The Controversy between Red Dye#40 and ADHD

Another issue floating around regarding ADHD has to do with the addition of Red Dye #40 into many of the food choices available for children.

The FDA recently concluded a study of children with ADHD trying to find a possible link between food dye and hyperactive behavior. The government sponsored advisory panel reached the conclusion that there is no direct link between food dyes and increased hyperactive behavior. However, it has been noted that many of the studies that were used to come to this conclusion were inherently flawed because the tests were either skewed due to the formula used or the quantity of dye in each test. Because there were no set levels or single dyes used in any of the tests, the panel was unable to come to a decision. (See Full Report HERE)

It should be noted, though, that the European Union decided to ban specific dyes from food imported from the United States or produced in the Union in 2007 and required products that included other food dyes to place a warning label in plain sight of the consumer.

So, what does that mean to us parents of kids with ADHD? Can we determine that hyperactivity is either exacerbated by food dye or that it can even cause ADHD symptoms in kids who don't have clinically diagnosed ADHD? Scientifically speaking- no, we can't determine that there is a direct and sure link between food dye and ADHD.

However, as a parent to a child who would become extremely violent within 20 minutes of eating something with Red Dye #40, I can tell you that I found a connection, one that was very disturbing and frightening to witness. Now, my child can be extremely hyperactive, I admit that in every way but he has never been violent towards me or intended to hurt me. I have never seen his eyes go from the bluest blue to full, black pupils except when he has eaten something with Red Dye #40. How do I know it is from the Red Dye? Because I didn't change anything else in his diet. And my son did not spontaneously decide to kick me and bite my arm that was around him for the hour prior to his "treat." Because I started keeping notes about what he ate and his reactions and noticed that a trend started to come through...anything with Red Dye #40 not only enhanced his hyperactive behavior, it even added an element of violence and determination to hurt those in his path of destruction.

I couldn't stop this behavior even though I tried everything in my arsenal of tricks and every possible calming method I knew. I put him in time outs, took away his toys, even had his father come home to physically hold him so he wouldn't hurt us, the animals, or himself. He didn't calm down until he physically exhausted himself and when we realized this, we would take him to the track and let him run it out. Sometimes this would take anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours of just running back and forth, helping him metabolize the dye in his body to where it didn't affect him as much.

Of course, some people did not believe me, especially my parents and in-laws and still gave him foods with red-dye...that is until they were watching him after giving him said food and had to handle the fall out themselves instead of just sending him back to us before the tornado hit. After they were able to see first-hand how it affected him, they agreed with me and honored our wishes to stop giving him food with added food dye.

For us, this meant changing the way we did things. Yes, it was hard to change what we ate, where we went out to dinner, saying "no" when he wanted that strawberry ice cream cone or yogurt from a friend's house. It meant packing his lunch with food that required greater preparation and close reading of items from the grocery store. In fact, it even meant that we needed to completely change the places we shopped and the dinners we made. Instead of popping into Vons or Ralphs and picking up a microwave entrée and rewarding him with McDonald's, we had to consciously plan our meals, looking through condiments and throwing away perfectly good food, declining party invitations, even bringing our own cupcakes to friend's birthday parties.

So, yes, it was hard.

But the effect was immediate. He stopped reacting so oddly after eating food, even food that are considered treats, such as candy or ice cream. He was able to feel better and although he realized that he was different than his peers, it didn't seem to bother him, especially after he ate a cupcake with Red Dye #40 by accident one day and went into crazy mode. After he came out of it and had some space, he actually told me he didn't like how he felt after eating the cupcake and he didn't like not having control over his actions or thoughts. I think he was about four and a half at this point and he hadn't had anything with Red Dye in about 6 months. It was the validation that I was looking for to prove to me the connection between Red Dye and ADHD.

