Hi, I am new to this forum...
I took my dd to the family dr in feb cuz of some issues she was having at school.. inattentive, can't complete tasks (even art), fidgeting, talking, poor fine motor skills, easily distracted, can't sit still etc...
We saw the specialist yesterday.. and wow he was good.. we spent almost 2 hrs in his office and he was playing with dd and asking questions etc..
he believes she has moderate ADHD... we have had her eyes checked and all is clear there.. we are waiting on an appt with the audiologist to test for CAP. He recommends putting her on Ritalin (generic) just for school time.. im nervous because of all the bad hype of drugs etc.. and he assured me on some things but i still have a fear that i may be doing the wrong thing.. im trying to research but it is alll soooooo conflicting..
please tell me im not the only one who found out and was conflicted??? I am use to her hyperness but if it helps for school i would be happy... she gets really frustrated easily and has hit herself in the head and i would hope that may stop...
ok im rambling... sorry...
i am trying to research alot...
have quite a few books on request from the library...
i am a single mama with no support from exdh so im doing this all on my own.. and so i can be a tad slower... if anyone has any links to awesome sites.. i have received a couple and im soo thankful... and thats y i brought myself here.. to pick up some of your wonderful wisdom.. :D
While I think alternative are great and yes we use omegas and magnesium...medication also has its place and if prescribed in a responsible manner the risks are minimal...yes you will get some side effects but for us the only side effect on the Adderall is appetite which we address before or after meds and also on weekends...many of these meds have been around quite a long time especially ritalin more than 50 years in the treatment of ADHD...
so basically I use both alternatives and medication and I will try to get my son off the med for spring break and for summer and let the alternative do their work... I guess I am sitting on the fence between the two camps
Hi. My son is adhd inattentive. We, as most do, struggled with the medication decision. In my mind there was such a STIGMA about the whole idea. Our son had become depressed, and we had tried changing diet, adding structure, etc. for years. He takes Focalin XR, which is a form of Ritalin. The change has been great. He still forgets some things and has trouble with oral instruction sometimes, but he finishes his work most of the time and feels much better about himself. He knows he is smart now, because the adhd doesn't get in the way nearly as much.Thank you for your replies... this place has amazing information...
I think for one week im gonna try the pills during school time and see if it helps.. he only wants her on it for school days...
i need to look into the other methods... and i know i have made the decision she wont be on it during the summer..
My son went of Ritalin for school only (though I wished I could medicate him at home as well. It helped tremendously in the beginning. There was such a marked difference in his work. His temperament suffered a little and he was often moody or emotional. It has been about 2 years now and Ritalin no longer works for him. It makes no difference at all. I will be having him re-assessed shortly to see about either changing from Ritalin or changing meds altogether.
There's lots of info here on the Alternative to Meds section of the board if you are interested. Many of us use supplements and/or homeopathy with great success.Just a little addendum, the main reason we are keeping on with the diet +
[QUOTE=Samsmum]Just a little addendum, the main reason we are keeping on with the diet +
supplements is because we know it has made a real difference to his
overall health (including mental health) as opposed to possibly masking
the problems - like the meds do. I really encourage you to explore all
areas that can affect behaviour. Though it is more time consuming and
more costly... it is definitely worth knowing what is going on in your
child's body and doing what you can to make it better.[/QUOTE]
I could not second that statement anymore!!!! I totally agree but would add that many medical professionals are VERY unfamiliar with any other intervention other than medication. You have to do the "legwork" and research on your own, but there is a TON of info out there!
MegMaguire38795.679212963My dd has been on stimulant meds since she was 6, she is now 13. It's very normal to not want to medicate your child, NOBODY wants to!! However, the risks of NOT addressing ADHD are worse than the risks of medication. I have relatives who could be poster children for what happens when you don't treat....it isn't pretty.
I'm not a believer in alternative methods, but I do respect those who choose to go that route....there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to this disorder. My dd is too severe to get results from alternative treatment. The most effective treatment is stimulant meds. Period. There are other choices out there, non-stimulant meds too, but none are as effective as stimulants.
Do have the CAP testing, and I applaud you for getting that done! Many kids with CAPD mimic ADHDers. My dd has both, but I never would have known if I hadn't had the CAP testing done. It's very important to get an accurate diagnosis/disagnoses. Most kids who have ADHD also have another comorbid condition, or 2, or more. You have to know what you are dealing with before you can help your child most effectively.
