child with adhd

Donna - posted on 01/10/2010

My son has been on all of the current meds for ADHD and we were having some problems. Had talked about harming self and had some OCD problems concerning insects (flies). He has been on Focalin for going on three years and is doing well. The thoughts have decreased and appetite is fair. Focalin still has some effect on his appetite, but when I use to give him a choice in eating he would often reply that he was not hungry. At meal time I do not give him a choice and tell him that it is time to eat...at times he will finish his meal and often after meds wear off, he has a second meal. His grades are fluctuatiing but am not sure if related to age (10) or the ADHD. He has a IQ of 114 and a eleventh grade reading and comprehension level. Have you had him tested for problems other than ADHD? We deal with a psych doctor instead of a regular doctor,,,you may want one that specializes in children with these problems, this is what are doc is. We also deal with a therapist for my son to discuss his concerns and thoughts. Hope some of this helped.

Cassandra - posted on 01/09/2010

My daughter has adhd, and anxiety disorder, sleep problems and bipolar. She has a hard time with the ADHD medications, she gets sick to her stomach and tends to get pains alot. we've tried many different meds and are currently on Metadate. I didn't medicate her right away because her teachers is K and !st really worked with her by allowing her to stand and take breaks. However once she hit 2nd grade, well that's when the problems started and medication was a must for the ADHD. You need to keep in touch with the dr's and try to research anything you can that may or may not help, but always check before you change things. I know trying to get through proper dosage is a pain and sometimes certain meds just don't work and you have to try again. I'm not pro medication just for the sake of drugging kids, but I am pro medication when a child obviously needs the help and cannot funtion properly without it. Good luck with everything, make sure you have a support system for yourself and your child, it makes a difference to have people there with you while you work through things.

Tia - posted on 01/09/2010

I toally understand my daughter was diagnosed ADHD in the second grade! The only reason the conversation was even brought up is because her teacher isADD.How cool is that !!!!!! Someone who will advocate along side of me.concerta does not seem to work too well and she has sleeping problems also,I don't want to medicate my child to the point where she is a zombie and still have to deal with ALOT of behaviors after her meds wear off.I work very closely with her dr. and teacher.If it wasn't for her teacher I think I would have gone crazy by now! My older daughter is adhd also,which is why I thought I just had a child with behavioral issuses NOT THE CASE.I was used to alot of the symptoms and just didn't know.I have a rule for eating because that is a side affect of her meds that she has to eat 5 bites of everything on her plate! Her teacher helps out greatly with this when she is at school.

Tarika - posted on 01/07/2010

There is an excellent book: Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids : Third Edition by Timothy E. Wilens, Timothy E. Wilens. It really helps parents to undersand the need to try different medications and what each medication is supposed to target. My son went through something similar, but he has a really good psychiatrist.

Nicole - posted on 01/04/2010

Tammy,
I know what you are talking about. Dylan has done this a few times, but not to his little sister yet....I am waiting for him to do this. He also has delays so sometimes not sure if it's his delays or if it's his adhd/odd. We work with him on it and about it. Right now he is currently take Vyvanse 50 for his adhd...it is I think like adderal and he takes Risperdal .05mgs 1 1/2 pills 2x's a day and the risperdal is to conter react the vyvanse so it will give him an appitate and help him sleep at night, but he still get's up in the middle of the night. Witch we have found out if we put the locks on he can't watch tv, but he's figured out that he can watch a dvd or play on the wii....lol They find their way around it.
Another thing you can do is take away something that he really likes to do or play with. Dylan has Didj and he loves playing that. He hasn't had it since sat because of the way he's talked to me and him not listening and talking back.
He will get a chance to get it back tomorrow unless he has it in his room since he does that well by doing that.
Another thing if they don't call you the next day don't wait for them to call you call them back and if they don't have an answer for you wait a day and then go down to the doc's office and tell them your not leaving till you get an asnwer. Remember you are your child's best advacate and you know what is best for your child....

