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I have noticed MAJOR mood swings in my daughter (5) when she's on Concerta and after ruling many things out, have discovered that when she eats ANYTHING with sugar, she gets super hyper then crashes into this tired, whining, temper tantrum. I am sooo tired of having to deal with this - it's so embarrassing to have it happen out in public, nobody understands and looks at her like she's a spoiled brat but it's just the sugar! Has anyone else noticed this happen to them or their children? The doctor isn't very helpful, and it's so hard to deny a 5 year old sugar, although she is very good about it. Is there any way to stop this from happening? HELP! ↓
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| Name: jamberrt | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 12:08 AM |
My daughter (12.5 yearsold) doesn't like sweets...ice cream / candy...etc. She loves pop and I notice huge mood swings. I'm a huge advocate of water drinking and it's a fight but she has to drink a glass of water if she wants pop and she has to drink 2x as much water... She's also a huge carb-addict which turns to sugar right...so I have to push veggies although I'm grateful she loves salad.
Long story...she does get obstinate, argumentative and just does not quit when she's not getting her way. It's exhausting!!!
We have bulk food stores in Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada) with sugarless candies / gummies...have you tried that? ↑ |
| Name: momOFthree | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 3:18 AM |
| Hi! Wow, another parent to talk to in Winnipeg, thanks for your response! I feel so alone here, no one to talk to about this. My daughter is suprisingly cooperative about the no sugar rule. Tonight I gave her some dessert after her Concerta wore off and she was fine. Wierd. Which bulk food stores? I know of one off Regent where I live. Is aspartame okay for kids? I heard it was dangerous. I usually give her pretzels or chips for a special snack, which isn't great, but it doesn't have sugar. She mostly eats vegetables and fruit for snacks, which she is fine with. I have never allowed her to have pop or sugar drinks, but that may change once she gets older. I've been in tears many times this week - she had a major meltdown at swimming in front of other moms and I felt so embarrassed and alone, like they didn't understand what I was going through. We have to be so strict with her because if we let one thing go, she expects it all the time. ↑ |
| Name: taybry | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 5:38 AM |
| I have noticed a difference with sweets and meltdowns with my daughter , I really have to watch what she eats , that is if I can get her to eat at all. I'm considering taking her off concerta and trying the patch or strattera. Also as I sit here typing its after 10:30 pm and she still isn't able to fall asleep its like am every night thing, I have tried music, brushing her hair, fans etc. She is so exhausted in the morning, I feel so bad making her get up for school. Do you have that problem ↑ |
| Name: momOFthree | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 2:21 PM |
| I have put my daughter on a strict schedule for the day, and she really responds well to it. I give her Concerta early in the morning, and right after we eat breakfast before it kicks in. I have stopped giving her sugary sweet cereals and switched to bagels and cream cheese, or toast and eggs and what a difference! No more temper tantrums AT ALL in the mornings to get ready! She doesn't eat hardly at all during the day, especcially at school, but snacks a lot on vegetables and crackers and cheese, and has a big snack before bed. To answer your question about sleep, it seems that she is so energetic all day that she falls exhausted to sleep at 7pm but unfortunately wakes up quite early, anywhere from 5-6:30am. Since I have removed sugar from her diet she hasn't seemed so tired during the day. I just read an article on the internet that kids with ADHD can't metabolize sugar very well. I guess my doctor didn't know that when I went to see him! He just suggested switching or upping her medication. Geez... ↑ |
| Name: momOFthree | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 2:22 PM |
| By the way, I'm not that familiar with the whole "carbs" thing - which carb foods turn to sugar? ↑ |
| Name: taybry | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 3:09 PM |
| Well , from the information I've gotten white flour , starchy foods such as most potatoes except maybe red and yukon gold which are fairly low in starch and bagel, processed foods, pastas. They are all quickly turned into sugar , so when I get bagels , I get whole grain or anything its always whole grain. I have also tried the sugar free nutrition bars from the health food stores , she nibbles on that in the morning and if I can get a half of a banana down as well its a good day. Its the lack of sleep that just kills her. How early do you give her meds , we were both awake until after midnight , she just can't sleep, I think its the concerta. ↑ |
| Name: momOFthree | Date: Oct 19th, 2006 5:24 PM |
She wakes up around 6-6:30, sometimes earlier, and when I wake up (around 7am) I give it to her then. She goes to bed around 7pm then and we haven't had any problems. I feel so bad because she can't swallow a pill on her own, so I have to wash off the coating and put in on a spoon with some water and put it down her throat. We say 1, open your mouth; 2, stick out your tongue; and 3, tilt your head back. She's such a trooper, she sometimes even gags, but she is so proud, she never once complains, just gives me a "thumbs up".
I never realized that about the carbs. Maybe they take slower to be digested, so it's not such a sudden sugar boost like straight sugar products.
Concerta probably affects kids differently. I never have a problem getting her to sleep however she does wake up early. But, she's always been a very good sleeper. Even if she has a nap, she goes to sleep around 8pm.
What time do you give it to your daughter and what time does she wake up? Does she nap? ↑ |
| Name: taybry | Date: Oct 20th, 2006 4:27 AM |
| She normally wakes up about 6 , but thats making her get up , getting her to take her pill isn't hard, I get a spoonful of natural applesauce and hide it and she swallows it or even pudding, whatever she likes, you should try that, its much easier than washing off the coating, my daughter doesn't like that either. I give it too her within 10 minutes of waking up , no she is not a napper, she's 9 if she did she would never go to sleep at all. ↑ |
| Name: jamberrt | Date: Oct 21st, 2006 3:06 AM |
momOFthree...I live in St. Vital area and there's a new bulk food store on St. Anne's south of Biship Grandin...I can't remember the name but apparently they have sugarless candy.
My daughter is a lousy sleeper - she lived with her birthdad until she was 4 and then moved 7 times in 2.5 years!!! Horrible horrible experience. She's also on risperdone and the doc just upped it a bit and in 2 days I notice she settles more quickly. She takes it at least an hour before bed. I also try to cut out tv earlier...we just moved so I was using it as a sitter so I could unpack and settle. That was a real problem. Both my kids got rangy (my mom calls it). This has been a better week. ↑ |
| Name: jamberrt | Date: Oct 22nd, 2006 4:05 AM |
| So I went and bought some treats today...I should tell you it's "No Sugar Added"....while I was there I ran into friends who's grown child was allergic to food coloring - red in particular - and sugar didn't matter. I let my little one have a yellow sucker on the way home and he screamed for over an hour for more...? Sugar / food coloring?? ↑ |
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