ADD, OCD,Hypersensitive Hearing, and Dyslexia in an 8 Yr. old - Dyslexia Message Board

SCDragon · 01-10-2003, 06:34 AM

This is my second Topic on the Board....I wasn't sure how else to deal with it except to start fresh. My 8 yr. old was diagnosed with OCD yest. The doctor put my 57lb. 8 yr. old on 25mg. of Zoloft....I am not sure how to feel about it yet but at this point I feel very uncomfortable about it. My son Jacob was diagnosed with ADD about 2 yrs. ago. He has been on Ritalin, Adderall XR, and is now on Concerta 18mg a day. He was diagnosed with Hypersensitive hearing approx. a yr. ago also. He has had it since birth, but we have dealt with that very well. We avoid loud situations and high pitches, and that works fine. He has sinus problems that he has been on Nasonex for since Summer time last yr. that is under control at this time. So to get to the OCD....For probaly 2 yrs. now Jacob has been sucking on his bottom lip. He does this without realizing and to the point that his face gets very chapped and raw to the point of it being very painful. The problem is that not only does it look terrible but he can't stop doing it. I try to watch him and keep telling him to stop it but when he is in school he does it all day long. I know that my child had problems with his nerves b/c he has a constint problem with ulcer in his mouth. I have discussed that with his ENT Dr. and he said that it was nerves. Jacob's teacher has also told me that he shakes all the time at school. So Jacob had a Dr. appt yest for a ADD follow-up when the Dr. walked in he saw Jacob's lips. he askd me was it cold sores and so I went into explaining the lip situation and he asked a few questions and left the room. He returned about 5 mins later and said asked me did I know that OCD is very common in children with ADD. I said yes that I have read that some children do but that I never thought that Jacob's nervous habit( that is what I called it) had anything to do with OCD. To my surprise it does and so the doctor perscribed 25mg of Zoloft to my 57lb child. I have never wanted Jacob to have to take any medication that will zone him out and I am afraid that this is what is goona happen with the Zoloft. Jacob also has Dyslexia so school is not his strong point at all and now I feel that it is going to be hopeless. How is he going to pay attention when he is in looney land?

Nicci57 · 01-13-2003, 07:26 PM

Hey I was just wondering if biting his lip was the only symptom the doctor used to diagnose him with OCD. While OCD can maybe cause that from all of the anxiety that is nothing to diagnose it by unless there are more symptoms than that. If you don't think that his OCD symptoms aren't interfering with his life then why put him on the extra medicine??

SCDragon · 03-12-2003, 06:38 AM

Sorry it has taken so long for a reply. I lost my Internet for awhile. But Anyway, No the lip biting wasn't the only thing that led him to the OCD diagnoses. Jacob also has problems with several other things. His shoes have to be tied tight at all times and if they are not to his liking he will re-tie them over and over. His apperance must be a certain way.He Picks at his skin, scabs, sores, cuts, bites. He can't leave them alone and let anything heal on it's own. He has had this one spot for 6 months or more and will not leave it alone(especially if they are on his face).
He also gets stuck on certain incidents. Such as things he sees on the news. He will talk about them endlessly for months. He is also stuck on thinking that something bad is gonna happen(tornadoes,fires, someone hurting him). This is some of the things that he does. He has been on Zoloft now for a few months and he has slacked down on some of the sucking on his lips and picking at his skin but not enough to suit us. I know that he can't be stopped doing certain things because he can't help it but as far as his face is concerned I wopuld like that to stop. It would be so nice for people not to ask why he does this and why that. Or to have his picture made without a big sore or chapped skin. He has been scheduled to go see a specialist in May. Hopefully we will find out someway to help him be more comfortable with himself.

roadmap · 03-12-2003, 06:59 AM

You might want to talk to your doctor about Strattera - a brand new medication for ADD/ADHD which also may have a positive impact on children with anxiety difficulties. Unlike stimulants, it is not suppose to increase tics, or anxiety related "nervous habits."

SCDragon · 03-13-2003, 02:01 PM

Thankyou for the reply. I have not read up on that drug yet but I am going to right now. (I research all the side effects and things like that before I agree to start him on anything new) I dropped his dosage of Concerta back down from 2 18mg pills a day to 1 18mg pill a day b/c of his loss of appetite. A few months ago he lost 10 pounds in one month. Which took him to 57lbs. and he hasn't gained any of that back and in fact has lost 2 more pounds this month. It isn't that he doesn't eat but he just doesn't eat regular size meals or on a regular schedule at all anymore. If anyone has any opinions on Stratta (I may have spelled it wrong) please let me know. Thankyou So much!!