Any moms out there with children on medication for ADHD? I need some advice!

Stephanie - posted on 08/04/2011

If you don't feel comfortable with the drugs, you don't need to bring them home. No doctor, or any person for that matter, should pressure parents into what they aren't 100% into it.
I have a step son diagnosed with FASD, then there's the attention problems similar to adhd, NO, ABSOLUTELY ZERO impulse control, sensory integration disorder, no understanding of consequences. you can tell him, don't throw rocks by the house, several times, and he still won't understand why he got in trouble. It's attention, and behavior problems secondary to the FASD. After a year and a half of parent teacher conferences, we decided we needed something, his ADHD was starting to affect his grades.
He was put on Strattera, a non stimulant. I was reluctant, and not happy about the idea, but i cant tell you i am very happy with the results. he didn't just improve at school, but at home as well!!! i have only good things to say about strattera. and it's not a stimulant

Cheyenne-eve - posted on 07/28/2011

what meds have you tried? I have an ADHD son whose 12 now. But I have dealt with children with different things for almost 20 yrs. If you'd like please feel free to message me privately. I have dealt with medicated and non medicated.

Heather - posted on 07/28/2011

Julie have u considered something like clonidine? the results im seeing in my 4yr old son are wonderful..yeah at first i was worried cause he seemed so out of it..but here we are a week later and he is doing so good..able to sit and play..still a little wild at times but seems to be happier..even talking more clearly..im so impressed!

Julie - posted on 07/26/2011

My son definitely has ADHD, but medicines have not helped him. He has tried Focalin, Adderol, and Tinnex. They have either had no effect or made him very emotional and anxious.

Chrissie - posted on 07/25/2011

My 10yr old was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 6yrs old. I didn't want to put him on anything because of what his older sister went through being put on different meds. Finally after the school constantly complaining about his behaviour and me being in tears so many times due to the behaviour I caved in and said ok to "wellbutrin" he was on it about 2 weeks and had a bad reaction to it so they switched him to something else. It worked for about 3months and then the behaviour started again. I kept saying it was more than ADHD (after going through what I did with my 19yr old) At the age of 8 they put him on "ritalin" again my heart was telling me no but the school was having a very difficult time with him. In the 6weeks he lost 13 lbs and had to come off it, we waited almost a month for him to put weight on (aprox 4 lbs) and doc put him back on it but lower dose.. again weight loss and tired but was able to focus somewhat. He was on ritalin til Jan of this year (2011) when finally we had enough of the weight issues and behaviour problems (accidents in his pants, nightmares, tired and grumpy) we changed his diet and he has rice milk instead of regular milk (due to all the additives in milk) less starches and dyes in food/drinks and he takes omega 3/6 and a natural pill called "attentive child" from the peanut mill store and we have noticed a major difference in him (no more nightmares, accidents, less arguing) we also found out it wasn't so much ADHD he also has developmental disability/delays.

Heather - posted on 07/25/2011

my 4yr old was placed on ext release clonidine .1mg at bedtime x7days then increase to twice per day..also dextroamphetamine liq 2.5mg once per day..he is so out of it..just started on thursday..he is calmer but not my child..i gave the amphetamine for 1st time yesterday and it seemed to make him worse..then he couldn't rest..was like he was in limbo and not sure what to do..now im scared to give it to him again..he isn't wanting to eat really and didn't hardly drink yesterday..kept moving his lips wierd also..anyone else tried this combo before?

Jessica - posted on 07/22/2011

Lisa Baisner ... my daughter is almost 7 yrs old she has been on medication sense she was 5, she is doing well on them she had been on the same dose for a yr and then it seemed to not be working she didnt want to play with her brother did things before she thought about them, so the doc upped it by a hair she has made improvements now she plays with him and gets along very well... When a child is NOT ADHD it will make them hyper ADHD meds have the reverse effect on a child without it verses a child with it ... I in my opinion would talk to your doc about theropy only for some time if they are worse than before you can do only theropy as for my daughter does this along with her med...

Maryka - posted on 07/20/2011

If you feel that your son does not have ADHD, discuss it with your doctor. You are the one that knows best, because you are the one living with your child every single day!!! Unfortunately, getting the right medication for your child can be a tricky business... And to be honest, it can be a pain in the backside... My boy started of on Dexedrine, but he has outgrown it. So, now we are still in the proses of trying to find another type of medication that works for him - we are now trying out number 3!!! Some of the medication has made him extremely hyper, irritated, he didn't want to eat or sleep ext.

