Conference moira::parenting

    
    
    		ADDH???????

            Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity

    My husband's nephew has a similar problem, and is on Ritalin.  His
    craving for sugar was so bad that he used to loot the kitchen for
    cookies and candy when everyone else was asleep.  He had his "goodies"
    stashed everywhere in the house.  He was difficult to control.
    
    When he spent the summer with his grandparents, they cut out desserts.
    He was allowed to have fruit and such, but nothing with tons of sugar.
    They said he was a lot calmer without the sugar...
    
    FWIW....

Hate to be a broken record, but what does the Dr. who is treating the ADD 
say?  My uneducated guess would be that his energy level is so high that he 
needs the energy.  And another possibility is that when he was tested for the 
ADD, the Dr. was in fact seeing the results of "sugar shock".  And yet a 
third possibility is that a contributing factor is the lack of impulse 
control that is part and parcel of ADDH people; in other words, he WANTS to 
get off the sugar, but can't.

Clay

    I'm sure he's had a complete workup, but consider the possibility that
    his blood sugar may be out of whack.
    
    My friend's son is borderline ADHD, so she has removed all refined
    sugar from his diet.  It has made him a lot easier to handle.  What
    my friend learned was that it's not just the sugar, it's all the
    artificial flavors and colors that go into some foods that sent her son
    around the bend (hysterical tantrums over nothing, violent outbursts,
    etc.).  She has to be very careful about what she buys, reads labels,
    etc. -- probably has the equivalent of a degree in chemistry by now.
    
    The upside of all this is that she has lost about 15 lbs. since
    banishing all refined sugar from the house. :-) :-)  
    
    

    I am always amazed at the questions and answers dealing with 
    the physiology of kids entering their teens.  The original noter
    did not mention any behaviour problems, only a craving for
    sugar...until the very end when ADDH was offered as a diagnosis.
    
    ADDH is a peculiar diagnosis in and unto itself.  There are a lot
    of people/clinicians that differ on what it is and when someone
    has it.  Treatment is also different, since the physiology and
    the metobolic rates of those on treatment varies so differently
    during different stages of their lives.  What complicates
    this report is that sugar, in large quantities is being consumed.
    
    That may or may not have anything to do with ADDH.  In addition,
    as the previous noter mentioned, the associated contents in
    the foods high in sugar may be having an affect.  Also, given
    that the child may being going through puberty and a growth spurt,
    or exercising heavily because of sports, or whatever, there may
    be a "need" for some caloric increase and sugar seems to satisfy
    this quicker than anything else. (A small anecdote.  I do not eat
    sweets as a rule, however, twice in my life, I got involved in 
    some very strenous, sustained exercise that created a craving in
    me for chocolate, and milkshakes, etc. in large quantities....once
    when I hit adolecense and lived in a very warm and humind climate,
    and the second time when I went through basic training in North
    Carolina in August.  Both times, the first when things calmed down,
    and second, when the intense exercise slowed, I slowed and finally
    lost the craving.)
    
    I have a nephew that for 6 years; 2 before, 2 during and 2 after
    his 13th birthday reacted in a hyper manner to sugar and realted
    additives, artifical flavors, etc.  Reduction and elimination of
    these kept his cool.  He is now in college and can eat anything.
    He was never diagnosed of ADD and was not on any medication.  
    
    What is going on with this young person, seems to need some more
    watching and documentation.  This is hard, since he is a person
    and a child.  So much is going on that it will be tough, as a 
    parent to find the time to subtly change some portion of the diet
    and then "observe" behavior changes that may or may not be in
    response to the dietary change.  It will take both parents and
    some diligence.  I would not, however, lay all the craving on
    ADDH...if, in fact that is present.  Some of it could be for
    physiological reasons, physchological reasons, peer pressure,
    habit, body changes, growth spurts, excessive exercise, or whatever.
    You may have ruled all of those out, but each child is different.
    What one is super sensitive to, will have little or no affect on
    the brother or sister.
    
    My suggestion is to consider all ideas and observe and document
    for 30 days while discussing this with your pediatrician.  Also,
    remember not all pediatricians are trained in all aspects of
    child behaviour, eating disorders, sensitivities to food types,
    etc.  That has sure been the case with my three.
    
