been less back talk and defiance, but he's just not himself. I feel guilty every time i look at him and his sleepy little face.

does anyone else here have a child on tenex? What has been your experience?

i have a now 4 yr old, who for the last 2 yrs they have been telling me he is adhd, but there were just too many other things going along with his behavior that qued us to believe he isn't ahdh, but odd, sensory processing disorder (SPD), and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). They started him out on tenex, the first couple of doses just wiped him out and he'd just sleep, it was great lol, we could be peaceful for a few hours @ a time during the day with out having to be hit, smacked, bit or screamed at, after a good month or so my son's behavior came right back and was in full force, i called his behavior pediatrician and he increased the dosage which made my son even more ballsy and violent, we decreased and dealt with what we had to, after a year with fighting with the doctor, we switch to a pediatrician psychiatrist, he placed my son on clonidine and adderall (ritlen), the clonidine made him tired, but the adderall wacked him right out, now all this time may i add, we are thinking, if he's adhd, why aren't the adhd medications working.... So low and behold he's finally back on tenex and now risperdone, but now after a couple of months he's tapered to the medication and the behaviors are coming back, he goes back to doctor on the 1st of september and we are hoping that maybe there will be an increase in dosage of risperdone, if not the doctor needs to prescribe me some xanax!!!! Now the reason they have been using a diagnosis of adhd was because of the insurance he was on, and his insurance would cover an autism diagnosis, talk about setting my hair on fire, and now that we have private insurance, we should have no problem getting the diagnosis, he's not adhd he's autistic and because politics, my son' has suffered the treatment he's needed and was used as a guinea pig for 2yrs, now maybe he'll be placed on the right medication he needs. Also being on the risperdone, he has gained a substantial amount of weight, and i am becoming concerned for his health, which is better? The medication to help control his issues, or the weight taking it's told on his little body @ such a young age....