ADHD when to quit meds?

Kim - posted on 11/30/2009

My son is also 11 and has ADHD, he is doing super since being on medicaiton, I have tried behavior modification, cut out sugars, giving him caffenine morning and afternoon. The medication has been the best choice. I was very hestitant at first, I crushed after the testing. We took him to a private pay clinic, did not go throught the school. Unfornately your husband needs to stop and think, what is best for your son, How would he feel if he walked around all day long, with thousands of thought going through his head and not be able to control it. I asked my son, how he felt after we put him on medication, he said it was like he wanted to run and touch everything but this body wouldn't let him. We went shopping the day he started meds. I started him when he was 10, because I was in denial, now I wished I would have put him on it sooner, it has made a huge difference in him making friends, getting homework done, and just everyday life. Sometimes I let him go w/out med once in a while when their is no school, I have asked my son, can he tell a difference w/out meds, and he says yes. He know the meds help him. It is a goal for us to work on more behavior modication and take him off, but he obviously isn't ready for that step yet. Ask your son how he feels. My husband was military, and they are never around, that is why we get out, you are the one who is ultimately going to be dealing with your son. The decision should be between you and your son. I am sorry, your husband is in denial and isn't considering how it will affect your son and yourself.

Denise - posted on 11/30/2009

My son was diagnosed in preschool with ADHD. He started med's in first grade and I noticed a huge difference in his ability to focus at school. He has frustations about being able to do what other kids can do as far as reading, writing, etc. Children notice the difference in their abilities and compare themselves. His self esteem is better with the medication because he can accomplish more. My thought is simple ...if you child needs glasses would you get them? His case is severe but his disposition and sense of humor is truly one of his assets. I don't think of this as a disability. This has been around for ages just no one ever diagnosed it like today. The subjects in school for these children are so advanced that our ancesters who graduated college only learned what our children are mastering in elementary school.

Sarah - posted on 11/28/2009

I can empathise with yoy. My oldest son had ADHD & was placed on medication. He was a different child. He was able to concentrate and do his schoolwork. His Dad did not agree & was in denial that anything was "wrong with his son". I followed the Dr.'s advice. He took it during, but did not take it in the summer. He was taken off the med after 5th grade. My son is now retired from the Navy. I cannot imagine what woud have happened if I had not followed my own instincts. I say follow the Dr."s advice and do what is best for your son.

Steffenie - posted on 11/11/2009

I agree...I have a 11 yr old that has ADHD as well. He was recently diagnosed this year. We have had so many issues with him in school and other social issues as well. I never knew what was going on with him and could never give him a solution, until recently. At first I was against medication because his father and I are recovering addicts. Im thankful for all the doctors and his current medication because it has helped him put things into perspective. It has been a blessing for him and our family!

Jeanne - posted on 11/10/2009

I've heard that Ritalin and other like drugs can cause sleep issues, irritability, and stunt growth/weight gain. Are these concerns for you?

Nerissa - posted on 11/10/2009

Hi, I have a 13 yr old son who is very ADHD. I would not take him of his meds just because my Ex ( his so called father ) says so. I'm sorry but I am the one who lives with this child and has to deal with the schooling and all the other social issues that comes along with him not being medicated. I love my son and want nothing but the best for himand him to be able to be the best he can be and if that means staying on his meds until he is out of school and is mature enough to be able to control himself then I feel his should stay on them.. If your son is acheiving in school with meds the worst thing would be to take him off. Your son is about to go through huge swings and round abouts with hormones, the last thing he needs is to have to deal with extra social pressures due to his behaviour and issues with slipping in school. It is a recipe for depressed under achieving kids.
I must also add that there is no long term damaging effects of Ritalin on children, it is a drug that replaces a missing chemical in the brain that ADHD children dont produce but our body makes normally. The reason it has to be taken several times a day is it is out of the system in 4-6 hours. It is not addictive.

Shirley - posted on 11/10/2009

I have a 12 (soon to be 13) grandson diagnosed with ADHD and he has been on Ritalin for quite a few years. The medicine was not helping. He was getting low grades, had behavioral problems and I did'nt see it but his Dad told me that he was starting to get the shakes. They took him to a scheduled psychiatrist appointment who told them that he thought my grandson was a step above autism. This is not true at all. That same afternoon they had an appointment with his regular doctor who said that most of the behavioral problems and the shakes (that I never saw) were because he had been on Ritalin to long. They finally changed him over to some other medication. I hate the thought of anyone being on that type of medication but I know that it helps in some cases. I do know that you need a lot of love and patience. If it were my son, I would take him off of the medication ASAP but you need to have a lot of love and lots of patience. You can always go back on it if it doesn't work out. If you take your son off of his medication, make sure your doctor knows that and then keep a close eye on your son to watch for any changes. I wish you all the luck in the world!!