Nicole

Tammy - posted on 01/04/2010

i also have a 9 yo daughter who has been hospitalized in child psychiatric units 4 times,she currently is in a treatment learning school after behaviors in a normal school and self contained classroom failed, she has been aggressive woith teachers classmates and her own siblings. I am currently applying for an ICG grant in hopes to get resedential placement for my daughter for extensive psychotherapy. she has been tried on different meds and none seemed to work she currently takes geodon which helps a little,she has good days and bad,and my 7 yo is explosive not towards people but at things if he thinks he cant do it,or doesnt want to. he is taking stratterra with little help from it I dont want him taking stimulant meds as ritalin,metadate d/t causes decreased appetite,and he doesnt eat well now,he dont eat at school and beleives they will poison him, he sees a pediatrician but they are very poor at calling me back so its weeks after i have called them several times to get back to me so I don't know i have tried behavior modification like giving him a shower ring with little white tokens to put around it for good behaviors, ect...maybe i should incorporate that again,,,,thanks for all your ideas i appreciate them

Tammy - posted on 01/04/2010

Quoting Nicole:

Call your doc right away and let them know what is going on. I am in very good contact with my son's doctor that does his meds. I am always calling him weather it be weekly, every two weeks, or monthly but always calling giving them updates. My son takes vyvanse for his adhd. He also takes risperdal also for his adhd. He also sounds like he has ODD also. My son has sever adhd along with odd. He does great when he takes his meds. At times I can tell if he takes them and when his meds start to wear off on him. If you fell that it's not working call so that they know. You should be able to tell in a day or two or three if it's working. Sometimes it don't take that long with some kids. I do know how frustrating it is. My mom didn't want my son on ritilan for what it did with a couple of my brothers, but you could tell a difference when my son was on it compared to them. He has been on several different meds and so far we see that the vyvanse is working better than the other meds where. Good luck. Hope this helps a little.

Nicole
dylan (07/02/99 developmentally delayed, sever adhd,odd, gerd, very picky eater, mr, ld, speech and more)
phoebe (06/04/04 speech, complex partial seizures, generalized seizures)

Misty - posted on 01/01/2010

I know u dont want your child on medications but Lamictal has been around for awhile also my son is on Abilify and that has worked. How old is ur son? Most medications have side effects you have to weigh the pros and cons and i will share one thing with you. My son is 14 and he knows he is different and that alone hurts me. He does know that the meds help him tho so now he takes them. He is on 4 twice a day.

Anita - posted on 12/31/2009

my son is 13 and was diagnosed adhd at 6. we started him on concerta ,which didn't work. the dr. then put him on adderall xr 5 mg. within a few days, his behavior and focus were greatly improved. we go to the dr. every 2 months when there are no med changes and every month when there are. at 13, my son is taking 25 mg. a day. he also is seeing a therapist who is helping him learn to control the adhd so that he may be able to come off the meds completely. every child is different. you just need to figure out what your child needs most.

Andrea - posted on 12/31/2009

Hi tammy, concerta and ritalin are the same, concerta is slow release and is suitable for moderate behaviour, ritalin is more suited to short treatments ie during the school hours, all medications vary from person to person, your specialist should discuss dosage with you as he could be on too much or not enough. Something we found that helped is finding something he excels at, unlucky for us it was sports so spent a fortune on sports club but it gave him an outlet and he he is now at college doing outwardbound with adhd. It could be anything from playing with cars, drawing, sports drama etc, he's a very special chap just with lots of emotion, please see your GP and see if social services provide play schemes and support, they can be pretty useless at times but worth trying also try adhd websites for local contacts good luck

Shelia - posted on 12/31/2009

Quoting Melodee:

It is so hard to know what to do with your kids. My son is now 10 years old. He flunked 1st grade and then he was started on medication. We have had him on several over the years, it is hard to find the right fit for them. He is currently on Stratera and is doing sooo much better. Even people that don't know he is on medicine have comments about him being more social, talking to them and is more happy. The only thing with Stratera is it is costing me $155.00 a month because my insurance won't pay for it since it doesn't come in a generic form. It is difficult to pay that each month but I have to make the sacrafic because he is a better kid and is passing in school and just seems happier. He isn't eating as much as I think he should but he is not underweight according to what his doctor keeps track of him with the growth chart. He is a skinny kid but he eats enough that he is gaining weight and growing taller. But the cost!!! Any advise with that?

