How old when diagnosed with ADHD and Medications?

Neslihan - posted on 01/13/2012

Things are very different in turkey, neither the child psychologists, nor the parents or even the teachers favor medication use here. And doctors do not hurry to diagnose ADHD until after the 1st grade, so I am pretty surprised to hear some children are diagnosed at the age of 3 there. I try to remember my son when he was 3 and only thing I remember is he was an adorable kid and I was an inexperienced happy mother who accepted the kid as he was. I always thought that he was more active than many other kids and I was always proud of it and it never disturbed me. He was the higher climber on the monkey bars, he was the fastest runner in many games, he was full of energy and I was watching him with a smiling face until he was 5. It was only when he started a British kindergarden that they named it, they called us a couple of times to complain about his not writing the whole page etc..which I found quite silly since here in Turkey we do not expect children to start writing unntil they are 7. He was doing perfect academically started reading in English and speaking fluent English in 4 months. But there was too much pressure on him by the teacher she was always writing notes on his notebook like,'you are a lazy boy,etc...' Which I could not put up so I took him immediately out of that school. But I was quite confused by the complaints of the teacher so I brought him to a kid psychiatrist and she said that he had some symptoms but he was too young to be tested. Just gave us many exercise books to improve his concentration to be done together daily. And said that it was enough, and no medication was suggested. When he was 7 complaints about his class behaviour was going on from time to time so I brought him to another psychiatrist and again no test no diagnose, a couple of neurobiofeedback sessions, more exercise books to be solved, some fish oil supplements and plenty of love and patience... Well ADHD is a fact today but it was not 15 years ago and we still had those kids in every class and life was easier for them when they were not labeled as something but been accepted as the way they were. Now looking back at my childhood or many people around me probably most of us had ADHD or ADD at least, and had some bad times and also good times at the school. Our parents had more time and patience so had our teachers and life was easier for us.

Kelly - posted on 01/11/2012

My daughter was 4 when I asked for her to be evaluated and she Started meds around 5 very low dose just to make life manageable for her And us. at that age we also used 123 Magic Behavior system as well as counseling. Consult with your Neurologist and see what his take is. Ther are non stimulant meds that may work for your child

Jennifer - posted on 01/10/2012

we knew when we adopted ds that he had issues (nice way to say multiple diagnoses), but we waited until he was in school full-time before we medicated him. He was officially diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, ODD and FASD at the age of 4 and after almost 4 months we found a combination of Adderall and Clonidine that work for him. We have had to adjust the dosage for him since he started the meds (it has now been 2 years)...I always thought that I would not medicate any child of mine, but it really is for his health and well being that he uses it! I have grown along with him during these past 6 years! good luck with your son, keep talking to the doctor and us to help with your sanity! I truly know how much work children with special needs take!

Tanya - posted on 01/09/2012

My middle child also was diagnosed with it at 5 years old. I knew something was wrong because I used to tell myself he never got over the terrible 2's phase. They wouldnt test him until he started KG though b/c they needed a school'ls opinion also. The school saw exactly what I saw & now he is on medications. We are still in the trying meds process and its so stressful at times :(

Tanya - posted on 01/09/2012

My middle child also was diagnosed with it at 5 years old. I knew something was wrong because I used to tell myself he never got over the terrible 2's phase. They wouldnt test him until he started KG though b/c they needed a schools opinion also. The school saw exactly what I saw & now he is on medications. We are still in the trying meds process and its so stressful at times :(

Tanya - posted on 01/09/2012

My middle child also was diagnosed with it at 5 years old. I knew something was wrong because I used to tell myself he never got over the terrible 2's phase. They wouldnt test him until he started KG though b/c they needed a schoo'ls opinion also. The school saw exactly what I saw & now he is on medications. We are still in the trying meds process and its so stressful at times :(

Tanya - posted on 01/09/2012

My middle child also was diagnosed with it at 5 years old. I knew something was wrong because I used to tell myself he never got over the terrible 2's phase. They wouldnt test him until he started KG though b/c they needed a schoo's opinion also. The school saw exactly what I saw & now he is on medications. We are still in the trying meds process and its so stressful at times :(

Sandra - posted on 01/04/2012

My middle son was dxed with ADHD/Autistic traits @ 4.5yrs of age and medicated because he was violent towards others at the time. We knew he had issues as his older brother is high functioning autistic, but as his behaviour was very different we didn't know for sure til we took him to the developmental paediatrician. We tried him on Dexamphetamine which worked quite well, then Ritalin to see if it made a difference but it only made him cheekier, so went back to the Dex. He came off all meds around the age of 9 as he has really good self control at school (we're in Australia) and is nearly 12 now altho there are some challenging behaviours at home still. Go with your gut instinct re meds and be prepared to give different ones a try as the first one or two may not have much effect or may have negative effects. Good luck.