Dee - posted on 11/10/2009

I agree do it with a docs supervision. My son was on Focalin and I thought his behavior was bad until my new neighbors moved in. Her son is a holy terror. ADHD as well. So I decided to take my son off knowing hes NOT THAT BAD. It takes a little more work on my end but he's doing well.

Sally - posted on 11/09/2009

I too was tin the same boat as you a while ago and my sons dad would not think his son had a.d.h.d. refused to give him his tablets needed confirmation that he needed it from doctor ect. why not ask the doctor and see what they say.? my son is in second year at secondary school and takes 60mg of tablets a day as well as some think to help and relax him to sleep.plus extra at school if he needs it. so he does need it but now his dad is now not seeing him not because of the a.d.h.d. but because c.s.a.increased his payments. but its good you have asked your son but may be it will be too hard not to up set you or his dad.

Karen - posted on 11/09/2009

If your son decides to go off hius meds, I would do it gradually and let him know that in the event it gets too hard for him behaviorally or academically he can choose to take them again. I am assuming your son has an IEP or a 504 Plan. If so, I would request either an IEP or 504 meeting in writing. At the meeting you should inform the school of him stopping his med's. if that whats decided by you and/or your son. Find out what the school has been doing that has helped him (organizational skills, color coding, time out place to release energy) and make sure those things continue. I would also ask his teachers fdor their email addresses so that you can communicate daily with them regarding his progress off his med's. or the lack of. Also, keep in mind that you don't have to sign his IEP or 504 at the end of the meeting you have ten days before it has to be signed, this would allow you time to take the plan home and review it more closely with your son in private. I would also when reviewing it in private with your son ask him for his input, such as, whats been helpful that the schools has done as well as whether or not he has any ideas about what he or the school could do to help him to achieve academic success. Make sure too that you consult with his pediatrician or psychiatrist about coming off his meds.. You can also go online to get more information regarding accomodations the school can make to help him succeed. I hope this has been helpful to you.

Ticha - posted on 11/09/2009

My brother was on Ritalin for years. This tiny controlling pill made him a zombie. Now, your child may not have this effect. But, long term use of this drug will surely mess him up when he is older. Forgive me for the pun.My brother became increasingly uncontrollable at a young age at school and at play he had issues. Please do your research. Please don't let this harm your child. I had trouble with my son. I refused medication. This may sound a little off hand even crazy. But, a little prayer and a mentor really helped. Please investigate, dig hard. Get info.

Rabecca - posted on 11/09/2009

I also have a son on meds and my thing is to wait till after high school starts depending in grades behavior that sort of thing I really think they are not mature enough depending on the child till they are well into there teens but all kids are different my son is also on a very low dose but without it he really struggles and I want to make sure hes well adjusted he struggles with low self asteem and concentration but I honestly dont think he will need it after he matures more but really with alot of these kids it a test and see thing I just know that as far as school I want to make sure they are working to there full potentail with or without the meds becasue education is so important not to mention alot of kids who stuggle with ADHD and ODD and such can start to self medicate with drugs food sex those types of behaviors because they feel so out of control and it can start to become serious types of behaviors that I just dont want to risk it till I know he is ready and knows fully that life may get tougher but he can handle what comes with that .

I kind of have the same situation with my sons bio dad he was also on medication as a child and whatever it was was not the right one for him and made him feel numb not happy or sad and he hated it I tried to tell him that he was not on a good medication for him if thats what he felt like and our son is not having the same issue but he just has it in his head they are all bad and our son does not need then he has never lived with our son lives across the countyr and thinks he knows what to do really he just wants to control the situation well I refuse to let him after all my son well being is at steak and thats more important that a man who has no idea on what weve been through and how far hes come over the last couple years I am certainally not going to let him intrupt all the progress we have seen

Annabelle - posted on 11/09/2009

I have looked into herbal meds but they are just too expensive. We would of course discuss any action with the doctor first I just hope his dad realizes these pills are helping. If 10 mg a day is the diference between failing classes and passing them then I see no problem.