Kids don't stop having ADHD on the weekends or over summer vacation. My dd's doc and I both believe in full year treatment. ADHD affects all aspects of their life....social, behavioral and educational. They don't stop learning when they aren't in school. My dd is medicated year round, and full-day. She is normal height and weight. While there are appetite suppressant effects to the meds, kids make up for it after their meds wear off. I used to feed my dd her main meal for breakfast, because that was the meal she ate the most at. Who cares if she ate dinner for breakfast? It worked for us. Sorry, I have a strong opinion about this. Only medicating during school is not doing your child any favors.
Exercise is really important. One of the best things you can do for your ADHDer is to get him/her involved in some sort of physical activity. Karate is excellent, but my dd never had any interest in that. She does gymnastics instead. Our personal experience is that strictly team sports are not as good as individual or combined individual/team sports, because this activity can be one place that your child can build self-esteem...that is very important. Get her into an activity where she has some control.
About the meds....if you go that route, don't expect a miracle cure immediately. It takes time and experimentation to get the right med, the right dose, and the right schedule. Expect that to change fairly frequently. It's a constant juggling act to keep the meds at their best efficacy. My dd has been on just about every med out there for ADHD at one time or another. Make sure you have a doc that is willing to do very close supervision of the meds....my dd visits at least once a month, whether she needs it or not, and more frequently when we are adjusting meds. Don't accept a "standard dose" approach, there is no such thing. Each person is an individual, some need much higher doses, some need tiny doses. I see way too many kids who are being undermedicated because their parents "don't want to give them too much medicine." It isn't better to give too little medication, it makes them WORSE, and you have the same risk as you would if you gave them the effective dose.
Sorry to write a book. I've been in your shoes, maybe my experience can help. It's a tough road, but you're doing the right thing trying to help your child. Don't give up!
I know what you mean about the fence sitting, Joemom. We give our son Omega3's along with his meds. In fact, our whole family takes omega3's. When I told my pdoc - she asked what brand we use. I told her we take OmegaBrite. (sold on internet) She said she has read some studies on that brand and totally supported using them.
You will notice that she will lose weight after starting on the meds. Don't worry!! Try feeding her a heartier breakfast and delay her dinner until after the meds wear off. Try not to worry about lunch, she probably won't eat much at lunch. She'll be fine, really! My dd is also petite, and she dropped a lot of weight after she started meds, several pounds! I was just like you, I was very worried. The stimulants do NOT stunt growth, that's nonsense. Like I said, my dd has been on meds continuously since she was 6, and not tiny little doses either! She has been growing quite normally right along.
What you need to watch is not her weight, but her energy level. If she starts being tired all of the time, then you will know that you need to boost her nutrition. There are all sorts of tricks to help kids get more nutrients, if it becomes an issue. Most kids naturally balance out their intake by eating more when the meds wear off.
All parents of kids on stimulants worry about appetite loss, weight gain, growth, etc. It's not as big a deal as we are led to believe. Do yourself a favor and ignore the media hype about ADHD meds, it will make you crazy. Look for solid research, not anecdotal evidence. The research clearly shows that there is no significant long-term impact on growth.
Thank you again for your responses...
DD had her first full day of medication at school.. and she was sooo happy and excited... she finished 4 pages of work... and her teacher did notice an improvement...
our dr requires visits every 2 wks... he will probably taper off in the future and he has given me his cell# for any issues after hours.. like i said he is great..
im trying to find local stuff to help.. support groups, adhd kid get togethers etc... not alot of info on the net for that...
my dd's weight is a concern.. as it is now she is really really tiny... and she eats all the time.. so her not eating is of great concern and we are watching her weight.. we are using Ritalin (generic name) twice daily in school... which last til 4pm which is good.. since she is in bed by 7pm...
i am now going to look into fighting to keep her in her current school.. we are out of district because we moved in jan.. and she and i had major problems with the new school so she was temporarily sent back to her old school to finish off the year... but next year she may not be able to come back.. so i may have to move back in district.. i may look at alternative education.. because she doesn't do well in big classes at all...
ok rambling again...
Again thank you for your help.. you are all soo wonderful
Hi Tricia80 - welcome.