I know that it's very tough on you as a parent, but keep going! Eventually you will find the right type of medication for you son, and only then will you be delighted that you've pulled through! Best of luck to both you and your son!!!

Heather - posted on 07/14/2011

My 4 1/2 year old has ADHD and is on adderall we got lucky with her the first thing we try had the results we hoped for. She is now a thinking sleeping well adjusted child who rearly fights with her brother and friends. With that said it is trial and error to get it exactly right to find what works for your child so best luck

Dawn - posted on 07/13/2011

If you are not convinced your child has adhd then what I would suggest would be to have the Doctor complete a full phyciatric evaluation on your son. Tell them if you are going to medicate him then you need to know what your trying to help him with. Don't just allow the doctor to label your child without some kind of real evaluation. I wish you luck.

Lara - posted on 07/07/2011

What is he taking? If there is an underlying condition, certain ADHD meds (stimulants) can make the the situation worse. My son has PANDAS (google it), so he cannot take any kind of stimulant for ADHD because it will make him more anxious (severe), and can cause other behavioral symptoms to worsen.

Karen - posted on 12/04/2009

hi my son is 10yrs he has just been diagnosed with adhd and has learning difficulties he has been put on equasym xl 10mg 1 a day it last about 5hrs he is doing ok with it hope this helps.

Kim - posted on 11/23/2009

i am responding with a similar situation over a child with suicidal thoughts and tics. my son has a.d.h.d and learning delays i also believe he has a.s.d.. he has latent seizures and takes a anti-epileptic med. i have bipolar disorder and see some tendencies for him. he went through a horrible time of extreme anger (still has the anger and emotional difficulties) he was saying that "i wish i were dead" and similar things. it was so painful to hear and spoke with his doctor, the medications were changed and this is helping. he still has tics like obsessively smoothing his hair and pulling at the skin and rubbing over his face. it comes up at school when sitting for extended time and when in church and needing to sit still without enough active stimulation. we are working on ways to help with this. maybe a mood stabilizer would help?

Kim - posted on 11/23/2009

my son has a.d.h.d. and learning delays and some traits of a.spectrum, he also has latent seizures. i have learned that childhood occurance of a.d.h.d can turn to bipolar as child gets older. do not know if it is a huge ocurrance though . i have bipolar disorder and take a mood stabilizer, it has been a great help to me. when i was first diagnosed the doc thought i had depression. i was in the hospital at the time and am thankful for being under supervision! i was given an anti-depressant but not a mood-stabilizer. that was when the nursing staff contacted the doc. the med. sent me through the roof and i became angry and very agitated. it was scary and so difficult to handle. the doc immediately started me on a mood-stabilizer. this was an anti-seizure med. for my son i think his med. for seizures has been a great help since it also helps mellow out his moods but not sedating. he also takes a anti-depressant. maybe it is something to look into. praying for your journey.

Ljubica - posted on 11/23/2009

Quoting Robyn:

Please do not tell a parent that they are putting they're child on Meth. That is not correct and telling us that is a very mean thing to say. Good Grief!

Robyn,

You're right, Ritalin is NOT METH. 

Robyn, you know your child.  You know what he needs.  The autsims spectrum is so wide...  so many different types and varying severities...  no two children are alike.  That's why it is called Autism Spectrum disorder.  The same can be said about ADHD.  In fact, some scientists are wanting to place ADHD under the Autsim umbrella.  It would make complete sense to me to do this.  I worked with a family who's oldest son had 'severe' ADHD, their second son was severely autistic and their youngest, a daughter had been diagnosed with PDD-NOS.  I've seen this kind of connection over and over again...

My point is this:  There are different severites in ADHD and autism, etc.  Some kids are fine on herbals/naturals, which is something I would encourage all parents to try first, along with diet.  If this isn't enough, than get the pharmaceutical treatement knowing not only have you done all you can on your own, but chances are you will be giving yor child a lesser dose of meds than you would have going straight to pharmacotherapay.  If you've already placed your child on meds, try introducing some herbal/natural supplementation and see if you can lower the med dose.

While yes, meds do have side effects, again, the pediatrician looks at the pros vs. the cons and considers whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks.  Untreated ADHD is what leads to violence, alcohol and drug abuse and other addictions.  Considering tha alternatives, I would rather treat my child's disability ujntil his brain matures and he's able to learn the skills to control his impulses and other issues.  How to treat your child depends on the severity of their disability. 