Check with the drug company who make Stratera and see if they offer a program to help with the cost of the medications.  The are sometimes called MAP (Medicine Assistance Programs).  This can help with some of the cost.  good luck

Erin - posted on 12/31/2009

I have a seven year old that was having the same problems with the same meds. When I took him back to the doctor they did some more testing and came back to telling me that he has a boarderline mood disorder as well. They prescribed Risperidal in its lowest dose that he takes twice a day. It definantly made a big difference for him. He went from throwing chairs and trying to tip over bookshelves to your average kindergardener. ( He was in kindergarten when this all began.) I'm not going to lie and say that he dosen't sometimes still have tempertantrums and other small issues but nothing the same as before. He was highly agressive anytime he didn't agree with what was going on and know he will likely let you know that he doesn't agree and be upset but dosen't take it over the top any more.

Danielle - posted on 12/29/2009

Tammy,
I was wondering do you have an IEP(Individual Education Plan) for your son? In these you can work with the teacher, administrators, and your son together to try and find what works best for him. For example my son is 8 and in third grade and his teacher has found if he lets him stand up and walk around his own desk this helps him to focus more and he retains more in class. The teach has just seperated my sons desk so this walking doesn't distract other students. You might find if you sit down with your son ans his teacher that you can come up with something that helps him more. If it is not wanting to eat lunch maybe you can have it set that he can go down and help the lunchroom make a special tray for him.
For my son we have also set up a system where his teacher gives us daily updates on his behavior...we use smiley faces. Two smiley faces means he had a really good day, one smile and one frown means it was an ok day but there were some slight issues, and two frowns means a really bad day. At the end of the week if there are mostly smiles we do something special like get icecream or something.
We started with Straterra teo years ago and after several months my son was not eating and sleeping yet he was a zombie during the day. We changed to Concerta and I love it because it really works well for us even though it is a stimulant. Have you checked with the doctor to make sure you have the correct dose for your son? The answer could be as simple as dosage yet it could be other things also. You may want to talk with a counselor on his behavior to make sure there isn't an underlying issue that could be fixed with other methods. Also you might want to look into diet options. I have found red dye to be very bad in the ADHD child, it seems to send them for a loop. You might also look into going gluten free. I know this will be many things your son can't eat, but if that is the fix let me tell you it is well worth it.
With the agitation, I would talk to your doctor NOW these side effects are not good and you need to work with your doctor to fix it ASAP. If your doctor seems to not want to listen I would look into finding one that is more specialized in working with ADHD children. Our doctor has us do a one month recheck with him everytime something is altered with my son's medication just to make sure all is working well for him, if things are not going well he will alter the dosage or whatever needs to be done and we will give it another month.
I wish you the best of luck, and I hope things quiet down soon for yours and your son's sake.

Danielle - posted on 12/29/2009

Quoting Melodee:

It is so hard to know what to do with your kids. My son is now 10 years old. He flunked 1st grade and then he was started on medication. We have had him on several over the years, it is hard to find the right fit for them. He is currently on Stratera and is doing sooo much better. Even people that don't know he is on medicine have comments about him being more social, talking to them and is more happy. The only thing with Stratera is it is costing me $155.00 a month because my insurance won't pay for it since it doesn't come in a generic form. It is difficult to pay that each month but I have to make the sacrafic because he is a better kid and is passing in school and just seems happier. He isn't eating as much as I think he should but he is not underweight according to what his doctor keeps track of him with the growth chart. He is a skinny kid but he eats enough that he is gaining weight and growing taller. But the cost!!! Any advise with that?

Hi Melodee,

I saw your issue in paying for the meds your child needs and wanted to give you a couple things to try. First off have you talked with your insurance and told them this is something your child needs and even if there is no generic offered you need it? Also you might want to think about one of the mail companies. Does your insurance participate in any of the meds by mail companies? I have found one we can participate in that is the same amount for 90 days as I would pay for 30 days at my local pharmacy.  I was a little leary about using an in the mail pharmacy at first, but I called the makers of Straterra and they assured me the company I was using does infact get the medication from them.

