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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Our Challenging Children (gifted, ADHD, sensitive, defiant)

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amother

OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:18 am

I am pretty much at a loss right now.
Dd since little was always very strong willed and had her opinions.
I am by nature more of a strict person and I don't give in so easily.
She was always bored easily. I had anxiety on her days off with her.
Always irritable and frustrated with her siblings.
Dd was always prone to tantrums which can last for hours.
Around a year ago her behavior was getting out of hand she was tantrumming on the street, bored through the roof, hyperactive.
She was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Guanfacine.
It helped calm her down but because she was having a hard time in school she was prescribed a stimulant as well.
We tried quite a few of them but we felt it increased her irritability. So we stopped them.
A few months ago she was acting very listless and not interested in socializing.
So under guidance of her psych we lowered her dose from 2 mg to 1.
It was a disaster. She went from manageable tantrumming to out of control attacks on the street. She was so out of sync it was scary.
We quickly put her back on the 2. She is more manageable now.
But she's extremely moody.
Mopes around the house.
No interest or appetite to eat. Only junk and snack.
Has very little interest in socializing
Doesn't like most people.
Moans and groans a whole day.
Has no excitement or interest in anything
Any fun family trip or outing she does not enjoy.
She acts in defiance of everything I say to her.
She is basically acting depressed.
I am trying to hug and kiss her throughout the day but I don't see it helping

I want to meet with her psych but I would love to hear any opinions on here.
Should I be treating her for depression?
Is the Guanfacine causing this depression?
Should I put her on a stimulant only?

amother

Whitewash

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:20 am

You need to try other medications. Doesn’t sound like a good fit for her.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:22 am

amother Whitewash wrote:

You need to try other medications. Doesn’t sound like a good fit for her.

I know.
But what medication?
For depression? A stimulant? A non stimulant?
I'm so afraid to take her off what's she's on now. It was scary to see her like that.

behappy2 ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:25 am

I think the most important thing is having a psychiatrist you trust who works with you. I just went through something similar. Took 4 psychiatrists to find one that worked for us. Feel free to pm me.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:27 am

behappy2 wrote:

I think the most important thing is having a psychiatrist you trust who works with you. I just went through something similar. Took 4 psychiatrists to find one that worked for us. Feel free to pm me.

I don't know who I trust.
I'm not experienced in these things.
How do I know who's trustworthy?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:28 am

I find psychs put the ball in your court.
And frankly I don't anything about mental health..

amother

Garnet ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:28 am

If you're interested in alternative treatments, there are options out there.

↑ behappy2

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:28 am

Someone takes your concerns seriously and you feel that they believe you and are working with you. They are flexible to try things. They have a plan for what can be done.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:36 am

behappy2 wrote:

Someone takes your concerns seriously and you feel that they believe you and are working with you. They are flexible to try things. They have a plan for what can be done.

I think the one we use checks those boxes.
But before I meet with her again I would love some insight...

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:36 am

amother Garnet wrote:

If you're interested in alternative treatments, there are options out there.

What would they be?

amother

↑ Garnet

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:38 am

amother OP wrote:

What would they be?

I'm literally afraid to spell them out here because there are a couple of posters who get very very offended and keep calling me out on this saying I make this forum less safe. So I'm not sure what to do.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:38 am

To me it seems that there's an energy that must come out. It fills up like a balloon and then bursts. But it must come it. And it usually does-in very scary tantrums.
I find tamping thus energy down doesn't work. It has to emerge.
Would OT help for this?

amother

Diamond

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:43 am

I know my DD took a very anxious DGC for OT & has a different child now. Def worth a try.

I'll risk the tomatoes by saying Omega 3 & ashwaganda are things to try. But best to worth w a trained person. Ask at ur local health food store.

amother

↑ OP

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 7:44 am

amother Diamond wrote:

What's DGC?

LovesHashem

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 8:44 am

amother OP wrote:

OT can Def be helpful. Is she in therapy? Seeing an ADHD coach? Did she have a full neurophsyc eval?

amother

Mayflower

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 9:23 am

Sod haadam can really help

amother

Alyssum

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 9:30 am

amother OP wrote:

What's DGC?

dear grand child, like dc, but for grandchild.

amother

Lemon

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 9:33 am

Try keeping a diary of what triggers the episodes, time of day, something she ate, being hungry, sensory input, attention seeking etc
I've often found that if you track closely, suddenly a piece of the puzzle falls into place.

Guanfacine is a depressant rather than a stimulant. She may need a different medication. See what the doctor recommends.
Adderall may be better for her overall as being a different family of meds.

Reading your post, my gut is screaming that you do a language assessment. I wonder if a lot of her frustration is due to a difficulty in expressing herself.

and one more thing - may I say that you need to work on embracing her? finding the good? loving her physically?

amother

Rainbow

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 10:41 am

First consider a clonidine patch.
Also consider some cbt style therapy and although she is clearly some flavor of neurodivergent, she can also be held accountable for her behavior

TwinsMommy ↓

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 6:47 pm

How old is she? 2 mg of guanfacine is doing THIS much to her? (helping her a lot more than 1 mg but causing depression). Wow. I'd suggest doing genesight to narrow down which classes of meds she can metabolize most appropriately and have the psych ADD to the 2 mg of guanfacine an anti-depressant before trying again to wean down on the guanf. Wait till the depression is getting a lot better--- might take a few diff meds. But again--- how old? Because if puberty is starting, there's your answer!

(twin 17 year olds here both on the meddy go round with autism and adhd---- one is a girl and she has issues but is so so so so dang happy and never needs an antidepressant, BH.)

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