Look, you can do what you want to do with your child, that goes without saying, but if there was a chance, even a small chance that you could help your child be more successful or less hyperactive, wouldn't you want to help him or her? If there was a chance to bring some calmness to your house and less chaos, isn't it worth it to try? Besides, it is not like you are completely changing every thing your child eats, you are just swapping their favorite foods with dyes with different brands of similar food that don't have these additives in them. Why not give it a chance?

ADHD: Different Symptoms Does Not Equal Different Disorders

Many people are aware of ADHD and whether they believe in the prevalence of the disorder or not, there is no denying that some kids have something different going on with them. But many people don't understand the umbrella of symptoms that can be seen in ADHD kids or the additional disorders that can be associated with ADHD.

Let me explain- ADHD exists in the part of the brain that is also responsible for controlling sensory feedback, controlling thoughts, anxiety, and depression. Since it basically a chemically based disorder that relies on the levels of Dopamine and Serotonin in the brain and is found in the same area, it can "borrow" symptoms from these other disorders. Children with ADHD can have some obsessive compulsive tendencies or become anxious a lot faster and easier than children without ADHD. They can become depressed and even have ticks like children with Tourettes Syndrome do. That does not necessarily mean that is their Primary disorder, it just means that children with ADHD can show symptoms of these other disorders, yet have their primary diagnosis as ADHD.

It is important that parents and teachers acknowledge the possibility that their kids or students can exhibit other symptoms and they should keep track of them because the chance of developing a secondary disorder from the above disorders is higher than children without ADHD. Kids like my 7 year old can have the primary ADHD diagnosis early on and then start exhibiting another disorder that needs to be addressed with additional medication. We will be starting medication for his Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms soon due to the severity of it, yet we have managed his Sensory Integration Disorder symptoms through cognitive behavioral therapy. It really depends on what the child is experiencing and the options available to help those symptoms.

As a teacher to high school students, I generally see ADHD with some other diagnosis. Most of the time, it is anxiety or depression yet I have seen a Gifted student with ADHD exhibit some Asperger's symptoms with OCD tendencies. We address the issues that come up and help students monitor their own symptoms to determine what they need help with. Sometimes this means therapy, sometimes this means medication, and sometimes this means increasing their self-awareness about their triggers and learning how to avoid them. 

Since each child is different, they will require different methods and therapies, but I urge parents and teachers to become educated about the different disorders that exist within the ADHD umbrella so they can identify their child's combination of symptoms and respond accordingly.

Planting the Seeds of Self Control

I've been counseled by my therapist to create situations where our son is able to acknowledge where he might be spiraling out of control and then correct his reactions to meet the spiral with confidence and acceptance.

Great plan...I love it! Come home and do if for me!

In all actuality, teaching my ADHD/anxious son how to control those uncontrollable emotions that he absolutely can not control is the hardest job I have ever had. I don't know exactly where to start...Do I approach him when he is just starting to lose it, using phrases such as, "Is this situation worth getting so upset over?" and "Do you think getting this upset with help anything?" This could work, or it could create a potential storm of denial and refusal- it is really a roll of the dice. I could talk to him using safe words while in the middle of a spiral, like "You are Ok" "I am here" "You need to calm down in your bedroom" but he doesn't really hear what I have to say and if he does, he ignore it because it is not what he wants to hear or do at that moment. My other option is to just ride it out, let him scream it out until he is exhausted and can come back to a place of calmness. Each choice has its merits and I can appreciate the skills he can learn from each of them.

However, usually these spirals happen on Fridays, (TGIF right??) when he is absolutely exhausted and has been pushed to the limit to be perfect during the days so his school friends only see his sweet side, not his emotional side. (CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE AFTERNOON MELTDOWNS) These spirals are 10x the afternoon meltdown and take a good amount of time to decompress from. These are the nights where my husband and I just look at each other and hug. It is tough. There are no positives during these explosions, nothing where I can come back and say he learned something. These spirals are pure exhausted emotion, nothing else. Or, if there is something else, it is completely subconscious and I do not know what is that deep within him. Because of this, I am usually not sure what the best approach is. If it is just an afternoon meltdown, I can handle that, I know that and understand that- but this is on a much bigger scale. My fear is that this turns into a violent confrontation because he can throw his body around and resist with all of his weight.

