I have a quick question. My son is ADHD and we tried the non-med route, but my son can not sit still enough to be in a classroom setting. So he is on 5 mg. of Adderall XR, he started stuttering and had been on 10 mg. of Adderall for 3 years prior, we cut it back to 5 mg. but his language teacher also started doing exercises with him so not sure which helped his stuttering did improve. Doctor felt like his stuttering was not medication related due to him having been on it for a while. But my son was 6 when he started stuttering, not related to any trauma or at the beginning of him speaking and he does no do the typical stuttering, it is more like he can't get it out at the beginning and worse on certain sounds). But now he has started not sleeping. Doctor is wanting to put him on clonadine (1/2 a pill as needed). I am scared of meds to be honest. The Adderall really helps him, but my pharmacist voiced concerns about them giving these to my son. Has anyone had a similar experience that could advise me or tell me about your experience(s).
One nervous mommy,
Deidra
Quote:
Originally Posted by index.html
hmxsgt,
Yes, tics *can* be caused stimulant medication. And, if they are caused by meds, they *usually* go away when the meds are discontinued. Unfortunately, they don't always. The tics may persist. It is for this reason that, if your son were mine, I would want to stop the stimulants asap. You do want to consult your doctor first - it's generally best to taper off rather than abruptly discontinue.
Some doctors will prescribe Clonidine and a stimulant together. This is usually done if the tics were present prior to the stimulant being given or if the child is so severely ADHD that he can't function without meds (very few have ADHD to that extent). I would be uncomfortable with a doctor who wanted your child to continue on a stimulant unless under those circumstances.
Clonidine is also prescribed alone to treat tics and ADHD. It can be very useful in reducing hyperactivity. It is not effective, however, at helping concentration.
The behaviors you describe do sound very much like tics to me. I wouldn't delay in consulting your md. And yes, "dexa-something" is a stimulant.
Hope that helps.
Last edited by mod-anon; 02-07-2008 at 11:50 PM.
Reason: starting a new thread with this post.
noticed that another poster posted about tourettes. Your sons tics may have nothing to do with his ADHD. My son was diagnosed with tourettes in the 2nd grade. He has a mild form of it, and could possibly grow out of it. After doing MAJOR research, kept reading that people with tourettes normally suffer from other disorders, such as ADD and OCD. IT seems that they go hand in hand, BUT, people with OCD or ADD do not necessarily have other disorders. He was diagnosed with ADD in the 4th grade, and is seeing a therapist to help with is OCD issues. I cant tell you how frustrating it is with all three of these disorders. If your son continues with the tics, I would take him to a nuerologist. My sons tics are slight, but started out with eye blinking (pediatrician gave him drops for dry eyes) and went to shoulder shrugging to almost a humming sound. Once we cleared up his allergies and the the humming continued, we were sent to the nuerologist. We are currently on Strettera for his ADD because stimulants will only make his tics worse.
Started a new thread with this post, with reference to the original thread. Please do not reply to a 1-year-old thread. It really slows down the server. Thank you.
I have a quick question. My son is ADHD and we tried the non-med route, but my son can not sit still enough to be in a classroom setting. So he is on 5 mg. of Adderall XR, he started stuttering and had been on 10 mg. of Adderall for 3 years prior, we cut it back to 5 mg. but his language teacher also started doing exercises with him so not sure which helped his stuttering did improve. Doctor felt like his stuttering was not medication related due to him having been on it for a while. But my son was 6 when he started stuttering, not related to any trauma or at the beginning of him speaking and he does no do the typical stuttering, it is more like he can't get it out at the beginning and worse on certain sounds). But now he has started not sleeping. Doctor is wanting to put him on clonadine (1/2 a pill as needed). I am scared of meds to be honest. The Adderall really helps him, but my pharmacist voiced concerns about them giving these to my son. Has anyone had a similar experience that could advise me or tell me about your experience(s).
One nervous mommy,
Deidra
I have tourettes (tics) and have had it for about 2 years and throughout this time i have taken clonidine and it has helped me tremendously but if i dont take it my OCD and Tourettes really gets bad
Diedra ,my son is ADHD he is now 25,he grauated fromm high school,by the skin of his teeth,I tried meds but took him off after one year did not feel the side effects were worth it,it was the best decision I could have made,the meds (ritilin and adderal) made him completely withdrawn from the family and i felt the teachers were full of S--t.they would say how much he improved in school,and how I should keep him on the meds,but what I seen at home was completely different from what they said,anyway grandparents day came around and couldnt any of 4 sets of grandparents to attend,so I went in their place,it was a blessing because I realized that day that those teachers were just telling me that because the meds kept him in a state of a zombie,I immediately stopped the meds,and he was back to being a happy hyperactive boy,that was the best move I made,he noww holds a job since grauation pays all his own bills goes bowling once a week and is much smarter than the average bear,Iam not saying some children do not need meds but the sad thing is they dont have a voice when their young so we have to be very observant and remember sometimes those teachers have their own agenda,school is not everything he cant cut it it does not matter the world needs all kinds of people some people are better doing physical labor and others excell with book smarts but were all different and thats what makes the world go round,he not only holds that job but he is the Boss,so dont be dicouraged your child with your support will be just fine. good luck and GodBless Marywoo
Tics - does Clonadine help? 
Re: Tics - does Clonadine help? 
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