Ashley - posted on 08/20/2009

I just found out this past year that my 7 year old had ADHD. It was horrible through school, kindergarten was horrible, 1st grade was horrible and none of the teachers or counslers never said anything not even a suggestion?! then second grade started this past year and again troubles so his teacher suggested doing his basic leasons in 1st grade, which did well, but he was still very hyper and acting out if he didn't know answers and so forth. So my daughter started taking dance classes and one of the other mothers would bring her son and we waited in the waiting area and the kids would do their homework... I soon noticed that her sons behaviors were very similar mine?! she soon told me that her son had ADHD. My sons ADHD I think is rather mild because at home he doesnt really bother me, I mean he gets in trouble and he is definately a boy, but I grew up with a brother that was mean and always in trouble so I thought probably normal. {i think my brother had adhd too, but was never diagnosed} So I brought it up to the teacher and she agreed with me and we took some test and he scored very high on which was bad, then i took the results to the docter who doesn't believe in meds but the organic way or diet changes and such~ but that was way too expensive and i made an appointment for meds this next week, and I can not wait to see the BIG difference this is going to make in his life and mine:)

Jestine - posted on 08/20/2009

I am also having problems with this. My daughter is 3 years old, will be 4 on Sept. 23. I was to the point that I was crying myself to sleep because I felt that her behaviors were my fault. After talking with her doctor, they decided that having her tested is the best thing. She is still in the testing phase because of a missed appointment, but we hope to find out soon. They believe she has ADD, ADHD, and possible BiPolar. It's so hard when you feel like you have no where else to go. But like my mom says, the medicine will not only help your child, it will help you too! (She went through it with my brother) Good Luck!

Cheryl - posted on 08/19/2009

My son was diagnozed at the age of 4, but I took him to see a child behaviorist doc. Dr. Lawrence Diller (google him) He said he normally doesnt give meds to kids 6 yrs old or older, but he could see (after several visits) that my son was creating havoc in the family and to give him and us peace he would start him on ritalin. That was fine for a little while, but ritalin cause great peaks and valleys in their behavior and when they come off it you really know it! Then they came out with concerta....yeah it was awesome but my son has a high metabolism so it did not stay with him for long. His dose was finally to high he became suicidal. We tried stratera, but he is severe ADHD, so the no stimulant meds didn't work for him. We tried adderal xr a few yrs ago and he has been on that for 3 yrs now or so. We have played with the dosage, he was taking 35 mg adderal xr and 1 mg risperdal (he has anxiety disorder as well) and after he went through puberty i took him off the 5 mg adderall and gave him just 30 mg and 1 mg risperdal. Since then I have been able to eliminate meds during summer breaks and school holidays, unless we are going somewhere where there will be stimulation overload.

I dont recommend these med vacations when the kids are younger because they need the routine and the break from their minds going 1000 mph....these meds will not hurt them as long as they are in good health. These meds are not addictive.

Rebecca - posted on 08/17/2009

My child was officially diagnosed with ADHD, ODD and OCD at age 5, started meds then. Our doctors would not give the diagnosis or meds to kids until they were in school and showing problems. However, I knew by age 2, that there was something wrong with him. He was angry, and hyper, and didnt act like other children his age. If you are unsure about it at his age, look into trying a different diet for him. Do some research, go to your library and check out a few books. I read one its called The Autism and ADHD Diet by Barrie Silberberg. It was a good informational book, also I heard the Feingold diet works too. Some kids have food allergies, and by changing their diets, can reduce or eliminate somke of the problems. Cows milk seems to be a big problem for kids, as well as red and yellow dyes, preservatives, gluten and casien.

Barbara - posted on 08/17/2009

I knew something was wrong with my son from early on but I let it go, saying that he is just a boy he is suppose to act like that.. well I his teachers in school brought it to my attention when he wad in third grade, so I took him to the doctor and he was diagnosed with ADHD..She put him on Concerta 18mg, and it worked great...we saw a change right away...he has been on the medication now for 2 1/2 years and it has been Great...he is still an the same dosage as when he first started..

