How to tell if meds help | ADHD Information

I think Zoloft has to build up also, but I think it is a different type of antidepressant than Wellbutrin.  We did figure out a positve reinforcement system.  My son loves to play pool, and they have a pool table at the club.  If he is good, then he continues to have the priviledge of playing pool.  If he is not, it is revoked.

With my son, he was off Focalin XR for about 3 days...kinda weened off of it actually. I called in the script and they never sent it out and the carpet guys cut my phone line so when they called me 3-4 times to confirm if it was 5 or 10 ml, I never even knew. He was a basket case for 3 days. We went out with a friend and she was shocked on how crazy he was. Then she saw him a few days later and he was this sweet, loving, calm lil boy. Thank God school had just ended. She now understands the whole meds issue. Before he was on the meds...back in April...the school district was ready to put him in spec. ed kindergarden, his behavior has improved so much he is now going into a reg. ed class in the fall. Needless to say I did get alil loud at the doctors office the other day...

 

 

Does the same length of time apply for Zoloft?  My son (7yr) is currently on Zoloft 50mg, Adderall XR 30mg and Clonidine .1mg.  He takes the Colindine 0.1mg 2x daily plus 0.2mg for bedtime so he can sleep (He'll still be awake at 4:30am if not).  He does have aniexty along with ADHD and OCD.   I really believe that since we have added the Clonidine throughout the day his OCD has gotten worse.  He loves to "collect" things - batteries that he says he finds on the floor ("nobody even cares about them") and now he is making up stories.  Ex) he says that he found a lizard with a hurt leg and bandaged it with toilet paper and then removed it the next day.  He says this is true.  We know it is not!!!  We do have an appt. at the Neuro. this Tuesday.

have the same issues.  can't tell if the new meds (focalin xr) are taking effect or not. try doing a daily joural taking note of behavior when he wakes through the day, his general mood and attitude and if he has any particular issues on that day.  then you can have a day by day comparison to see if your son is improving, maintaining, or getting worse.  with the busy lives we have we forget or gloss over by the time we get to the doctor's office and can't give an accurate description to the doctor by that time.  at least that is what i come across in my life.  just an idea.

txstepmom

I realize this is an odd question.  I am so used to my son's activity level, behaviors, impulsivity and inability to concentrate that sometimes I forget how abnormal he can be.  On his report card for the last trimester, he was graded down in several social things.  He has had 2 write ups at the boys and girs club for fighting.  We started a med change about 8-10 weeks ago.  He is on 150mg Wellbutrin and 10mgs Focalin xr.  We just bumped the Wellbutrin up about 2-3 weeks ago from 75mg to 150mg.  This can take a while to take affect.  I guess sometimes I just get concerned and wonder if I am doing the right thing.  what do you all think?  Sorry to ramble and write so long.  I agree with AnotherMom.  I can definitely tell when my son has not taken his meds either by me forgetting to give them or him spitting them out when I'm not looking.  Try a day when you are home with your child off meds and another day with taking meds.  You should be able to tell.  If not, I would suggest talking to your dr.

I have no doubt that the Focalin xr helps, but sometimes I wonder if the Wellbutrin helps.  Since it is an antidepressant, I cannot just not give it.  It takes 6-8 weeeks to get to a theraputic level.  I guess I just need to be patient.

 

when I cleaned under the couch, I found lots of pills.  I now give my son 1 pill at a time in the kitchen while he is standing.  Takes a while, but then I know he took them.  I also found some in his bedroom.  Mostly the B complex vitamin, he says it tastes funny

The Wellbutrin is an antidepressant. It takes over a month to reach therapeutic levels in the blood. So you have to be patient. It is prescribed like Cylert (another antidepressant) for adhd. Depression can look like ADHD and of course a lot of people have both. So the medicine makes sense. I don't know any children on it but I know adults on it with mixed results. Medication is part of the answer and teaching the teachers is another part. Maybe meet with the Boys and Girls club staff and suggest interventions that work for your son. Some kind of frequent reward system. Doesn't have to be food or candy. Behave and he can pick the book at story time, or stand at the front of the line. GOOD LUCK.

I had often wondered if my son really needed his adderallxr. One day i actually forgot it because we had decided to make a change in our morning routine.  Well, he got off the bus and said mom I got all no's on my chart today and he got really upset.  (the teacher was giving him a chart on which she would give him a yes or no on how well he did during the day and he would earn coupons.  He was in 2nd grade.)  I just could not understand how he could get all no's.  It had never happened.  Well, when I went into the cabinet for something, I saw the vitimans and meds and said, "oh my goodness, I forgot." I called the teacher the next day and we talked about it. My sister, said it was a blessing in disguise, because it answered some of my questions without anyone knowing it.

 

 

Enjoy these posts.  My dd is on Focalin XR...never on weekends cause I notice no difference and neither does he.  I'm trying him on no meds this week to see what his teachers say.

On the meds, he tells me he zones out during class.  Could it be the meds causing that?  I thought they were supposed to help with that?  We'll see what he says off the meds.