Unfortunately, there will be closed minded people out there that think they know it all and judge your decision to treat your child.  Robyn, keep in mind these people do NOT know your child or your child's needs.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how wrong it may be, or how misinformed it is.  It is your job to give your child what he/she needs, and you're doing exactly that. 

You're a fantastic mother, keep up the awesome job!  Your little one is lucky to have you on their side, and I'm glad we've met here.  Don't ever feel ashamed for being a fantastic mom!!!

Consider yourself hugged,

Lou

Joanne - posted on 11/22/2009

hi not sure where you ive but my son has ASD ADHD, dyspraxia, auditory memory disorder, and anxiety disorder along with HMS and joint probd b12 probs and dietry problems that meens he is on a wheat/gluten free diet. ti start with i refused riralin for my son as having worked with special needs i saw how the child ends up not being that child whilst on it. in the end when my son turned 14 i heard about a new drug over here called statterra. my son is still my son, doing wellish at school and able to control his temper and impusativity too. keep at it

Cristina - posted on 11/22/2009

It sounds like your son is having an adverse reaction to the meds. If you don't want him on those meds take him off and take him to another doctor and get a second opinion. A mothers instincts are always correct.

Robyn - posted on 11/22/2009

Please do not tell a parent that they are putting they're child on Meth. That is not correct and telling us that is a very mean thing to say. Good Grief!

Robyn - posted on 11/22/2009

My daughter has Asperger's and we went through years of different meds and doctor's. The reason why is b/c I think is b/c doctor's really do not understand Asperger's very well. It is such a hard thing to understand and deal with. ADHD is one of the many problems my daughter has and there were meds that would make her more irritable and hiper and then some that would do the opp. It takes awhile to find the right medication and it is different with every child no matter what someone tells you. Every child reacts differently to each medication. So I hope you can eventually find the right one for your son. Just hang in there. God bless you b/c this is a hard thing to deal with.

Dori - posted on 11/21/2009

I refused for the first 3 years my son was in school to put him on medication. I wish I would have sooner. We several meds including struttara, adderal, and focalin (sp) but finally found Vyvanse. It is a God send to get him through school days, he isn't so angry, frustraded, anxiety is down, can pay attention, focus, etc. on it and best of all he doesn't have to take it on weekends if I don't want to give it to him. Normally I don't seeing as he doesn't eat well when he is on it so he makes up for it on the weekends. Good luck

Angelique - posted on 11/21/2009

My son was switched off the concerta and to Vyvanse also and i have seen a lot of improvement with him also. You might want to switch your child's doctor to another doctor the doctor i Have is more concerned with what benefits chris than putting him on the meds. He would like to see both of my children down to the bear minimum of meds or possibly off the meds. My 12 year has already been taken off of one med and another med has been downed in dosage. My oldest has had one med knocked off for morning and afternoon. So I just say it depends on the doctor. you just have to go til you find one that cares more about your childs safety and condition rather then just pumping them full of meds.

Dawn - posted on 11/21/2009

Quoting Ljubica:

I love anything naturally based.  The preference is always naturally based first, then meds only if necessary. I have Dayton on naturally based vitamins with no dyes or sugars, valarian root and grape seed extract.  Dayton does so much better with these than he does without.  The school notices if I skip a dose by accident. 

If only had I known all this sooner - is all I can really say. I probably should have mentioned... My son is taking B12 because he has mentioned he feels run down. He takes Zinc because his body has a deficiency for it. You can tell that by looking at the fingernails. Those white spots are lack of zinc. He takes a multi-vitamin for pre-teen boys, and Omega 3. He also takes "Valerian Super Calm" when he has rough days or we have something going on that we NEED him to stay calm for. Talking with the expert at my local natural foods store helped a lot. We have cut out all the chemicals in our home, and have been avoiding high GI foods. Not only has the new diet helped my son, but I have lost 6 pounds in the process. And that is ALWAYS a plus. LOL

Ljubica - posted on 11/21/2009

Quoting Dawn:

Here is my problem... the FDA which is supposed to protect us is in bed with the drug companies who send their reps to smooch up on the Doctors who prescribe the meds to our kids and tell us not to worry because the insurance companies will cover the costs so your out of pocket wont be too much, if at all. So it will be cheap and easy to pay off the big drug companies who send their reps.... You see this circle here? It's awful. And personally - after being coerced into meds by the schools and being ganged up on practically I allowed myself to cave in and put my (now 12 years old) son on meds when he was just 6. After 6 years, NUMEROUS meds, several psychologists, counselors, psychiatrists, therapists, and so forth for ADHD which did NOTHING to help him - I forced the doctor to give me a referral to a neurologist who gace us the proper diagnoses of Aspergers. This was July of 2008. Since then the doctors have changed his meds, and yet we still saw no progress. On October 27, 2009 after my son got suspended from school for threatening a boy with a gun I realized that his meds were actually causing a lot more problems then they are worth. ONLY YOU can know fully if your child needs something. You are the one who sees him every day, you are the one who knows how he behaves and what does or does not help him. So I decided to take my son off his meds. I didn't tell the pediatrician yet, because I know what they are going to tell me and I don't want to hear that I am a bad mom and that he NEEDS this. No he doesn't. I have changed his diet, added some vitamin supplements that his body is missing, and never told the schools about it either. He was home for about 2 weeks because his suspension fell over some weekends and a few days that the school was closed for whatever reasons. When he went back to school, I let a week go by and then asked for a meeting with the school. ALL Of his teachers have asked me what new meds he is on, or what we are doing different at home because he has been the best behaved he has been all year. He is even making eye contact with his teachers now, which he has NEVER done before. I know this is long winded, and I apologize for the novel, but I feel very passionate about it. I have learned the natural steps to conquering his ADHD, and I will share them with you if you like. Send me a message and let me know. I think I have filled up enough of your wall here.

I love anything naturally based.  The preference is always naturally based first, then meds only if necessary. I have Dayton on naturally based vitamins with no dyes or sugars, valarian root and grape seed extract.  Dayton does so much better with these than he does without.  The school notices if I skip a dose by accident. 

Dawn - posted on 11/21/2009

Here is my problem... the FDA which is supposed to protect us is in bed with the drug companies who send their reps to smooch up on the Doctors who prescribe the meds to our kids and tell us not to worry because the insurance companies will cover the costs so your out of pocket wont be too much, if at all. So it will be cheap and easy to pay off the big drug companies who send their reps.... You see this circle here? It's awful. And personally - after being coerced into meds by the schools and being ganged up on practically I allowed myself to cave in and put my (now 12 years old) son on meds when he was just 6. After 6 years, NUMEROUS meds, several psychologists, counselors, psychiatrists, therapists, and so forth for ADHD which did NOTHING to help him - I forced the doctor to give me a referral to a neurologist who gace us the proper diagnoses of Aspergers. This was July of 2008. Since then the doctors have changed his meds, and yet we still saw no progress. On October 27, 2009 after my son got suspended from school for threatening a boy with a gun I realized that his meds were actually causing a lot more problems then they are worth. ONLY YOU can know fully if your child needs something. You are the one who sees him every day, you are the one who knows how he behaves and what does or does not help him. So I decided to take my son off his meds. I didn't tell the pediatrician yet, because I know what they are going to tell me and I don't want to hear that I am a bad mom and that he NEEDS this. No he doesn't. I have changed his diet, added some vitamin supplements that his body is missing, and never told the schools about it either. He was home for about 2 weeks because his suspension fell over some weekends and a few days that the school was closed for whatever reasons. When he went back to school, I let a week go by and then asked for a meeting with the school. ALL Of his teachers have asked me what new meds he is on, or what we are doing different at home because he has been the best behaved he has been all year. He is even making eye contact with his teachers now, which he has NEVER done before. I know this is long winded, and I apologize for the novel, but I feel very passionate about it. I have learned the natural steps to conquering his ADHD, and I will share them with you if you like. Send me a message and let me know. I think I have filled up enough of your wall here.

Minndee - posted on 11/21/2009

My ADHD 7 year old has been on Concerta for a year now... A HUGE difference at home and school... I think it was the BEST choice I made for him.... We go to the doc. EVERY month for a med check just to make sure its not too much and its still working. If your going to put your child on meds, make sure your ontop of it, and see the doc monthly....

