which meds for ADHD work for you?

Maya - posted on 07/13/2012

Hello. My son was diagnosed last year when he was 6. He was started on Ritalin 5mg twice a day and it was almost immediately we saw improvement we all were so happy with it!!! ..... UNTIL... after about 4 months he developed a horrible tic in which he would roll his neck/ shrug his shoulders and then kick his leg out if sitting..when standing, it would be a hop. I was so devastated when it started. Gradually it would get worse and worse. He was then sent to a neurologist who diagnosed him as having Tourettes Syndrome due to the Ritalin. Now me being the mother and put him on the meds, I felt like the worse person ever! Ok, so he was took of the Ritalin and put on Orap 1mg to help with the tics and Straterra for the ADHD. Straterra didn't work as quick as the other but after a week or so I was seeing progress. It was working well for the 5 months he was on it.(although the tics from the Ritalin are still present) Slowly it started having its affects first my son couldn't stay awake after 2:00 in the afternoon, even at school.. nothing could keep him awake, so the Dr lowered his dose from 25mg to 18mg. The sleepiness was no longer an issue, but now he has these terrible fits of rage and anger, which he has never had ever. Its almost as if he is not the same child he once was! Its hurting me so much that we cant find something to help my son.. Im worried about taking other stimulants because of the risk increasing the tics and the Straterra just isn't working. If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Maya H

Val - posted on 07/12/2012

Trust me, people in the school system really do not know anything about ADHD. Even though there are so many kids with ADHD that they work with. It just floors me the ignorance about such a well research subject with some many people having the condition. If I were a teacher I would want to know about they things effecting the population I was working with. I had to tell administrators and cafeteria workers that my daughter was not eatting her lunch because she takes ADHD medications and they suppress her appitite. At least one of her teachers keep telling me that she is just being picky, (I just decided to not even discuss it with her, she would never understand). Even though loss of appitite is on the documents from the pharmacy and from the doctors, I still have to explain this to the same people every year. Go figure. Val

Jennie - posted on 07/12/2012

Way to go!! You know what's best for your child. Doesn't this teacher know that when kids are on their meds that they're not hungry? No matter if the teacher let's the child eat as many snacks in class they are not going to eat it because they are not hungry. So far my son has had great teachers and I hope that continues. Good luck with everything.

Jennie - posted on 07/12/2012

My son is on Ritalin LA 20mg. It works great. The only down fall is his appetite. He's just not hungry. His dr prescribed risipidone and he's gaining weight now. When I first put my son on meds for his ADHD I didn't want to do it either. I decided to give it a try 3 1/2 years ago. I think it was a good decision because he was always getting into trouble and unable to finish his class work. His self esteem was so low and he tried so hard to control himself. He would tell me I tell my brain to do this but it doesnt work. I felt so bad for him because I know he tried so hard. Who cares if people have opinions about giving kids meds. They don't walk in your shoes. My son is 9 years old now and of course everything isn't perfect but it sure is a lot better. He has also been diagnosed with aspergers too. I knew some of his behavior wasn't just ADHD and other drs wouldn't listen too me. I changed drs and a year and a half later was diagnosed with aspergers. Good luck with everything and do what you think is best.

Amy - posted on 07/12/2012

Great job Nicole!
You are a wise Mom :) I noticed also that after I took my son off his stimulant (He was on 54mg of Concerta), he was not getting in any more trouble than he was when he was on his med. But the school STILL bullied me trying to get me to put him back on his med. His teacher would call and say "why did you take him off his medication, he was doing so well." I wanted to say "BULL SH**"
But I held my tongue. It was hard. I told her I was trying to get him to gain weight. Then she said "well, he can just bring in a lot of snacks and eat at his desk all day while he's working." Then she said "I'm not noticing he's eating any more than he was when he was on his med." She was trying everything she could for me to cave in and say, "Oh, ok. Well I will just put him back on his medication then."
When I put my foot down and said I was absolutely NOT putting him back on drugs, she just shut down. Wouldn't talk to me any more the rest of the school year. Just sent home nasty notes in my son's book bag saying how bad he was acting. I didn't care. He was happier at home, gaining weight, and sleeping better. Best decision I've ever made.