Another option you might want to try is calling Lilly (the makers of the drug) and see if they might work something out with you. My mom is a padiactric nurse and she gave me this idea because they have some patients that do it. My mom's advice was call the company directly and tell them your situation and sometimes they will help you find programs to help cover the cost of their medication.

I also have a friend that has health insurance but the copays are too high for her to get her son's medications so she has enrolled him in medicaid to help ease the burden of those copays. From what I understand they will help you cover some of that cost so it isn't so hard on you.

I just looked on the Eli Lilly website and found a page where they have programs that will help patients with money problems obtain their drugs. Go check out this page and see if any of the programs they offer may be of help to you

http://www.lilly.com/responsibility/serv...

If none of those work you can navigate around and find contact information for the company.

I hope some of this might help you out, I know how much of a monetary strain these ADHD medications are for some of us.

Best of luck to you!

Danielle

Andrea - posted on 12/29/2009

My boys also take melatonin at night to help them sleep as recommended by the doctor instead of a prescription. He says this works better sometimes so they arent as groggy.....it works for me but doesnt mean everyone....make sure to talk to doc first

Andrea - posted on 12/29/2009

I know tis is a problem with these medications. One month I paid over $220 for thier medication...but I calld the doc and told him we had to do something different so it was affordable...even with insurance

Andrea - posted on 12/29/2009

I would always recommend talking to your dsoctor......all I was saying is this is the medication that worked for my boys. both did drop some weight and it was a concern ad I did call the doctor who I am in constant contact with. Most of the stimulants used to be used to suppress the appitite. Do what you need to do and keep in contact with your doctor so you are soing the right thing fdor your child. Doing checking on your own doesnt hurt either so you are well informed. My kids see the doc every 6 months for a check to make sure we are on the right course! Take care

Tina - posted on 12/29/2009

hi. i am wondering if your son is also takiing catapress? my 7 yo has 1/2 a catapress at night to help him settle and sleep. Jerell is on the Concerta and was on 27mg in the hope to bring his appetite up, but it hasn't so his dosage was lowered to 18mg with 1/2 a catapress in the morning as well.. i am wondering if this may help??

Stacey - posted on 12/28/2009

This is to Melodee, have you tried contacting the maker of Strattera-Eli Lilly? Most of the time, you can contact them and they can send you coupons for money off towards your prescriptions, some have rx cards to give you help and so on. Some have eligibility requirements and some don't. Also try the prescription helper sites too. Just google Help Paying For Strattera and there's all kinds of sites available. You might ask your doctor too. Sometimes the drug companies will send coupons and incentives to them to give out to their patients. Sometimes it can be a lot of digging and paperwork to go through but well worth the effort! I got an rx card once from the manufacturer of one of our medicines that paid the whole price of the rx for 6 months after I got laid off from my job and my son's rx was $250 every month!! We also got coupons one time form our dr for $50 off of a couple of prescriptions. Anything helps. Good luck and happy hunting! Hope this helps.

Melodee - posted on 12/28/2009

It is so hard to know what to do with your kids. My son is now 10 years old. He flunked 1st grade and then he was started on medication. We have had him on several over the years, it is hard to find the right fit for them. He is currently on Stratera and is doing sooo much better. Even people that don't know he is on medicine have comments about him being more social, talking to them and is more happy. The only thing with Stratera is it is costing me $155.00 a month because my insurance won't pay for it since it doesn't come in a generic form. It is difficult to pay that each month but I have to make the sacrafic because he is a better kid and is passing in school and just seems happier. He isn't eating as much as I think he should but he is not underweight according to what his doctor keeps track of him with the growth chart. He is a skinny kid but he eats enough that he is gaining weight and growing taller. But the cost!!! Any advise with that?

