Brand new, and scared!! | ADHD Information

Donna,

I'm glad to hear of the results. It sounds like you did your homework. It is so gratifying to watch results like that. Congratulations!

Susie

Devonboo, My son was diagnosed with ADHD the summer after first grade. By then, he too was labeled as the "bad kid". It was a difficult decision, but we decided on medication. He is in 4th grade and doing terrific. He's no longer defiant at home, his grades are great and he is finally over coming his social issues. (many kids haven't forgotten 1st gade). We also went for family counseling for 6 months and he still attends group therapy with other ADHD kids. We make sure that he has check ups twice a year and his doctor monitors his growth and general health every 2 to 3 months.

Good luck!

hi donna- i know how scared you are. we are going down the same road with you. our son just started on adderall a month ago, and after adjusting the dosage twice we've found that the medicine is not having much of an effect, so we're seeing a psychiatrist next week.

the decision to medicate is a tough one, and one that you need to make with the counsel of your doctors. we had jacob get a baseline ekg to check his heart function and rule out any heart problems prior to him starting the stims. i regularly check his pulse and blood pressure at home to keep and eye on things and for peace of mind.

keep in mind that all meds seem to work differently for different people. our frustration with the medication is that we really struggled with the decision to medicate and are now on the trial and error route to finding the right one. in the end, i do believe that there is hope and help out there. so hang in there, and know that there are many newbies like you here and a lot of more experienced parents that are here to help.

good luck!

patty

You can get some information about alternative therapies at:

http://borntoexplore.org/alternatives.htm

For handling anger: the book "The Mad Family Gets Their Mads Out" is good for reading aloud to young children or for beginning readers to read themselves.

The book "Healing ADD" by D. Amen has a questionnaire to determine which specific type of ADD a person has, and then specific suggestions for each type -- both what drugs tend to work well for each type, and what non-drug alternatives work well for each type.

Alternatives include: neurofeedback (which I use myself); lots of physical exercise; neurotransmitter precursors such as amino acids, etc.

I personally hate Adderrall. It makes a lot of kids, even with ADHD, aggressive. It does work for some kids, but why not start out with Ritalin? Some kids need meds and are better off with them than without them. On the other hand, if it turns out that you child is misdiagnosed, and you have an ADHD mimicker, any stim will make the child worse, but Ritalin is the least dangerous. The risk is really very slight, even for Adderrall. Good luck with your decision.

Devonboo,

My son is seven and was diagnosed with ADHD at 5 years old. We have tried everything including adderall. I thought adderall was way too strong for him.

Please know that you are not alone. I feel for you and I know it hurts to put you child on something that is a controlled substance. It killed me too. But it is the only thing to help him get thru school without getting in trouble on a daily basis.

Some drugs work well for one but not others it is all trial and error. But once you find something that works with the least side affects you will feel a bit better.

I have just been introduced to a med called Focalin which seems to work well for my little boy. He was on ritalin LR which worked well also.

Please feel free to email me if you just feel like talking about this disorder. I have not found any support groups and just knowing I am not alone makes me feel a bit better anyways. This is my first time in a chat room of anykind but I really am glad I found this site.

Hang in there!

Patty

There are other options you can take if you're that concerned about taking medication. Listen to your heart and don't worry so much about what other people have to say. They are not you nor do they know your child like you do. Best of luck. I know in time you'll be able to sort out this decision. Don't get pressured into doing anything you're not comfortable with. Best of luck. I've been there..IMac38945.4777662037IMac38945.4779976852it is the worst feeling in the world to be faced with the decision to put your child on meds. i have chosen to go the alternative route. do what you feel is right and what you feel comfortable with. I personally didnt feel comfortable at all and I just couldnt do it. Especially when i tried the meds and he had insomnia and then they wanted to put him on another med for sleep. I said this is too much for a 4 1/2 year old. I will do whatever i have to do to keep him off meds.....way too many side effects.Personally, if he's miserable, I'd try the meds. Check for a pre-existing heart condition first. My son is on Ritalin LA and the pdoc says it helps with impulsivity. The last thing I'd do is listen to grandparents advice, unless they have experience dealing with kids like yours. They're not around enough, don't listen to the complaints of teachers and don't live with the kid. My husband's mother wanted to tell me that maybe ds wouldn't "act that way" (end of the day, meds worn off) if he wasn't taking those pills. I told her it wasn't up for discussion and left.

Remember too, that meds aren't evil. Folks talk about them like they're bad parents if they even consider them. I have siezures and take meds. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to drive, hold a job or have a family. What if my parents had decided that meds were automatically bad and would hurt me even before they tried them? It comes down to a risk/benefit analysis. Will your son be able to take these without it harming him? What are the possible benefits? After the first day on meds, my son said "Mom, I like myself so much better on these pills." Lay aside your fears and prejudices and educate yourself. You'll be able to make an informed decision.
we went the alternative route with our boy...that was our choice, but I have heard plenty of success stories with children on meds.

homeopathy has been working wonderfully, with no side effects, and our insurance covered it.