Amy

Nicole - posted on 07/11/2012

My son was on 36mg concerta, 10 mg ritalin and risperidone. Didn't seem to help much. Always in trouble at school. He wasn't gaining weight. He wasn't happy. They had him on Adderall and he didn't do well. I was called into school a lot for him getting into fights. His doctor actually took him off medication 4 months ago. He is doing a lot better. He is gaining weight. He is happier and he sleeps. He is still hyper and has a lot of problems focusing doing school work. Doesn't seem the have the problem at home. We have a reward chart for him. It seems to help a little. Since taking him off the medication we have had the school social worker bug us about him not being medicated. They so badly want him back on medication. We are happy his off medication. His doctors are happy with how his doing.

Val - posted on 07/09/2012

Her psychologist used to do it, but his office space decreased so I was glad when I learned about it. Today I found out we were accepted I just have to beat the deadline to get her registered, (we are going on vacation and the deadline is the same day we get back. We may just come back a day early. I hope this will be the easier on both of us next year.

V

Amy - posted on 07/09/2012

I hope she gets in! That would probably be good for her :)

Actually, my son's play therapy is with a licensed therapist, not me. I thought it might be better to do it that way, so if he has anything he wants to talk about and doesn't feel comfortable talking to "Mom" he can vent to her. LOL

Val - posted on 07/08/2012

Wow, you are going to love the play therapy session and he is going to get a lot out of them. You will learn a lot about each other as well. I went to a workshop with a friend of mine on play therapy at a church here in San Marcos. I was glad I did it, and my daughter stills wants me to start back with our "care group" at home. I keep looking for something else, something new. Last year was so bad I am waiting for a call from the area charter school. They know she has ADHD and have no problem with it. I think we may have moved up the list. We will see:).

Amy - posted on 07/08/2012

Trust me, I understand where you are. And I also believed that my son's teachers were doing what was best for him. It is very disappointing to learn that teachers these days have far too many students and want to do anything and everything to make their work days easier.



But, we really have to think of our kids first. We are, after all, their only real advocates. My son can be quite difficult, yes. He doesn't listen most of the time, but I love him more than anything else in this world. He is healthy (has gained 5lbs in 3 months), happy, and a wonderful blessing. His health has improved a LOT since I took him off Concerta! Plus, I can sleep much better at night knowing he is not on any mind altering drugs that are addictive, and even illegal on the street :) It is amazing how many times his Pediatrician increased his stimulant in a year and a half. And I let him!! I felt so much guilt, and realized I had to just let it go, and start doing what was right as soon as possible!! So I did :)



We have also started play therapy. He really enjoys it, and it is helping him too...



Amy

Val - posted on 07/08/2012

Wow, I wish I would have known more, and stood up for her more. I will remember those words. I was so niave. I never thought an educator would worry about anything but her students. Now I have heard of educators who have required so much medication that some of thier students were in a stooper. I have been there with you where my child was so thin she just stayed sick (pnumonia, influenza, etc.). I do not plan to be in that position again. I am just going to have to be a lot more persistant.

Amy - posted on 07/08/2012

Don't let your kid's teachers bully you into medicating your children! After all, they are YOUR kids, not the teacher's.

My son's teacher called me twice a week last school year telling me I needed to put my son back on his meds after I stopped them in the spring because he had gotten so skinny. First she bullied, then she begged. But I finally told her that my son's health was more important than making her day easier!! If she can't handle it, she needs to find a new career!



Amy

Val - posted on 07/08/2012

Jennifer,
We are using 3 mg. of intuniv and 2 mg. of foculine right now with my soon to be 8 year old daughter. It is working pretty well. Her personality seems to show through the meds and they wear off with little problem. We also give her 2 mg of melatonin, for relaxation and sleep at the end of the evening. To medicate or not to medicate is a hard question. I felt I had to do so in kindergarten, she had a teacher that just was not going to tollerate anything, so we found a nuerologist. We changed the teacher because we found out that she was denying snacks to our daughter because of her behavior. The next teacher was awsome, and we could have gotten away without meds but we had already started the evaluation process and medication regime. From that point on we were on the medication "rollercoaster." That was a mess, because it was very teacher dependant and she went through some very difficult times. Second grade in particular. Our physician got very frustrated and we ended up having to see someone in a different city (that threw away about 12 bottles of medications she had been on and off, and at that time she was taking three medications and threatening suicide. I wish I could have waited. Right now everything is stable, and we are waiting to hear from a school that we have been on the waiting list for. I will just say this wait as long as you can, and read as much as you can. Good luck. Valen

JM - posted on 07/06/2012

I also struggled with putting my son on meds for years.. He suffers from Generalized anxiety and Tics. He is now almost 13. To top it all off, he was recently diagnosed with ADHD. He has been on lexipro for a year now which has been great. We tried Kapvay for his ADHD & impulsivity, but it did not do anything. Today we just started Straterra.. Hoping it will work better.. Good luck!