Peggy - posted on 12/28/2009

My daughter takes Concerta, it was the only one of her many tries with new drugs that worked. It is very hard when their younger, (my daughter was severe with ADHD) but now that she is 18, its much better. I would keep talking to the doctor, keeping a journal of trigger foods/situations. My daughter reacted badly to caffiene, certain candy, red dye and large crowds, she avoids these things now. The paranoia indicates something more, please dont give up, I knows its a hard battle, but it can be won. Good luck to both of you.

Stacey - posted on 12/28/2009

I agree with a lot of the other moms on here. If you are seeing things in your child that aren't right you should call your dr immediately. There are too many medications out there to just settle for the one they put them on at the time. Being more aggressive, paranoid, or even suicidal is not something to mess around with. Call your dr. They need to know how it is effecting your child. They won't know unless you tell them.
I know how you feel though. My son was put on medication at the age of 4 and we have been through most of them for ADHD. Some worked wonders while others bombed miserably. He metabolizes them fairly quickly as well so what works now, may not keep working for a long period of time. He is on Vyvance now and it has worked really well for us. He only takes it once a day so he doesn't have to go to the nurse at school or anything to take the meds at other times in the day. That's the best thing we did! We still have problems with grades due to not wanting to do the work but I think that is in part a teenager thing too! He hasn't been in trouble at school in years though so that's a plus.
I just wanted to say that no matter how hard it gets, don't give up. It is a long road of ups and downs especially when you are trying to find a medication that works for you and your child but you will get there. :)

Heather - posted on 12/27/2009

My son is 7 and has been on adderall, straterra, and ritalin. We tried many combinations and dosages over a period of about a year. I took him off everything in October because the side effects were not worth any benefit he was getting. It sounds very similar to your son. He was extremely aggitated, aggressive, didn't eat... It felt like we were teetering on the edge of disaster all the time! He is currently taking nothing. He is a very 'bouncy' child, but he is my happy boy again. We are starting all over and he will be completely re-evaluated again in January. My feeling about these types of meds is NO. I have been working on his diet. It is a slow process, but we are making progress. After his evaluation, I plan to start on some supplements. More of a holistic approach. I wish I had more concrete answers for you. It is a work in progress. Don't give up! Your son is counting on you. It is hard and it is frustrating, but you can do it! I have found it incredibly frustrating that the doctors are so driven by the pharmaceutical companies. This is their field of expertise and how they advise you. Do your research. Find someone who can give you a different perspective. My son and yours seem to be similar in how they react to these stimulants. My opinion is to stop the meds and look for another approach. Best of luck to you.

Robyn - posted on 12/27/2009

You need to keep in mind that what worked (or didn't work) for one of your children may not necessarily be the same for the other. My sons reacted completely different on medications for their ADHD. Where one son wouldn't eat, the other was fine. Where one was depressed, the other was not. It all depends on the child. Talk with your doctor and decide what is the best action, but keep in mind that a trial with you monitoring it carefully may just be the best way to go.

Andrea - posted on 12/26/2009

Just wanted to say that the boys are on a low dose of methylin ER. It is hard at times to have patience and we all need to come together and form support as we all need it or feel like we are going insane!

Andrea - posted on 12/26/2009

Hi Tammy! Both my boys have ADHD and are on stimulants. I think it is a personal choice but I think it works so well for my kids..or adleast during school. I did have the boys on a non-stimulant and it seemed like it did nothing or made them worse. I had to make the decision to put the boys on a low dose of stimulant so it does what it is supposed to do. My doctor is all for what I want and will support me on what I want within his personal opinion as well. My boys are almost 9 and 7. How old are yours? When they come off their medication they can get a little hyper in which the doctor has warned me about. Dont give upand talk to your doctor again. Being a mo with kids that have ADHD are that much more hardeer to work with at times but can be manageable to make THEM more happy. Please resond or I can give you my phone number if you wanted to call me.
Andrea

Sherrie - posted on 12/26/2009

My son is on Strattera and it has worked wonders for him. Please just give it a little more time. My son is almost ten and he has been on stimulants, non stimulants, and it took a while to get him stableized each time. This school year he started having some issues on just the Strattera with incessant talking in class, so our med provider started him on a low dose of Metadate CDin addition to the Strattera and it has much improved his school behaviors. I know that different things work for different kids but just wanted to let you know what has worked so far for us.