Jodie - posted on 08/11/2009

hello, my 5 yr old was diaignosed with adhd at 3 yrs old as well. they did not want to start her on meds until she started school. she is starting kindergarden this month but im refusing to give her meds. i dont believe in giving children meds. my daughter is still hyper but she has gotten better. as they get older i think they calm alittle. the only really problem she has is not being able to sit down for more than 2 min. so what i did was i put her in soccer. sports will wear them out and it lets them run around and be themselves. so my advise is try a sport where is runs alot. maybe tball or something. goodluck

Brandy - posted on 08/11/2009

Thank you everyone for the wonderful stories and advice. I am now able to write down the questions I have and hopefully will like the psychiatrist I will be seeing in September. Everyone was so helpful!

Mary - posted on 08/09/2009

My daughter was in kindergradner and almost 6years old when they put her on meds and said to be ADHD, now they are thinking also bi-polar (third gernation)...oh boy this is going to be a very bumping ride.

Mel - posted on 08/08/2009

My son first presented signs at 18 months. He used to hurt himself when he didnt get his way, we saw a psychologist at the hospital. Finally at age 4 he was put on medications because he was becoming too violent towards me and the other children at daycare.

He is 9 now and on concerta 36mg, ritalin and catapress to sleep. He is due to go too his doctor as his meds need to be increased because he has grown.

Every morning and evening is HELL at my place. Plus I have 2 babies and he is showing more agression towards then when he is in one of his moods.

Elsa - posted on 08/07/2009

My 14 yr old was diagnosed ADD when he was 8 and we tried medication for 6 month, but he was then able to focus with school work on his own so I stopped. However, my 11 yr old was diagnosed ADHD when he was 7 and we never wanted to medicate him. I know if he tries he can control it, even though it is hard for him to do sometimes. I have been told by several people to try a fish oil & omega supplement. I read an article about it treating ADHD in children & adults without the side effects of prescriptions. I had a cousin that was forced to take Ridilin for ADHD until he graduated and he was a zombie when on the meds. I never would want my kids like that. I will be trying the fish oil & omega supplements for this school year and hope it helps keep him out of trouble. His grades are A-B, but too much energy causes him to get into trouble and some of it I blame on boredom. If I give him something to concentrate his energy on, he does fine!

Samantha - posted on 08/07/2009

I am all for meds, but three is young. My son started meds at 5 or 6, in kindergarden his teacher asked if I would get him seen by the doctor for ADHD and boy what a difference. Good luck

Martha - posted on 08/06/2009

My children where both adults before they were diagnosed. I am a retired teacher and always knew my son had ADD but was never able to convince others. I had observed other children who were diagnosed. He had no behavior problems in school, but all his teachers thought he was not working up to his potential. I asked for him to be tested at school in the second grade, and he asked to be tested as a Senior in High School. His diagnosis was missed both times. He later self medicated and became addicted before he was diagnosed and got medication. He is also bipolar. My daughter had no behavior problems and did well in school. I had no idea she had ADD because she has OCD, and she was such a perfectionist that she developed more coping skills. She always put her school work off till the last minute but got it done. I wish I had trusted my own instincts and been more of an advocate for my son so he would have been helped much earlier. I just had no idea myself about my daughter. My advice is to be an advocate for your children and if you don't feel satisfied with school testing, go to a pshchologist in private practice.

Nanci - posted on 08/06/2009

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvIq8WISUo

Nanci - posted on 08/06/2009

http://www.eeginfo.com/institute/index.h...

Sandra - posted on 08/06/2009

My son was 3 when he was diagnosed. I had suspected but his preschool teacher approached me and suggested I speak to his Dr. It took a lot of med changes as he grew but he is now 15 a high school freshmen who made high honors last year.

He still bounces off the walls at times ( his choosing I believe) just to irk me, he's a teenager! The most important thing to remember is find a good specialist who works with children and meds. ask you pediatrician for a referral.