Teresa - posted on 11/09/2009

My son was diagnosed with adhd, and was put on med from kindergarten to junior high. He started to do the time release capsules and then when he started coming down off the meds at night became very violent with his younger sister. I decided to take him off the meds, and now he doesn't have that anger prob. I think as parents we have to take a look at our situation with our children and pray that God gives us the answer with the decision we are thinking about. Every child is different, but being a Mother, as the saying goes Mother knows best!!1

Amie - posted on 11/09/2009

I agree with Christyna and Pam. It is not a good idea to take him off meds without doctors consent of a weaning plan nor is it a good idea if he's still struggling.

Our oldest has sever ADHD, we tried the natural ways but they don't work for cases like her. However the meds have done her wonders, so has her learning disabilities school though. She is assessed every 3 months by her specialist. We were told it should only take up to 3-5 years though for a child to medicated for it to "fix" itself. Longer if the meds are not taken every day like they should be. That's her specialist findings though with all the children he's worked with in the last 25 years. Some children I would imagine would take longer, especially if they are not taking their meds every day. Ours doesn't, summer vacation we never give them to her. She is on track to coming off them though within the next 2 years. We can see the improvement she's making. But I can't compare her to any other child since each is different and will react differently. She also has added help on top of the meds so that also plays a big part.

Please do not remove him though unless the doctor signs off on it. The doctor will give you a schedule to wean him off and let you know what to watch for. But if he's still having issues on the days he doesn't take his meds it's not something I would do for my own.

Frannie - posted on 11/08/2009

I let my kids go though summer without meds. I tried letting my oldest son go the 1st grading period of school without it but his grades were bad, so I put him back on it now making A's and B's. It does make a difference.

Betty - posted on 11/07/2009

I recommend waiting till he is 14 or 15. That's about the age my brother was when he stopped taking drugs for ADHD and it worked out fine because he was more mature by then. He tried stopping sooner but it was too difficult for him at that young of an age.

Wendy - posted on 11/07/2009

My son was diagnosed with ADHD also when he was 6 years old. He is now 17, and this is the first school year we are trying no medication. So far, so good. When he started to go through puberty, I noticed he was "slowing" down, not as hyper, but still unable to stay as focused as he should. The doctor said he may be turning more towards being ADD instead of ADHD. The doctor said this often happens during puberty, and that we may come to a point where he wouldn't need any meds at all. I took him off of the meds on the weekend, and during the summer (as the doctor prescribed), and he seemed to be doing quite well. This was when he was 14 years old. When this school year started, the doctor and I decided to take him off slowly by decreasing the milligrams of the medication, and now is not on anything. His grades are still good, and he said he feels he's able to stay focused, but does have to force himself to at times. He said he feels he has a better "personality" and feels more like himself. I told him that we will keep monitoring this, and always have the option to go back on a low dose just for during the school year. I would like to tell you that your son may go through this same type of progression with the ADHD, but of course every child is different. You know what is best for your child, since you are with him all the time. I would suggest working with your doctor to see if this is an option, or if your doctor suggests waiting until he goes through puberty to try this. My doctor said especially for boys, it seems when puberty hits and is almost complete, that they have better success with stopping the medication altogether. I wish you the best, and know exactly what you are going through. Our children are such special, gifted children! My son is such a wonderful boy, well, now man! I know it's a struggle at times, but trust me when they grow up they have a special closeness with us. My son said he knows I worried about him when he was younger, and that I worked so hard with him. It's truly rewarding to know he knows! Good luck with whatever decision you decide to make.

Pam - posted on 11/07/2009

if your son isn't performing at or above grade level and hasn't been able to control his behavior during the times when he isn't medicated then it is a really bad idea to take him off od medication. there are adults that take medication for ADHD because they know that to succeed they NEED it. Why make school and life hard on your son when there is help. My doctor told me to look at it this way- if our son was diabetic would you put him on insulin for the rest of his life- well of course you would otherwise he wouldn't be HEALTHY. The ADHD medication is helping your son stay HEALTHY right now. I really hope this helps and good luck! I definately wouldn't want to go through trying to get the right meds and right amount again. If it ain't broke don't fix it- isn't that the saying. Best of luck!!!

Christyna - posted on 11/07/2009

Never come off without doctord consent my son has ADHD OCD ODD AND ASPERGERS