Val - posted on 06/14/2012

Jennifer,
To medicate or not to medicate, that is the question. I will give you a bit of our story and I hope it will help you with your delimma. I sort of knew we were headed in the ADHD way when my daughter was 3 years-old, but her pediatrician thought I was jumping the gun. When she was 5 and would not sit down in kindergarten, I went back to her pediatrician and once again he would not do anything, but said if we wanted an evaluation or medication we would have to go to a specialist (nuerologist), and so we did because we had no other choice, we were told she would fail kindergarten otherwise.
I felt the same way, should we give her medication. The nuerolgist said one thing that made me convenced that medication was right. He told me that kids with ADHD had smaller brains than their counterparts, and that medications increased gray matter in the brain (or over all brain size). I thought about it, if she could learn more she would have an increased brain size. He also informed us that these medications have been used since the mid or early 1900's.
On the other-hand after the first year we had to go through a ton of medications, looking for a combination that worked. Meaning lots of changes, size effects and a medication roller coaster that seemed unending. Three years and two specialist latter we are still waiting to see if this comibination works (intuniv and foculin). We went through crying and tantrums at school so extreme that she had to come home. Right now all is well. She seems to be doing great after a really difficult year. These kids grow out of their meds and school clothes for many years. Keep that in mind if you decide to medicate. I think we did the right thing now that she is stable, but it was really hard. Not everyone has such extreme complications or side effects. Whatever you do good luck and God be with you all. Keep in mind that it is a very competative world and education can be the key to getting ahead. If ADHD is standing in the way of grades you may want to consider medication or alternative approaches. My daughter is now 7 (8 next month), she has really good grades and was even on the A/B honor roll this year. I worry about her future every day, as I am sure you do too. Good luck with your decision. Val Ford (robixqueen@yahoo.com)

Kellie - posted on 06/13/2012

I am one of those mothers who felt terrible about giving meds. By grade one, it was obvious that my son needed meds for school. I did not give on weekends/holidays. Now, at the end of grade 3, I am still struggling with side effects. I am trying to keep him on meds every day now. I am told that side effects stay a problem when they go on and off. Hopefully a full time commitment to vyvanse will ease the problems. It is a hard thing to deal with. They go to school off meds and all hell breaks loose. They go to school on meds and teachers are happy and your child accomplishes what they need to, but come home, no lunch touched, not hungry, regular rage outbursts... makes you think you are doing the wrong thing but there is nothing you can do. Many days are indeed a struggle.

Patricia - posted on 06/03/2012

slow realease ritalin works for my daughter

Mildred - posted on 05/25/2012

All these post are so sad. I notice that everyone has had some sort of mishap with meds. I tried concerta with my son and soon after it wore off it was ugly. He would just mope and cry and become apathetic. It was horrible. I am definitely not a meds advocate, but if it works well then it's ultimately your choice. I just pray for all the mothers out there. I feel your pain. Public schools don't even understand and maybe one day there may be a chance that their little brains may develop those areas that are lacking important functions that cause for ADHD. my prayers are with you and your children.

Val - posted on 05/08/2012

From my experience none of them. Life with a child with ADHD is a medication rollerc oaster. I am just in year three of the wild roller coaster ride, and everyone says there comes a day when something will work and there are no more changes. But all I can see is the next hill on the roller coaster.

Amy - posted on 05/04/2012

Thank you for your reply Angie.
Sounds like you have a lot of experience with the trials and tribulations of ADHD. It is so hard!

My 7yr old ds does so well when he get TONS of exercise, but when he skips it for several days, he is aweful again. He was diagnosed a year ago by a Pediatric Neuropsychologist. She was wonderful. It is such a daily struggle with him. I am thankful for such a sweet loving little boy, but I really hate ADHD! I feel like it's robbing him of his childhood. He has a hard time making and keeping friends and a hard time focusing at school. It just doesn't seem fair.