Sherana - posted on 11/20/2009

WELL, MY SON TAKES ADDERRALL 15MG IN THE MORNING AND 10 MG IN THE AFTERNOON. BEFOR HE GOT(WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER) HIS MED'S I WOULD TAKE HIM TO THE PARK AND LET HIM RUN OFF ENERGY BECAUSE ADHD IS A INBALANCEMENT OF BRAIN CHEMICALS. NOW SINCE HE'S OLDER I KEEP HIM INVOLVED IN ACTIVE SPORTS

Sherana - posted on 11/20/2009

YES, I AM A MOTHER WITH A SON THAT HAS ADHD. HE'S BEEN ON MED'S SINCE AGE 5 . NOW HE IS THIRTEEN AND DOING GREAT WITH SOME MILD PROBLEMS.....SIGNED; WILLING TO HELP

Hope - posted on 11/20/2009

As your child grows and gains weight you will go through this. We started my daughter on Medadate CR(in 3rd grade) and then doubled her dose(4th grade), and then at the end of 4th grade talked about upping her dose again. (i take her off during the summers so she can gain weight as she was losing durng the school year on this drug)

We waited till 5th grade and she was fine on that same dose.(TEACHERS do matter too, her 4th grade teacher was inflexible about modifiyng her assignments and so it put more pressure on her and me)

Sara is now, in 6th grade, on Concerta and doing fine.

'Keep looking, have patience, and you will find the right drug. Just remember as they gain weight you will have to change drugs, sara stayed in the same line and just went to the next higher med. We like CR (constant release) cause it covers the whole school day, some kids have to take the 4 hour version.

Good Luck, Hope

Lisa - posted on 11/20/2009

Thank you, I think our sons my have very simular problems and disorders. I just got Attention(all herbal natural stuff) at the healthfood store. Has Vit B and omega 3 and Lemon Balm. He said he feels good! I'll keep you updated. Also I'm gonna sign him up for scouts...they give them fun stuff and teach them life skills :) 

 

 

 

Quoting Joyce:

My son is 9 years old and has the ADHD combid (attention defecit, hyperactivity, and impulse control issues). We tried to go without medicine.. That was not fun... We tried GFCF with him and it didn't do a thing, our child with autism made many improvements and he still on that diet, but Jeremy we just didn't see real change. We tried changing other things. The things you must look at is is there an UNDERLYING condition with ADHD the biggest ones to test for are Anxiety Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, Depressions, and ODD.
Our son was at UCLA and was in the ADHD clinic with their testing which last 6 hours, and confirmed the doctors diagnosis of ADHD but with anxiety disorder. IT turned out that you do have to determine which medicine is best for your child. Concerta was exacerbating his problem making him more emotional and more prone to aggreesive behaviors. WE were pumping him full of fish oils and vitamin b.. We took him off and put him on Vyvanse at 40 mg.... Huge improvement in school, literally 180, improvment in memory, improvment in impulse. Best part mood swings have dissapeared, sleep time is much more manageable he crashes between 8:30 and 9pm now, and his coming off the medicine is the best. There are no more aggressive behaviors. His anxiety is still there so we have been able to put him on a much lower dose of fish oils (500mg) a day now and he is down to 200mg of vitamin b complex.

So please have him tested to see his underlying condition that rides with ADHD. Found out through pediatrician that ADHD rarely runs by itself.

Lisa - posted on 11/20/2009

Hi , Read my last comment. Meds are scarry and riddlelin is so bad, as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

Quoting Christine:

My son also has Aspergers with ADD, no H and is on Zoloft for anxiety. We weighed the pros and cons of giving him amphetamines but he's so tiny that if he were to lose weight they would take him off the meds. So we started giving him a cup of coffee mixed with chocolate milk and it appears to be doing the trick. Although he has a mild case of ADD so we really didn't want to put him on the meds. Only as a last resort!

Lisa - posted on 11/20/2009

Thanks for all your comments. The Dr gave him Concerta : caused exteme stomach problems, uncontolled crying, and Hallucinations. Then Focalinxr 2 diff strengths same thing but 2.5mg stayed in his system for over 3 days and caused severe tics(uncontrlled hevy breathing) Now the Psychiatrist recomended Methylin. The first 2 days he was very anxious, nervous, paranoid so we did not give it to him. Two days later he was screamimg his finger was on fire and wanted it off his hand! Also that he hated his "life"!!! So, I don't think it is ADHD. I think it is bipolar or Aspbergers or something hard to diagnose. Has anyone else experienced this? Hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, tics?

