Anxiety

[kendra]

Does anyone have a child that has ADHD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder? My son has been diagnosed with both and I don't know what to do with him. I'm open to any suggestions.

[Linda]

www.childanxiety.net/Generalized_Anxiety_Disorder.htm


I found this web site for you...I hope it helps.

[Anna]

My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety Disorder. The doctor put her on Strattera 40 mg because he said that that medication would help with both the ADHD and the anxiety. I have to tell you that it's been WONDERFUL!! Before the medication, Jenna would shy away from playing with other kids, HATED school and would just about cry when brought into a situation where she had to interact with other people. It was so bad that I didn't really encourage her to do much. But after starting the medication, she's a different child!!

Side note: Jenna doesn't really have the hyperness part of ADHD...

[milesofsmiles]

I was going to start a post on this and looks like you already beat me to the punch. Last week we managed to squeek in an appointment to a new child psychiatrist. Ok, now we have a pediatritian that specializes in adhd, a behavioral psychologist, and now the psychiatrist. It seems that each on has their own opinion of our son's diagnosis. It seems that while our son has traits of add like Anna describes, there is something more basic contributing to his behavioral problems.

The psychiatrist said it is classic anxiety. Did you know that it is heridity? I did not until she asked point blank, which one of you (the parents) did this come from? We just looked at each other. We could have thought of a dozen different ways to have phrased the quesiton. It was a shock, but I right away admitted that it had to be me. It turns out that you can go right up the family tree tracing the anxiety. She asked me if my nearest relatives drank excessively. Alcohol is often used to mask the traits of anxiety. I admitted that all of my aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents were/are heavy drinkers, except for me. She said that I must be crawling out of my skin at times and asked me how I coped. At times I exhibit the same behavioral releases that our son does, so we are not so far apart.

But she did explain that when anxiety is mixed with adhd, you might be able to help the anxiety but hurt the adhd and visa versa. She explained several treatment options for the anxiety and suggested that we try to get that under control first. It makes sense to me that all of the posts from before that we have been having bad mornings, and transitions could be the result of anxiety. He wakes up and is instantly overwhelmed by what is going or not going to happen during the day. He wakes up exhausted because he spends 10 plus hours having night mares about what happened during the day. Transitions are another sticking point. His release for anxiety is rage and anger toward those closest to him. He keeps it bottled up and it all comes out at the end of the day or at the beginning depending on when it is.

He started on risperdal and has taken two doses. After the second dose, he broke out in hives around his neck and back. After a couple of doses of Benidral, some ice packs, calls to the nurse advice line, he is resting nicely now. But I suspect that after I talk to the Dr. tomorrow, he will be pulled from that med. He had a decent day today and seemed more willing to change direction when requested to. Poor guy, he just cannot tollerate medications of any kind.

Well, just had to get that off my chest. Now I need to see what I can to about me. There may be hope for me after all.

Miles

[StrugglingAgain]

Miles, thanks so much for this info. I have the feeling that the problem with my ds's meds not working very well (ever!) is exactly what you say. I think he suffers from anxiety and no professional has come up with that yet. We are about to embark on a slew of tests once again and I hate it for him/us. I've half a notion to ask the child psychiatrist we're currently using to prescribe something for anxiety and just see what it may help. I hate playing doctor, but apparently it's common for we parents of ADHD+ children. This is more complicated because ds is adopted and we know very little of his bio family.

[milesofsmiles]

S/A that is exactly what happened to us!! We have told the same story to every Dr. that we have been in contact with. We have filled out the exact same family history for all of them too. Yet none of them put their finger on the bigger picture outside of the medicated zone of his day. I hope we are finally going to see some results.

Miles

[Linda]

Thanks for the info Miles....It really does make sense...and for the record I think you are a really nice person and of course there is hope

[hopeful]

We're in the same boat too. I suffer from plain ol depression, yet my mother, 1/2 brother and full brother all suffer from anxiety controled by meds. My husband is a recovering alchoholic, and his uncle, cousin and grandfather were all alchoholics. It took quite a long time to figure out it was just anxiety and not adhd too. When he is scared, he has had fits but by no means a rage. Our appointment this afternoon is when we discuss backing out some meds he's been on. Lexipro seems to help him, as had buspar, but the buspar isn't as effective as it once was.

Good luck. I know it's a long road but I know at some point we'll find the end.

[tchrmom]

I'm so glad to have come across your post. My son was diagnosed ADHD last year. After several trials of meds with various negative reactions, we found Desoxyn. It worked great for the last few months of the school year. He complained that his chest hurt but he had been complaining about this since 1st grade. I took him off the meds in the summer and things were fine.
When school started back, we started the meds again. His chest pains became more frequent. He had some over the summer but not many.

Since these chest pain complaints have been going on since the 1st grade (he is in the 3rd grade) I kept pushing with the doctors. They put him on an event monitor for a month. I just got the call from the dr the other day that they set us up with a cardiologist. Hopefully they won't find anything and the chest pains are anxiety based rather than a serious heart problem. I don't want him to have either but if I had to choose, I would take the anxiety.

Anyway, since starting back to school, he has been having what seems to be panic attacks at school. He has went to the nurse nearly every day complaining that his chest hurts and he can't breathe. Neither his teacher or the nurse feel he is making this up. When I called the specialist that we had been seeing for the adhd, he reduced the meds. I hope that we see a change. We have an appt with the ped. at the end of the month. We have anxiety in our family. I have anxiety disorder as well as my sister and her daughter.

What happens when your child has both?