 

I have just been reading some of your postings and I have one question for all of you.  And I ask you this from what I know.  Have all you taken your kids to see an actual Psychologist?  Not from the school, not from Social Services.  But an independent Psychologist?

Yes, my DD has been seen by MANY Psychiatrist, we had her Diagnosed by the Amen clinic. I also have grown kids, and am fairly up on how to raise them. We do not have a TV on during the week, and no video games Sunday-Thursday.  I KNOW that using meds for my child is the right thing to do, No amount of playing outside, and running in the woods is going to help her be able to focus in school. ADHD is a brain disorder, and IF you were involved in any type of Psychology you would realize this, and know that sometimes meds are necessary.( BTW, I have a PHD in child psychology/pharmocolgy/pediatric medicine)

Firefox wrote:

"Have all you taken your kids to see an actual Psychologist?  Not from the school, not from Social Services.  But an independent Psychologist?"

We went to a pediatrician to rule out other medical causes, an educational psychologist, an ADHD psychologist and a child psychiatrist that specializes in ADHD. The school psychologist looked at the information provided by the other doctors and the in-school testing done by the speach and special ed teachers, to help set up an IEP. Before meds whe was not hyperactive in school, whe was withdrawn and did not participate in any classroom discussion. On meds, my daughter can function in class and is getting As and Bs this year, instead of the Fs of last year. She is now happy and is participaing in class and is no longer demonstrating the anxiety, depression and as much defiance as last year. So far the meds have made a great change in her life. Meds are not the only tool we are using; she needs to learn social skills and needs more guidance than her sister. She has an IEP at school and a behavior plan at home and at school. This has been quite a journey, and has required me to educate myself in order to make the best choices for my daughter. I value the experiences of those on this board. Whether someone is taking a similar route as I am, or a completely different route, thier experiences are useful to me on this journey.

vickie38999.5853703704

Firefox wrote:

"I major in Psychology."

I am glad you are on an educational path that may benefit others in the future. I hope you do not think the people who come to this board are trying to take a short cut with their kids. They would not be on this board educating themselves if all they wanted was some short cut to better behavioir.

The psychologist my daughter saw entered psychology (rather than psychiatry) 40 years ago because she did not find that meds were useful many times and believed she would better serve the patient population from the expertice offered by psychology. With time she has come to the conclusion that many childen with ADHD benefit from meds and has turned her own thinking around. She referred us to the psychiatrist specifically for a final diagnosis and because she believed my daughter would benefit from meds.

According to the neurologist who diagnosed my son, there are three important things to consider in order to be successful in my son's adhd treatment.

1.Psychological therapy (not from the school of course). This therapy is intended to help my son express and understand emotions. This is a cause of social problems. My son has difficulty understanding social clues (ex: ironies, jokes, etc). This therapy also works for us in teaching how to manage different situations at home.

2. Psychopedagogical therapy. This is a private tutor who is helping him in school issues and to control impulsiveness. This person is also an advisor for us parents.

3. Medication to help him be focused and to really get advantage of the therapies I mentioned before.

The doctor says that if we apply these three things and work in agreement with school, that is to say team work, we are in great chance of getting optimum results.

He started treatment about three months ago and everything seems to be working out. However, as there good days, there are also bad days, but these bad days are really diminishing.

P.D: Our doctor (my son's neurologist) is an old man and very experienced in this field. He is not pro medication but he considers that for my son it is really necessary. I really trust him and feel very confident.

Mariaven38999.6135185185Hello,
I have just been reading some of your postings and I have one question for all of you.  And I ask you this from what I know.  Have all you taken your kids to see an actual Psychologist?  Not from the school, not from Social Services.  But an independent Psychologist?  Why?  Because I have actually seen some of these doctors who will prescribe meds that are not needed just because of the money they make.  We currently have an 8 year old little boy in our care who is suppose to be on meds.  I have not given him any since he's been here.  What I have done, is what our parents used to do.  He has been outside playing, we have taken him to the park, we have done things with him.  He needs to run that energy out of his system. Just like we used to do.  Kids are naturally active. HOWEVER...teachers find it easier to have the medicated rather dealing with the normal active child.  Schools have removed recess in a lot of schools, outside play time no longer exist due to the dangers of strangers and video games make it easy to know where the kids are.   Parents need to start making time to do very active things with their kids.  As for this little guy here.  He eats dinner, has dessert around 7:00pm, is put to bed at 8pm and is out like a light within a couple of minutes.  Ocassionally he'll do the typical thing of finding every excuse in the book to come out and see what's going on.  Excuses range from being thursty again, to going to the bathroom a million times to forgetting to tell us something. I'll bet not a one of you can say you never did the same things as a child. And we weren't medicated!  I'm not saying that meds are never needed. I'm saying that they are needed a lot less than some of these doctors would want you to believe. On top of that, Wellbutrin and some of the other meds I have seen mentioned on here, have been proven to increase the suicide rate in kids. So, tread lightly. Also get a second opion. Your kids are worth it and they are depending on you to do right by them.  I would lay you odds, that at 75% of the kids on don't need meds. They need to get out and run like we used to do.  Just think about it.  I have 3 grown kids. I have one grandson. I major in Psychology.  And I'm a foster parent now.  So, I'm speaking from experience.  Good luck... Don't teach your kids to be dependant on meds and don't teach them that the only way to cope is by taking pills.  How many times have you been called by the school, how many time has your child been kicked out of school, off the bus, out of sports?  How many times have you seen your child friendless, with no idea how to make or keep friends?  All of us here have fought the battle within ourselves about medications.  We respect your opinion to not medicate, now please respect ours.  I do not care what you major in.  I know my child, I know other children, I know what is right.  You are not being very supportive.And my son has seen 2 psychiatrists, a MD, a FNP.  All very experienced with ADHD and mood disorders.  I would not take him to a psychologist as I believe they are a waste of money.