Wendy - posted on 11/20/2009

hi! my son has a list of probs but hes been diagnosed w/ adhd since he was about 3 or 4. he use 2 be on riddelen & everybody hated it. he would be very moody, he would look @ u & 4 no reason, just bust out crying . he would say he didnt know why & u couldnt touch him- hug him, kiss him, rub the top of his head or nothing. he was going 2 duke university med center in durham, n.c. & the drs there took him off the riddelen & put him on amantadine. it was like a totally diff child!! no more crying, he was happy again.it made a big difference w/ him & hes 15 now still on it doing good. the difference 4 him was a good 1. i would never reccommend riddelin 4 any1 w/ adhd- if u can try amantadine 1st!! hope it helps & take care

Marsha - posted on 11/19/2009

All 3 of my kids are grown, however, I have one grandson who is autistic, and a granddaughter who suffers from Sensory Intergation Disorder.....this is WAY harder to diagnose than autisim because it only affects the senses..ie....tags on clothes, socks don't line up the way they think they should... etc, etc does your son have any of these symtoms? If so, then medicine really doesn't help......ALTHOUGH the doc has her on one medication....






if so

Sandra M - posted on 11/19/2009

I would try going to my site..www.Everlastinglifechange,com and go to my links, and enter the site Native Remedies, and than search under ADHD...I swear by all these remedies, the only stuff that works for my son....feel free to write me to my ss4@cox.net with any questions.

I hope it helps your son.

Angela - posted on 11/19/2009

My son has adhd and behavior autism.He is 7 years old. We talked to our doctor about getting him the daytrana patch... It's the best thing we could have ever gotten him on. His so muched focused in school and you can definitley tell when he isn't wearing it. He is very hyper without it. We started him out on 10mg, but we had to bump it up to a 20mg patch a day. He wears it for 9 hours. He can now sit for almost 30 minutes to read for school, and focus more on his work for school. He couldn't even read before we got him on the medication. Last year he was able to read 728 books for his 100 book challenge for school. We were so proud of him.

Teresa - posted on 11/19/2009

my daughter has ADHD and the meds shouldn't do that. have his checked by another doctor. i took my daughter to a psyco counciler whom after watching her for a couple sessions had her tested and found her to be severe. does he have problems in school? is he having problems paying attention to things, give him a couple things to do and he can only finish part of one and forgets the rest? does he have problems making friends? is he failing classes? these are all signs of ADHD. i have it, and so does my 10 year old. it is hard to concentrate, hard to pay attention, hard to follow orders, hard to finish projects. a child with it will have several areas in the house with toys set up to play and they will start playing with them them move to something else. they never finish anything. most are very thin also. looking like they are starved but they eat all the time. if there sound like him, get a second opinion, or if not also get one. the wrong meds for this will also make things worse. it took the dr. several tries to get my daughters meds set to her need. hopw this helps....good luck.

Debra - posted on 11/19/2009

Hi Lisa, my son is 8 years old and was diagnosised with Asperger Syndrome at age 3 1/2 and ADHD at the age of 5. We held off on medication until this past Spring when he began having behavior problems at school. We tried Focalin 10mg first, he did great on this med for the first 2 weeks, after that he had terrible mood swings & a dark side started coming out. Needless to say we went back to our Pediatrician and started him on Concerta 9mg at first than a month later moved him up to 18mg...working great! He is like a new kid. We love that it is one pill in the mornings...time released throughout the day and he can focus on school.

Hope this helps!

Ljubica - posted on 11/19/2009

Quoting Hope:

My son is 10 and has a PDD, N.O.S. diagnosis and he has been on 10 mg of focalin for his hyperactiveity and inability to focus in social situations, like school and on 25 mg of Seroquel for irritability and impulsivity. He is also on 50 mg of Seroquel for sleep. This works very well for my son, he is now able to go to school without the need for Therapeutic Support Staff!

I'd like to add one thing. Try not to get wrapped up in labels, just because the doc prescribes "an ADHD med" doesn't mean that he thinks your child has ADHD per se. The way I see it most doctors treat the symptoms or behaviors individually. This is so important to do when you have a child somewhere on the spectrum. At this point if the meds your son is on isn't stopping the behaviors and creating new ones, then the meds the doc picked aren't the right ones. Try something new! Then if that doesn't work, try something else until you find a good fit. It will happen with patience. Good luck to you!

Absolutely agree!!!

