AS 10 year old with sudden weigh increase

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My 10yo son has AS. About 2 years ago (around the same exact time we started trying different meds to see which ones worked for him) his weight ballooned up. He didn't start eating more or doing anything different. The only change was the meds. But his doctors all say that if it was related to the meds, his weight would have significantly DECREASED, not increased. But I am worried b/c now he's bordering on obesity and I can't seem to get anyone to take notice. I have cut back on what he eats, but he hates sweets and unhealthy snacks, so it's not like he eats junkfood all day - just the opposite.

Has anyone come across this?

If I may ask, what meds are he on? And how happy are you with your medical providers?

We were warned D's meds would result in weigh gain and its still an issue although I try to give him low cal meals and make sure he gets enough exercise.

BeeBee

Hello,
I work for a non for profit mental heath agency which treats children. We also have Aspies who are recieving therapy and medication management.
I can tell you for a fact that there ar emeds which cause weight gain in children.
Go online and type the medication name and side effects. Weight gain is a common one.
Laure

I wish that were the case for J....he can't seem to keep any weight on at all! He's been wearing size 7 slim for three years now! I would definitely get a second opinion.

My 10 year old son has also gained an incredible amount of weight when he went on medication (Risperdal). But you have to get a doctor that knows about the medication side effects and who will monitor his blood sugar and liver function, so he is not on too much med. We used to have another doctor that just wrote prescriptions with no follow-up. Its hard, but you have to search out the right doctor, in our case a psychiatrist.

I work in a residential care facility and there have been times when children have gained weight because of their medication, so saying that dosn't happen is simply untrue. I would suggest though that you have your child's thyroid checked. We did have a child who's medication could have caused weight gain, but when we had his thyroid checked it turned out he had a problem with his thyroid. Once the treatment for the thyroid began he lost the weight. Not all children gain weight on the med he was on, but some do, he just wasn't one of them.

Totally agree with the other posters on the weight gain. My AS son also gained a significant amt of weight when he first started taking meds. Everyone's chemistry is different. I always disliked those docs who tried to tell me that certain side effects could not be the meds when it was obvious to us that it HAD to be the meds (and when they got off that med, lo and behold the side effect ceased!).

If its any consolation, when AS turned 13 and hit his growth spurt he really thinned out.

If the meds control stimming / figiting your child might just be burning fewer calories.


Researchers at the Mayo Clinic measured non-exercise activity thermogenesis

The results are revealing. Fidgeting while seated burned an extra 40–60 calories/hour. Standing motionless increased calorie expenditure by 10–17 calories/hour. Fidgeting while standing increased calories burned by 70–100 calories/hour (equiv to walking 1 mile).

Wow, thanks so much for the info! I was really aggrivated by how the doctors just completely dismissed my suggestion that it might be the meds he was on. He was originally on Adderall and was really skinny, but the side effects were awful. At the time his weight gain started, he was on metadate. Now he's on focolin. I kept trying to tell them that his eating habits, exercise habits, etc - nothing had changed except for the change in meds, but they just basically told me I didn't know what I was talking about. And these were doctors at one of the world's leading hospitals for children, so I didn't argue.

But I will definitely get his thyroid checked. With all the other social issues he has, I don't want his weight to be one of them. Not to mention all the health risks.

Thanks for letting me know there's a chance I may have been right and not just being a "mom"!

Court,
Trust your instincts as a mother. They rarely lead you astray.
Lauré

I have hypothyroidism and honestly getting thyroid levels checked is a good idea. I had no clue I had a problem with my thyroid only knew I had a hard time losing weight after having my second son.

I've got an appointment with his Dr. next week to have his thyroid checked - thanks for the suggestion! I don't want anything to be wrong, but it would at least explain the weight gain. If not, then I will get a second opinion.