Amy

Angie - posted on 05/03/2012

My child has been diagnosed with ADHD for 3 years now. His father has ADD. We have tried many different routes, done sleep tests, neurologists, all different meds.in order to find a routine. The key is to find what is best for you and your family and do it. Getting there is very tough, took us a couple years and we still sometimes have fall backs, but I would not always listen to other people's opinions. Listen to your gut. Yes, often children are diagnosed incorrectly with ADHD when they don't have it, then they are medicated which is wrong. If your child requires medication because of ADHD, who cares what other people think. I have 3 kids, only one has ADHD. He is medicated on adderall and we do use a diet of low sugar, no dyes,often gluten free, however, we also allow him to occasionally indulge because the meds cause low weight and loss of appetite and he is a kid. I also choose to deal with the craziness on weekends and not medicate. We tried a lot vitamins and supplements through a holistic doctor but he is still too young to take 40 different things a day to help clean out his system ,especially when they are bad tasting(we will try this again as he gets older and matures some) so we currently give him the essentials-of course we use all natural vitamins and supplements such as Perque. He takes a multivitamin, high dosage of DHA which helps with brain function and a calcium supplement and a probiotic. Will he ever grow out of this? I don't know. We also have gone through several therapists and psychiatrists in order to find ones that specialize in children and do an excellent job. So I do think therapy and behavior management can also help immensely. Just remember, everyone has an opinion or a book these days but you sometimes just have to get down to the science of it and use trial and error. http://www.feingold.org/Research/PDFstud...

Amy - posted on 05/03/2012

HI Cindy,

Sounds like your son is doing well. That is great. I am very happy for you!



We are struggling right now with my ds regarding whether or not to give him his stimulant anymore. He started with Focalin XR 5mg last March, then increased to 10mg 4 months later, then increased to 15mg 8 months after that. He had terrible tics @ 15mg so we switched to Concerta 36mg. Not enough, so we went up to 54mg. He is also taking Intuniv 2mg in the evenings. All this has happened over a one year period. At this rate, he will be on 108mg of Concerta by next school year, and he's only 7! He's a baby. All this "speed" can't be good for his little body!



I am SOOOOO FRUSTRATED! He is so over-medicated, and I am really tired of his school and his doctor (especially his school!!!) pushing me to drug my child!! Honestly, we get just as many phone calls from the school when he doesn't take his Concerta as when we do give it! The only difference I notice at home is that he is a little more focused. That's all. He's no less impulsive.

My son is 7 and a half years old, 50inches tall and 50 lbs. He is in the 30th percentile in weight for his age. He has dropped from the 45th percentile 6 months ago to the 30th percentile as of last week. He is skinny. Too skinny. But his school doesn't care about that! They even called me today and said "well, we don't notice he's eating any better since you stopped his stimulant" That's bull! I weigh him at home. He's gained 1/2 a lb over the past week alone, and that's a lot for his little frame. The scale doesn't lie! I weigh him first thing in the morning, in his underwear, before breakfast...every time.



When he takes his Concerta we fight CONSTANTLY to get him to eat. It is a daily tantrum at dinner time. A daily tantrum at snack time, when he gets home from school. A daily tantrum even at breakfast. I hate it. Our lives are hell. I am tired of fighting with my child over food! It's not worth it to me. He begs me not to give him his stimulant, and I don't blame him.



Now I give him his 2mg Intuniv in the mornings before school and he is hungry all day. He eats great, but the teachers keep bugging me about putting him back on his stimulant. They say he is impulsive. So what?? He was impulsive when he was ON his stimulant. I STILL got just as many phone calls from his school when he took his Concerta, so why in the world would I put him back on it?

I really hate the public school system. I have no more problems with him at home than I did when he took his Concerta, so it's hard for me to believe they are having any more difficulty with him there. They just want him to be a drugged out zombie so their day will be easier.



Sorry, but I have had a tough week and I need to vent...Thanks for listening :)



