Thinking about more testing...opinions wanted!

[DramaQueenLucy]

Every ADHD medication that difficult child 2 we have had to stop because of side effects. The latest one is Concerta. They all seem to last a few months or so and then he starts with side effects, He has been on Vyvanse (this one was the worst difficult child got really emotional on this one), Adderall (caused headaches), Ritalin (we both hated him on this medication, crashed after 4 hours every time) and now Concerta (no appetite, I think it may have something to do with his sleeping getting worse and I am noticing a link between the doctor increasing the dose and difficult child 2's emotional outbursts ) He is also taking Trazodone 75mg for sleep, once again this was just recently increased from 50mg to the 75mg. The Concerta was just raised to 54mgs from 36mg hum….


Now I am questioning a few things one is why did 2 of these medications make him overly emotional? The other thing is there more to this puzzle then just ADHD? There seems to be something missing? He has a lot of sensory issues as well as being over sensitive and very dramatic about things. Like last week difficult child 2 fell off of his skateboard and skinned his knee not bad, very little scrap but couldn't walk and had to use difficult child 1's crutches and this became a really big deal, he wanted to take them to school, wouldn't go back outside to play and insisted that he couldn't do anything. He even wanted a ice pack for his knee.

difficult child 2 has been tested 3 times the first 3 years ago and they said that he had ADHD and a not otherwise specified learning disability. The next one was 18 months ago and they said ADHD, not otherwise specified Depression and didn't test for academics. This last one said ADHD & dyslexia then sent him to the Occupational Therapist (OT) for a report from them that one had a lot of information in it and that said he is struggling with visual motor tasks, lacked organization, had some directional confusion, below average fine motor skills, poor should stability, mild tactile issues (doesn't lie hair brushed or cut, doesn't like pants), difficulty with medication-high level novel motor challenges, has motor planning difficulties, struggles with knowing where his body is in space, difficulty processing auditory information and sensitivity to visual information and some tactile defensiveness (I don't know what this really means but have had the Occupational Therapist (OT) explain it to me)

I am thinking that with all this information maybe there is something missing from the puzzle? So I am asking for opinions. Sorry it is so long and thanks in advance for your help.

 

[gcvmom]

Who did the testing before?

 

[trinityroyal]

Colleen,
I'm in no way fit to diagnose, but some of the things you mention with your difficult child 2 smell awfully autism-spectrum-ish to me.

struggling with visual motor tasks, lacked organization, had some directional confusion, below average fine motor skills, poor should stability, mild tactile issues (doesn’t lie hair brushed or cut, doesn’t like pants), difficulty with medication-high level novel motor challenges, has motor planning difficulties, struggles with knowing where his body is in space, difficulty processing auditory information and sensitivity to visual information and some tactile defensiveness

This list of items in particular. Difficulties with fine motor coordination, sensory issues, hypersensitivity to pain, difficulty with textures, etc. All of these can be markers for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Gcvmom asks who did your last round of evaluations, and I'm wondering the same thing. Was the evaluation done by a neuropsychologist? That might give you more in-depth information than you've received from previous testing.

One thing to keep in mind with an ADHD diagnosis. A lot of other disorders have symptoms that mirror those of ADHD, and that's often where the diagnostic trail begins. However, interventions such as stimulants, that work wonders with true ADHD, can make other conditions (e.g. bipolar) MUCH MUCH worse. If your child is reacting badly to Ritalin and Concerta, then that might be an indicator that something other than ADHD is going on.

That's what your mommy gut is already telling you. You know your child best, and it's probably worthwhile to do some further investigating to pin down specifically what's going on with your difficult child, so that you can get the right interventions in place.

Trinity

Trinity

 

[ShyChelle]

You said I believe that he had some sleeping issue? Have you done a sleep study on him to rule out sleep apnea (sorry for spelling). The sleep apnea can cause some of the problems that you are describing as well. I saw something that suggested young children diagnosed with ADHD and then had a sleep study and were found to have sleep apnea when they got their tonsiles out their mood improved. I am not an expert but the information intrigued me. I have to also agree with Trinity that it sounds like something else is amiss besides the adhd. I would also have to say... though I don't know how it is in your part of the state... but in mine they are quick to diagnose and medicate and slow at looking to see exactly what is going on. Hugs to ya. Let me know how it goes please.

