I'm afraid to put my son on ANY ADHD meds also it was something his father (my ex) & I had agreed never to do. Whenever he does something I see that may be controlled w/meds I wonder I'm doing the right thing. Confuzed!

Donna - posted on 11/21/2011

Hi Kimberly, My son was diagnosed in the 4th grade with ADD (disattentive type) and, after much thought, put on ritalin. My husband was always against the medication. But I saw an immediate improvement: he was more compliant, happier, did better socially, and was able to do his schoolwork. Fast-forward to 8th grade: he went thru puberty and started throwing his pills behind the bookcase and said he hated taking the medication. The psychiatrist put him on intuniv over the summer. His mood was much better, but he was very sleepy all the time. When he started 8th grade, the teachers complained that his head was on the desk all day sleeping. So the psychiatrist wanted to put him on Vyvanse. My husband blew a fuse and since we had been argueing for 4 years about it, I decided to try "his way" with no meds. Fast forward to this year - my son is now 14, he smokes pot, cigarettes, drinks "red bull", is failing school, went from mainstream to inclusion classes to contained classes - and now they want to send him to the alternative school for "bad" kids. My husband NOW agrees to put my son on medication, but my son refuses.......
All I can say is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You know your son, what he needs. Medication is (unfortunately) like an experiment. It needs to be closely monitered for effects and side-effects. The dosage needs to be monitered. Every child reacts differently. When my son was on medication, I had to argue with the psychiatrist because he continually wanted to increase the dosage, where as my evaluation of the effect, was that the dosage was sufficient. Don't treat the doctors as if they are "God". The decision(s) are yours, and your experience with your child as the mother should be the final say. Hope this helps!

Kimberlee - posted on 11/20/2011

Ugh, I've been in your place. My son is alot younger though. This is my opinion on it based on reading everything I can about it and talking to a dozen health professionals about it from MSWs to PhDs to MDs...one of them put it to me this way...if your child had a vision problem would you get him glasses? Of course you would. This is no different. Did you know there is a study out (I can find it for you if you want to read it) that found that children who truly have ADHD but are never treated for it are more likely to become substance abusers in their teen and adult years? This is because they feel like failures and like they can't get it together and illegal substances are a way to self medicate. I have talked to many medical doctors who assure me that stimulants are some of the safest drugs around. They have been in use for over 50 years. ADHD treated correctly gives a child what he/she needs to be successful. They are more confident in school, they are more organized, they are more focused, and more calm because they finally have that piece of their puzzle in place and everything is working as it should be. Putting my son and daughter on medication (although I was against it at first) is one of the best decisions I have ever made for them. I don't regret it for one second. Talk to health care professionals, doctors and mental health care professionals who deal with this disorder, see what they have to say and then make the decision you feel comfortable with. How does your son feel about it? My daughter didn't want to try meds and I told her we'd try it for 2 weeks and if she didn't like the results then she didn't have to continue on it. After 2 weeks I sat down and asked her to tell me how she feels, how things were going at school etc. She said "I feel GREAT!" I said what do you mean and she said "I feel more confident, I'm not losing my papers anymore, I can get my school work done in class and I'm not afraid to ask my teacher anymore when I need help." She doesn't have the hyperactivity component of it, however my son does...severely. There is no doubt in my mind that they are benefiting from treating their ADHD. Good luck to you and your son.

Beth - posted on 11/20/2011

I as a rule have never allowed sugar , I have eliminated dyes , artificial stuff, I did not do gluten because she did not display any of the gluten allergy symptoms. I actually one time gave them nothing but red cool aid all day to drink AFTER I had eliminated red dyes and sugar for 2 months and there was no increase in behavior. The elimination diets only work if the child is allergic to what you are eliminating. Yes we have added extra vitamins, liquid multi vitamin, omega's , magnesium , B vit complex, vit D , I've even given her "focus factor" they do not give enough relief. I have not stopped the vitamins we just added a low dosage ADHD medication. She's on 10 mg of short acting focilin 2x a day. When I started eliminated things I found there really was very little that we actually bought that contained those things anyway. I am going another step and looking into bio neurofeedback therapy. So she can train her brain to function the way it's supposed to.

Stephani - posted on 11/19/2011

Hi Beth,

Just wondering, what diet changes did you try and how long did you give them a chance? Were you 100% with it? Did you add stuff in (like supplements & natural remedies) or did you eliminate things as well?

I'm curious because all of these things would make a difference as to what kind of results (or lack thereof) you had.