Amy

Cindy - posted on 05/02/2012

My husband and I started our son on Ritalin LA when he was 7 years old, just before he started 2nd grade. We had agonized over the decision of whether or not to give him medication, but he was having such a hard time in school that we decided it couldn't hurt to try. His doctor at the time recommended Vyvanse, a stimulant, but I was dead set against using a med that had so little history behind it. Ritalin has been around for many years and its benefits and side effects are well understood, so that's what give our son. The LA (long-acting) Ritalin means that he doesn't have to take a 2nd dose in school (he would have to go to the nurse to get that 2nd dose) and that saves him from embarassment. Almost as soon as he started taking it, we saw his focus improve as well as his behavior. His behavior improved DRAMATICALLY, mostly as a result, I believe, of being able to FOCUS in school. He was less frustrated because the medication helped him become available to learn -- as he was able to learn, his self-esteem soared -- which led to calmer, and all-around better behavior. I definitely think we made the right decision to help our son by giving him ADHD medication -- having said that, it is not a cure-all. Our son STILL needed intensive, one-on-one and small group instruction outside of the classroom -- for READING and WRITING, because he has dyslexia! That's very common with kids who have ADHD. I advocated for services and it took a while but he started getting the help he needed from his elem. school and NOW he is reading ON GRADE LEVEL!! (5th grade).
We are so thrilled for him!! He is a smart and loving little boy and just needed the right combination of specialized instruction and focus medication, plus a loving and supportive family. In the last year or so, we started giving him "holidays" from his Ritalin -- he does not take it on weekends or during the summer. This way, he will eat regularly (side effect of Ritalin is it can suppress the appetitie) and grow properly. It's been a long haul, because we really didn't know how to help him -- and it will continue, I'm sure, to challenge us -- as he grows into a teen and possibly decides he doesn't want to take meds!! But for now, it's wonderful. I hope this helps. Don't ever lose faith. Good luck! Cindy L

Michelle - posted on 04/29/2012

My super-hyper 10 year old does great on Vyvanse.

Amber - posted on 04/29/2012

we are using guanfacine for our 5 year old and he has made amazing improvements at home and school! we are so thankful!!!!

Lisa - posted on 04/25/2012

I have not heard of a patch for Vyvanse. My daughter has a clonidine patch that she wears all day to help slow her down. It has helped some. The one thing for me is when the day comes for a new one she has a hard time with going to bed. My daughter was on concerta. But her body burned threw it. Just make sure the Vyvanse doesn't go up fast. I learned that the hard way ( Vyvanse from 30mg to 50mg now back down to 30mg). But with the new doctor she has he plans on keeping an eye on things better then the last one.

Jennifer - posted on 04/22/2012

I liked concerta for my son. The Vyavance caused alot of trouble for my son. He is now 9 and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was five. Each child is completely different so it is hard to say what would be the best for your lil guy. Just please make sure you go with your mom instincts and don't let the doctors try and step on your feet when it comes to your child, you know him the best. I know from experiance that changing meds is an walk on egg shells experience in some cases. Please make sure that you really read and research each med. Some side effects can be missinterpeted as a new mental condition or phase. Not to scare you but it took my son being hospitalized to find out that not only was the new med not doing him any good but he was diagnoised with couple more things. After telling his dr that this new med was not right for him and my son is on a visious down hill slide the dr would just keep raising his doesage. So as per med can be an great tool to help our children, There are so many things to keep in mind.

Alyssa - posted on 04/22/2012

My son is 7 and he was diagnosed last year. They have him on 20mg of Vyvanse. I have to send his meds to school bc he gives me such a hard time taking his meds in the morning and I didnt want to fight with him anymore. He really needs to start taking his meds on the weekends and I asked about another form that was easier and would work like a patch. The doctor told me there was not unless its just because she knew my insurance didnt cover it. Do you know how that works with certain insurances covering it or do you think all insurances would since it is a diagnosis from the doctor? Do you know if only certain states have this med or do all?

Jennifer - posted on 04/22/2012

I really would like some advice on how to help my son adjust at home and at school. We all want our kids to be successful at school and to be able to be a kid. My son has been having a really hard time with sociallizing with children and so on. I had to admit him into a hospital for sever aggression and hurting himself out of anger and frustration at school. (not the first time) It is the most scary and sad thing that we have done. He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5 and now he 9 and after multiple discussions with his dr. the hospital has diagnoised him with ADHD, Adjustment Disorder with mixed meothion and conduct, Mood Disorder NOS, ODD. They have gotten rid of one of his meds, put him back on his old ADHD med and kept him on his other 3 meds. I would like to know how to transistion him back home and school with out overwhelming him. He needs a very structured enviroment, and with my other two sons do not need that same kind of structured situation.

Jennifer - posted on 04/22/2012

When my son first started concerta the dr told me that this is the most mild med for adhd. It worked well for my son. His new dr. took him off of it a couple of months ago and put him on vyavance. I did not like that one for him. Just stay intuned to your body and read all the side effects and so on with regards to these medication. I have also learned that drs will also perscribe other meds to help with effects of these meds.

