I just found out today that my 7 year old daughter has ADHD!!!! What meds to take is the ?

Bobbijo - posted on 04/26/2010

So Morgan will be starting Metadate on wend!!! I am alittle nevious!!!!!

Marissa - posted on 04/14/2010

My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and some ODD tendencies in October of last year. We started on Strattera which worked immediately even though it was supposed to be a gradual change. BCBS refused to pay for it so we tried the Daytrana (?) patch and it was absolutely horrible. She became a totally different person and we didn't last a week on it. We are now back on the Strattera and have only had to slightly increase it once. She makes straight A's and her focus is so much better. Neither my husband nor I wanted her on meds but it has been the best decision made for her sake. She is 9 yrs. old. Good luck with finding the right med for her!

LaNaya - posted on 04/14/2010

I have found it really depends on the child you have to try and see but pay close attention. Adderall worked great for my three but not for my nephews look to see if your child becomes to spacey. There are many out there and i have tried a few and as mine got older i had to change them sometimes. now i have two on vyvanse didn't work for the 3rd. don't be scared my one daughter went from failing in school to a nd bs

Michelle - posted on 04/12/2010

Hi Medicine soup is what we have had with our almost 9 year old daughter. We had her tested at 6 and has combined type . At that point I did the research and thought Adderall XR looked ok. Well that ended up being the worst med we have tried with her. After 2 attempts to jump out of the moving vehicle we finally got her into her current peds doc. He switched her to Focalin which worked pretty well for her until the tics showed up with a vengence. He added tenex for the ADHD and tics. That helped some. Then we switched to tenex and Stratterra. The worked ok by not as good at the Focalin. Now we are on Daytrana patch. It is a good option if your child doesn't swallow pills yet. I also think it works the best for the long steady release. We were having alot of trouble with trying to get through homework. This seems to work out the best for her. She is also on an anti anxiety med celexa. Each kids chemistry is different. It is all trial and error. Once you think you have found what works they grow out of it or a side effect pops up. Keeping yourself education on the research and meds is one of the ways I manage Bri. She goes to a psychologist and at one time also went to occupational therapy to help her with sensory and balance issues. We have also taken her to a sleep clinic to help figure out how to get her to sleep. Structure is the best thing for ADHD kids. We keep surrounding her with everything we can that will help her. Good luck. I know it is a hard choice. In the end the meds are needed. Bri's is a mess without them.

Rose - posted on 04/12/2010

hello i have two sons one has adhd & the other one has add. my 13 year old has adhd we found out when he was 6 he was on addarall xr until he was 11 when we took him off cause he felt he was ok and didn't want to be on meds. anymore but he was doing good on it for along time but he didn't do so good when he was off it so now he is on concerta and so is my 7 year and they are both doing good on it. my 7 year old was just have trouble in school focusing on his work and now he is doing better they will start you off on the lowest dose first and if she does good on that than she will stay on that dose if not than they will try the next dose up until they get the right dose for her. i understand what your going through it was very stressful with my oldest cause he was a handful and a half it was a little easier with my second. i've learned not to stress the small stuff. hope some of this helps.

Theresa - posted on 04/11/2010

I have 2 boys with ADHD. We tried several different meds with them. We have found that Strattera works well for them. They also use Provigal to help with focus during school. My oldest is now 14 and has been off meds for a little more than a year now. My younger is still on meds and has always required a hugher dose than my other son. He also has been diagnosed in the Autism Spectrum which may be why he needs more meds. He does the Strattera every day, year round, but the Provigal he only does during the school year on school days. Like I said it's more for concentration and focus which is needed more for school than any other time. You may need to try several different meds and different doses before you find what works best. My best advice is to find a doctor that you really trust since you will have to depend on his advice about meds. Good luck!

