ADHD diagnosed for 10 yr old girl who picks at skin on fingers

[Anonymous]

We’ve been trying lots of medications that were stimulant. Each time and increased dose meant more skin picking. It’s horrible. Now on Stratera and working to 40 mg. Skin picking is not as often but still there. Anybody else have this problem?

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[Anonymous]

my daughter turned into a different person on concerta. she had scary tantrums that left me afraid to tell her no incase it set her off, she would see things that werent there, she wasnt the sweet, helpful girl that she was before the pills, but i had people try to tell me it was her age and not the pills. it got worse the higher the dose was. shes been on strattera for almost 3 years now, shes up to 40mgs and the longer shes on them the more i see her personality coming back. my daughter is 11 now, she will be 12 in march.

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[Anonymous]

I’ve not experienced any side effects like that. When I initially started taking Concerta, my only side effect was a headachey feeling for the first 2 hours and then it would pass. That effect only lasted for about a week until my dose was raised a week later. Same thing- a headache for the first hour or so and then it would disappear. (You’d think I’d have enough sense to try taking a Tylenol or something but no, the thought never occurred to me)

My dose was raised a few more times after that but I never noticed any sideeffects after that. I guess I was all ‘adjusted’ to taking the Concerta.

Could the skin-picking be considered a type of tic? I know tics are sometimes exacerbated by stimulant meds but the skin-picking might also be OCD related. Who prescribes the meds? Is it a family physician or a psychiatrist? Hopefully, it’s a psych. because they would probably be the most knowledgable on what’s going on and how to deal with the issue.

Good luck with solving this one! (BTW, Concerta is a Godsend for me! No,, it didn’t solve all my issues but doing that part is up to ME and “yeah!! I just might be winning!”)

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[Anonymous]

@zsazsa: Thanks for sharing. We do think that the skin picking is anxiety/ocd related, and therefore is an issue that she would have outside of the ADHD. We’re carefully addressing it with her. Poor thing. The meds we’ve been trying for the past four months have all been stimulants (Metadate, Concerta, Adderal, Vyvanse). Stratera, I’ve been told is the non-stimulant drug prescribed to the 20% of ADHD diagnosed who don’t do well with stimulant meds. So far, she has been pretty happy with minor side-affects; headache, stomache right after taking the first increased dose.

My daughter has been really brave throughout all of this experimentation, but we had really negative side effects with every drug until now. Her meds are prescribed by an MD who is an expert on ADD & ADHD and I have great faith in him. I researched the skin picking and it is similar to the hair pulling (head; eyebrows, etc) activity. I am really hoping we won’t have to go to a “cocktail” of drugs, but just want to help her.

I’m so happy that the Concerta is working for you. I know that we’ll find that “one” drug too.

@ Jenee–we saw some of the same things you’re seeing when we tried Concerta. Worse than that was the Adderall. Hey—I’m so relieved to talk with another Mom going/went thru this. It’s tough.

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[TLCisaQT]

Our daughter went on medications and she was then experiencing anxiety type things -deathly afraid of bugs, even ants and little nats flying around. She then was doing picking at her skin. Once she went on the prozac and we got to a good dose, these subsided. She also used to pick at the end of her nose, causing it to bleed. She no longer does these. Also clonidine was added to take off some agitation, and to help sleep at night -she was a horrible sleeper, it’s a lot better now.

TLC

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