Shaquana - posted on 04/19/2012

My son is 4 and I was also struggling with putting him on ADHD meds but I must say after the doctor perscribed him adderall he has been able to slow down and concentrate a whole lot more the only problem we have been having is in the beginning we his appetite was low and he threw bad tantrums but after being on it for a bout a month the tantrums are slowing down and he has his appetite back so im staying hopeful. The only advise I would give you is to do your research about it dont just take the drs word for it do your own research and this is a great first step reaching out to others in the same situation. Hope this helps.

Sylvia - posted on 04/18/2012

The only thing that has worked with my son is Focalin XR with Resperidone. He went from the school wanting him out because of his behaviors to one of the best students. Huge change :)

Karen - posted on 04/09/2012

Unfortunately Jennifer, I am going through the same struggle. My son, 6 has been diagnosed with PDD at 4 and ADHD at 6. We've tried adderrall, risperdol, and abilify. Word of advice, don't try abilify or risperdol. They were both nightmares, had to pick my son up from school 2x. We are now back on adderall and thinking of trying synaptol with it. He's okay, not perfect. I just want him to have good days at school again. Has anyone else tried this mix? Thanks! Karen

Lisa - posted on 04/02/2012

try bright spark I just ordered it n hope it works cus we wont put our son on meds

Lorrie - posted on 04/02/2012

Some medications can stop them from gaining weight and growing we had that issue with our 11 yr old so, we took him off Medications and now he is gaining weight and growing. We also took our younger son off too now they are both on a natural homeremedy no side effects😄

Lisa - posted on 04/01/2012

try homopathic meds like bright spark it all natural,thats what Im trying I just ordered it for my son so i sure hope it works,plus we r gonna look into different programs like groups n see if that works,he not real bad,just hyper,cant stay foccused n dont listen

Tawny - posted on 03/31/2012

My son is on Concerta and the only thing with him is no appetite and troubles falling asleep

Lisa - posted on 03/31/2012

wow u all going throgh what I am,my son is 6 n he not too bad,just hyper n cant stay foccuses,he really dont have friends,he has played with a few friends around here,but then they dont want to pay anymore,so I thinking it his adhd n makes me sad,anyone who wants to email me @ lisaprettypetals@aol.com please

Lisa - posted on 03/31/2012

I refuse to use meds,I wont do that to him,I have seen friends kids n they so zoned out,they a zombie n want to sleep all the time n not play,I going with the natural stuff,I will feel much better then meds,in this world everything is here pop a pill wth

Lorrie - posted on 03/31/2012

Both of my boys have been taking brightspark since Nov we have had great sucess with my 7 yr he takes it with focus formula combination what a difference it has made in school. Our older son is taking brightspark Pure Calm.We have had to try different combinations with our older son.because he has an abnormality of the brain. You need to give it 3-5 weeks at least be patient.You can also return what ever bottle doesn't work.

Lorrie - posted on 03/31/2012

We went took both our boys off there ADHD medications to many side effects since nov now they are two natural homeremedy no side effects growing and gaining weight.we still deal with there issues however its worth the it very costly nothing is more important then our boys:)

Lisa - posted on 03/31/2012

my son is 6 n has adhd dr wants to put him on meds,but me n my hunny refuse,we have researched about this n we r not taking the chance,what we read on side affects omg,heart attack,loss of appetite,insomnia,zombie hell no,but we did find a homopathic remedy its called bright spark for adhd I just ordered it,I hope it helps

Toni - posted on 03/30/2012

My 11 year old was diagnosed at 8 and we started on Concerta but he experience what his doctor called "a hard stop" which meant at night he would crash emotionally. We swtiched to the Daytrana patch and saw immediate results. The best thing is once you remove the patch, the medicine is out of the body in 30 minutes unlike something you ingest.



We started on the lowest dose and move up one level to start. As he gets older, we may drop back to the lowest dose. We haven't had any side affects other than the patch can cause a bit of itchy, dry skin. We try to scatter the patch to different areas each day.

Lisa - posted on 03/29/2012

My daughter takes Clonidine for bed as wells as Melatonin. Her Clonidine is 0.3mg and the Melatonin is at 10mg a night. She is asleep within an hour after taking it. But gets up every night for something to eat. I just found out that she only does this at home. When she is at her grandmother's or a friend's house that doesn't happen. I've talked to her doctor about it. And really got nowhere with it.