Bobbijo - posted on 04/11/2010

LOL thats funny!!! I have done that before!!! No prob thanks for you advice

Tracey - posted on 04/10/2010

hi i a 2 sons wth adhd aurtism i ued dexidrine 4 4 yrs now the olde i use respiridone a for of ritaline mild on one of my sns i did try concerta and then tried stretera they both dit work they messed him up for 10mthsnut its everyone to there own u hae to try then u will find th right one to suit urchild coz every child is an indavidual butit does take time it took a year to find the right one and im so glad i decided to try im notto ken on meds but i hd to think of wot thebenifit it would beto my child it has helpe hope an pray all goes well tak time godbless u tracey

Dawn - posted on 04/10/2010

My son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 4. I do not medicate him. I have read and read and researched. I brought him to a holistic nutritionist when he was younger, a chiropractor, used behavior mod, and consult with a Naturopathic MD. He is also highly involved in sports and music- both good for kids with ADHD. He is now in 7th grade,basically gets A's and B's. He is taking homeopathic zinc (zincum metalicum) and is on vitamin supplements. I cant say this is best for your daughter, but I thought I would let you know my approach with my son. Some kids may just need to be on meds. I was lucky. Good luck!

Melissa - posted on 04/10/2010

My 7 at the time Son was on adderal XR, and saw good results.. but then it really made him NOT want to eat so he lost alot of weight... And he was skinny scrawny to begin with...
Then we moved to a more smaller town and smaller class sizes and I have NOT been medicated him since I think he's a totally different kid now..
I keep it on hand for on the weekends he's totally off the wall, but that's very rare lately.

Toni - posted on 04/10/2010

My eight year old daughter is on Concerta. We did the Adderall XR but it quit working. The Concerta works well for her. It does make a big difference. Whatever meds your dr decides on make sure you know everything about them like side effects and such. A lot of these kids will out grow their ADHD as adolescents. But then again a whole new set of issues begin. LOL. Keep us updated on your choice though.

Tina - posted on 04/10/2010

hi not ho.. sorry Bobbijo :)

Tina - posted on 04/10/2010

ho Bobbijo.. my son Jerell was diagnosed at the age of 6.. we first went to our gp who referred us to our now paediatrician. he then referred us to a psychologist who confirmed the paeds and gp's diagnosis. he has been on ritalin but it wore off too quickly. he is now on Concerta, 18mgs with 1/2 a catapress in the morning and 1/2 a catapress at night to help with sleep. the ritalin took away his appetite and the concerta was supposed to bring it back. he went off all meds except the catapres (at night to sleep) over the summer school holiday. it was 6 weeks of hell but it brought his appetite back. he is back on his concerta/ catapres meds in the mornings again and he still has an appetite. it is hard.. yes i will say, but when you find the right meds for your little girl and the right dosage, you will notice a remarkable difference in her. Jerell is doing really well at school now as the concerta is helping him to concentrate more. speak to your paediatrician and ask advice as to what is best for your Morgan... best of luck to you :)

Debbie - posted on 04/10/2010

I have three kids with ADHD. I made the mistake of researching the intenet etc - mst are very anti the common drug choice - RITALIN. I fought for two years - it's not worth it. Listen to your PEAD and any other medical professional. Ritalin has been amazing for my kids and at 32 I started taking Ritalin and it really makes a huge difference. If you follow the right steps and listen to your specialists and have regular checks you have done the right thing. I do not support parents and teachers who use it when it's not necessary. It's the type of drug that if it works you will know. If after two weeks there is no change evn after dose adjustment - it's not the drug of choice. My PEAD told us that by denying my son Ritalin it was like denying a diabetic child insulin. From personal expierence I agree.

Michelle - posted on 04/09/2010

My daughter is on vyvanse and it works great have your doctor start her out on a low dose of what ever she gives and work your way up if your doctor tries to start her out on a high dossage get her a different doctor. also you may notice adhd kids have trouble sleeping... my daughters therepist told me to get melatonin you get it at kroger walmart cvs anywhere its over the counter in the herbal section...meletonin is something your body produces but children and adults with adhd bodies do not produce enough of it... when first starting out if you childs bedtime is 8 give it at 730 and if child is still figity give it at 7 you kinda gotta figure out how long it takes to work on your child and the mgs have alot to do with it... i made the mistake of not paying attn to the mgs and the 2nd bottle i bought was way lower and it took longer to take effect... also check with your school to see if they have therapy inschool that will help to... what ever you do dont let your childs teacher single her out for any reason... sometimes therepy works and sometimes they need meds... my 10 yr old is adhd/add/bipolar my 7 yr old is adhd/dyslexic homework time is fun lol remember keep your head up and make sure your therepist is there for your child and not the pay check... good luck