Stephani
http://www.nourishingjourney.com
Dietary Solutions to ADHD & the Autism Spectrum

Beth - posted on 11/19/2011

Diet is not helpful for all those with ADHD. We tried diet changes , and found no real improvement. I already limited sugars from my kids because of their dental health. And found other diet changes to not give relief.

Stephani - posted on 11/19/2011

I'd like to add the flip side to these responses, but first let me say I am not against meds or saying that you should not do it. It's very much a personal decision, and either way no one should pressure you into doing something you don't feel is right for your child.

That said, if you don't want meds, you do need to look into other options. Diet, supplements, homeopathics, behavior therapy, etc... Just letting them deal with it "as is" isn't the answer, either.

So, if you still want to avoid the meds, I would take steps to find out all you can about natural interventions. Diet is very effective, but you have to be consistent. My son, 11 with ADHD and Aspergers, has had great success and positive changes using dietary changes. It's been over 6 years now.

I don't agree with the statement of "If your child had diabetes, you would give him insulin." It's not the same with ADHD. The diet does not "cure" the problem, but it gets rid of things that are stimulative to the nervous system and makes it manageable, much like meds do artificially. Instead of taking out the various problems, they cover them up.

Either way, you'll get results. Again, it's a personal choice and just as I don't want to be accused of hurting my child because I DON'T give him meds, I would never accuse you of hurting your child because you DO. :)

Just wanted to give the other perspective!

Stephani
http://www.nourishingjourney.com
Dietary Solutions to ADHD & the Autism Spectrum

Rabecca - posted on 11/18/2011

its very much a thing I know I stuggled with we tried everything not to do so but after we decided it was the last straw I and I sawe my son happy again fitting in better grades improving I was so mad at my self and felt really like I hurt him by not doing it sooner .You son is older but sometimes they say if they arent controlled by the meds they need then they find the ones they they can self medicate with and that scares me to death when you know theres something just not right within yourself you see it you feel it you seek out things that make them feel better, drugs , sex ,food whatever it may be instead learning how and what they can do to control and learn from thier ADHD

Sally - posted on 11/16/2011

OMG. I had the same thougths about this when my son was 8. He is almost 16 and it is the only way that I could have gotten him thought high school. He is about to do to senior school and having meds reviewed to get him through these two years. I don't like who he is when he is on meds but I never get to see him like this usually but he can concentrate and complete all the work that he needs to at school. Don't be afraid to do this. It will help him and you in the long run

Michelle - posted on 11/16/2011

My daughter started to plummet in school last year and by the end of the year she was mostly d's and f's. After much much consideration and support from her teachers I finally broke down and had her evaluated and we started her on straterra after her diagnosis was confirmed. I was against putting her on medication but now that i see the results (She is now a straight A 4.0 student!!!) I regret that I didnt do it for her sooner and am so sorry to have made her struggle so very hard when it was something she couldnt help herself. As her pediatrician said, if she acts anything other than normal, (behaves as though she taken street drugs) then it is either not the proper medication or the proper dose. If the meds and dosage are correct for your child the only thing you should notice is your child being relaxed, more focused and attentive which i agree with sandy it will seem like they are in slow mo because we're seeing them calm for a change.

Sandy - posted on 11/16/2011

If he had diabetes would you give him insulin? If he had severe allergies would you give him allergy meds? ADHD is the same thing. Kids are not "zombies" like many people like to think. If you have a good doctor, he will start you out at the lowest possible dose and move up from there. Our son is on medication and it is a gift for him. He is able to concentrate and be reasoned with. Without it, he has a hard time staying on task, listening to directions, and following through with directions. We can talk to him and reason with him when he gets upset. Without it, he has total melt downs when overstimulated.

We have had to tweek it over the years (he was diagnosed in 2009 at 9 yrs old). And we will have to continue to tweek it as he grows. But that is no different than my husband having to test his blood and then take different doses of his insulin.

I heard one mom explain what her doctor said about kids on meds, "If they seem like a "zombie" to us, it is because they are experiencing being quiet for the first time."

There is nothing wrong with the medications for ADHD today. It is one tool that you can take advantage of to help your son.

Beth - posted on 11/16/2011

What exactly are you afraid is going to happen if you give him medication? Do you know exactly what ADHD is ? ADHD is an chemical imbalance in his brain. Everything isn't firing at the right speed for his brain to function normally. It IS a medical issue. It is not just behavioral problem. Having ADHD is like having 50 TVs turned on all at once and they are all in your head and then if your son also has the hyper active piece of it add in a half dozen energy drinks. Please tell us what you are worried about happening so we can address those fears.