Kristina - posted on 11/19/2009

My son has been through the same thing! finally after all the medication we found the right medication the worked with his chemical balance in his brain to help calm him down and he has been on the same medication and dose for the last 4 years...He is now 11 yrs old..important part of this is to be patient with your son and the doctor..Good luck and I feel your frustrations..

Michelle - posted on 11/19/2009

My two oldest sons Tom and Todd are ADHD and on Adderal, they have been for years. We have tried and tried other things but nothing works as good as the adderal, depends what your sons reactions are to the meds he is taking. You don't say what you have tried and what gave him what reaction.

Christine - posted on 11/19/2009

My son also has Aspergers with ADD, no H and is on Zoloft for anxiety. We weighed the pros and cons of giving him amphetamines but he's so tiny that if he were to lose weight they would take him off the meds. So we started giving him a cup of coffee mixed with chocolate milk and it appears to be doing the trick. Although he has a mild case of ADD so we really didn't want to put him on the meds. Only as a last resort!

Hope - posted on 11/18/2009

My son is 10 and has a PDD, N.O.S. diagnosis and he has been on 10 mg of focalin for his hyperactiveity and inability to focus in social situations, like school and on 25 mg of Seroquel for irritability and impulsivity. He is also on 50 mg of Seroquel for sleep. This works very well for my son, he is now able to go to school without the need for Therapeutic Support Staff!



I'd like to add one thing. Try not to get wrapped up in labels, just because the doc prescribes "an ADHD med" doesn't mean that he thinks your child has ADHD per se. The way I see it most doctors treat the symptoms or behaviors individually. This is so important to do when you have a child somewhere on the spectrum. At this point if the meds your son is on isn't stopping the behaviors and creating new ones, then the meds the doc picked aren't the right ones. Try something new! Then if that doesn't work, try something else until you find a good fit. It will happen with patience. Good luck to you!

Suzie - posted on 11/18/2009

I have two children, aged 11-girl and 7-boy, with AD/HD and one child with PDD NOS. I have had a hard time with my oldest getting her on a med that will stablize her behavior. I agree with "Lou" in most of what she said. Only a doctor can diagnose AD/HD and any other problem like that. I think the body kinda gets used to medications ecspecially as children age, but good medication management is crucial. Even if you have to "shop" around for a DR that cares enough to take medication management seriously. It has been crucial for my daughter. Now my daughter is doing so great. The next quarter at school she will make the honor roll. My son has AD/HD and PDD NOS and he recently has been put on Concerta and the difference in his behavior has been remarkable. He also has a explosive anger disorder along with ODD. He goes to a special school and he is doing really great because of the help in his focus and anger management by his medication.

A DR my daughter had once told me AD/HD is a imbalance in the brain. This imbalance has no cure or "quick fix". I don't think "one medication fits most" and every child is "wired" differently. Good Luck and stay positive and hopeful that you will find something that just works for your child. There has to be something out there so stay positive.

Suzie

Joan - posted on 11/18/2009

Any advise for someone who is on a med the it just suddenly stops working even if the dose is increased it does not work?

Joan - posted on 11/18/2009

If your not sure get a second opinion or a phsychological evaluation which will give you a clearer picture. My son was diagnosed at 4 with ADHD and well lets just say there were other issues going on and my dr was so focused on the ADHD that he did not focus on the other issues I had told him about (his words), the evaluation also helps him in treating my son who has PDD in which Asbergers has not been ruled out, a mood disorder (bipolar not ruled out) adjustment disorder, sleep disorder all along with ADHD. The right diagnosis will help you, the school and DRs learn better ways to help him. Everyone is quick to diagnose ADHD even though the symtoms practically mirror several other diagnosis.

Sherry - posted on 11/18/2009

my son has ADHD and he had trouble finding a med that would work for him. Just keep trying eventually you will find one that works.

Sharina - posted on 11/18/2009

Have you tried Stratera? It's a non stimulant that has helped one of my ADHD children. The rest(yep the rest...5 out of 9) are on different stimulants ie. Metadate CD, Adderal, Concerta...none of the stimulants helped my non-stimulant taker, they actually made him aggressively violent. The stimulants amazingly helped the others though! It goes to show they are all individuals. With one child it took six months to find the right med, so don't give up!

Ljubica - posted on 11/18/2009

Hi there,

I'm a pharmacy instructor and a marketing exec for a health and wellness company, so my specialty is in drugs and supplements... I'm not a doctor, so I do not diagnose...



