First Day on Folcalin | ADHD Information
Thanks again. I do meet with his teacher and counselor once a week and have done so since the first day. (That is when it all began.I appreciate your candor with me.Thanks for the info.
We decided not to put him on the Concerta or the Adderall right now because he is really emotional and the doctor thought that it would increase that.
I am so glad that I found this sight.
My husband and I were beginning to think that we were just horrible parents.I still think that about twice a month . .. or twice a day depending on the day. Have you noticed a difference with him at School? Are his grades improving or his conduct?well last year I'd had enough of the side effects (he's been medicated since he was 6). Soooooo I took him off all meds, needless to say he went from A&B to D&F but I really had to find a pscyh because my primary doctor who'd been medicating him referred me out (didn't know what else to give him).
Went round and round with people who seemed to know less than I did and you couldn't get in to see them so got disguisted with the whole affair and went back to him primary care and asked for Focalin (which I read about).
This year he is again AB Honor Roll, handwriting is still horrible and he's messy, disorganized and scattered at best, but HEY at least he's learning.
Bottom line, I messed up most of a year by taking him off the meds, I'll just have to deal with the side effects.
Conduct at school has never been the issue, ATTENTION has. At home, he'd have an F---- for conduct, although mostly with me . . Sorry to rambleNo it is great advice and wisdom for me. My son is in kindergarten, his conduct is horrible and his focus is pretty much 0.
So I am concerned that the folcalin won't help with that. He just can't stay in his seat, stop talking, and fidgeting and paying attention. exactly how are they grading these kids, anyways?
obviously not for creative thinking. because that is what ADDers are excellent at. so what criteria are they using? obedience, slave-mentality or what??????
nah, i'm just taking the piss. but it is all so random - some teacher says he gets an F --- what the frick does she know about intelligence. wasn't it einstein who didn't even speak until he was 6 years old - then his first words were 'the soup is too hot' or something?? these constant tests? what for? why? who cares what flipping grade you get when you are seven.
in sweden and other scandinavian countries they used not to start school until seven years old anyway. are they all stupid in the head over there? no. (although i think it is a shame to wait until you are seven, because learning is actually fun - and i loved school contrary to most ADDers).
it is all so arbitrary. so ridiculous somewhere. isn't it?
(not btw in case anyone gets that impression that i have anything against medicating kids who have ADD --- it's not that the bothers me. more it is this constant focus on GRADES, GRADES, GRADES as if that had any importance in the scheme of things. what is with this Grades Obsession? it's like a mental disorder amongst parents...)
when i was at school it was a positive disability to be clever or to be a swot... to get good grades was not to be recommended particularly. why this radical re-shift. fear? or what? sheesh i sure as sh*te am glad i am not at school now. long live the days when personality counted for something. in essence, it still does - in the real world (i hope).
chjones38639.4828935185I will tell you that I am not at all happy with my son's school and we have had several teacher thus far. It came to a point where they were going to make him only go half a day because he was so disruptive in class. We live in moderate sized community and the shcool system is OK. However my options are to pull him out or put him in private school. (Not an option unfortunately because of the cost.) It does frustrate me very much because the school says that he is super smart but insists that he is too disruptive..
When DS was in Kindergarten he was the same, even went to the principal twice for saying really bad words at something he was mad about) He went first on Concerta (low dose) and learned how to behave at school during 1st grade. He's never had another problem with it. (Was even student of the month, amazing, huh?) With me however, it's quite different, but he "plays" me and I give in to guilt and such.
I know the Focalin helps him because otherwise he would have bad grades again (couldn't stay focused). You should be conferring with the teachers as much as you can. I didn't do that then, I do now.
If you can get the focus where it needs to be, the Focalin is great because you still see alot of their original personality in it and not some doped up kid, with no laughter, etc. He had no personality on Concerta nd Adderall, almost like he was depressed so Drs start saying "how about adding Remeron or Rispadryl". I didn't want to add more meds, I just wanted to find one that worked.
