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Tourettes and ADHD


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My son is 8 and is diagnosed with Tourettes -ADHD- he will wake up in the morning and is so distracted. He is currently on Ritalin, which helps him make it through the day. In the evening he is back to being a bouncy ball..so easily distracted and unfocussed. We have just started some testing... and will proceed with it...I really want him off Ritalin. I've been reading up on testing...any suggestions??? Really want him to ease his body and mind. Nicholas

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I know Dr. T. Murphy [sychiatrist uses Ritalin with TS and PANDAS kids with ADHD. It has to be a low dose. However TS kids don't tolerate ADHD meds well in general. We were not able to find one that didn't cause bad reactions. We tried Strattera, Concerta, Adderall XR. I think we should have tried one more before Strattera but we opted to quit for awhile. The side effects were worse then the ADHD. He got more moody and angered easliy and anxious. The Psychiatrist and neurologists don't believe the Ritalin causes the tics that is a misconception they claim. However, my son has had a major butt picking compulsion since we tried Strattera. In general these kid are hard to medicate so you will probably need a psychiatrist. Right now we are tring Celexa and Abilify since they help tics and OCD. We are still having a hard time getting meds right though because he keeps getting adjusted to them and they stop working. Then we are back to emotioal liability. His attention is improved though.

Hi

what testing are you looking to do?

 

I am surprised they have him on Ritalin if he has TS as Ritalin is known to *cause* tics. Did he tic before the Ritalin?

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I know Dr. T. Murphy [sychiatrist uses Ritalin with TS and PANDAS kids with ADHD. It has to be a low dose. However TS kids don't tolerate ADHD meds well in general. We were not able to find one that didn't cause bad reactions. We tried Strattera, Concerta, Adderall XR. I think we should have tried one more before Strattera but we opted to quit for awhile. The side effects were worse then the ADHD. He got more moody and angered easliy and anxious. The Psychiatrist and neurologists don't believe the Ritalin causes the tics that is a misconception they claim. However, my son has had a major butt picking compulsion since we tried Strattera. In general these kid are hard to medicate so you will probably need a psychiatrist. Right now we are tring Celexa and Abilify since they help tics and OCD. We are still having a hard time getting meds right though because he keeps getting adjusted to them and they stop working. Then we are back to emotioal liability. His attention is improved though.
Hi

what testing are you looking to do?

 

I am surprised they have him on Ritalin if he has TS as Ritalin is known to *cause* tics. Did he tic before the Ritalin?

 

Have you tried any natural supplements etc beyond medication??

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I would certainly try to ease him off the meds, try a food elimination program to find sensitivities and put him on some key supplements. I agree with Chemar....some meds actually create tics and makes situations much worse. I have worked with many families detecting food triggers and the parents are always amazed that within 1-3 days how much of a GREAT change they have seen! Learning about foods is hard, but worth every minute of effort when you start seeing the changes taking place!!

 

Hang in there!!

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Than you for your advice and replies. I just ordered some tests from Great Plains to check for food and inhalant alergies. In addition I'm going to check Pandas, which was not an area looked into by his child psychiatrist-tourette specialist. From my understanding Panda's can occur without the existence of a sore throat or fever. I've heard that some kids simply have headaches. Anyone have this experience???

Take care

Nicholas

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  • 2 months later...

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