I've read all the responses so far, and everyone seems to be well informed. The only discrepancy, and I mean no disrespect to those who believe this to be true, is the theory that if ADHD meds don't work, then the child does not have ADHD.

ADHD medication comes in different strengths, formulations, absorbency rates... What works for one child, won't necessarily work for another child. This is why there are so many different medications available to ADHDers. Many parents go through the frustration of trying to find the right med, and when they do, it doesn't last. Then they have to find another drug, and another drug and another drug... It's really frustrating.

Many of us struggle not medicating our children, because we hear of all the bad things that can happen, all the bad side effects. Some of us decide after a while to give medication a try and then spank ourselves for not giving our babies the medication sooner.

To medicate or not to medicate is such a hard thing to decide. My son Dayton, who turns 8 in February, has been diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, OCD, global delays and is currently being observed for autism. I've tried the non medication approach, then tried the medication approach, then tried the supplement approach and the diet approach... What I can tell you is this...

Try the natural supplementation and diet first. Clean your home of all toxins and go green. This WILL help. If it's not enough, then you may have to turn to pharmacotherapeutics. It sucks, and no one wants to be judged for medicating their child, but sometimes it must be done for their own good. We must compare the pro's and con's of medication in order to make that decision, no differently than a cancer patient receiving chemotherapy. Chemo is poison, yet we inject this poison into patients to give them a better quality of life. The benefits outweigh the risks. If our children had diabetes, we would give them a shot of insulin, and no one would judge us for that. ADHD is a condition that sometimes requires meds.

Now as for what meds to give your child, this is something that unfortunately you will have to work with your pediatrician to figure out the best drug and dose for your child. There are meds that help with concentration and then different meds that have no ritalin in them that help control impulse issues. It is all a matter of what needs the priority attention.

If you have questions about a certain drug, or supplements, feel free to message me, and I'll do what I can to help.



Consider yourself hugged!



Lou

Lisa - posted on 11/17/2009

After reading all the side affects of the various medications...I almost feel that him having a focusing problem is not such a bad thing. Also if any of the side affects, such as hair loss or tremors were brought on by the medication...I would feel terrible!

Lisa - posted on 11/17/2009

Thank you for responding. My son was diagnosed with ADHD Combined as well. The Drs. gave him Concerta, Focalinxr, and a pschiatrist just perscribed mehtylin. He's had more anxiety with all of them. I feel he does have some underlying behavior. Which is anxiety and maybe bipolar. Unfoortuantely he had a terrible reaction to all the meds. he was very anxious, and literly freaking out. In fact he had 2.5mg of methylin on Sat. at 8:00am and had a mental breakdown Monday around 6:00pm. he said that his finger was on fire and wanted it off his hand! So, I'm really done with the perscribed meds!!! I just read about herbal alternatives. People have had good results with Vit B, Omega 3, Lemon Balm, and a list of other herbs. I just bought a product that has al these and more. If it works I will post it for other frustrated parents.

 

 

 

 

Quoting Joyce:

My son is 9 years old and has the ADHD combid (attention defecit, hyperactivity, and impulse control issues). We tried to go without medicine.. That was not fun... We tried GFCF with him and it didn't do a thing, our child with autism made many improvements and he still on that diet, but Jeremy we just didn't see real change. We tried changing other things. The things you must look at is is there an UNDERLYING condition with ADHD the biggest ones to test for are Anxiety Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, Depressions, and ODD.
Our son was at UCLA and was in the ADHD clinic with their testing which last 6 hours, and confirmed the doctors diagnosis of ADHD but with anxiety disorder. IT turned out that you do have to determine which medicine is best for your child. Concerta was exacerbating his problem making him more emotional and more prone to aggreesive behaviors. WE were pumping him full of fish oils and vitamin b.. We took him off and put him on Vyvanse at 40 mg.... Huge improvement in school, literally 180, improvment in memory, improvment in impulse. Best part mood swings have dissapeared, sleep time is much more manageable he crashes between 8:30 and 9pm now, and his coming off the medicine is the best. There are no more aggressive behaviors. His anxiety is still there so we have been able to put him on a much lower dose of fish oils (500mg) a day now and he is down to 200mg of vitamin b complex.

So please have him tested to see his underlying condition that rides with ADHD. Found out through pediatrician that ADHD rarely runs by itself.