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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Wanda on September 27, 2000, at 8:43:45
My 12yr. son is taking 20mg. of Adderall in the morning for about 1 month, he has started to sniffle constantly & excessive eye blinking. He hardly eats therefore he drinks Ensure for nutrition. Is this normal? will these side effects dissapear????
Thanks!
Posted by AndrewB on September 27, 2000, at 11:07:11
In reply to Side Effects of Adderall, posted by Wanda on September 27, 2000, at 8:43:45
> My 12yr. son is taking 20mg. of Adderall in the morning for about 1 month, he has started to sniffle constantly & excessive eye blinking. He hardly eats therefore he drinks Ensure for nutrition. Is this normal? will these side effects dissapear????
> Thanks!Wanda,
I thought you may find this post from Dr. Bob's Tips section interesting.
AndrewB
-----------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 08:45:05 -0400
From: Peter Como < como@etin.mct.rochester.edu >
Subject: Stimulants and ticsThere is an emerging literature to suggest that while stimulants can indeed
exacerbate tics, this may be transient and the tics may return to a baseline level
within in a relatively short period of time. Several recent publications (Gadow
et al., Riddle, and colleagues) have been examining this issue in children with
Tourette syndrome and ADHD. Again, the data appear promising.In our Tourette clinic we have seen methylphenidate bring out tics in a
youngster with a strong family history of TS, raising the suspicion that these
youngsters likely also had inherited the genes.
Posted by stjames on September 28, 2000, at 11:55:20
In reply to Side Effects of Adderall, posted by Wanda on September 27, 2000, at 8:43:45
> My 12yr. son is taking 20mg. of Adderall in the morning for about 1 month, he has started to sniffle constantly & excessive eye blinking. He hardly eats therefore he drinks Ensure for nutrition. Is this normal? will these side effects dissapear????
> Thanks!James here.....
I had the weight loss problem as a child on Ritalin, did something like Ensure. I wish the stims caused me to lose weight now ! Perhaps a lower dose or divided dose would stop the blinking,ect. Talk with his doc about this.
From my experience I would say after a month
any side effects will not get better.james
Posted by JohnL on October 2, 2000, at 4:13:12
In reply to Side Effects of Adderall, posted by Wanda on September 27, 2000, at 8:43:45
> My 12yr. son is taking 20mg. of Adderall in the morning for about 1 month, he has started to sniffle constantly & excessive eye blinking. He hardly eats therefore he drinks Ensure for nutrition. Is this normal? will these side effects dissapear????
> Thanks!
Wanda,
I don't know anything about your son, the diagnosis, his condition, the doctor, or anything. So I could be way off base. Forgive me if I am.I feel children are excessively overprescribed with stimulants, and adults are excessively underprescribed. It is just my opinion, but I believe 90% of children taking stimulants really don't need them. 10% of treated children probably really do need them.
If Adderall is doing these weird things, that indicates to me that it is off-target in correcting whatever chemical imbalance exists (IF one exists). Trying another option like Ritalin might be worth comparing.
Next time you're in your child's classroom, take a look around. Notice all the posters on the wall, clutter, and all kinds of distracting things. Twenty years ago classroom walls were bare. It was a desk, some chairs, a blackboard, and nothing else. These days there are tons and tons of distractions, and then we wonder why our children can't concentrate.
Same thing at home. In the old days we had an antennae television with three channels to choose from, maybe a radio, and the yard/neighborhood. These days look at all the things bombarding children. CD Walkmans, computer games, high tech this, high tech that, 60 channels on a TV right from the couch, on and on. I don't know. Like I said, I think too many children are overdiagnosed and overprescribed. In most cases it's the environment and a normal phase of maturing that's involved, not a chemical imbalance requiring stimulants that are, in all reality, close relatives of cocaine.
If your son truly has a chemical imbalance and is in serious need of medication, then comparing different alternatives would be wise. Just so you can discover which is the best for him. But if that's not the case, I think making some lifestyle adjustments and being patient and encouraging with the growing-up process is a better way to go. I wish more adults instead of children were prescribed stimulants. Stimulants help overcome brain deterioration due to age or abuse. Children's brains are generally golden compared to adult brains. Many people having difficulty with depression would be far better off if a stimulant was part of their overall pharmacotherapy. They work well with antidepressants generally, often far better than an antidepressant alone. That's because, like I said, they overcome aging deficiencies. But a child's brain? I don't know. I would be asking a lot of questions if I were you. Just because it's common and everybody does it doesn't mean it's valid. It's only that way in the USA. Nowhere else in the world.
John
Posted by Sassy on October 5, 2000, at 12:18:39
In reply to Re: Side Effects of Adderall, posted by JohnL on October 2, 2000, at 4:13:12
John,
Right on to your statements about society.
