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?

College: What does it look like for the ADHD student?

This map of the top colleges and universities in the United States is the typical expectation of post-secondary education for most American students. But what happens when a student has learning or executive functioning disabilities that prevents them from attending these top colleges? Where can they go and receive support, tutoring, counseling, or classes about living skills? What happens when they are ready to move out, but not ready to be out in the world?

I am just starting out on this college counseling journey, wading through opportunities, and looking at different ideas and support for potential college students. Then, I started to look carefully at my own students who come into my school with a significant disadvantage before they even begin to LOOK at what college means. Due to their ADHD or learning disabilities, social or emotional disabilities, or even psychological issues, parents just want their children to graduate high school and college isn't even on the radar.

But something happens at our school....when there are smaller classrooms, teachers who understand their struggles and seek to work with their deficiencies instead of becoming annoyed, and a chance for them to succeed and then, they actually start to feel successful. All of a sudden, their grades go up, they begin to make their way out of the fog of "Can't" and into a situation where college - and dare I say - a FOUR year college instead of just a community college -  is actually within reach. 

However, the parents are still stuck in survival mode, where they are the motivator, the demander, the threat. When I approach them about potential college plans, they always say, "Oh no no no - I don't think s/he is quite ready for such a challenge and I would prefer s/he just stay at home and complete a couple classes toward an AA degree." I get it- I honestly do! I realize what it is like to parent a kid, deal with the daily issues, defiance, lack of motivation, even struggles with addictions or partying. 

I don't know their history with the student who I see try every day in my classroom. I am not at home with them during the knock down drag out fights but I can see amazing growth in just a few months. I see them start to participate, feel good about an "A" grade, and see them unfold themselves into mutually beneficial and positive relationships with their peers. I see their eyes light up when I talk to them about potential college plans and go through their "Getting Ready For College Worksheets." 

I am trying to increase their self-concept about what they are capable of and that doesn't mean putting out of reach college or universities that are popular but are not a great fit for them. This means doing the research to find programs that will support their writing assignments, social programs that help kids who need a push to increase their social skills, a psychiatric program that is available for students who need additional psychiatric care. 

That is my job and it isn't just about helping my students get into the top universities, it is about helping them get into and attend the RIGHT university. I hope that when my 7 year old and 2 year get old enough for a college counselor, that they will not be drawn by the glittery lights of the Big Universities but will find something that speaks to them and says, "You will fit in here, this is the place to start your adulthood." 

I hope that your kids or students do as well...

The Top 3 Reasons I Want to Run and Hide During the First Two Weeks of School

#1- My anxiety riddled son has a VERY hard time adjusting to a new routine. For him, routine is everything and since he can't tell time very well, he depends on what he is expecting to happen next based on a tight routine. So when we change from camp to school, it trips him out and creates a much more difficult environment to keep him calm. The first two weeks of school are the worst. Really...if I could fly to an alternate universe and come back after the storm is over, I would.

#2- When he gets set off, it sets me off too and I have to struggle harder than usual to keep myself in a calm, understanding place where I can guide him but still be compassionate and accepting of his quirks that seem to blossom into gigantic issues overnight.

#3- Why in the every loving hell is it so so so HOT the first two weeks of school. Today is the hottest day of the ENTIRE year and living in a 1921 bungalow without insulation or central AC during a 100+ degree heat wave makes me want to stab the first person who touches me and slimes against me with a sharpened spork.

I'm the surly teenager....

All About the Afternoon Meltdown...

"J is the most amazing kid I have ever met," Mrs. K, his Kindergarten teacher told me during our first parent-teacher conference. "I can't believe how helpful, empathetic, and sweet he is! If only every child was as great as he is, our world would be an amazingly calm place."

I just smiled and nodded, all the while re-creating his afternoon meltdown yesterday that lasted 2 hours, had our entire house in chaos, the dog shaking, and all of us on edge and ready to snap. For years I have never completely understood how my child can create such complete chaos at home after school but during school, he is this different child- full of compassion, sweet sentiments, and perfect behavior. However, after talking to some other parents whose ADHD kids also have afternoon meltdowns, I think I understand it a little bit better.

See, ADHD uses Serotonin and Dopamine faster than regular brains do. Even though some ADHD medications help increase these two chemicals, kids with ADHD have been shown to use these chemicals twice as fast as usual. These two chemicals are responsible for many different responses and reactions, including happiness and attentiveness and when these levels drop, kids can experience a multitude of reactions such as out of control emotions or "zoning out."

My kid's response is out of control emotions. This results in afternoons and evenings of crying and tantrums from different results than expectations, flailing arms and legs after saying "no" to what he wants, and screaming and hysteria over situations that are relatively minor. I always shook my head, convinced that this was simply a behavioral issue, but I think it is a response to low Serotonin and Dopamine levels in his brain. I don't think he can control these emotions any more than I can control the need to correct someone's grammar- is a compulsive activity that he needs to emote out or else lose control of himself completely.

 

The exception of such reactions is during school. During those 8 hours, he is such a great kid! He follows directions, cleans up after himself and other children, tries so hard to follow the rules and learn what he needs to in order to be on level with everyone else. I think that since he tries for eight hours straight, never letting himself break down over a disappointment or different results, he needs to let it go somewhere and what better place then at home where everyone will continue to love him regardless?? Unconditional love and a feeling of complete safety are apparently the necessary elements to complete breakdowns and chaotic evenings.

*Big long deep sigh* 

I love the kid. He is my life and my little boy, but man-oh-man, these nights are difficult to deal with day after day. Honestly, I am surprised my neighbors haven't called CPS yet with the way he screams sometimes. But I guess if it had to happen somewhere, at least it can happen here at home where, when it ends and he calms down, we can dry his tears, tell him that no matter what, we love him, and we hope tomorrow can be a better day...

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?