Med Help

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I have written in a few times and you have all been so helpful. My

son is 9 1/2 years old... ADHD and OCD. He struggles with counting

rituals, doesn't like rubbing his arm because of dead skin cells, has

a fascination with bodily functions and get's a lot of bad thoughts!,

he doesn't like to get rid of anything, but if I do it without him

knowing, he could care less... unless he figures it out! I am sure

there is other stuff, but that's all I can remember at this time of

night! Oh... and he sometimes makes awkward noises in class... so of

course, he isn't very well liked at school.

He has been on Clomipramine x 75mg since August when we finally

realized that doing multiplication in your head all night isn't really

healthy!. I do not believe the meds are working for him very well at

all.... we see his psychiatrist on Friday, but I am wondering what

other meds you all have had success with. It's weird, because if you

didn't spend a lot of time with , you wouldn't necessarily know

something was going on... but, those who spend time with him can see

it clearly, he doesn't have a lot of the other outward OCD rituals

that a lot of people have. I am mildly OCD... I have been able to

control it on my own, but I used to check that damn oven 40 times

before I went to sleep at night. He doesn't do stuff like that.

So... input... PLEASE! I really need all of you to share your wisdom

with me.

Thanks so much,

Vicki

Elk Grove, CA

p.s. I found a OCD kids support group in our town that I am taking

him to this weekend.... I can't wait!!!! yeah

[Guest guest]

>> So... input... PLEASE! I really need all of you to share your wisdom with me.

I wish I had some pearls of wisdom but the only thing I have to offer is that

you're not alone! Fortunately Kate (who is also 9) is not as bad as your son

and does not have the ADHD contributing. She sometimes keeps herself awake

worrying about things but she usually doesn't share what is going on in that

head of hers. We have found out that she repeates tongue-twisters to herself .

.. . she is a nut for anything language. Has made up a whole language she calls

" Kate-ish " and tried to teach her friends Kate-ish Christmas Carols. Seems

weird to be but she's well-liked at school so who am I to judge?

What really struck me about your son, though, is the issue with getting rid of

things. Kate is just like him! Oh, my! This weekend she had a full-blown OCD

melt-down because she couldn't find a particular Beanie Baby. She has over a

hundred of these but wanted only that particular one and would not give up until

she found it -- and, in her distress, got my husband and I involved in the

search. She eventually found it in her bag of critters she'd taken on a road

trip . . . in July!!!! She hasn't seen the thing since July and suddenly she

absolutely had to have it and no substitute would do! But such is the nature of

OCD. Whatever is the object of her current obsession I suppose.

But it does make me apprehensive about getting rid of toys she's outgrown. She

has a box of plastic food that she never plays with anymore but if I hide it or

ask if we can get rid of it she has a fit. I have slowly been taking books from

her shelves and replacing them a few at a time with more appropriate material.

She's also let me sell a few things (baby toys, an outgrown bike) in exchange

for getting something more her size. But it's tough for these kids to let go of

things or thoughts!

Beth