Wanda,
Due to pressure, mainly within the "city school"
system, I've tried this route with my son, and
he at age 12 yrs refuses to take it, anything.One day he told me, I don't like that stuff, it
makes me feel weird, I don't need it.Now I do believe he needs something, however, what John brings up has a lot of merit to it
which may cause a lack of focus (in the case
where he may be descibed because of ADD). I've noticed that my son's focus is extremely good when playing those nintendo games and computer
games. The pdoc's answer to this is these things satisfy the immediate craving of the brain, whereas in a school environment, it isn't.I'm no expert, but I am a mother and share the same concerns, if he were exhibiting these same
reactions after a month, I'd cut the doseage to
see if that's any better. Also, another mother
wrote not too long ago about tics. I can't remember if her child was on ritalin or dex, but they all can produce the same type of results.God Bless
Sassy
> > My 12yr. son is taking 20mg. of Adderall in the morning for about 1 month, he has started to sniffle constantly & excessive eye blinking. He hardly eats therefore he drinks Ensure for nutrition. Is this normal? will these side effects dissapear????
> > Thanks!
>
>
> Wanda,
> I don't know anything about your son, the diagnosis, his condition, the doctor, or anything. So I could be way off base. Forgive me if I am.
>
> I feel children are excessively overprescribed with stimulants, and adults are excessively underprescribed. It is just my opinion, but I believe 90% of children taking stimulants really don't need them. 10% of treated children probably really do need them.
>
> If Adderall is doing these weird things, that indicates to me that it is off-target in correcting whatever chemical imbalance exists (IF one exists). Trying another option like Ritalin might be worth comparing.
>
> Next time you're in your child's classroom, take a look around. Notice all the posters on the wall, clutter, and all kinds of distracting things. Twenty years ago classroom walls were bare. It was a desk, some chairs, a blackboard, and nothing else. These days there are tons and tons of distractions, and then we wonder why our children can't concentrate.
>
> Same thing at home. In the old days we had an antennae television with three channels to choose from, maybe a radio, and the yard/neighborhood. These days look at all the things bombarding children. CD Walkmans, computer games, high tech this, high tech that, 60 channels on a TV right from the couch, on and on. I don't know. Like I said, I think too many children are overdiagnosed and overprescribed. In most cases it's the environment and a normal phase of maturing that's involved, not a chemical imbalance requiring stimulants that are, in all reality, close relatives of cocaine.
>
> If your son truly has a chemical imbalance and is in serious need of medication, then comparing different alternatives would be wise. Just so you can discover which is the best for him. But if that's not the case, I think making some lifestyle adjustments and being patient and encouraging with the growing-up process is a better way to go. I wish more adults instead of children were prescribed stimulants. Stimulants help overcome brain deterioration due to age or abuse. Children's brains are generally golden compared to adult brains. Many people having difficulty with depression would be far better off if a stimulant was part of their overall pharmacotherapy. They work well with antidepressants generally, often far better than an antidepressant alone. That's because, like I said, they overcome aging deficiencies. But a child's brain? I don't know. I would be asking a lot of questions if I were you. Just because it's common and everybody does it doesn't mean it's valid. It's only that way in the USA. Nowhere else in the world.
> John
Posted by Georgina on October 8, 2000, at 5:31:23
In reply to Side Effects of Adderall, posted by Wanda on September 27, 2000, at 8:43:45
> My 12yr. son is taking 20mg. of Adderall in the morning for about 1 month, he has started to sniffle constantly & excessive eye blinking. He hardly eats therefore he drinks Ensure for nutrition. Is this normal? will these side effects dissapear????
> Thanks!Wanda,
My son took Adderall for 18 months in the US. I believe this drug was originally marketed as an appitite surpressant in the 70's. Its so its hardly surprising that they don't want to eat when on it.
Also as its an anphetomine, when they come down off it later in the day it can be weird for them.
My son had ticks too.
We are now in England and the school system is supporting us trying his first term here without meds. So far its going quite well. It was my son's idea so I'm glad its working out for him. The main problem we had in America at school was that the other kids wouldn't have anything to do with him. He had no friends. When he took Adderall he was better in class (100%) and actually started making friends. Here in the UK he's at a small village school and has loads of friends. He's happy!
One thing I want to say is that I know how hard it is to give your child medicine. No mother wants to go that route. We spent a year trying to find alternatives before going the Adderall route. I got so fed up of people who implied that we were damaging our son and thoughtlessly taking the easy line. Its not the easy line for the mom. Its heartbreaking...you just want what's best physically, mentally, socially....you want the best for your child. We all want the right answer...its exhausting trying to find that answer.
This is just my observation and not directed at anyone in particular. Hang in there. It is so hard!
God blessGeorgina
Posted by stjames on October 9, 2000, at 1:22:43
In reply to Re: Side Effects of Adderall, posted by Georgina on October 8, 2000, at 5:31:23
>
> We are now in England and the school system is supporting us trying his first term here without meds. So far its going quite well. It was my son's idea so I'm glad its working out for him. The main problem we had in America at school was that the other kids wouldn't have anything to do with him. He had no friends. When he took Adderall he was better in class (100%) and actually started making friends. Here in the UK he's at a small village school and has loads of friends. He's happy!
>James here....
Small class size and one on one teaching are manditory with LD's. As a kid I needed this plus Ritalin, but because I got personal attention in school and at home for 2 years I only had to take Ritalin for 2 years, in promary school.
james
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