Submitted by lattime on 08/28/2012.
Is it possible to be Primarily Inattentive as a child and be Hyper as an adult? That seems to be my story plus anxiety.
Any thoughts??
Is it possible to be Primarily Inattentive as a child and be Hyper as an adult? That seems to be my story plus anxiety.
Any thoughts??
Jimminey!
Submitted by bespoken on
I haven't heard of a PI child turning into a hyper adult; in fact, it seems to go in exactly the opposite direction. There's probably something else going that's making you hyper. Get yourself checked out.
Changes in Hyperactivity due to Food Sensitivities
Submitted by ADHDMomof2 on
I became increasingly EXTREMELY hyper and anxious due to an undiagnosed gluten sensitivity. A month after I stopped eating gluten, a lot of my hyperactivity went away. Gluten affects all body systems, but primarily brain matter. You might have this food sensitivity, or perhaps one to eggs, milk, corn, soy, citrus, nuts or fish. The only way top find out is with an elimination diet. See a nutritionist knowledgeable in ADHD as well. I am ADHD combined type, but as a woman, not as hyper as a man. I had A LOT more motor-restlessness due to the effects of gluten. Check out Additude magazine's articles on Food Fixes and sensitivities to food. A sensitivity is not the same as a food allergy, and you can go on for years without knowing. Unfortunately, there are no recognized definitive tests for this (unlike, say, Celiac, in which an endoscopy would reveal intestinal damage), which is why I am almost two months into an elimination diet for various things. One bit of extremely helpful online advice from experts was to start with the category of foods you like the most, because that is probably (sadly) your sensitivity. At least with gluten and casein (I don't know about the rest, because I haven't researched them), several websites said that these foods are unable to be fully digested in sensitive individuals, and produce a chemical byproduct, with a mild opiate effect. This made sense to me, although a normal weight individual, I REALLY love bread, grains, and the like. Two days after I stopped eating grains, I had the worst headache of my life (though I am lucky NOT to have migraines), and I felt very confused and disoriented. I turned on my stove to boil water and was so "out of it," I was thinking I might burn the house down, even though I was so paranoid, I didn't even leave the stove for fear I would forget. I attributed this to the fact I had (impulsively) stopped on my own and was not consuming any complex carbohydrates, which are necessary for brain function (non-gluten grains or beans can be a substitute). Now in doing some additional online reading, it appears that my reaction to gluten-withdrawal was a typical effect of a sensitive individual. It wasn't enough to stop me or make me cheat, though. I just was miserable for a few days. Small price to pay.
Again, I would highly recommend working with a KNOWLEDGEABLE nutritionist who understands food sensitivities, the idea of a "leaky gut," and ADHD extremely well. I was lucky enough that a friend of a friend is my new nutritionist, and I trust my friend implicitly that she referred me to someone who knows their s***.
Good luck!
ADHDMomof2
P.S. My anxiety was through the roof until about a month after I stopped eating gluten. It can seriously raise cortisol (stress hormone). Do you have allergies, eczema, or any type of allergic dermatitis? These are also risk factors/symptoms of food sensitivities...
Food sensitivity...Hey
Submitted by funnyfarm on
Food sensitivity...Hey ADHDmom, do you have any good books, articles on Gluten and ADHD ? The more I think about all you have said and how not eating gluten has helped you, I would bet my son has a sensitivty also...he has actual food allergies, nuts, citrus, and food sensitivty - red dye in foods will make him very angry and hyper in minutes from ingesting, then i recall him as a baby, oh he was SO colicky i never thought we were both going to make it those first few months, he had reflux so bad i was amazed he actually kept enough food down to grow. I used to get the ADDitude magazine but no longer subscribe, I have found some small articles online, but I want to find something more 'convincing'...not that I doubt the effect on foods and behaviors. Maybe if other memebers of my house can read the 'evidence' they may be more willing to give it a try.
Info about Food Sensitivity
Submitted by ADHDMomof2 on
It's been really challenging to find articles from reputable sources. Some sources sound like they were written by crazy people (ADHD doesn't exist!!!) Two of the best have been featured writers in ADDitude magazine. Both advocate medication as necessary (Dr. Newmark less so, but I believe his success with patients is real), but both maintain that patients are better served when leaky gut and food sensitivities are addressed as well. drnewmark.com and corepsych.com are the websites. I haven't read their books, but plan to get The New ADHD Medication Rules tomorrow when it comes out. It is supposed to address food sensitivities as well. I also want to purchase The Autism and ADHD Diet, written by a mom of an autistic child. She's one of those moms who became an expert by virtue of experience with her child researching on her own. Her blog is pretty convincing. It's called puttingyourkidsfirst.com.
ADHDMomof2
P.S. I hope the links work. This is the first time I have created one :)!
Thanks, and yes the links
Submitted by funnyfarm on
Thanks, and yes the links worked...although one was for a dentist not sure if that was right or not. I read the blog regarding the autistic child...I have to give this a try, knowing how sensitive he is to other foods this may have something to do with his behavior. He is just shy I think of officially being diagnosed as having aspergers...he has many of the traits, but then there are times where he seems perfectly 'normal'..I wonder if food is playing a role... again thanks so much for sharing, i had heard this before but never gave it any credit until you started sharing how much it has helped you.
What the heck! I'm such a
Submitted by ADHDMomof2 on
What the heck! I'm such a goof. Will check on that link later. Trying to crack open a coconut at the moment. Maybe putting up the correct link is too evolved for me, although cracking open a coconut isn't going so great, either ;).
The Cavewoman ;)