ADHD hereditary between father and son | ADHD Information
GENERALLY SPEAKING BUT MOST ADULTS ARE NOT MEDICATED. FOR BETTER SHORT TERM MEMORY I FIND GINKO WORKS CAUSE IT HELPS INCREASE THE BLOOD TO THE BRAIN. SHORT STATEMENTS WORK BEST FOR US. CAPD ALSO LOOKS LIKE ADHD. ivanhoe39049.3923032407Hi,
This is my first post. My son is 7 and he was diagnosed last year with ADHD. He's on ritalin now and has improved at school greatly. I find the medication is worn off by the time I see him after school and don't see a big differrence. But he's improved several reading levels and his marks are much better. I find it hard doing homework with him because he can't sit still for a second without grabbing something or talking or jumping,etc.. I've had to give him his medicine before hockey because he's just to hyper.
Since my son's diagnoses(before actually), I asked myself if adult add is something I have. I read about the hereditary part of ADD. I was recently fired from a big corporate company and found I just couldn't take care of all the details. I was in sales and working 12+ hours/6 days a week to fill in all the reports. I have had a feeling of under-achievement for many years. I start to many projects and complete few. My garage and home office is a mess. I can't find my keys or wallet half the time. Alot of my child report cards have "can do much better & daydreams alot. Every-year I'd get daydreams alot. I find when I'm talking to someone that I can't concentrate on what they're saying for long. I have this urge to end the conversation or change topics or interupt them. I'm trying to start a new business and organize my life, but it feels like I'm going against the grain. I could go on and on but...
I'm wondering if alot of people with ADHD children have one parent that may have it.
ADHD appears to have a significant genetic component, and it is not unusual for a parent to recognize the cause of their own dificulties and seek diagnosis after a child is diagnosed. If you were not hyper and "annoying" as a child and have the inattentive form of ADHD, it makes sense that you would have been missed. If you feel your issues are a great hinderance in your life, you should pursue diagnosis and treatment options. It may not only help in the areas you have identified, but help with parenting issues as well (further benefit for your family).
My doctor told me that most adults get diagnosed AFTER their child/children are diagnosed! They see themselves in the child! The diagnosed adults are also a lot happier once they have figured out what has been going on all these years and start medication. What a difference!Yep- I got diagnosed after my son did. I'm now taking strattera and for the first time in my life my house is not a mess with piles of stuff on every flat surface. 
It actually is very common for adults to be diagnosed after their child is. Talk to your doc. about it- I worried so much about bringing it up only to find out that my primary doctor consults with the best mental health hospital in our area and he knew exactly what to do/where to send me. What a releif that was- he's older so I was worried he was one of those "doesn't belive in it" types.
Also check out the adult forum here.
thanks for all your comments. I'm meeting with my family doctor this week and plan to discuss this with him. I looked into were my son was diagnosed and they charge 00 for testing, so I'll talk to my GP first.If you and your GP are convinced that you have ADHD, all of the testing for confirmation in many times is skipped. The testing option may be saved in case treatment turns out to not be straight forward. I would ask the doctor to do an ekg and blood work for heart health to rule out underlying heart issues if you plan to pursue treatment with stimulants.
It is different for diagnosis of children with so many posible disorders with overlapping symptoms to sort out for proper diagnosis, especially when a parent is weighing the potential risks, side effects and benefits of treatment.
Good luck to you.