It took a couple of months to start seeing results...but we are in good place right now.

[QUOTE=IMac][QUOTE=devonboo][QUOTE=INaBOX]Listen to your heart and don't worry so much about what other people have to say.[/QUOTE]

I guess that also includes people on message boards?

Already getting notes home from teacher, labelled the Bad Kid and has no friends. Inabox, that's a pretty heavy load for a six or seven year old to carry. Ignoring things can sometimes come back to bite you later on.
[/QUOTE]

I was talking about family members and/or friends who are telling her what she should or should not do. It has nothing to do with her child - it has to do with getting the right facts and basing her final decision on that.

IMac38945.478287037I am also new here. I was in the same place 2 years ago. I also have 7 yo ds Dylan. We fought the the meds.. tried diet, behavior charts, etc. He has been on ritilain and now Concerta it does help. He still has his moments its not a cure, but I have seen the changes in him. More impotantly he see's the changes. He calls it his thinking pills. He has more friends, and more self worth. I do work for a peds Dr. ( whom I bug all the time) The way I was told by all my Dr. and nurse friends ( and it helped ) it is no different that if your child had diabetes you would give insulin? Its hard but you are not alone. e do blood work to look out for side effects i also keep records. You can do this. My husband and family was against meds at first too.. They now see the differance in him and are glad I took charge for his sake. Talk to his Dr. he can help. Good luck. Keep us posted

I agree with susib..check for pre-existing condition (heart) and if you are comfortable you can give the meds a try.....

I think my son would be in special education if he did not take medication

My 7 year old son was just diagnosed with adhd, with impulsivity and hyperactiveness at the highest. I knew it was coming for a long time, so I tried changes in diet, focus factor ( which worked initially, but stopped after about a week). I told the doctor all these things, and he decided to prescribe adderall xr 5mg. I was dead set against it.

Today, I got another bad note from his teacher at school about his behavior. He has no friends and in 1st grade he is already labeled "the bad kid". I want so much more for him! So, My husband and I decided to try the meds.

But,After reading some posts about heart problems, I am so scared! Do I just keep him off meds and let him live his life miserable (he hates that no one likes him), or try them. I am just so torn, and of course grandparents are saying, you can't put him on meds, they are so risky. But, is it better for him to live a miserable life off meds, or a happy one on.

Does anyone have any advice for me? I know no one can tell me you have to put him on them, but do they benefits definately outweigh the risks. Please help!!

Thanks for listening, Donna

Donna you sound just like me and i was in your shoes back in October and I still have concerns. My daughter has moderate to severe and Oppositional Defiency and our psychologist said to give meds a try for a year and then we will try her without. She started on Ritalin 5 mg then since it wore off by afternnoon so it went to 10MG Ritalin La, and i have to say she did awsome both at home and in school that I feel comfortable. It was recently changed to Concerta 18 Mg due to loss of effectiveness and the 20 Ritalin being too high for her was tried. Now she is happy playful and less distracted. I can go to a shopping mall and have her walk by my side and not wander and I feel like "is this my child"?

I do understand your fears but a lot of what we see and read there was other circumstances attached and had nothing to do with medications. I am still ever watchful and caughtous but am looking at the benefits and she now has 2 friends she talks about at school and on weekends I let her go off her meds she has actually told me she wanted it. On Easter break she had a med vacation and will stop over the summer. My daughter is 6

As far as friendships does your son have an IEP? my girl does and is recieving play therapy at school for socialization skills. Do not be afraid. You can PM me if you would like and I can give you my e-mail if not listed Jill

P.S. you can give it a shot and wean him off if you feel uncomfortable later.

Jillette38842.7293287037

If you do go the meds route, YES, get a thorough physical with labs and the whole bit. Check for family heart history etc. Take him in on a regular basis (6 weeks?) to get his BP checked and heart rate checked, which you can also track at home in between.

It's so easy to be concerned with all the bad rap of meds, but you've got to do what you've got to do. And they really are safe for so many! If you want to try alts, which have been helful for many who have tried them, you can do it while he is taking the meds. I put my son on Adderall (only for a few months) that I had sitting around for a few months while I hemmed and hawed and agonized, after he had an ADHD moment and nearly cut his finger off at school. So, I felt it was imperative to make a very quick desicion for his personal safety. It really did a beautiful change for him during the time he was on it. We both miss it in some ways...........

If you are not comfortable with starting meds., have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy? Also, check out the alternative medicine thread. There is a lot of info there. My 9 yr.old daughter has been on 5-6 meds. and so far none have helped. Her side effects have been stomach aches, insomnia and loss of appetite. She is 4'4 and weighs only 60 lbs. We just started a new one yesterday, and I'm giving it a few wks, then I will take her off of them during the summer and start Omega 3's. Every child reacts differently to meds. It's hard to say if they'll work or not, or if there will be side effects. Just do as much research as possible, and good luck to you!

