He hasn't grown an inch!!!

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Registered: 03-27-2003
He hasn't grown an inch!!!
7
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 5:22pm

Sam had his 8yo well visit today and he hasn't grown an inch since last year and has *lost* 2lbs......sigh.

He eats breakfast and dinner ok at home. Lunch is the hard one because of the stimulant meds. I try to get as much fat and protein in him as I can, but it's tough when he doesn't want to eat anything. I guess I'll just have to load him up with pediasure or protein powder with meals now to make sure the boy grows....

I'm trying not to freak out. His Ped. is slightly worried. She not so much worried about the weight, it's the complete lack of growth that gets her. She's familiar with Sam's Psych. MD - he works with her DH - and is going to fax him a copy of his chart for us to discuss at our next appt.

He's very strong and has always been long and lean but this really irks me....I'm definatly a "your-so-thin-eat-some-more" kinda mom.

chrystee

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Registered: 08-10-2006
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 9:23pm

Hi!
Do you give him the meds on the weekends? I know some of the Mom's on the ADHD board skip weekends to give their kids breaks so they will pig out on the weekends. I'm not sure if that would work for Sam, but just an idea. Also, what med is he on? We had Nick on Metadate CD (methylphenidate) and he actually had an appetite with it. We had him on Adderall XR at first and his appetite was awful. It was longer acting (almost 11 hours) and lunch and dinner were awful for him. I could barely get him to eat. He lost almost 3 pounds in a month. I wasnt happy with that at all. The Metadate is shorter acting, only about 7 hours, but it will get him through school hours and his appetite is much better. There is also Strattera which is non-stimulant, not sure if that will work for him, but that might help his appetite, but may not work for his symptoms.

We are on a break right now because we had to get his rages under control with the clonidine, but I'm sure when school starts we will be adding the Metadate back. I know he wont sit still!

Good luck to you! It is very frustrating.
Christine

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Christine

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Registered: 04-07-2003
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 9:46pm

Another suggestion. Look at the package so to speak of where your son came from. Are you and your husband tall or short? Genetics do play a role in height.
That being said Josh is 12 and has 8 year olds passing him in height and weight.
I am going to see where we are on Thursday. But he goes to the Developmental ped almost every 3 months to help monitor his height and weight.

I may try an endocrinologiast next.
But Josh has been on various stimulants over the course of 2 years. First Concerta, then Focalin then Stratters now back to Focalin.. And Josh will even admit it that he doesn't eat well on the meds. Straterra was not goo for drug holidays because of the way it works. But the Concerta and now the Focalin we did and do breaks on the weekends, holidays and vacations, unless we need josh to be well a little more focused. And Josh does tend to be more of an eating machine on those days. But he does get fixated on foods and gets into routines.

Also intead of Pediasure which is lower in calories than the adult counterpoints.Try Ensure and/or Boost which are higher in calories. Encoursge more in am etc..

Also i tend to have a lot of more high calorie type food availible for Josh to make esp when on his eating jags.. like the Instant Mac and Cheeses or the Oodleds o Noodles in a cup where he can make it himself. or if Your sone likes to dip.. offer up the Ranch dip..etc
Good Luck
Rina

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Registered: 06-13-2007
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 11:51pm
Hey! This same thing is one of the main reasons I pulled my ds off of his stimulant meds! He is a head shorter than everyone on his baseball team and in his class! The doctor says he is growing, but I don't see it...wouldn't he be growing out of his clothes at SOME point in time? Before being on the meds, he NEVER measured "short for his age". But now the WIC people are saying that he is! Then when I saw his class picture, that did it for me! Plus, it was affecting his appetite, sleep, etc. Best of luck and don't be afraid to be your child's voice! Speak up for his best interests no matter what and don't let doctors bully you! By the way, there is a medicine that is a non-stimulant called Strattera....look into it;) Might be a solution for ya! (My ds was on Focalin XR by the way.)
Jen
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 06-27-2007 - 8:19am

Thanks for the posts guys.

We don't take breaks from meds. Sam definately needs them for hyperactivity and focus, but more so for impulse control. He cannot control what comes out of his mouth or what his feet and hands do if he's not medicated. And people get hurt and he cannot control it. It's not rages (though those can happen) it's pure hitting, throwing, kicking, poking with out any thought of consequences....etc. He doesn't like it any better than we do.

