Is the diet working?
The last few days have been really tough. I guess the last few weeks actually. Levi’s behavior is crazy! Since Monday, the school has called me 3 different times. His actions have sometimes become violent and totally uncontrollable. Maybe we are trying too many things at once. Here’s a recap.
- Daytrana patch, one patch per day starting at 7am and coming off no later than 3pm. The first 4-5 days we saw improvement in his hyperactive behavior, but he lost his appetite. By Day 7 he was having “spacey” moments, some crying for no reason & loss of appetite. By Day 9, which was the last day we used it, he was totally lethargic and non-responsive.
- We began implementing the GFCF diet. The first week & a half, we started phasing out the gluten. The next week & a half, we took casein out. He has been on the diet fully for about 2 weeks with only one “free” day.
- We met with his pediatrician to discuss the results of Daytrana, and to inform him that we had implemented the GFCF diet. We were told that there is not much research to support the diet. He did not tell us not to do it, but we didn’t get much support about it.
- The pediatrician recommended we try putting Levi on Adderall. Since beginning this medicine Levi has had bad tummy aches and awful mood swings with very violent episodes. Now he has become defiant with his teachers and has been very disrespectful. He took the last Adderall Sunday (5 days ago).
So, what is working and what isn’t? It doesn’t seem like anything is working! It seems like his behavior is worse than ever.
I really want to continue with the GFCF diet and give it a chance to prove itself. I found this informative website and even chatted live with an experienced parent who assured me that this “worse” behavior is proof that the diet is working. Whew! Just another view to confuse my already befuddled mind. She told me to hang with it for a couple more weeks. By the time Levi heads back to school after Christmas break we should be able to see dramatic positive changes. We shall see!
No more patch!
That’s it. We’re done. Day 9 and we’re done.
I picked up Levi from school today, and stared at my worst nightmare. His head was down on the table. He did not even acknowledge my presence. His teacher said he was moody and dragging pretty much the entire day. He sorta swirled his lunch around, but didn’t eat a bite. He did his work but was not very enthused about anything. When I tried to get him to hug me, he was not responsive. I ended up kissing the top of his head. My heart was breaking.
We walked out to the van and I tried to talk with him. He wouldn’t even look me in the eye. It was like we were back to day one. No, worse than day one. A backwards slide into autism. No way! I am not doing this one more day or even one more minute. I took the last patch off right then and there. I called Tommy crying. We both know that this has been a huge mistake.
So there, it’s done.
Thank God He gave us a perfect, bouncing, HAPPY boy!!
Update on the Patch
I don’t like it.
Today is Day 7 on the patch.
The first 4 days, you could see a little difference. He seemed to be a little less “pingy”. He still played lots and wrestled with his sis and jumped on the couch. He also seemed to have a little less apetite, until food was put in front of him, then he ate like normal.
On Day 5, Sunday, he didn’t want to be away from his Dad. This isn’t so strange in and of itself, but he just wanted to sit. STILL. In his Dad’s lap. He didn’t even want to go to children’s church. He was listening to the sermon, that’s about the only good thing I can see. When it was time to go, he started crying a little, and I was afraid of him having mood swings that sometimes can occur with the patch. I asked him if he felt sad, but he said no. He was just not my Levi.
Yesterday, when I picked him up from school, he was just sitting at the table waiting. Again still. A little spacy. I talked with his teacher, and she said that he had a couple of spacy moments. Lasting less than 5 minutes a piece. She said that the rest of the day, he played with the boys, just like the boys, only a little less like Levi. She said that he did well with his work, etc. I got a little teary eyed and I told her….I don’t like it. Not the spacy, sitting still Levi. She told me that she wanted to make sure that I understood that she is perfectly fine with Levi OFF the patch. She is really a wonderful teacher. I didn’t tell her anything. I really couldn’t talk, or I would have broke down right there in the cafeteria and wept.
I tried to perk Levi up a little and offered a trip to the park. He wanted to go, but he wasn’t “excited” about it. Not like he normally is. Usually, he would have jumped up and down and chanted “The park!! the park!!”. By the time we got to the park, it had turned cloudy and very windy and cold. He did play. Just not like normal. He wanted some other kids to come. I tried to chase him, play with him and sis. After a few minutes, he was cold and told me we could leave in 5 minutes.
As soon as we got home I pulled off the patch. By the time his Dad got home, he was acting a little more like himself.
I am keeping notes. I am very close to just not using the patch anymore. I’ll give it one more week and then decide, as long as there are no drastic mood swings or appetite loss.
Tommy & I have definitely decided to homeschool next year. I will reasearch more natural methods of controlling ADHD. I will be able to give him the one-on-one that he needs. I am really excited about it!
His Work in Progress 