    Jim

    
    An aside:  I read in the Child Magazine that new studies are finding
    that sugar has a calming effect on people as opposed to hyper effect
    once thought.  I also spoke with a nutritionist briefly last week, she
    confirmed that the results of what ever the study name is, seems to be true.
    I'm going to see the nutritionist in a couple weeks because my son reacts
    very strongly to (what we thought was) sugar, caffeine, colorings and
    additives.  She suggested that the colorings, additives (and caffeine, 
    I believe) would probably have a more profound effect on him than the 
    sugar; we're going to look into it when we meet.  I'll know more then.  
    
    (I can't wait till truth in labelling begins, it will make our lives
    so much simpler!)
    
    NF
    
    

Thanks, everyone for your reply's.

In response;

Jeff was diagnosed with ADDH in 2nd grade, he is now in 8th. I have only
noticed this sugar problem in the last 6 months or so. Actually, he is less 
hyperactive now than he was in past years. Maybe puberty is slowing him down. 

As for blood work, I'm note sure what he has been checked for, but he is
due in April for his yearly physical and I will bring this to the pediatricians
attention.

What I'm going to do over the next few weeks is take a good look at what I've 
been buying. I'll eliminate all that I can as far as sugars and additives at 
home and see what results. I'll be sure and let you know.
    
Thanks again,

Kathy
    

    I don't buy into the ADHD associated with sugar thing. Count me as
    disagreeing very much!  AJ is 7 and is diagnosed with "borderline"
    ADHD, and in fact he has no craving for sugar, it's just the way 
    we've brought him up.  In fact we have done some unscientific 
    experiments, I had an Oreo cookie in one hand and a graham cracker in
    the other, we've done this several times in several different ways, and
    he will choose the snack with the least sugar.  
    
    Part of his morning routine is to go to the cellar, where we keep the
    non perishable foods and he is to choose a mornig school snack.  There
    are cookies, goldfish crackers, an assortment of other crackers,
    soft-granola bars, we also keep juice boxes and the "junk Juice" like
    the Ssips boxes someone gave me a couple years ago.
    
    He usually chooses goldfish cheese crackers, and an apple juice based
    juice box.  At home if given a choice of *anything* he will request
    either milk, water or what he calls "fuzzy water" which is seltzer with
    the small percentage of juice in it.  I literally have at this point,
    six  2-litre bottles of soda in the kitchen he ignores them.
    
    You may also consider if this child with ADHD is intaking any quantity
    of Nutra Sweet (Equal sweetner if the brand in the packets), this has
    triggered more than one ADHD child into extreme hyperactivity,
    including mine.
    
    In your case though, I wanted to relate that last December I took a
    thirteen year old friend of the family with us, to get him certified in
    CPR, he wanted to do this to compliment a Junior Fire department he
    belongs to.  I had put on a pot of coffee for all of us, and I looked
    over and watched this kid taking packet after packet of sugar and just
    emptying it into his mouth.  About the sixth packet I just sort of
    looked at him, and *quietly* said "I think that's about enough for
    now", but I got the feeling it wasn't an uncommon occurance with this
    teen.  He did join us in a coffee, with about three packets of sugar in
    a six ounce cup, plus a couple cups of sprite. Yuuch!
    
    Take this for what it's worth, since my son still eats dry toast,
    oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce init, and cherrios and most cereals
    with no sugar at all.  We also only buy natural juice only, or Smuckers
    low sugar preserves in the jam category, he doesn't complain.  He goes 
    to birthday parties and emphaticallly says "no thank you" to cake and
    ice cream.
    
    Lyn

    
    I have to disagree with the study about sugar causing a calming affect
    .... and anyone at a kids' b.day party with punch and cake and ice
    cream may agree (-:
    
    Seriously, on a more regular basis ... my kids' dad and I don't live
    together.  We buy similar foods though, with 1 major difference.  I am
    diabetic, so all the soda I buy is sugar free, and other normally
    really sweet things that they like (freeze pops, popsicles, hard candy
    etc), are sugarless.  This is not to suggest that they don't get sugar,
    they do, but they get substantially less than when their with their
    dad.  
    
    When the boys are with me, they are reasonably well under control. 
    When they're with their dad, they're REALLY wild.  It MAY be the
    difference of who's parenting, but I doubt it.  If I go to Dad's, or
    Dad comes to my place, the kids act the same - wild at his place, and
    much better at mine.  It doesn't matter what/how I speak to them at
    their dad's, they're just plain old wound up a few more notches.
    
