The difference ADD meds make | ADHD Information

My daughter's doc goes through this time period every year where he likes to take her off strattera for 3 days to see if she still needs it; all well and good and a nice safety precaution...EXCEPT that she does need it and completely can't focus in school and barely even completes her homework without it, and now we're back on it and it takes FOUR WEEKS to get back to correct levels in her bloodstream! Maybe next year I should suggest that he take her for the four weeks.

I remember the doubts and worrying whether or not we were doing the right thing putting him on meds.  I went through the whole "if I were a better mother", "I've just got to be more patient." .  Then we decided to try it.  The psych told us it would be real obvious real quick if they worked or not.  The day we started! 

I don't regret it a second.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We forgot Erik's meds last week and didn't realize until after school.  He got in trouble at after school child care for swearing and I tried to do his homework with him and he would write down one word then run around the room throw the pencil in the air and shout I can't do this.  His work was sloppy and careless.

We went to Karate and I asked him "can you handle this today you seem hyper" he said "ya I can always handle Karate".  He wiggled around kept purposely falling on the floor, didn't listen acted crazy.  We got home and realized his morning pills were still in the pill container.  Oh...................................I told him this is why you couldn't concentrate or sit still today we forgot your medicine!

He said "no it isn't I just wanted to be crazy today"

Wow what a difference.  I did make the right choice putting him on meds!!!!!!!

Is nothing short of miraculous. 

My son didn't take his meds this morning.  I emailed his teacher and gave her a heads up.  I got a reply back this afternoon. She said he drifted off constantly all day. Couldn't finish assignments.  Was in dreamworld all day.

This afternoon, his homework was putting spelling words in alphabetical order.    I pulled some old homework out (same thing) and compared the two.    OMG!!!  The difference!  One is neat, tidy, no words missed.  The one he did today... the words are all over the page, missed words written in the margins, words not on the lines, almost illegible.  

I showed him the two papers.  He thought it was hilarious, as did I. Needless to say I wrote an explanation on the page.

My son is 7 and boy how i wish his work was just sloppy! He cant read or write ..he can write his name with letters missing but its unreadable! He can only count to 7 Ritalin has not made much difference to my child,Hopefully one day it will.Though i'd  say my son has very severe adhd.