Chelle

 

[BusynMember]

If you haven't taken him for neuropsychologist evaluation in my humble opinion he hasn't really had a complete, thorough evaluation. It sounds like more than ADHD to me and I'd want to know for sure if I were the mother.
ADHD medications didn't work on my son either. It turned out he was on the high end of the autism spectrum. You need to have him tested in ALL areas, and NeuroPsychs do that.

 

[DramaQueenLucy]

Who did the testing before?

The first set of testing was done by the school psychiatric along with difficult child's pedi. The second set was done by a psychologist and then the last set he went to a neuropsychologist but he was tested by the psychologist that that is working under his supervision. I talked to the neuropsychologist today and he is going to go over everything and perhaps do more testing but his first reaction after I told him everything and the results of the Occupational Therapist (OT) report was to ask me if it was Aspergers, I told him no ADHD and that is when he told me that he would look at everything.

 

[DramaQueenLucy]

You said I believe that he had some sleeping issue? Have you done a sleep study on him to rule out sleep apnea (sorry for spelling). The sleep apnea can cause some of the problems that you are describing as well. I saw something that suggested young children diagnosed with ADHD and then had a sleep study and were found to have sleep apnea when they got their tonsiles out their mood improved. I am not an expert but the information intrigued me. I have to also agree with Trinity that it sounds like something else is amiss besides the adhd. I would also have to say... though I don't know how it is in your part of the state... but in mine they are quick to diagnose and medicate and slow at looking to see exactly what is going on. Hugs to ya. Let me know how it goes please.

Chelle

He has had 2 sleep studies and the first one came back with him needing his adenoids out the other one said that he was borderline apnea. We are set to go for a 3rd study in June.

 

[BusynMember]

I was thinking Aspergers. Does he socialize well? Make good eye contact with strangers? Does he have any obsessive interests?

Did he ever have a speech delay? Or, the opposite--does he talk in big words like a Little Professor?

How does he do in school?

Our Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids are usually first dxd. with ADHD. Not saying your child has it, but it's a common mistake.

 

[DramaQueenLucy]

I was thinking Aspergers. Does he socialize well? Make good eye contact with strangers? Does he have any obsessive interests?

Did he ever have a speech delay? Or, the opposite--does he talk in big words like a Little Professor?

How does he do in school?

Our Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids are usually first dxd. with ADHD. Not saying your child has it, but it's a common mistake.

He doesn't keep friends very long but can make friends. Eye contact seems to be ok or I haven't noticed it before. He did have a slight speech delay. I am not sure that he is obsessive but he will want to do the same thing for hours on end until he has completed whatever his "mission" was. difficult child is semi responsive to the stims, concentration goes up, but the emotions that go along with them our out of this world.

The neuropsychologist said he would look it all over but when I asked his doctor (works under neuropsychologist) she said that the Occupational Therapist (OT) report didn't change anything?? So I am going to wait to see what the head doctor says and go from there.

I just hate not knowing how to help my son

 

[ShyChelle]

Sounds so familiar. My son doesn't make very many friends. Does anyone know if they have been able to see more proof of heredity in autism/asp syn?

I hope the testing comes back with good news... or at least news that will give/lead to a good solution.

 

[BusynMember]

If you have one child on the autism spectrum, then you have a 1 in 20 chance of having another child on the spectrum.

 

[ShyChelle]

What about from parent or grandparent to child relation?

 

[BusynMember]

I chat on a parent forum autism board too (although not often anymore). But there was general understanding there that autism runs in the family. There is a higher rate of autism in family's that have bipolar too.

 

[DramaQueenLucy]

My uncle is high end ADHD and his daugther has a child that has autism....hum

 

[ShyChelle]

I guess the reason I ask is because I have some social issues. I have always attributed them to childhood stuff. Someone ask me once if I had ever been tested for asp synd. I honestly kind of think it is still due to childhood trauma and not being accepted into the social stuff. My son has some stuff that make me wonder... he too doesn't make friends well, is picked on alot, is sensitive to stuff, weird about how things feel. Anyway it is just one of those questioning things trying to find answers. Thanks.