OCD, ADHD and eyes that don't see straight - oh my

[Guest guest]

Zoloft for OCD and Concerta for ADHD (inattentive type) has been a good

combination for DD15 and DD17.  In my experience, if you medicate one, you may

need to medicate the other.

 

I'll give you some background on DD17.  Her case was/is quite difficult to

diagnose and maybe it will be helpful for some of you.  DD17 thinks her OCD and

ADHD balanced each other out through elementary school into middle school. 

Everything went downhill almost two years ago.   She started taking Zoloft for

GAD at almost 16 and discovered that it helped her undiagnosed OCD.  She no

longer disliked odd numbers, leaving her bed unmade and many other things.  We

thought the GAD was causing poor concentration and focus in school.  She had

plenty of reason for anxiety in 2010 - DD15's hospitalization for OCD, DH's

hospitalization for an infection and his later surgery, I lost my job...) That

wasn't the real issue.  This progressed into chronic daily headaches and some

really difficult times through her 16th year.  She could barley hold a

conversation with out forgetting what we were talking about a few minutes

earlier.  Somehow she only failed

two classes - this from a former honors student. The various therapists,

psychiatrist and neurologist said this seemed like ADHD but it wasn't because

she never had problems in elementary school.  Her eye doctor didn't find any

problem.  They thought she was depressed but she didn't feel depressed.  She

took amitryptiline for the headaches which gave her about a 50% improvement and

coincidentally helped her stomach problems.  Amitryptiline was one of the

original ADHD medicine but at that point no one thought ADHD was an issue.

 

Finally last fall, we went to a neuropsychologist who suggested we see a vision

specialist and maybe she does have ADHD.  DD17 has accomadative dysfunction.  

Her eyes don't focus well.  It's as though all day, she is looking through the

viewfinder of a camera and has to adjust the focus each time she looks up or

down.  When she said she couldn't focus in school, she meant she couldn't focus

her eyes but she didn't know what normal was and couldn't explain it.  This is a

hereditary developmental problem that she probably had for a long time and it

got worse in the 9th grade.  I suspect my husband and I have a recessive trait

for it.  A wonderful eye doctor finally figured everything out.  DD17 has

glasses with a bifocal and prism.  The headaches have slowly faded to barely

noticeable. her hearing is highly sensitive - she hears bat sonar.  A cousin

with similar issues can hear dog whistles.  Grades were very good last year but

she

still failed one math class.  The headaches made her fall asleep in class.  She

did make " commended " in all subjects of the standardized tests.  Somehow she is

able to produce some really impressive artwork.  Once the glasses did their

magic, the neurologist gave her a computerized ADHD test - she does had ADHD -

inattentive.  From what I've read, the vision and ADHD are very

intertwined. Concerta has helped the ADHD and this summer DD17 slowly stopped

abilify and amitriptiline.  She still continues to see vision improvement and

better control over the OCD and ADHD.  She designed her own ERP and does see a

therapist.  The vision could eventually correct itself with special exercises

and time.  She also takes Vayarin - it's a medical food with omega 3.  Sometimes

the OCD and ADHD cancel each other out and sometimes they do battle.   She sees

the OCD / ADHD as a blessing and a curse. I can always tell which disorder is

winning by the

state of her room - it's either extremely neat and organized or everything is

pulled out.  It took her 6 weeks to clean her room this summer after the end of

school ADHD explosion.  The OCD probably slowed her down.

 

DD17 is a wonderful, smart and talented person.  She has pulled through a dark

time and is optimistic about her future. She is looking forward to her senior

year and college.  Life does get better.

 

-Kathy

 

PS...Our border collie has OCD.  She really likes to stick to a schedule and

keep people in their proper places - probably a breed tendency.  She is very

concerned about keeping her front paws clean.  If you touch a paw, she must lick

her entire leg clean.  She will stop in the middle of playing to clean her

paws.  Her vet chart says " don't touch front paws " .  Hmm, are they just enabling

her?   

