I had the same problem with my son....I didn't want to get him diagnosed and "labeled". I also didn't want him to "change". He's such an imaginative boy and I thought that when he starts meds that he would change. When we moved here, our physician went to Church with us and we trusted him more than any other physician and he did tell us that this is a "trial". If we don't like it, don't see a positive difference or still feel uneasy about it, we can always stop. My son has been on meds for a little over two years. The meds haven't "changed" him...he's still as imaginative as ever, but he's calmer....Sometimes I feel like there isn't a difference until I see a day where we forget to give it to him....Even my eight year old notices it!!
We still struggle with schoolwork, especially homework, but it has gotten better and he even likes it. He told me that he can concentrate better.
Good Luck!!
hi this past summer i finally got my son evaluated..and he was diagnosed with a.d.h.d (innatentive type).he is 9 years old and attending 4th grade.i saw the psychiatrist today and prescribed ritalin 5mg.just want to know how you were feeling ...i feel very scared about meds...she told me that it is a trial and the decision was totally up to us.she will follow up in 6 weeks.will i see a difference in my son the first time i give it to him?what should i expect?she said she starts on a very low dose and increases slowly.a part of me knows that he needs help cause he is struggling in school...help....(george's mommy ) MARYMy daughter when on 27mg concerta (we are still working on the dose) is still the same funny, imaganative girl as always. What is different is she does not irratate her sister as much, she can go shopping with me (without touching everything and running everywhere) and she reads books to the dog (she hated to read and would refuse; she is also dyslexic). We are trying to get to a dose that works in school and keep her weight up. We are also working with guanfacine because it helps with some ADHD symtoms and should help counter the weight loss issues (we shall see). If you see a negative change, the med may not be the right dose, there may be a period of adjusting to the med or dose, or it is the wrong med. My daughter's psychiatrist told us that there are so many ways to get the best effects with the current med choices and posible combinations.
Good luck.
My son was diagnosed at the end of first grade on a "provisional" basis. We worked on behavioral things instead of medication that year, with limited but encouraging success. Second grade was not so good. The teacher was a little disconnected and didn't work the behavior mod very well. I ended up pulling him out of school for the last three months and homeschooling. I was afraid of losing the charming and outgoing boy I love so much, so I wasn't interested in meds. After witnessing first hand his struggles with holding his focus, we decided to try a trial of Adderal over the summer. Disaster. He ended each day in tearson the 15mg dose and the 10 mg made just a little difference. The psych suggested trying Focalin. YES! He is the same funny, smart boy, just better able to focus and lots more cooperative. He sleeps fine (9-10 hours a night) and eats pretty good. I make sure he gets a vitamin and lots of milk every day. He is loving third grade and his teacher. I'm not saying that I am totally happy putting him on meds, because i would much prefer a non-meds alternative (though we tried many alternative therapies) but given the choice between medication and a boy who is frustrated and angry at school and can't seem to focus, I would choose to try them again. We sill certainly stop if they begin to affect him adversely. Good luck!I was nervous about giving meds at first too. I worried that he just wouldn't be the same, but I quickly realized that the only difference was he was getting in to much less trouble. The third day he was on them he went on a hiking trip with his grandparents. When he came home he told me evrything they had done and seen that day (in sequential order no less!). I almost cried. He'd never been able to organize his thoughts well enough to really tell us about his day. We were used to getting bits and peices, never enough to make sense off.
Just remember, it never hurts to try new things when they are struggling. If it doesn't work you can stop and try something else.
I too am in the same boat. My son was dx'd last Friday with ADHD. At first we were prescribed Adderall XR 5 mg. It changed my son into some one else. He was withdrawn and wouldn't play. He would just watch other children play while he sat with his hands in his pockets. So first thing Monday morning I called the doc. He told me that it was a trial and I should stop the meds if I wasn't happy with the results. He called back yesterday and said that we should try the 5 mg of Ritalin. Once in the morning and once again at noon. Well my boy is only 5 and can't swallow the pill. I gave it to him in his yogurt and he spit it on the floor. I was able to finally get him to take it. Now I was scared about the noon dose that the secretary would have to give him. I bribed him and told him that if he didn't spit it on the floor he would get a reward when he got home. I called school and he did great with the noon dose. The note home from the teacher was also positive. She said that mid morning through the rest of the day went great. He was paying attention and keeping his hands to himself. Her only comment was that first thing in the morning he was still easily distracted. She suggested that we tweak the time of the morning we give him the first dose. She said he wasn't like a zombie or tired. He just seemed like his normal self, but he was paying attention.
Hang in there!!! Meds are supposed to help, but not change who our kids are. My son also is very imaginative. We have MANY imaginary friends. But the meds are to help them focus so that they can learn to the best of their ability.