My 7 year old son was diagnosed about a month ago as adhd. He started on several different adderall doses and now takes concerta 18mg. He has only had about 5 doses now. The very first night, he never went to sleep, ever. The next night it was a little better, and last few nights, he is only about an hour past his bedtime. I make it a point, about an hour before regular bedtime, to tell him the time, how much time he has left before I expect him to be in his bed. This has been working well. He also has a radio next to his bed, and he listens to a soft radio station, which helps alot. Without music, his mind wanders to much I think.
With my son, the only bad part of concerta is no appetite. It is driving me crazy, I hate forcing him to eat food. He also has a slight stomach ache, maybe because of hunger. But, doc said give it a week, for side effects to lessen.
As for the people giving you rude comments, I get it as well. I try telling as few people as possible. I hate the negativity I get. Why should I be judged for trying to help my son live a happy life? With him on meds, our whole house seems so much happier, less tense. So forget what everyone says. You know in your heart you are doing what is right for your daughter, so forget the mean words of other people. Good luck!!
Donna
ask the person who said you were drugging your child if she is available for homework duty....it would be nice if the people have such opinions get to realy experience ADHD symptoms...my son was diagnosed just before he was 4.
he is not on meds as yet as british docs don't medicate preschoolers,he was up at 7 until 10 at night,then up to 4/5 times.
we give him melatonin and now it is better,he is asleep by 8/8.30,still wakes up once but goes back to sleep straight away,he is sometimes up at 5/6 but most of the time it is 7/8.
we are only giving him 3 mg,he could have more but i am quite happy with his sleeping now.some of us don't give it to our children during holidays but i do.
it is not a drug
First of all, you're the Mom and I'm sure you took pretty careful consideration before 'drugging' your daughter. Secondly, if your daughter had asthma, diabetes or any other medical condition, I can't imagine someone saying that to you.
As far as the sleep thing goes, discuss it with your Dr. - maybe a different medication that doesn't last as long. My son has had getting to sleep issues since he was two days old, so I can't tell the difference on any medication. He's the only newborn my mother has ever seen that fought sleep. (Life is too much fun and interesting for sleep!!!)
Good Luck
Welcome, Amy! My daughter was diagnosed when she was about 7, and has always taken Adderall XR. I, too, have always gotten mixed responses from people concerning the medications. I have taken the attitude that I have to do what I feel is best for my daughter. Without the medications, she would be unable to learn at school. She is also so impulsive, she would more than likely accidentally injure herself with some of her antics. She even realizes that she is much better with the medication, and I don't think that she would want to discontinue it. My daughter has trouble sleeping, also. I'm not sure if it is related to the medication or to the ADHD. She had problems with this even before being medicated. We have given her Benadryl to help with this (this was okayed by her doctor). Melatonin is also a natural, safe sleep aid that we have used with her before. It seems to be fairly effective also. It also helps to keep her on a schedule of waking and going to sleep at the same time each day, although this is difficult when school is out.
My 6yr old daughter was just diagnosed with ADHD 1 week ago. Her pediatrician has her on Concerta 18mg. I have noticed her playing quietly now on her own and not yelling and screaming for no reason. She is having difficulty with her sleeping. She is up until 12am and wakes up at least twice throughout the night. i have had both positive and negative responses from people. I have been told that I am "drugging" my child. I look at it as traeting a disorder just like treating asthma or any other disorder. I would love any advice or info anyone has. Thank you, Amy