If you were to look at him, interact with him, teach him, be friends with him, even grandparent him, you wouldn't see this. It is a hidden behavior, one that he only unleashes on my husband and myself. If I try to video him, he will throw shoes at me, throw himself at me, and try whatever he can to rip the phone out of my hands. If I take away all of his toys (which I have done now twice) he shows no interest or remorse. If I take away his outside time, he goes crazy and I know that I have found my currency for him. But at what cost? Should you continue to punish the venting of emotions? Does this require punishment?

I am not sure and this is the reason why I only punish the behaviors that can hurt other people and not for screaming into a pillow. I punish for throwing shoes but not for crying. I punish for trying to bite me but not for stomping his feet. I believe that those are the real skills I am in the middle of teaching my son. The skills on how to feel his emotions, but not vent them on someone else, the skill of getting angry and letting go of complete feelings of frustration but not becoming violent toward the person trying to calm him, the skill of yelling but not throwing things.

When it comes down to it, I know what he is feeling, I have had those same explosions and the feeling of being so out of control that it is frightening. My parents gave me a room where I could scream and yell and get out the physical aspects of a spiral without hurting anyone. I hope to provide him with the same. I loved my parents and loved everything they did for me and with me. I truly did not want to hurt them but I didn't have control over some of the stuff my brain was going through. I know it is the same for my son and I hope to guide him through these experiences with the knowledge that it REALLY will be him gauging his own actions and reactions eventually. I hope to also provide him with the outlets for controlling these emotions. Right now, I play softball and work out some frustration creating products for Teachers Pay Teachers but when I was in grade school- I was only in ballet and it was too soft, too easy, not physical enough for me to vent these emotions. I needed something more and once I became involved in softball, I saw a HUGE reduction in my reactions.

So- here is MY plan...J will play soccer in the fall, Tae Kwan Do in the winter, baseball the spring, and then take swimming during the summer. Every three months there will be a new sport for him to practice and perfect. I will still try to help him in the moment and give him ways to understand what is happening to him after it happens to help him recognize his triggers and reduce the severity and number of episodes he experiences. Hopefully using these two methods, we can help him realize how to prevent the spirals before they happen.

"You are just a bad parent"

A lot of parents don't really like to talk about their children's diagnosis of ADHD. I understand why, I mean, it isn't exactly an accepted disorder. MANY people have come out and said that they don't even believe that ADHD exists or that anyone, let alone CHILDREN should be medicated *self-righteous gasps all around* Many of the typical responses I hear tend to be about discipline- "You need to discipline that child! Then he will listen!" or "If that were my kid, his butt would be black and blue!" or my favorite "Well, obviously, you just don't know what you were doing, if he was MY kid, you better believe I would get him to behave."

Yeah....ok...please have at it! I usually offer them my son for the next two days without meds and then they can talk to me about my parenting abilities or philosophy.

I simply do not understand this point of view. Do these people honestly think that I am choosing this for my child? That I ENJOY that he has this disorder especially considering I struggle with this as well on a daily basis?? Do they honestly think that I enjoy the absolute chaos my son can create or the misery that he can inflict on every member of our house?

Given the choice, I would HAPPILY have a child who would sit quietly in the restaurant without getting up every 2 minutes. I would HAPPILY have a child who would not be so impulsive that he can't think about how flying off the couch may hurt him. However, what I don't usually tell these people who scoff and look down on us from their exceedingly high horses is that my son memorized most of the dinosaurs scientific names, what they eat, when they lived, and how they looked by the time he was 3 1/2 or that his vision is so fast because his brain processes so quickly and he can catch and hit any ball in baseball at 7. I don't tell them that he has the most unbelievable empathy and compassion for animals and he loves his sister to the ends of the earth.

