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Methylphenidate 54mg

 Grant was switched to Methylphenidate in May and we have not seen to be as effective in calming the hyperactivity and craziness, so we upped the dose this week from 27 to 54.  As always, the pharmacy doesn't have his meds right now, so in the meantime, we're taking the meds he has and having him take two pills instead of one.   When we took him off the previous med, the NP said he might have problems because it was an anti-psych med.  He did.  The first day he was off of it, he had the biggest meltdown of his career.  Through the next few days, we worked out that when he starts to get amped up, it might help to pet the dog to calm him down.  That's a fine line because if he is too far gone, he won't want to cuddle and he might possibly be violent.  We're working it out, though. Since upping the Methylphenidate to 54, I think I've seen more improvement.  The school counselor seems to think that switching to a psychiatrist would be more p...

The Outbursts are back

I wrote about this in my other blog.  I forgot what this was like.  Today I feel heavy.  My morning did not go as planned and I feel like my relationship with my son has suffered.  He's 7.  He'll probably be back to his cuddly self later when I see him, but this morning was rough.  It began with a Party Pillow.  It's this freaking adorable thing my kids do where they pile all the blankets and pillows and stuffed animals on one of their beds and climb in and talk.  It was created by them, initiated by them and it's just beautiful.  Grant got up first this morning and went downstairs.  We called him up to the bathroom to take his pill and while he was up there, I had him go in his room to grab his clothes. He didn't want to, but went reluctantly.  Instead of grabbing his clothes, he started playing with Nora, who hadn't gotten out of bed yet.  They decided to have a Party Pillow and it had to include blankets from downstairs....

Atomoxatine Day 5

Through this week, I haven't seen another mood shift, but he's also been at school, so I haven't been able to watch him too closely.  His appetite has come back and he's eating again.  I haven't seen the huge binge eating like before, but he's eating breakfast and lunch again.  He does wake up in the morning and eat.  This morning he ate a bowl of leftover spagetti, a bowl of leftover mac and cheese, and two of my valentimnes day chocolates. He's in there right now at 10:00 a.m. eating a breakfast quesadilla with sausage, eggs, and cheese.   I might be in denial in regard to what he's eating. . . .  Mostly, it's like having the old Grant back with his bright and cheerful attitude and inability to focus. I can't send him into another room to get something without him getting distracted and taking ten times longer than he should have.  He's extra cuddly and sweet, and he's more likely to go on a destructive binge.  By that I mean he'll ...

Atomoxetine Day 2

 We have been on Vyvanse, D-Amphetamine ER (which I was assured is NOT Adderal), and now we're trying Atomoxetine.  This new one is a non-stimulant and I was told it may take 4-6 weeks to start working.  In the meantime, I thought it important to start journaling his reaction as it's becoming harder and harder to keep them all straight. Today he was his normal cheerful self until right before it was time to leave for school.  Then his whole demeanor changed and he was sullen and quiet.  I don't like this response, so I'm gonna watch and see if it doesn't lift after a while. He also complained that his stomach hurt and his muscles were weak.  Then he ate something and realized he was just hungry all along.  It makes sense to me that he would not recognize that feeling because his other meds have been taking away his hunger, so this might be a new sensation to him. Real quick, Vyvanse seemed to not do much and they kept wanting to up the dose from 20mg t...