 

 

 

1.1

OCD and ADHD

      

Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:11 am (PDT) . Posted by:

" jimlayla2002 " jimlayla2002

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has had a good outcome in treating OCD and ADHD? My

son is 8 years old with OCD. He is taking 12grams of inositol which was

recommended by his Psychiatrist. He still has some OCD intrusive thoughts but I

would say is 90% better and is happy again. He also has ADHD. We have tried CBT

for this. We are now at a point where we want to try medication. His

Pediatrician is starting him on 5mg of Adderall XR for 2 weeks then increase to

10mg. I have read so many posts of how adderall can make his OCD thoughts

return. I was wondering if anyone has had good luck treating both? Please give

me some good news!!

Layla

[Guest guest]

Wow. Your daughter has been through alot. Very interesting about the vision and

how much it affected her. Good for her that she is doing so well now. I hope she

has a great senior year!!!

in WI

Roy-17. Anxiety/depression/OCD, ADD. Prozac, Busbar, Adderall XR.

>

> Zoloft for OCD and Concerta for ADHD (inattentive type) has been a good

combination for DD15 and DD17.  In my experience, if you medicate one, you may

need to medicate the other.

>  

> I'll give you some background on DD17.  Her case was/is quite difficult to

diagnose and maybe it will be helpful for some of you.  DD17 thinks her OCD and

ADHD balanced each other out through elementary school into middle school. 

Everything went downhill almost two years ago.   She started taking Zoloft for

GAD at almost 16 and discovered that it helped her undiagnosed OCD.  She no

longer disliked odd numbers, leaving her bed unmade and many other things.  We

thought the GAD was causing poor concentration and focus in school.  She had

plenty of reason for anxiety in 2010 - DD15's hospitalization for OCD, DH's

hospitalization for an infection and his later surgery, I lost my job...) That

wasn't the real issue.  This progressed into chronic daily headaches and some

really difficult times through her 16th year.  She could barley hold a

conversation with out forgetting what we were talking about a few minutes

earlier.  Somehow she only failed

> two classes - this from a former honors student. The various therapists,

psychiatrist and neurologist said this seemed like ADHD but it wasn't because

she never had problems in elementary school.  Her eye doctor didn't find any

problem.  They thought she was depressed but she didn't feel depressed.  She

took amitryptiline for the headaches which gave her about a 50% improvement and

coincidentally helped her stomach problems.  Amitryptiline was one of the

original ADHD medicine but at that point no one thought ADHD was an issue.

>  

> Finally last fall, we went to a neuropsychologist who suggested we see a

vision specialist and maybe she does have ADHD.  DD17 has accomadative

dysfunction.   Her eyes don't focus well.  It's as though all day, she is

looking through the viewfinder of a camera and has to adjust the focus each time

she looks up or down.  When she said she couldn't focus in school, she meant she

couldn't focus her eyes but she didn't know what normal was and couldn't explain

it.  This is a hereditary developmental problem that she probably had for a long

time and it got worse in the 9th grade.  I suspect my husband and I have a

recessive trait for it.  A wonderful eye doctor finally figured everything out. 

DD17 has glasses with a bifocal and prism.  The headaches have slowly faded to

barely noticeable. her hearing is highly sensitive - she hears bat sonar.  A

cousin with similar issues can hear dog whistles.  Grades were very good last

year but she

> still failed one math class.  The headaches made her fall asleep in class. 

She did make " commended " in all subjects of the standardized tests.  Somehow she

is able to produce some really impressive artwork.  Once the glasses did their

magic, the neurologist gave her a computerized ADHD test - she does had ADHD -

inattentive.  From what I've read, the vision and ADHD are very

intertwined. Concerta has helped the ADHD and this summer DD17 slowly stopped

abilify and amitriptiline.  She still continues to see vision improvement and

better control over the OCD and ADHD.  She designed her own ERP and does see a

therapist.  The vision could eventually correct itself with special exercises

and time.  She also takes Vayarin - it's a medical food with omega 3.  Sometimes

the OCD and ADHD cancel each other out and sometimes they do battle.   She sees

the OCD / ADHD as a blessing and a curse. I can always tell which disorder is

winning by the

> state of her room - it's either extremely neat and organized or everything is

pulled out.  It took her 6 weeks to clean her room this summer after the end of

school ADHD explosion.  The OCD probably slowed her down.

>  

> DD17 is a wonderful, smart and talented person.  She has pulled through a dark

time and is optimistic about her future. She is looking forward to her senior

year and college.  Life does get better.