[QUOTE=devonboo]He has no friends and in 1st grade he is already labeled "the bad kid". I want so much more for him! So, My husband and I decided to try the meds.

...Do I just keep him off meds and let him live his life miserable (he hates that no one likes him)...[/QUOTE]

Hi Devonboo,

As a mom of an ADD boy who didn't get a proper dx until age 12 and then started meds (Adderall XR 10mg), I wanted to just comment on the friends/social aspect. It really is a huge aspect of all this, and I will always wonder how my son's life & self-confidence might have been different if we had intervened earlier. At the age of 12, he had firmly established his reputation among his peers as "odd, goofy, weird, uncool" etc. He's been going thru school with many of the same kids all these years, and the social hierarchy order becomes pretty firmly set by grade 4 or 5, IMO.

Our doctor talked about "social cues" suddenly being picked up on with the start of meds, and she wasn't kidding. It's like he'd had blinders on all these years; he'd been miserable and hadn't been able to comprehend why he wasn't being included or accepted, and it had been starting to rip him apart.

It's taken almost a year, but his confidence is starting to increase, kids in general are being nicer to him. He's even made some new friends!!! I had been considering changing schools next year, but things are looking up for sure.

[QUOTE=devonboo]But,After reading some posts about heart problems, I am so scared![/QUOTE]

I was scared about this too - Health Canada pulled Adderall off the shelves last year because of the possible connections to heart issues. They did intensive research for 6 months, and were satisfied enough to make it available again. I personally trust that they would not have let it back on the market if their was much risk (there are a lot of things unavailable in Canada that you can still get in the US, due to the deemed health risks). During that 6 months, we tried other meds that turned out to have side effects, so we quit meds altogether... so we were happy when Adderall was back.

I agree though with the other posters' suggestions of the heart monitoring for your son as needed.

ps, on top of this, the complete turn-around with Homework Hell and school success warrants another post. Feel free to PM me if you like.

No one could be more resistant to meds than I was. We tried everything else
we could possibly think of � The Nurtured Heart Approach, Diet, Omega 3,
etc. But nothing worked and he was constantly sent out of class and we
were constantly called by the school. Everytime the phone rang, my heart
would start to pound.

When his grades plummeted from As to Fs we knew we had to try
medication. He was given a complete evaluation at a renowned university
and put on Focalin. His grades have returned to As and he reports that the
pills help him focus.

I regret that he had to be given the label of "bad boy". It will take a long
time to undue the psychological damage.

Itucker

My son is also in Metadate Cd for about 2 months, it has work good so far but only lasts about 5 hours. He is 5 and takes 20mg. How many mgs is your son on and how old is him? How long does it lasts? I am thinking about increasing to 30mg to see if it would last longer, it has work for others but also it could make him sensitive. I still do not know what to do.

also, we have tried everything else, focalin, ritalin, concerta,adderall, and Metadate as been the one with no side effects and works well.

thanks

[QUOTE=michel72]

Itucker

also, we have tried everything else, focalin, ritalin, concerta,adderall, and Metadate as been the one with no side effects and works well.

thanks

[/QUOTE] Definitely check for pre-existing heart complications. My oldest son was on concerta, strattera, adderall we found concerta worked for him. My youngest son is on Metadate - I am amazed with it my son has no side effects from the meds (no loss of appetite, loss of sleep, etc.) Just remember what works for one doesn't mean it will work for your son. If you decide on medicine make sure you monitor him as well as the teachers. Hope everything goes good for you

First off, I want to thank all of you for helping me feel so much better. I started Devon on his adderall Saturday morning. We had a first communion and birhtday party to go to that day. I told no one what I had done. I didn't even tell my son, I wanted him to not know until later that day.

We sat in church for 2 hours and he was perfect! He was actually able to sit. Of course he was so bored and hated it, but the point is, he sat. At the bday party, he was actually laughing with the other kids. He never poked or bothered anyone, which is his usual thing to do. And, I have never heard him laugh like that before. It was so nice seeing him actually happy. My grandmother and sister in law each made comments to me on how well he was behaving. My mil even asked if I had medicated him, to which I said no. (Iwant her to see the difference herself, I will tell her sometime).

On the way home from the party, I asked Devon if he had fun. He told me, in his own words "Yea, it was great except for boring church. And, you know what, I wasn't angry once". That kind of shocked me, I asked him if he is often angry. He said he is all the time and he doesn't know why, but today was just so nice. I felt so bad for him living like this for so long, and I was so happy I gave him the med. That night he did have trouble falling asleep. I gave it to him on Sunday as well, and he was happy all day again. That night, he fell asleep exactly on time.

So, I am very satisfied with my decision, I just hope this lasts and he doesn't get any side effects with it. I know it isn't a cure all, but at least it is a help. He is very healthy, he had his heart checked and it was fine.

Thank you all again, I appreciate everything! I am definately bookmarking this site, and I plan on visiting often!

Donna