Amy - posted on 08/05/2009

my son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4. he's 8 1/2 now. ADHD runs in his dad's family. all the guys seem to have it. trent's is exacerbated by a tumor he had in his right frontal lobe when he was 2. trent has been on a few medicines. concerta made him fly into a rage (he has problems with that sometimes) the best combination we have found is (at the moment) 25 mg of adderall xr, 40 mg of strattera, and 1 mg of risperdal. he also take another 10 mg of adderall in the afternoon, as well as another 1 mg of risperdal ( the risperdal helps with the mood swings). i know this sounds like a lot, but he really is uncontrolable without his meds. remember, we're dealing with the effects of the brain tumor, too.
trent has been seeing a psychiatrist monthly and a behavior therapist weekly since her was 4. we also work closely with his school counselor. he is in 3rd grade now, and is always at the top of the class. (he is in a regular class).
to help with the problems (behavior, attitude) caused by ADHD,we make sure to limit his intake of caffeine, sugar, red dye, artificial ingredients, candy, etc. though i'm not saying trent and his siblings don't love soda and candy and any junk food they can get their hands on! we just try to limit it. what also helps is having him involved in group activities. because of the ADHD and the teasing he's gotten from it, trent tends to be a loner. getting him into sports has really helped.

Marilyn - posted on 08/05/2009

I'm glad to know that there are other families out there that are struggling with this. I am a single parent again, I lost my husband in January of this year. I always had him to help deal with JJ and his problems, now I'm on my own with it. Believe me, I'm on a first name basis with all of his teachers and the principal of his school. He works with the behavior specialist that is on staff at his school. On top of ADHD, he also has ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), and Bipolar. I'm also back in school, so some days it's very hard to deal with his fits.

Michelle - posted on 08/04/2009

hi

my daughter was diagnosed with adhd in december last year when she had just turned 9, me and her dad had been fighting for a long time just to get someone to hear us as no one would listian to us about how hard she was to control the school just put her as one of the naughty children, she didnt have any friends and and was never invited to any birthday party from her class because the other children didnt want to be friends with the bad girl.



eventual after brakeing down in the doctors office he final listain to us and refered us to a psychologist who diagnosed gabrielle with adhd.



At first me and my husbad was not happy about her going on any meds as we had been told horror stories about them so we said no to them after a couple of month we still could not handle her and decided to give the meds a try. gabrielle was put on concerta 37mg and it has been the best thing for her ever. She is thriving at school she won star of the week after being on the tablets only 3 weeks (she had never won it before) she settled down in class and instead of the teacher comeing outside after school to tell us how bad her day had been we were being told how good her day had been.

gabrielle is so much focused with everything now, not bouncing off the walls and running off at every chance or hitting her younger sister all the time x x x x

Ann - posted on 08/04/2009

Brandy, When my son was 5 in Kindergarten, he was sent home daily with notes from his teacher about his behavior and I felt she was setting him up to fail. I knew he had sensory problems and attention issues but did not seek testing until then. His diagnosis is ADHD/ADD with Impulsivity Control Disorder and borderline Dyslexia. This cleared up a lot of questions I had. We starte meds when he was 5. We tried Concerta first and he lost a lot of weight and then we switched to Daytrana (the patch) and it burned his skin. So after talking with a Pedi Specialist from Texas Childrens who specializes in behavior and ADHD/Autism/PDD, she recommended FocalinXR because it suppresses the appetite less. Since then Noah has done well on this. He is semi,normal and does eat and does not appear medicated.

Good luck!

Tracye - posted on 08/03/2009

My son was 3 1/2 when he was diagnosed. Unlike a lot of the other kids I know that were diagnosed by their pedi, I took him to the local mental health association. We found out that he was ADHD and borderline Autistic. We were devestated. At 3 he had the vocabulary of about 50 words and still was not speaking in complete sentences. After talking to other parents, psychologist and a psychiatrist I decided to put him on Ritalin SR 20's. For us it was amazing. Within 4 hours of the first dose he was speaking in complete sentences! He knew the words and phrases but had been unable to express himself!



Unfortunately he is one of the rare ones that does not grow when on it so that caused issues. We took him off during the summers, but other than dealing with discipline issues usually related to being unable to express himself, and real actual growing pains we managed.



Other than being in speech therapy and behavior modification when he was younger, he was in mainstream classes all the way through school. We had to learn that telling him "clean your room" was not good for him. We had to break it down and say "pick up all the books and put them away." Wait until he finished that and then say "pick up all the movies and put them away." And so on. When it came to school he had a planner from Kindergarten on and even in high school I was in constant contact with his teachers.