>  

> -Kathy

>  

> PS...Our border collie has OCD.  She really likes to stick to a schedule and

keep people in their proper places - probably a breed tendency.  She is very

concerned about keeping her front paws clean.  If you touch a paw, she must lick

her entire leg clean.  She will stop in the middle of playing to clean her

paws.  Her vet chart says " don't touch front paws " .  Hmm, are they just enabling

her?   

>  

>  

>  

> 1.1

> OCD and ADHD

>       

> Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:11 am (PDT) . Posted by:

> " jimlayla2002 " jimlayla2002

> Hi,

>

> I was wondering if anyone has had a good outcome in treating OCD and ADHD? My

son is 8 years old with OCD. He is taking 12grams of inositol which was

recommended by his Psychiatrist. He still has some OCD intrusive thoughts but I

would say is 90% better and is happy again. He also has ADHD. We have tried CBT

for this. We are now at a point where we want to try medication. His

Pediatrician is starting him on 5mg of Adderall XR for 2 weeks then increase to

10mg. I have read so many posts of how adderall can make his OCD thoughts

return. I was wondering if anyone has had good luck treating both? Please give

me some good news!!

>

> Layla

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this Kathy! Never heard of accommodative dysfunction. I

think I might have this myself, going to check into it!

Warmly,

Barb

>

>She has accomadative dysfunction. Her eyes don't focus well.  It's as though

all day, she is looking through the viewfinder of a camera and has to adjust the

focus each time she looks up or down.  When she said she couldn't focus in

school, she meant she couldn't focus her eyes but she didn't know what normal

was and couldn't explain it.  This is a hereditary developmental problem that

she probably had for a long time and it got worse in the 9th grade.  I suspect

my husband and I have a recessive trait for it.  A wonderful eye doctor finally

figured everything out.  DD17 has glasses with a bifocal and prism.  The

headaches have slowly faded to barely noticeable. her hearing is highly

sensitive - she hears bat sonar.  A cousin with similar issues can hear dog

whistles.  Grades were very good last year but she

> still failed one math class.  The headaches made her fall asleep in class. 

She did make " commended " in all subjects of the standardized tests.  Somehow she

is able to produce some really impressive artwork.  Once the glasses did their

magic, the neurologist gave her a computerized ADHD test - she does had ADHD -

inattentive.  From what I've read, the vision and ADHD are very

intertwined. Concerta has helped the ADHD and this summer DD17 slowly stopped

abilify and amitriptiline.  She still continues to see vision improvement and

better control over the OCD and ADHD.  She designed her own ERP and does see a

therapist.  The vision could eventually correct itself with special exercises

and time.  She also takes Vayarin - it's a medical food with omega 3.  Sometimes

the OCD and ADHD cancel each other out and sometimes they do battle.   She sees

the OCD / ADHD as a blessing and a curse. I can always tell which disorder is

winning by the

> state of her room - it's either extremely neat and organized or everything is

pulled out.  It took her 6 weeks to clean her room this summer after the end of

school ADHD explosion.  The OCD probably slowed her down.

>  

> DD17 is a wonderful, smart and talented person.  She has pulled through a dark

time and is optimistic about her future. She is looking forward to her senior

year and college.  Life does get better.

>  

> -Kathy

>  

> PS...Our border collie has OCD.  She really likes to stick to a schedule and

keep people in their proper places - probably a breed tendency.  She is very

concerned about keeping her front paws clean.  If you touch a paw, she must lick

her entire leg clean.  She will stop in the middle of playing to clean her

paws.  Her vet chart says " don't touch front paws " .  Hmm, are they just enabling

her?   

>  

>  

>  

> 1.1

> OCD and ADHD

>       

> Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:11 am (PDT) . Posted by:

> " jimlayla2002 " jimlayla2002

> Hi,

>

> I was wondering if anyone has had a good outcome in treating OCD and ADHD? My

son is 8 years old with OCD. He is taking 12grams of inositol which was

recommended by his Psychiatrist. He still has some OCD intrusive thoughts but I

would say is 90% better and is happy again. He also has ADHD. We have tried CBT

for this. We are now at a point where we want to try medication. His

Pediatrician is starting him on 5mg of Adderall XR for 2 weeks then increase to

10mg. I have read so many posts of how adderall can make his OCD thoughts

return. I was wondering if anyone has had good luck treating both? Please give

me some good news!!

>

> Layla

>

>