My nephew has ADHD and was taking a stimulant medication to decrease the symptoms. He began to develop tics and twitches, which the doctor said would subside. After a few more weeks, the tics remained and he began having 'staring spells'- the doctor, still not concerned, had him continue the medication and now his eyes are rolling around, but he is unaware it is happening.
Has anyone encountered something similar? I CNS damage common with these meds or others taken by children with special needs (ADHD to Epilepsy and everyone in-between).
Thanks for your help.
Amber
Hi Amber
It really bothers me to read stories like this and these doctors who continue to push medications when there are obvious problems developing should be ashamed.
It sounds like there is no consideration being placed on what the mom is reporting and these sound like serious problems. I cannot stress enough that there are treatments available for kids with ADD and ADHD. The treatment is neurotherapy and the problem is in the brain and CAN be fixed. Medications are a mask and can make things worse.
Any parent reading this must listen to my podcast with Dr. Swingle where I talk about treatments for ADHD - how it works and why it works. Parents need to stand up and pay attention and it is great that we have an opportunity to connect with each other and help each other find treatments that work.
Warmly,
Arlene Martell (Mom of Adam above)
Publisher, EpilepsyMoms.com
Supplements Causing Seizures
Vitamins and Supplements
Just a quick note: When looking for vitamins and supplements I had to look long and hard for gluetn/casein free ones. Add on a host of other allergies and I had to find hypoallergenic ones. Then toss in there that the amount we use is considered a 'mega-dose' (of only a few nutrients), so I need certain doses per pill.
I ended up using a well known laboratory (Kirkman) that has experience with the autism population that dates back to the 70's. Read the ingredients - that should be my mantra! Amber Kane
About Supplements
There is one bad thing about Kirkman. I use to use those supplements. Unfortunately, a lot of these are synthetic. I have found that almost all supplements cause problems for my son. If he sticks to his diet he doesn't have problems. Even probiotics cause tics. It is very strange and I don't really understand why. Maybe the supplements interact with the flora in the intestine to change how the body breaks down food and/or absorbs nutrients.
I agree about reading labels - all the time. Sometimes, even the smallest amount of an ingredient can cause severe reactions. This is why I believe in putting a child on a rotation diet void of supplements--in the beginning, in order to get a stabilized, baseline behavior.
Eventually, you can add more foods and supplements, while weeding out problematic foods.
Jessica Clark