Chris - posted on 12/26/2009

I would defnteley call your childs doctor ASAP or behavior spealist and have him seen today.You are his mother and know your child better than anyone and when you know something is wrong, don't wait take him now.. I'm very new to this, and so glad to come across this sight. I think we all can learn from one anothers expierences.

My son also takes Concerta and gets adgitated very easily and his agiatation seems to be severe if I don't give him his medicine on the weekend.

I have heard other parents say that while taking stratterra there son or daughter won't eat. I hope you get some answers! Good Luck!

Shelia - posted on 12/25/2009

My son was on stratterra and had the same issues. I was also worried about putting him on stimulant meds. Out of frustration and also seeing his self esteem going down because he was being labled a "problem child" in school my husband and I started him on Vyvanse. This is a stimulant but it is a 12 hour acting one. He has been on it for 3 weeks now and there has been such a HUGE improvement in him. And thank heavens he has been happier than he has been in a long long time. We are having the side effect of not wanting to eat so we are giving him multivits and the boost kids essential to make sure he gets his nutriants. I also try to make some of his favorite foods to encourage him to eat. The improvement of his classroom behavior and the increase of his self esteem is worth the extra fight to get him to eat.

I was afraid to get my son on the stimulants for over two years and because of that I keep him on medications that were undermedicating my son. I would highly suggest working with a counsler of sorts to help you and provide you some comfort in choosing what will work best for you both. This has been a saving grace in our family.

Georgette - posted on 12/25/2009

My oldest son started on aderall XR, (time released) for his ADHD the during the middle of his grade 1 year at school. Before we started him on it he was in the office at school everyday, at least once and he had several times when I was called to pick him up from school because of his aggressiveness toward both the teachers and kids in his class. After 2 weeks on the medications, there was significant changes. That was about a year ago and since then he's only had behavours at school 3 times in total. I didn't really want him to be on medications at first because I was afraid he wouldn't be the same kid, but now I see he's the same little boy just less hyper than he was before. He can now sit and watch a whole movie, he loves writing stories and painting and he's able to play with his little brother without being too rough. As for the medication affecting his eating, I will agree that the first few weeks there was a definite decrease in the amount he ate everyday but there wasn't any weight lose when we went for our follow up. And now after a year he's grown so much his tall for age and his just about average. Something else we did to help him is we got him an XBox 360 and some kids video games. It's increased his concentration and the controllers have helped him with his writing skills. Our next thing to do is get him into an after school activity either swimming or karate.
I know things must be frustrating and I hope things get better for you soon. It just takes time and trial-and-error to figure out what works best for him.

Michelle - posted on 12/25/2009

this is to tammy carrico , my son andrew is adhd as well he's 10 now . my best advice to you is to keep him very ocupied !! he has a lot of energy ! concerta and all those other meds just calm one thing and aggravate another . i moved out of chicago and now i live in cali. and he did a 360 in everthing !! he's been of meds for 2 years even tho he dint take it for more than 2 years ... his school is very active they have recess p.e. twice a week and they really make the kids play and run and burn a lot of energy ! plus he goes outside and plays everyday in chicago he couldnt do to the winter time so he would drive us insane !!! but moving somewhere warm was the best thing we did for him !!!!