I am proud to say he has attained the height of 6' (even though at that height he is still under weight at 140 lbs.), graduated this year and has been accepted to the School of Archatecture at the college of his choice. He has been off all medication (at his own insistance) for the last two years. He understands that it makes it more difficult for him to study, but he did not like the way others costantly tried to use his ADHD and medication as a crutch when he did not see them as one.



It is still a struggle, but we were able to teach him real coping skills at a very young age that have translated into usable skills now. He writes lists, records notes, exercises and eats well to keep his health and mental status in check.



Good luck to all the parents that are just starting on this path. But trust me, the end result is worth it!

Marilyn - posted on 08/02/2009

My grandson, JJ was 3 yrs old when he was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. The state would not approve medication until he was 4 yrs. old.

Leslie - posted on 08/02/2009

The preschool director of my oldest son told me he had ADHD from the time he was 2 or 3. I didn't believe her, but then another preschool teacher asked if he had ADHD, and his doctor asked at a checkup if he had ADHD. At that point I pretty well accepted that he probably did. I took him to a psychiatrist, who confirmed that he did have ADHD, but suggested that we not give him medication until he went to kindergarten. We followed his advice. At that point, Geoff definitely needed the medication, and he didn't receive unnecessary medication. He tried Ritalin at first, and then moved to Adderall. He also tried Stratera, but it didn't help him. Adderall works very well for him. He's 17 now and takes medication whether he's at school or not. He simply cannot focus without it.

Nicole - posted on 08/02/2009

I knew my child had ADHD by the time he was 2 1/2... I waited til he started school when he was 6 before medication. He was diagnosed ADHD by 4.

My daughter was diagnosed ADD when she was 6. They both see a psychologist and their pediatrician....regularly. My problem is they are two years apart and fight NON STOP... I MEAN at each other's throats constantly. I am always afraid of what is too hard on them and what is not hard enough. parenting is sooo hard.I love my kids.

April - posted on 08/02/2009

I will appologize for the long post, but I think our story will help others.



I was told that they cannot truly diagnose ADHD earlier than 6 or so. Bat that was about 6 or so years ago. My son did not present with any problems until he started school (kindergarten). We had problems with raising hands, waiting turns, and other similar problems. Our pediatrician would not diagnose until part way into 1st grade. We started with the evaluation thru the school system, then went to a psychologist who did a formal test, and confirmed. But beware...school systems will not come right and tell you or recommend medications. My best advice is to get a child psychologist, and go as a family. You may even want to get one just for you. After my son was tested, I tested myself. I was ADD myself, but also had some other things that showed up on the test. Depression is definitely one thing that can accompany this. The therapist asked me...if you were on a plane with your child, and the oxygen masks came down, who would you put the mask on first? You or your child? The answer is you...you cannot help anyone if you can't breathe. You cannot help your child if you are worn down or unhealthy.



Another thing to do, is have your child evaluated thru your school system (Exceptional Students Program). It is very important in helping you get the accomodations your child may require such as a 504 plan or IEP (individualized education plan). And you may not like the idea of going thru the exceptional students program for fear he will be labeled "special needs". But you have rights, and the plans are important for protecting your child, and making sure he does succeed. They will make suggestion of accomodations that will help your child. But, if you are also seeing a psychologist, have them review those recommendations, and they will tell you if the recommendations are truly accomodations. Our school recommended some things, but when our therapist reviewed them, she pointed out that they were things every child should get, and helped me come up with ones we should ask for.



My son is textbook ADHD. We did not medicate to make it easier for us or the teacher. We medicated for him. When you can look in your childs eyes and see HE needs the relief, you know that the medication is the right thing. When I looked at my son, I knew he wanted to do what he was supposed to, but his brain was running a 100 to nothing. Not only do we have to deal with this, but he is also very gifted.



As for my opinion of medication....you have to weigh the risks to benefits. My son will be 14 in April 2010, and he his just shy of 4'-10" and weighs 70lbs. Yes, the medications affect growth. But the benefits have really outweighed the affects. He is succeeding in school. I won't say it has always been easy...it has been a fight the whole way. The education teachers recieve regarding ADHD is not what it should be, the other "normal" children can be cruel, and others are not always understanding. I am not afraid to tell others who have to interact with my child, that he is ADHD. I don't do it to label him, but to let others know so that they understand and be patient with him. I have tried it the other way, but always end up telling anyway.



