- Why Isn’t My Son Responding To ADD Treatment?
QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADD 4 YEARS AGO . I’M WRITING YOU BECA– USE I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR WHO TO TALK TO. MY SON’S NAME IS JAMES, HE IS 9 YEARS OLD. HE IS THE SWEETEST AND KINDEST CHILD I HAVE EVER KNOWN. HIS TROUBLE IS THAT HE CAN NOT PAY ATTENTION AT SCHOOL . WE HAVE TRIED MANY DRUGS AND NOTHING SEEMS TO BE THE RIGHT ONE FOR HIM. WHEN I TRIED RITALIN HE BECAME DEPRESSED. WHEN I TRIED ADRENAL HE WAS MORE DEPRESSED. I’VE TAKEN HIM TO A PSYCHIATRIST AND HE PUT HIM ON PAXIL. THE PAXIL GAVE HIM SEVERE HEADACHES AND DID NOT HELP WITH THE ADD AT ALL. YOU SEE, HIS PROBLEM IS THAT HE IS NOT HYPER, AND ALL THE DRUGS ARE FOR HYPER ACTIVATE CHILDREN AS WELL AS ATTENTION DISORDER. AND BECA– USE OF THIS, IT HELPS HIM PAY ATTENTION BUT SLOWS HIM DOWN TOO MUCH AND DEPRESSES HIM. I FEEL SO HELPLESS, AND I FEEL LIKE I AM THE MOTHER AND I SHOULD KNOW HOW TO HELP HIM. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE OR HEAR OF ANYTHING NEW I CAN TRY FOR MY SON , PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
ANSWER:
He likely has multiple diagnoses, the most likely are ADD, generalized anxiety disorder and major depression. In my experience, when Ritalin makes a child more depressed, depression is an underlying diagnosis – and the child can then take Ritalin when the depression is treated. When SSRI antidepressants like Paxil are used and make the situation worse, it’s usually aggravating the generalized anxiety disorder. Paxil is not a food medication for treating the ADD. While I don’t know your son and haven’t reviewed all his diagnoses, based on what you wrote me, the combination of Paxil, or another SSRI, BuSpar and Ritalin should have a dramatic effect.