As far as eating.......he eats well at breakfast, dinner and afterschool snacks. An example

Breakfast - 2 pieces of whole grain toast, butter, milk or oj. Sometimes a homemade muffin, or homemade pancakes. He won't eat eggs or breakfast meat - which I would love him to eat. Sometimes he then goes to school and has cereal - we have free lunch at our schools.

morning snack - at school it's usually a granola bar, tortilla chips, yogurt cup - something with protein and fat.

Lunch - pb and fluff sandwich (it's really the only thing I can pack that he will eat.) juice box, carrot sticks or fruit. I will let him buy lunch if it's something I know he will eat. I don't like to because school lunch is loaded with MSG and other things we don't eat at home, but I want him to eat. I think he's really only eating 1/4-1/2 of his sandwich though.

Afternoon snack - usually something more frivilous, ice cream, cookies and milk, pudding, often a yogurt smoothie, chips and salsa.

Dinner - he'll eat an entire chicken drumstick or pork chop and loves steak. He doesn't go for the starches all the time but will eat his veggies. If he didn't have a dessert type snack afterschool than he will have that now or will have yogurt and fruit.

I try to limit artificials as much as I can. I've become more lax about it as I need him to eat. We do only whole milk, whole milk yogurt, real butter, olive oil. He won't eat cheese unless it's in tacos or occasionally sliced and most other dairy products (like sour cream, dips, cream cheese..etc.) he will not eat. I've started buying some chocolate soy milk and he likes that. It's all natural and no corn syrup...yeah! and has lots of healthy fat. We stay away from corn syrup too and I'm starting to think I may have to let him have more since that stuff turns straight into fat and he really could use some fat on those bones! That's a hard one for me because I really abhor corn syrup and all it stands for!LOL

He grew great when he was on the Specific Carb. Diet.....and that was a grain free, sugar free diet. He ate mostly meat, nuts, hidden eggs, fruit, veggies, cheddar cheese and homemade yogurt. Sigh.......he'd never do that now.

He's very strong with a nice six pack going but oy! those matchstick legs!

I was a very thin kid as was DH who had a 30" waist when we met.....not any more though ;) But to not grow at all in a year is a little much, I think. He' s always been one of the taller kids in class and now he's low average.

Chrystee

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Avatar for betz67
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-27-2007 - 8:27am

Our oldest is on Strattera. His Dx is ADD. At 15 he's voicing his opinion that he doesn't want to take it though. Strattera does work well for him, however it comes w/ an upset stomach, nausea side effect that hits him hard about 1-3 hours after he takes it (just in time for science class last year). Taking it with a large spoonful of peanut butter made it better but DS really doesn't love peanutbutter, and crackers and other things he likes didn't last long enough or something to keep him from having dry heaves or serious nausea. We don't see an improvement in focus w/ Strattera until he's been on it for about 2 weeks. It's a med that builds up to the right levels. This build up is hard on the liver though so if your child is on it regularly he/she needs to have blood tests every 6 months to check for liver functions. We give DS a vacation from it in the summer time, but man, he becomes distant and disjointed then! Strattera did change his eating habits too. He eats a big breakfast and then due to the nausea often doesn't eat much at lunch time, then he'll eat a huge snack after school and a normal supper. It doesn't affect growth tho, He's 6'4" (Dh and I are both tall) which is in the and still growing, but he's always been VERY thin and places him in the 2nd%. So, Strattera, though not being a stimulant does come w/ it's own appetite problems.

Betsy

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Wed, 06-27-2007 - 10:23am

Chrystee,


I am chiming in late here, sorry, You have received some excellent BTDT advice.


I know this must be a worry for you. Peter was borderline clinically underweight at one point and it was a HUGE worry to me. That was back when he was in his "eat nothing except pizza, drink nothing unless it was blue" phase,

-Paula

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Registered: 05-02-2003
Wed, 06-27-2007 - 12:44pm

I feel for you. DS, Everett, same thing happened with him when he was younger. I was flippen out and the Dr. was slightly concerned but not concerned enough. Try protein powder shakes, Everett loves them. It is one way I could get fruits into him because he has sensory issues with the textures of fruit. He is 13 and he won't touch an whole apple with a ten foot pole but will he eat applesauce and cut up apple with peanut butter.
Sounds like you are doing the right thing food wise.

Everett doesn't take medication anymore, hasn't for two years, and is doing well. Since then he has grown by leaps and bounds. Last year at this time he wore Boys 12 clothes and today he wears Boys 16 or Men's small depending on the cut. He is still super thin but so was his dad and my sister is a size 0/1, so there is family genetics playing into him being thin.

You have a much better eater than I have.