Yes, my son is difficult and stubborn and incredibly impulsive but he is also so unique and can build huge symmetrical space shuttles or vehicles out of Legos without instructions. I can't do that! I bet their children can't either! My point is that ADHD does not define my son, nor does the fact that he takes medication. What does define him is that he lives his life completely and fully, embracing every day as an opportunity for fun and adventure.

Why Can't I Stop, Mom?

I get a lot of people asking me when I realized my son, now 7, had ADHD. I always try to frame my answer in a way that does not seem like I simply wanted to run out, find a pediatrician who would listen to me and then medicate him to "calm him down."

So let me backtrack and maybe explain why and when I realized that if he didn't have ADHD, we were all on our way to the looney bin!

J was born in May of 2006. Even when he was in my belly, he kicked non-stop. It was to the point that I had black and blue marks on the OUTSIDE of my stomach. Yeah, it was pretty bad. Then, when he was born after 38 hours of labor via emergency c-section, he didn't stop kicking. I know a lot of people say that all babies kick, but seriously. He NEVER.STOPPED.KICKING.EVER!! He kicked those legs so often and for so long I had to swaddle him in 2 large blankets to get him to stop. J had GERD (Gastro-esophogeal reflux disorder) and he threw up about 1/2 of everything he ate for almost 18 months. He had to sleep on an incline and 2x I came into him almost suffocating on his own vomit. Lets just say it was pretty much torture for a good year and a half.

But then, at about 14 months, J started walking. Great right? I mean, it gave us some time to get to know this kid without worrying that he was going to throw up on us and it was so cute how he was toddling around on his long, skinny legs. But wait!! One day after he started to walk, he ran. I mean, RAN! I turned my back for a second and off he went like a rocket! And he never stopped running. Everywhere he went, he ran like Forrest Gump. I couldn't get him to take a breath.

When he was about three, we would take him to the park or to his grandparent's house and he would run the kids into the ground with his energy. We would walk three miles around the Rose Bowl and he would come home and run up and down the streets for another three hours. One time, we counted as he ran around the perimeter of our house 60 times. Yes, sixty times. We had to tell him to stop and he wasn't even tired.

But it wasn't just the running or the energy. He had no impulse control. He would climb on top of the couch and fly off onto the cushions over and over again. He would have epic, three hour long screaming tantrums without the ability to calm himself down. He would become violent if he ate anything with Red Dye 40, he would not stop getting up, jumping, singing, screaming, poking, throwing things. He couldn't sit still long enough to even color a page or watch a movie. J was constantly on the move.

When I brought up the possibility of ADHD to his pediatrician, I didn't hear "No" or that it "wasn't possible at his age." I heard, "Well, we could try meds." Unlike a lot of parents, I didn't cringe or refuse. I actually sighed in relief. My son was starting to realize that he wasn't like the other kids and he would get into trouble a lot. He didn't like the feeling of being so out of control. He would come home, depressed because he couldn't manage like the other kids. When he asked me at age three and a half, "Why can't I just stop and listen, Mommy?" it broke my heart.

I gave him his first dose of Adderall right after his fourth birthday. That was the day he colored his very first picture. I cried and kept the picture and kept him on his meds. We have switched him to Vyvanse after the dose of Adderall kept getting higher and that was the indication that Adderall wasn't the right medication for him. He has been on 40mg of Vyvanse for almost a year now without the need to adjust or increase and he also takes 5mg of Adderall in the afternoon that lasts until he goes to sleep.

When people ask why I put him on meds or why I had him diagnosed so early, I think I always look at them a little funny. Why wouldn't I, as a mother, do everything in my power to help him succeed and feel good about himself? Why wouldn't I give him something that his brain chemistry is so clearly lacking? If he was a diabetic, would I deny him insulin? NO? Then why is ADHD any different?