In our experience, Concerta lost effectiveness after about 18 months, we went to higher doses twice, then the DR. tried Adderall, which made him extremely aggressive.
Hope this helps a little, have to leave in a few minutesMy son is 5 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD a little over a month ago. We studied everything we could about the subject and talked to his counselor and his pediatrician at lengths before deciding to put him on Medications.
Today was his first day on Folcalin 5mg. I haven't noticed much of a change if any.
How long should it take to get into his system?
When should we notice a difference?
Any help on this matter would be very beneficial to a mother who worries way to much....I started mine on Focalin 3 months ago (he's 10) -- he was having issues with Adderall making him aggressive. So far, he eats better with Focalin and can focus at school (which is really why I medicate him.)
He's still extremely mouthy and defiant but that could be his age as well.
Overall I'm pretty happy with the Focalin, it doesn't seem to have as many side effects as Concerta, Adderall and reg. Ritalin did for us.
They all work different for differnt people though It's frustrating sometimes . ..Serve it as a jell-o shot.
[QUOTE=Carrieprr]I just wanted to Thank everyone who responded to my post. We are four days on meds and it is a struggle to get him to take it in the morning. I have used pudding and applesauce to give him the pill. (He won't swallow the pill so I take the meds out and bury it in applesauce.)
Does any one know of a better way to give meds?
He is back at school today, so I am anxious to get the report from his teacher. He is definitely not as roudy when on the meds. [/QUOTE]
I've seen a nifty gadget at the local pharmacy - right next to the pill splitters. they have the pill crushers - looks like a small orange squeezer. You could crush it to a powder - and put it in a smooth-textured and sweet something - maybe butterscotch icecream or pudding? Sweet and slippery will mean your child won't taste the bitter and any particles will be masked by the nature of the desert. I think it would work! Nice thing with the pudding is you could get the cups - and I betcha if he's like the ex's kids he'll race for the bottom!
Thanks for all of your words.The past 3 days have been better as I let him choose what he would like for me to put the medicine in. i.e. yogurt, applesauce, pudding. Then I mix it in with a toothpick so all of the granules are mixed in and not just on top.
We then talk about him swallowing it as soon as the spoon is out of his mouth and then he chooses his reward. This morning it was a sugar free Oreo, and he was happy. Of course that makes me
!!
We will continue to try new things..
Great! You made a believer out of me and these posts! Thanks for coming back and telling us. Reward HIM!!!
Tell him we think he's great.
Here, let me tell him.
Hey, ds, son of Carrieprr, keep it up, guy!
I think you are GREAT ! ! !
We think you are GREAT ! ! !
MomE thinks you are GREAT ! ! !
I knew not to crush them as his doctor told us not too. The yogurt seems to be working or it is the sugar free cookie afterwards, I am not sure. As long as it works that is fine with me...
I love this board, even if I don't post anything or reply, I am learning so much about ADD, ADHD, coping with the school, coping with the condition. I am so glad that I found it, I don't feel like I am alone any more.
I will continue to log on everyday and just look, read and learn as much as I can.
[QUOTE=Davidornado]If it's an extended release capsule, such as XR, or LA, or CR, etc. you should not crush the microencapsulations. This would rupture the filtering membrane, and release the whole dose at once, instead of over a period of 8 to 12 hours. [/QUOTE]
Thanks - I thought about it afterwards and that's so right. Only the solid pills can be crushed. I see that all due attention was already there - but wanted to put it straight and thank you for following up after I passed out from exhaustion due to work. Kudos!!! I like the XRs - I don't worry about some junkie stealing my dex to snort - I assume those little dots are murder on the sinuses and probably take months to come back out!! I'd love to see it happen once in my life though so I can get a good laugh!!!
[QUOTE=Carrieprr]I knew not to crush them as his doctor told us not too. The yogurt seems to be working or it is the sugar free cookie afterwards, I am not sure. As long as it works that is fine with me...
I love this board, even if I don't post anything or reply, I am learning so much about ADD, ADHD, coping with the school, coping with the condition. I am so glad that I found it, I don't feel like I am alone any more.