Jennifer - posted on 03/26/2012

Wait wait why would u give your kid a clonidine which is for the day time to help with the hyperiness at night r u kidding me who told you this u give that med before they go to school,

and if they cant sleep at night Melatonin wow i have never been told to give it at night thats for a day time to calm them down lol wow try it in the day time and give it week or two my son has been on meds for adhd since age 5 and i have never heard or give it at night

and did you go to a physiologist and have the 4 hour testing to see if ur kid really has adhd if not i wouldnt give my kid s meds until u did thats the only way to make sure i wouldnt take a doc's word hope this helps

a mommy of a 9 year old son jenny

Jennifer - posted on 03/26/2012

to the moms that have trouble with there kids not eatting or not having a appetite ALL the adhd meds r like that its not going to kill them to miss a meal and you just have to be the bigger person and tell them u need to at least eat a apple for lunch or a few crackers my son will try to say im not hungry and i tell him he needs to eat ...... but for dinner he will eat a lot of food but i also make sure that his meds can where off at night my son has been a small kid all his life he is gonna be 9 in 2 months and is 60 ponds and every healthy you make the rules lol u know ur goona say u cant make them eat mm in a way u can thank you of reading

A mommy of a 9 year old son jenny

Jennifer - posted on 03/26/2012

that sounds like my son I i had him on CONCERTA, it was the second meds we tried and he went up to 54mg at the end which was age 7 1/2 he started at age 5 every kid is different but yes start off ur kids at the LOWEST dose then if needed work ur way up just because it seems like a high dose doesn't mean ur kid shouldnt be on it ,,,, IF ur kid is acting like a space cadet, sleepy all the time ect it might be to high . but remember PLZ ur kid is not gonna be the same ,, thats why u r putting him on meds u will see a different kid a better kid at that one that will lesson ,think do as they r told ( for the most part with retraining ) be better at school and maybe have friends. Now

if they r hitting, biting, showing lots of anger, try to kill some one or thing YES thats NOT the right meds for them my son did that with adrial ( bad spelling) he got the hitting, biting, showing lots of anger, try to hurt a friend really bad ect...i knew that was the wrong meds its the chemical for ur kid u do know ur kids but I tell you i will never regret puting him on the meds my son was on the top of his class is on Vyvanse which i do think working for my son but we r still on a lower dose .. did u know that ridalen can cause OCD if prolanged use? i hope i helped plz talk back if u need and thing or just wont to tell me off lol A mommy of a 9 year old son jenny

Christina - posted on 03/26/2012

i had the same struggle when my son was diagnosed at the age of 3. hes now almost 9. i didnt want to put him on anything. unfortunatly meds are the only way i can get him through his school day. on the days he doesnt have them at school i get phone calls and he refuses to do anything for his teachers. my son has been on concerta for the last year and a half. it seems to be the best so far but its still not enough for him. his body eats his meds up so quickly through the day that we still have issues with him. but some of the other meds he never stayed on the same dose more then a month or 2. you may have to try all three of them to find what works for you child to get through.

Jennifer - posted on 03/23/2012

do you know that the odds of a girl having adhd is so high there r like over 95 % chance that a girl will NOT have it and the fact that you had her on meds at age 1 or 2 is not right i dont believe that

my son is adhd and so is 5 boys in my family we all were TESTED it takes 4 hours of testing and a docter can not test them i dont know where your all r going but ur kid has to be to get test ive been through this before several time in two different states to me most of what i see in here is parents with 2 or 3 year old's at that age and parents LETTING THEM ACT THAT WAY they seem bord and unintended just because i kid dont do everything thing right at age two or three dont mean they have adhd parents like this are making adhd a BAD name and people dont ageree with one med dont mean they dont work each meds has different chemicals , if your kids seem druged up and starring at the walls mmm its TO HIGH come on i hate to get mad but it just seems like parent dot parent and want a excuse to why there kids act wrong when its YOU THE PARENT disapline them time out take toys way ect grow a set lol

I'm a mother of a 9 year old adhd kid that was done right and I dont not classify him as the adhd kid he my son jenny

Jennifer - posted on 03/22/2012

my was on adderall and he tried to kill his friend two times by once chocking him and another chasing him off with a medal bat all because the kid said his mommy isnt smart and is ugly and no good well before those meds my son wouldnt even kill a fly of hurt a spider which he HATEs be careful those meds can do that and if they do its NOT the right meds for your kid remember that the cimical is not right for your son and they do have others jenny