Tic side effect causing anxiety - what to do - ADD / ADHD Message Board

joneliemom · 12-07-2006, 08:12 AM

I need some advice from parents who are dealing with an ADHD child who has done great on medication.

My son 11 has been on various forms of ritalin (short acting, concerta, daytrana) for the past 5 years. We've had great results in terms of helping him to focus, reducing impulsivity, more appropriate socially, etc. He's doing great in school, sports, etc. and is a very happy child. I am thankful every day that there is a medication that has allowed him to thrive and be successful. It has done wonders for his self esteem!!

However, we've been struggling over the past few months with side effects. Specifically, tics and anxiety. He was on Concerta for several years and all of a sudden he developed a mouth tic. We immediately stopped the Concerta and went to Daytrana. The tics went away. Unfortunately, they're back and it's really upsetting him. He called me from school yesterday very upset and when I picked him up he burst into tears. He was a nervous wreck, not at all himself.

He does not want to feel out of control at school and knows that if he didn't take any medicine he would be spending most of his day in the principal's office. (By the way, the school is very, very supportive).

We have never tried Strattera - I'm not sure if that would work for him. As he gets older I'm thinking that we could possibly reduce the dosage (he's on 20 mg of Daytrana right now) just to take the "edge off."

any thoughts from parents with similar experiences is appreciated.

cindyk · 12-13-2006, 11:21 AM

My 13 yr.old son will have tics that come and go. Right now we are tic free and have been for several months. We do have some OCD going on, but nothing that is too interferring. When he does have the tics, I just go down on the ritalin a little bit and I don't ususally give him any on the weekends. Those two things seem to help a little. I also give him flaxseed oil plus a vitamin with calcium and magnesium. I don't know if it helps, but he seems pretty well adjusted right now, so I won't change anything. The stimulants unfortunatley can bring out tics, ocd and anxiety. I just tweak the meds a little and for us helps. Also getting plenty of sleep helps my son tremendously. It is hard getting him to bed early, but so worth it.
Good luck with your son.