I was a teacher before and it is not very difficult to see the difference between adhd behaviors and non adhd similar behaviors. It is very common for many kids to ask permission for trips to drink water or restroom and they are not necessarily adhd. I am a mother of an adhd kid and I discovered how miserable his life was before being medicated.  It was a very difficult decision for me and I can tell you that I went through a denial process: I wanted to deny the fact that my kid had adhd and tried to work it my own way. I was completely unsuccessful eventhough I am a teacher and took my son to various private tutors to help him in school matters and behavior. Trying to help him and deal with his adhd all by myself was completely out of my hands. How can you be happy knowing that your child is miserable socially and in school? Taking the decision to medicate is very very difficult but extremely necessary (at least in my case) if you want to help your loved one feel happy. At this moment I feel very confident with what I am doing. I take my son to a very experienced chidren neurologist and we are doing team work with a private psychologist, a private tutor for school matters, school teachers and school psychologist plus the aid of the medication. In my son's case Strattera in working pretty well.

So, the fact that we medicate is not because we want to make our lives easier (giving a pill to your child every morning is not easy). It is because is imperative for our kids well being.

I agree that giving your child a pill everyday is a very hard thing.  My son is not severe adhd, but meds have helped in have a great day in school and be able to control himself so that he gets along with children and is confident.  Every day I wish I did have to give him the meds,, but I did not make that decision hastily.  Everyone has their own choices and decisions.  No one should judge anyone who is trying to do the best for thier child.I can tell you that my son Z will be woken up at 7:00 a.m.  ( and he will belike a bear) and go full speed all day--and not be able to go to sleep until at least 1:00 am)  This is after a full morning of swim practice and play swimming and then swim meet that evening, dinner, warm "calming" bath with lavender etc etc.   All my children are very active-running, sports, hide seek, climbing trees etc.  Z's twin will be out for the count within minutes of bed, older sister as well, nephew of the same age will be out and Z will be "Mommy I can't sleep"  So really for kids who do not have ADHD it isn't just a matter of letting them run and play, because I am a firm believer in fresh air and letting kids be kids and have much annoyed my kids with my insistance of a time limit on TV and puter.  It does not work to just let them get it out because it never runs out  (Energizer bunny ring a bell)  This isn't even going into the impulsivity, attention and all other wonderful things that make up ADHD.firefox... many of us are very aware of keeping our children active.   I for one have my son in swimming classes and he remains very active around school and home.  We see to it that he has bike, scooter, and ball time on a daily basis.  I am mad as hell!!... I do not believe in medication... however, my son was hurting in school, truly believe that the teacher needs to be trained on how to deal with our children.. sometimes all it takes is a little bit more effort... they put so much pressure on you that you have no other choice but to medicate. I broke down eventually and put my son on medication.... because all he heard all day was "Z" go to the principal's office, time outs, no recess... if they could only take the time to understand and work with the child most of us would not medicate. At home, my child is perfect no problems...at school... am email "in box" is full from school. No problem at aftercare....only at school.. my heart hurts every morning when I give him the pill.

So sorry to hear you are struggling so much. I guess I am lucky that the school my child goes to does not push meds, and pulls the kids with extra needs into RSP to receive the extra help. My daughter is pulled out of the class (with a small group) for spelling tests so she can take them at her own pace and not in the distracting main classroom. The school also uses a ticket system for positive reinforcement behavior modification, so this meshes with the home plan very well.

Even with all of this, my daughter was still struggling with her work. Because of her frustrations at school, she was withdrawn and would not participate in classroom activities; so rather than being disruptive, she tried to remain inconspicuous (and developed anxiety and depression). At home she is very active; not out of control, but could not concentrate on homework (it used to take 3+ hours, several broken pencils and usually one slammed door to get through 2 worksheets). With meds, she has started participating and is enthusiastic about the classroom activities and can zoom through her homework without much parent redirection. The anxiety, depression and defiance are gone.  She now gets As and Bs on her tests instead of Fs. Every person is different in thier needs and the solution to those needs. It is good to hear the experiences everyone has had so that there is so much to draw upon while going through this journey.

Next will be puberty...I am really looking forward to that.