I think God gave ME this challenge, not my son, for a reason. I have had to be vigiilant, and be more involved that I probably would have been, if it had been an easy road. I have been on a first name basis with every teacher that he has had. And if your child is truly ADHD, remember to always be his advocate. If the school knows you are there to help him, and do everything you can, it really helps.

Bernadette - posted on 08/02/2009

My oldest son was diagnosed with ADHD in the 4th grade. He was already on meds for depression. He had a wonderful teacher that worked with him a lot. He started on Aderal (sp?) but he's on Stratera now. He's doing awesome. He's in HS now and is way ahead of his class. We're very strict with him and alway tell him that his ADHD is not an excuse for his behavior, just a bigger challenge for him to deal with. Good luck to you at your appointment in Sept. I would suggest getting as much info on it as possible from the internet. It helps deal with their behavior when you know why their doing it.

Leanne - posted on 08/01/2009

My son was just recently (officially) diagnosed with ADHD. My husband and I both have ADD. We just found out this year and are on medication. My son is 4, and it was hard to get him in to see a Doctor! No one wants to see or give med.s to children so young for ADD or ADHD, but it has helped my husband and myself so much. I just want my son to be able to function and focus in preschool! I want him to be able to have friends. Joe would just stand in place at 2 years old and run in place so he could get his energy out. We thought it was cute, but as he got older he didn't stay in place anymore! That boy can run fast!!! The thing is we just started him on Conterta. It has only been a week, and I can tell a BIG difference already. Try to think of it this way. A person with ADD or ADHD has a brain that doesn't produce enough of a certain chemical. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it, but the fact is that our brains don't produce enough, and this is why we need the help from med.s. That is how it was explained to me by our Doctor. I can tell you that if I had not been on my med.s for ADD, I would not have remembered what he had said. To be honest I am very happy that I was put on them, and I hope it will help my son as much as it has helped me. Good Luck and I hope this helped.

Sara - posted on 07/31/2009

My son was diagonsed when he was 5. The Dr said that he does not like to give meds at that age but I was pregnate. I was worried about his anger with an infant. So he gave us meds. I do not think I would have been able to survive those first 3 years without meds. Now I have found a natural solution and am happy with it. I can also tell that my son is growing up and some of the problems that we had when he was 5 are going away even when he is not on his meds.



I hope you find something to help you! It is very frustrating but as time goes on I have learned to relax a little and not let the little things bother me as much. I used to yell at him so much but now it has gotten so much better. I think learning how to deal with it and talking to other parents of kids with ADHD has helped me alot. But learning to deal with does not meant to let him get away with whatever he wants. I have all the same rules for him as I do my daughter who does not have ADHD. It has taken him longer to learn/follow these rules but eventually he does. Patience is a must when you are dealing with a child with ADHD.

Brandy - posted on 07/31/2009

Thank you for your stories. I am scheduled to see a psychologist in September and I will see what he says.

Sheila - posted on 07/30/2009

We found out my son was ADHD when he was 5yrs, I tried everything before the Dr put him on concerta 10mg, but the day he flipped out on my 4yr old she was 3 then, I knew he had to have something to help him, concerta has helped him so much, I dont have to worry about him being mean to his sisters anymore, and he comprehends things alot better, the 10mg concerta is the lowest mg that they have. He is still hyper at times on it, but he is so much more milder then he was before the meds.

I hope this helps with your decision!!! Good luck!!!

Tracie - posted on 07/30/2009

My son was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago. He was 7. We took him to the doctor and the first thing he told us to do was take him to see a psychologist because he would be the only one who would be able to tell us if it was a learning disability or ADHD. Have you done this?



I too was VERY hestitant about him being on medication. Fought it tooth and nail until there was no other option. The first two weeks were the worst because you are soo use to you child acting one way and then the drug makes them act a different way. Took all my strenght to keep him on it. Glad I did. He stays focused in school and at home. Not as hyper as he was before. Let's face it. He is a boy so that is to be expected.



He is on Concerta. Started at 19mg and now on 27mg(only because he has gotten bigger)



As far as advice - cut down on sugar. We did that and it helped alot. You would be surprised how many things have sugar(besides the obvious). Apple Juice, orange juice, etc.



I wish you luck. My doctor said that my son's brain will train itself to staying focused, not lashing out etc. and he will eventually get weened off the meds.