Thank you for writting back to me so quickly. I feel a sense of relief, and learned alot from you all. I will take any sound advice you have given into serious and quick consideration. Since reading your relpies, and learning that punishment and threats do not really work. I will take him off punishment and not spank him.I will talk to him and try to get some help ASAP. I must tell you that he was assesed two years ago and by a phsycologist (which was very time consuming from work). He was perscibed Aderol 10mg and did improve. However he had no appetite and had trouble sleeping. I took him off the meds for the summer being that he was going to camp and not school. He seemed to have done ok at camp so, assumed maybe he could go without. Last year, he went without and got into some trouble here and there. He also had a really good teacher that understood and placed him littterally right next to his desk, so that my son could not easily be distracted. He was not easy, but he made it trough that year and passed. This year I really feel he must be medicated for as long as it takes, as here in New York, the 3rd and 5th graders have to take a really hard test, and if they dont pass they get left back. That is not an option.
Do you know of any medication that has the least side effects, or better yet, what do you know of and what are the known side effects? What is naturopathic remedies? His pediatirician did not test him at all. He only gave me a refferal to a neurologist. Which I know understand from his school phsycologist, is not what he needs.
Please advise.
Thank you guys again, I cant tell you what a big difference you have made.
What is CBT?triche -
It's very promising to hear that meds DID help your son. I was wondering that. You need to give adderall time to work. The appetite comes back within usually a month - but until then you'd need to get the school to make him eat as he won't feel the hunger - and you'll have to fight him for the breakfast for a while too. Good thing is that once he's used to it he'll eat like a horse!
Ritalin seems to work best for capital "H" hyper ADHDers. Adderall is more for Ritalin-sensitive or for inattentive ADHDers. The Ritalin tends to slow down the system more - which helps calm the hyper tendency. But it's try one and see time there.
Best for lack of side effects is dexedrine or Ritalin. Either one is generally tolerable by most - and the effects go away fast. Also if you get a side-effect that worries you then you can take him off them and it goes away fast. You can start him on any of them with short-release, then if he's good with them either keep raising them until they work best or try an XR tab to keep it all day.
Stratterra seems to have the most troublesome side-effects and I can tell you I didn't like it one bit. Felt like I was trapped on a glue-pad - very sluggish. But I am inattentive so there might be a good effect for a very hyper ADHDer child.
Good luck!
CBT - cognitive behavior therapy. It's a way of therapy where you go through why things are done and how to learn new ways to do them. It's more like cause and effect training than trying to figure out if you were loved as a child. Very good as it's proactive and tries to stop things before they begin. I love mine - now I can put the brakes on and know that even med-free I could sweat past the troubles. I highly recommend it! Triche -Glen-
What is a XR tab? Myson needs something he can take once a da, preferably in the morining. He is very forgetful and cannot trust he wil remember to take his meds as perscribed. Glen in your opinion what is best for hyperactivity and attention deficite?
Cynthia,
how much does this DMAE costs?
Both- I will look into CBT.
An XR tablet/spansule is eXtended Release. It gives one dose that lasts on average 4 hours - then at that time releases another for 4 more hours. It's best for all-day coverage in that you can't forget and get that "dip" from the lack of meds mid-day. I take mine 30 minutes before work - that lasts me about 6 hours full strength and 9 hours total (dexedrine sulphate). Each XR variety varies from as little as 6 to up to 12 hours. Check with the MD. Drawback is if your son has trouble with side effect then it's there for day not 2 to 4 hours. But if he starts low it's ok. Most MDs start very low and crawl up until it works fine.
For hyper from what I've heard most use Ritalin or Concerta. But Adderall seems to work equally well for many others. I'd check with a psychiatrist who is specialist in pediactric ADHD. That would give you a tried-and-tested view that is better than mine.
triche - I feel your pain! I am a 38 year old man who's childhood was held ransom by severe inattentive ADHD. My mother (and dad too) spent many many sleepless nights wondering what to do with me. They didn't have a clue what ADHD was - they simply thought that either there was something seriously mentally wrong with me - or that I was a "bad seed" - destined for destruction.
What I can tell you is that if you keep a strong discipline at home and prevent your son from falling back on excusing his actions - that eventually the ADHD will mellow as he reaches puberty and beyond. Meds will help - many here will attest that if you find the correct med and dosage your son can find the strength he lacks to fight off the urges he feels daily.
Rewards rarely help. They offered me many things - it's not a matter of wanting to change for an ADHD child. When an urge to misbehave or rebel against authority comes - there's very little we can do to stop. It's much like sitting a hyper kid in a room alone with a box that says "do not open" on it - it can make us sweat and become very agitated if we are asked to stop what we feel urged to do. Some can handle it - they are the mild ADHDers or misdiagnosed.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy can help - but the child has to be ready to act on the training. I can tell you no amount of CBT would have helped me - I had no idea how to stop acting on urges and didn't really want to either. It's much easier just to say "I can't help it" than to work at it. There's a lot of work required.
I assume that your GP has checked for allergies and other non-ADHD reasons he is acting this way. They can seem like ADHD - but are fixable much easier and typically med-free.
Some have had luck with special exercises or naturopathic remedies - but there are few studies to prove how much is the remedy and how much is wish fulfillment and simple time. After time the child eventually becomes better at either controlling his/her behavior or masking it to the world.
But don't be TOO scared of the med avenue. Get info - lots of it and know that if you try your son on meds they all (except Stratterra and anti-depressants) can be stopped immediately if side-effects are too much. The all have some side-effects - but typically they subside and leave a happy adjusted child. It is very successful - millions take it with no troubles at all. But just know the whole business before you decide - time is something you have much of.
and good luck!
Hi everyone. I am new to the board. I have an eigth year old boy. How has been diagnosed with ADHD. I understand the whole inability to stay focused and figitiveness etc. But he has been getting in trouble in school everyday. The schoos seems to think he should be medicated. I have held out on that. The school has him on behavoir modification. That he gets a stickers moring and afternoons for doing his work and behavoir. ( 4 stickers great day, 3 not bad )
but he hasnt been able to even get 2. He is constantly in trouble. and I am at my witts end. Does having ADHD cause children to be in trouble all the time?He seems to cop a plea that since he has ADHD that he is not responible for his actions and milks it. Is he taking advantage of his condition? I keep punishing him and finally after nearly a year I felt I had no alternative but to spank him.How will medication help? Is there an alternitive to medication? Are there non presciption meds that can help? Are there natural meds?
HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP. Please. I feel that I am beging to loose my own mind.
May I ask what meds is your daughter on? And what exactly do you do in behavoir modification?
Medications do not take care of behavior issuesbut can help improve focus. A behavior modification plan is a good start and I understand your hesitation on meds. My daughter is in therapy and has a behavior mod plan written by her psychologist and as a last resort we have started her on meds a low dose and the school has reported she is doing a lot better on the focus and behavior. It took us a year before beginning the medication for I had concerns. It was between this support board and her psychologists positive feedback that changed my opinion plus wanting to help my child.