I will continue to log on everyday and just look, read and learn as much as I can. [/QUOTE]
We are SO glad to have you!! Especially me - I'm glad when the sun comes up these days - I'm so happy it's sick!!!
Sometimes it pays just to laugh. The more I laugh - the less a burden ADHD seems to be. It's all becoming a distant (and more happy) memory to me. I have made it a regular thing to phone my mother often to let her know she did a lot of things right with that little ADHD boy - and that it all payed off. She loves to hear it - and I love to tell her. I still make her laugh - I always felt it was my job as a child - especially when she had her hysterectomy at age 31 and her mind was not quite the same. I love to make her laugh her hearty (and LOUD) germanic laugh. It's a great thing!! Damn I'm too happy!!!
I feel like Ren of Ren and Stimpy the cartoon - after being trapped in a "happy hat" - a machine that forces him to be extremely happy. He finally can't take all the happy happy joy-joy and smashes the helmet off his head with a hammer.
Happy-Happy!! Joy-Joy!!! I'll teach yer mudder to sew socks!!
If it's an extended release capsule, such as XR, or LA, or CR, etc. you should not crush the microencapsulations. This would rupture the filtering membrane, and release the whole dose at once, instead of over a period of 8 to 12 hours. Thanks for the suggestions. Tomorrow I will give him a choice. This morning he gagged on it and spit some of it out. So I don't know if he got all of the meds or not..I will try and get creative...
Shakespeare, loved your answer. Is the Jell-O shot for me or him??
LOL
Thanks he had a wonderful day at school yesterday. He had not one bad report. He stayed in his seat all day, did ALL of his work. (This is literally the first time in 10 weeks.)
[QUOTE=chjones] exactly how are they grading these kids, anyways?
obviously not for creative thinking. because that is what ADDers are excellent at. so what criteria are they using? obedience, slave-mentality or what??????
nah, i'm just taking the piss. but it is all so random - some teacher says he gets an F --- what the frick does she know about intelligence. wasn't it einstein who didn't even speak until he was 6 years old - then his first words were 'the soup is too hot' or something?? these constant tests? what for? why? who cares what flipping grade you get when you are seven.
in sweden and other scandinavian countries they used not to start school until seven years old anyway. are they all stupid in the head over there? no. (although i think it is a shame to wait until you are seven, because learning is actually fun - and i loved school contrary to most ADDers).
it is all so arbitrary. so ridiculous somewhere. isn't it?
(not btw in case anyone gets that impression that i have anything against medicating kids who have ADD --- it's not that the bothers me. more it is this constant focus on GRADES, GRADES, GRADES as if that had any importance in the scheme of things. what is with this Grades Obsession? it's like a mental disorder amongst parents...)
when i was at school it was a positive disability to be clever or to be a swot... to get good grades was not to be recommended particularly. why this radical re-shift. fear? or what? sheesh i sure as sh*te am glad i am not at school now. long live the days when personality counted for something. in essence, it still does - in the real world (i hope).
[/QUOTE]
Speaking of grades.... My (8yr old) son's school has worked out to grade him on mastering the skill, not by the amount of work they get from him. Not exactly sure how the teacher works it but he is an A/B student with his quizes and tests. Anybody else do this?
My son's been on Focalin XR for a month now. No side affects detected yet.
Rion'sMom38640.2644560185I just wanted to Thank everyone who responded to my post. We are four days on meds and it is a struggle to get him to take it in the morning. I have used pudding and applesauce to give him the pill. (He won't swallow the pill so I take the meds out and bury it in applesauce.)Does any one know of a better way to give meds?
He is back at school today, so I am anxious to get the report from his teacher. He is definitely not as roudy when on the meds. Why does he resist?
Bargain with him. Take it, no problems, ice cream as reward.
Don't take it, no nintendo or something.
Or, better yet, with my kids allowing them a choice always engaged them in the decision.
How do you want to take your meds today?
1. Regular
2. In your oatmeal
3. You think of a cool creative way