hi,
im new here but i desperatly need some help. i have 4 children who are 2, 3, 9 and 10. my 9 year old was diagnosed with adhd almost 3 years ago and was put on medication which worked for a while but she started to get habit spasms which have steadily got worse. a month ago she started making vocal tics as well so we took her off her medication. but sinse then her behaviour has gone right down hill, she has been stealing non stop almost as if she doesnt even realise she is doing it. you ask her to do the smallest thing and she flys off the handle. i asked her to pick up her socks and she threw a chair at me. she has screaming fits if anyone looks at her, swears constantly. she doesnt have any frineds at school and if any of the children try to be nice to her she is just rude to them.
it is almost as if she isnt trying to behave she thinks someone else out there will make her behave. she gets really angry if you tell her off she never thinks her behaviour is wrong.
i am worried abou the effect she is having on my other children. yesterday she was trying to break down her bedroom door so i had to take the smaller children downstarirs so they didnt get hurt. she has gone after them before to attack them but i have managed to stand in the way and stop her. she is only 9 at the moment we worry about when she gets older.
no one really understands what we are going through cos she is like jeckle and hyde one minuite she can be lovely and the next something just snaps in her.
please help!!!!!!

Guanfacine (tenex) can work for many ADHD symptoms and can help with tics unmasked by stimulants. It works on impulsivity, defiance, hyperactivity, but not so much for focus. This med is currently used off-label but Shire is waiting for FDA approval for a long acting form specifically for ADHD; and they are currently in trials for ADHD plus ODD.

http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/drug/acf2fd1.cfm&pub_id=8&article_id=113

http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/topic/detail/drug/hw164961/detail.htm

http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/topic/detail/drug/hw164961/detail.htm

You might also see about a re-evaluation for suspected mood disorders.

My youngest was like this and the tenex worked wonders. We have since added risperdal for anxiety and aggression.

Hi lilonemum,

Does your daughter see a therapist? Have you talked with the doctor who prescribes the ADHD medications about her behavior? When she behaves poorly, how do you handle it? What are the consequences for her? How well do the two of you get along? This does not sound like simply ADHD - this sounds like behavioral problems. Medication is great, but sometimes there is something causing these behaviors that can be addressed, rather than simply giving meds to suppress the behavior. I suggest that if she has not been seeing the doctor or a therapist about this - that you take her there first, and see what they reccommend.

I wish you luck,

At Heart