Bobbijo - posted on 04/09/2010

Thank you guys so much for responding!!!!! It really touches my heart!!! I Dont have friends that can understand how hard it is to make this decision!!! I have researched a few meds in the last few days!! I am not sure yet but i have some time to make the decision!! I dont want to rush into making a decision. It has been such a hard thing to think about!!! I really dont like meds but dont want my beautiful daughter to suffer any more !! I watched nanny 911 about a month ago and the children on the show had adhd. o make the mother realize what they were going through nanny put headphones one her with loud music and had her read a book!! Then she made the children run around her and make noise to disrupt her!!! I finally realized wow that would be hard for a child to deal with every day!!!!! At that point I knew I have to do something! My daughter is the sweetest little girl!! We all have sweet children they just need that extra love and support!!! Not only does she have ADHD she has 20/80 vision wears glasses full time and bifocals in school!! She also has been through me and her father getting a divorce!!! I want my Morgan to be the best she can be!!!! Thanks alot for your info!!

Erin - posted on 04/09/2010

Hi-- I know how torn I was when my son was diagnosed with ADHD last year at age six. I am one of those who did not want to have to put him on meds. I tried "natural remedies", I met with a nutritionist and changed his diet completely, and nothing seemed to work. I hated watching him suffer in school. His self esteem was so low because of the effects of the ADHD. I finally agreed to try Concerta. In just a matter of a week he was completing his work plan at school and focusing in the classroom so much better-- it only continued getting better from there. His self confidence has increased tremendously. Our home life has improved a great deal as well. As a parent it is so hard to watch our children struggle. I am glad that I have found something that can help my little boy. (The only side effect I have seen is the loss of appetite during the day.) I wish you and your family the best of luck and I hope you find what works best for your child.

Sharon - posted on 04/09/2010

Firstly let me just say as a mother it is very frustrating, I agree but good for you taking the steps to get your little girl help. You know how frustrating it is for you now imagine how it is for her. My son is also 7 and has adhd also, my fiances son whom we get every other weekend also has adhd. I know as a mother you want medication to be the last resort but I would have to say though it was a tough decision to make I know now it was the right one. My son and "step-son" both are on Adderall. My son takes Adderall Xr which is extended relief in the morning and regular Adderall in the afternoon to get him through homework. My step son is just on adderall. I def. does help. My first and biggest thing was I don't want my son to be a zombie:( but he is still active but can consintrate a bit longer on activities. He plays football and spends hours outside riding his bike and playing. I have heard good things about Adderall but suggest you do your own researching. However, from talking to other parents with kids that have adhd they like the Adderall over Rinalin(sorry spelling). Hoe this helped a little. Good luck:-)

Michelle - posted on 04/08/2010

Hi Bobbijo, my son was diagnosed at age 4 and he is on two different meds one for ADHD and one for ODD. He takes Adderall xr which is a slow release for the ADHD and he takes risperdone for the ODD both are stimulants but work really well. The only side effect we have is a loss of appetite but we have trained my son that he needs to eat so much to be healthy whether he is hungry or not so he is not losing any weight. Remember a stimulant is not a stimulant to a child with ADHD it has the opposite effect.

Phyllis - posted on 04/08/2010

Fantastic results with Concerta, and I like that its slow release so I give it to my son in the morning and he doesn't have to worry about getting meds at school. Concerta is a stimulant.

We have noticed almost no side effects, with the exception of a recent verbal tic where he repeats himself. This is only happening once and awhile though. It lessens his appetite, so I make sure he has a large breakfast, and once its worn off (usually near bedtime) he is very hungry and eats like a horse! That offsets his almost no appetite in the daytime, so he is growing normally. We tried only giving it to him on school days, but the doctor advised against that once he moved up to a higher dose, as they need to be weaned down. If he misses a dose he gets a severe headache. Thats all I can think of at the moment.

We are really happy to have found a med that works this well on the first try. Many people have to try several different meds before hitting the one that works. I have heard good things about non stimulant Strattera... might check that out too...best of luck!

Bobbijo - posted on 04/08/2010

Is it a stimulant??? I will look it up thanks alot!!! Do you notice a major change???

Melissa - posted on 04/08/2010

My daughter was 7 when she was diagnosed. Although I think we already knew that, since it does run in the family. I had her try a couple and the best one I found is Focalin. She is on the lowest does and gives her enough to focus at school and keep her personality. I dont give it to her on the weekends