Robin - posted on 12/24/2009

Sometimes In think the medical society wants us to think our children are sick so they can be medicated in order for the doctors to get kick-backs from the pharmaceutical companies. At 2, I recognized that my son was different from his older 4 siblings. At 4, I attempted to get a medical opinion. His father and several family members accused me of wanting him "medicated", because I couldn't handle him. Looking back I now think that maybe he was one of those children who needed something different. Some children respond well to an active, regimented lifestyle. Try sports, change his foods, maybe a vegetarian diet, lots of fruit and beggie snacks on hand at any time. Sometimes all they want or need is for us to drop out daily grind and sit down and play with them. I think the world spins way too fast for most kids, and there are way too many "toys" out there. Kids were so much better back in the days of hopscotch, jump rope, and mudpies. Do kids now even know how to make a mudpie? And on the flip side... over active children seem to respond to video games. Where they cannot even begin to focus on any part of their life, put them in front of a video game and that is where you will find them hours later. I once thought my son had ADHD and no one would listen to me. Finally, at the age of 15, he was put on Concerta and then Adderall. Those changed his moods for a short time. He did best on Lithium... for anxiety... but was changed to Abilify because the Llithium affected his thyroid. (no surprise there as I, my 2 sisters, my mom, and 2 of my daughters all have thyroid issues) Now 20, he is not on any medication, is grossly overweight, and still has issues with behavior and anxiety. Oh, and when he IS playing a video game... he is the most awesome kid ever! I guess what I am saying is... maybe your child does not have ADHD. Maybe the world is just one beg scary place and he needs so slow down a little and just be a kid.

Chrissy - posted on 12/23/2009

i know it seems frustrating right now but it will get better... My son is ADD and it took us awhile before we found the right meds for him.. He is 19 now and is doing pretty good.. we have taught him how to "control" his condition with repetition and at times he can go without his meds... dont give up..

Pat - posted on 12/23/2009

My son is on Foclan and it has helped so much. we have tried other meds. with little help but the new med has helped so much that he grades or very good and the teacher says that it takes about 1/2 hour to get him settle to do his class work but once he is settled the day goes good. It was so bad that in pre-K program at school I had to pick him up alot and he even was kid out one time for 3 days. on this meds he eats better then before but still not that good but by 7pm he is starving so he eats must of the time late at night. the med help so much that if we forget to give it to him the school call and ask if he has had his med you can tell that much of a difference in him.

Christie - posted on 12/23/2009

I had the same experience with my 9 y/o son when first starting meds. We tried about everything on the market and settled on Vyvanse for almost 2 years now. Yes it is a stimulant med, and yes it squashed his appetite for awhile. But he has adjusted and now eats everything in sight and is growing again. He cannot function without it. Meds have their drawbacks, but the psychological well-being of my child is well worth it for my child. He functions at a very high level now. I was you at one point, struggling over the same issues as you at first, but once I saw the change in my child after medicating, I can't imagine what would have happened if we wouldn't have gone that route for him. It isn't right for everyone, but it certainly was for my son. We had tried behavior modification therapy for over a year, I changed my work schedule to be able to focus on him more, as did my husband. None of it made a difference until we started the Vyvanse.

Amy - posted on 12/22/2009

Don't give up. I will say an extra prayer. My Daughter is 6. She has ADHA, ODD, mood disorder and a sevear LD. Somtimes unfortunitly it is not a side effect. I would tell the Dr. right away about the paranoid, suspicious, behaviors. My Daughtor was on Seraquil. I hated the fact she had to take it. But she was physically hurting her 1yr old brother and me. We have changed meds to Respiradol. What a differance. She takes it along with ADHD meds. This is an ongoing thing. I am her advocat. I don't want her to be treated any different. She is doing fantastic in school. Not physical with any one in the house. Sorry for rambaling. My point is maybe it is not only ADHD.
Good Luck.

Nicole - posted on 12/22/2009

Call your doc right away and let them know what is going on. I am in very good contact with my son's doctor that does his meds. I am always calling him weather it be weekly, every two weeks, or monthly but always calling giving them updates. My son takes vyvanse for his adhd. He also takes risperdal also for his adhd. He also sounds like he has ODD also. My son has sever adhd along with odd. He does great when he takes his meds. At times I can tell if he takes them and when his meds start to wear off on him. If you fell that it's not working call so that they know. You should be able to tell in a day or two or three if it's working. Sometimes it don't take that long with some kids. I do know how frustrating it is. My mom didn't want my son on ritilan for what it did with a couple of my brothers, but you could tell a difference when my son was on it compared to them. He has been on several different meds and so far we see that the vyvanse is working better than the other meds where. Good luck. Hope this helps a little.



Nicole

dylan (07/02/99 developmentally delayed, sever adhd,odd, gerd, very picky eater, mr, ld, speech and more)

phoebe (06/04/04 speech, complex partial seizures, generalized seizures)