    Dad has gone to the point of eliminating ALL caffeine from their diets,
    any time after supper time, to try to calm them, without much affect. 
    Dad drinks regular soda, and that's all the soda boys have to drink
    there.  SO, while they may get 7-up or caffeine-free pepsi at his
    house, they're still getting the sugar.  At my house, they get the
    caffeine - but NOT the sugar.  
    
    Since I've noticed this, I've also limited them to no more than 2
    pieces of candy/day.  And anything that's not sugarless counts.  1
    stick of regular gum is 1 piece of candy.  Not to say they eat their
    "allowance" every day, but in the past, once they start on the candy,
    they seem to go NUTS eating it until they're SO out of control I feel
    like tying them to a chair (-:  THIS has helped tremendously.  Not sure
    what limitations are placed on candy at Dad's - I think it's more of NO
    CANDY one day, and then GO AHEAD, another day, with limitation being
    placed on frequency more than quantity.
    
    Based on this little unscientific experiment, I STRONGLY believe that
    the real determining factor is the sugar.  The kids are with me half
    the time and Dad half the time.  There isn't any reason why they should
    be calmer with me - if anything I'd expect it to be opposite.  I don't
    believe it's the presence or absence or either parent, because their
    behaviour doesn't change when both parents are present.  
    
    As for additives, colorings etc, we're really talking about a normal
    soda, and it's sugar-free version - presumably most additives etc would
    be the same.  Or maybe sugar has NO affect, and it's that nutrasweet
    has a calming affect? 
    
    I guess the TRUE test is to take a set of twins, give 1 a pepsi and the
    other a diet pepsi, and watch what happens.
    
    Back to the original noter .... if he's not experiencing any other
    "problems" from eating all that sugar, what the heck - go with it, and
    just make sure he brushes his teeth.  
    
    I used to **CRAVE** quarter pounders w/ a large fry, and would devour
    that before dinner every night when I was a teen.  I can't finish that
    now if I had to.  I think it probably goes along with the "teens have
    weird eating habits".  Witnessed by a friend of mine who had his
    teenage nephew over for the summer, thought there must be something WRONG
    with the boy because he ate SO much, and was convinced of it the day he
    went home and even all the Spam was gone! ... just a growing boy!
    
    

    My pediatrician advises against feeding kids artificial sweeteners. 
    There just isn't enough known about their long-term effects.
    
    Adirondack makes a line of sodas that are sweetened with fructose and
    have no artificial color or flavor.  Just make sure the label does not
    say "sugar free" or "dietetic."  BTW, they are delicious.  My daughter
    drinks them happily, especially the peach flavor.
    
    If you're diabetic, you probably know this, but for everyone else:
    Fructose is a recommended sweetener (in controlled amounts) for
    diabetics because it has a longer assimilation curve than sucrose. A
    glass of Adirondack (or fruit juice) would have a similar effect to a
    serving of fruit having the same amount of fructose.  (Roughly a glass
    of apple juice = an apple.  Adirondack is probably close.)
    
    Laura

    Reply - to a few back.
    
    I still have to agree with the sugar having a calming effect. I'm
    not  sensitive to dyes, etc., but after having a candy bar, I generally 
    yawn for the next hour.  I never knew or understood why.  But this 
    study may explain my (what I thought was) odd reaction after having
    eaten candy.  
    
    I noticed that when I gave my son food loaded with artificial
    stuff - colors, additives, and preservatives he gets wound up (almost
    crazed!  Everything gets heightened, laughing, anger, energy spurts).
    Rest assured, that doesn't happen anymore!
    This food contains little sugar.  I'm talking about processed crackers,
    flavored crackers (don't want to use brand names) as an example. They have 
    processing and dyes galore in them. Read the labels.
    
    Kids at a birthday party are bonkers because they are loaded up with
    EVERYTHING!  Soda, ice cream, candy, cake.  These things contain
    dyes, flavorings,  caffeine and preservatives as well as sugar.
    
    
    Look beyond the sugar.
    
    NF
    

>    after having a candy bar, I generally 
>    yawn for the next hour.  I never knew or understood why.  But this 
>    study may explain my (what I thought was) odd reaction after having
>    eaten candy.  

I'm not familiar with the study or with you, but one possibility is "rebound 
effect".  You get a TEMPORARY surge of energy, but when that's past, your 
energy level drops even lower than it was before.  Some athletic 
nutritionists advise against candy bars and sugared drinks just before 
athletic events just for that reason.

Clay

    re:-1.
    
    Could very well be!