Out of control !?! | ADHD Information

He is so young. May I suggest a prescribing doctor who only specializes in medication and also counsels if the family needs it.

We use a psychopharmacologist who started us on medication. We took 6 months to find the right one, and the right dosage. We then spent another year adding, subtracting others to find the right balance for my son's day to be successful. We get our son's presciptions from him, and he counsels, offers therapy to both adults and children. My son is now 9, we started when he just turned 7, and really wouldn't talk to the doctor, still really doesn't. If the day comes, like his teen years, at least this doctor is there for him.

There are so many different meds and combinations that all work differently for every one's body that there is no right or wrong one. Even the dosage, depending on the child, is correct when he/she is most successful, not depending on age or weight. (except for stratterra, which is most successful for those who are add, not adhd).

I would also make sure that there are no other co existing conditions within your son, like bipolar. You cannot treat the ADHD until you treat the bipolar. ADHD medications exasperate the bipolar making it worse.

I know this is a lot, just my experience which is working. You have a lot on your plate and I want to help take some off for you if I can. I also never had a babysitter, nor a mother who really was of any help. I am married and have a 7 year old as well.

Keep posting all your thoughts & concerns and someone will respond!

Beth

I mimic Barb's sentiments. Your a good, caring loving mom and because you love your child, you will find the answers you are searching for eventually. What type of doctor diagnosed your son? At your sons young age, they dont know how to express themselves verbally so they act out due to frustration and anxiety. With regard to medication, everyone responds differently so the child is put through a trail of medication untill the right medication and dose is acheived. However, the protocal is starting off at the lowest dose and raise as needed until the child is experincing maximum benefit. The goal is the lowest dose possible to achieve maximum benefit with minimal side effects but the dose and medication that is right for one child may not be for another. its all very individual. If you decide to try medication, thr medication flushes rigt out of the system some time after the medication has worn off so there is no weaning process if you change your mind and decide against it. Hope this helps

  Hey that sounds just like my son to the tee!!!!! My son is three and will be four in 2 months, he has been recently diagnosed with adhd, I am a single mother also so I know what your going through, everything that you described my son has done!!!!! The dr pescribed dexedrine for him first, and at first it was working but then after a while he was whining allllll the time very emotional  I had to switch him to adderal then I recently switched him back to dexedrine, which I currently stopped giving him because It seems like it is making him worse. He has been kicked out of 3 daycares and I had to stop going to school this semester because of it. Recently I have been doing some research on children with adhd and different treatments. I want to try a different approach instead of medicine and maybe switch his diet and every day routuine. I know it is hard because sometimes you dont even want to be bothered with them but they are our children. Like today I did not give him the dexedrine and he is doing ok for the most part I am removing all candy from his diet, no soda, no red juice, no sugar. And just quaility time.. I know that you havent tried medicine yet and maybe that might be the answer for your child, but in the meantime try to change his diet, my son recently got a eeg done and tomorrow I get the results of that and speak to a phycatrist. Some people told me maybe he has been misdiagonsed hopefully we will see tommorrow. If you do try medicine make sure you read up on it before giving it to him. 

Sunshyn, welcome!.  When my son was younger the first med our neurologist tried was short acting Adderall...well that made him fall asleep and made me a nervous wreck/  Next we tried ritalin which was ok except for the crabby time of rebound, we tried other meds, strattera, concerta, focalin and then finally went back to Adderall and this time the med worked wonders...he is doing great on this med and probably would have been OK from the start if the dose was smaller.  Anyways , hope this helps.

  Ok, I'm very very new to this. My son was just diagnosed with ADHD. I'm a single mom and have been since day one ( being that my son's father and I divorced befor he was born.) He's never around either. So here's the thing, I always thought that it was just me not doing the right thing, or not disciplining him enough. I have tried everything I know, and all I have been told to try!!!!  My son is 4 (be 5 in two months), and he has been a "cryer" since I can remember. He gets sooo mad if things aren't his way, frustrated easily, and angry when he's told no, or doesn't like the way things are going. I have never been able to take him out much, like to restraunts..., I always have to tell people no because I know that he will cause a scene. He yells, crys, constantly gets out of his seat, under the table, in the isle,etc., he's to picky when it comes to his food, and throws a fit when you tell him to sit down. I cant take him to the movies with other kids, etc..   It breaks my heart cause he says to me " your always mean mom, you always say no". That's when I tell him no to bubble gum, or to a movie at bedtime because he got sent home from Pre-k AGAIN!!!!!  He's been kicked out of two daycares, (almost three, ) and he get's sent home once or twice a week from school. He is always throwing toys, or hitting and kicking other students, pushing and yelling at them, trying to control certain play areas. I've lost my mind, and sometimes, I dread the weekends that I dont have to work because I have A WHOLE DAY that I have to deal with his temper and attitude.

All my friends' families want to babysit their kids, and take them places, it's like trying to climb the Eifle tower to get my mother to watch my son. My best friend won't even help because my son causes her and her fiance to argue so badly that it ruins their whole day. WHAT CAN I DO?????? No meds, yet... we are trying to decide which one to try first. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

I don't think there is any right one to try first. Some peds start with a low dose of ritalin as that will wear off within a few hours if it isn't right. I know my niece put her son on concerta when he was dx'd at 6 and it was the right med right off. Most of the time you try a few before you hit on the one that works best.

There will be others here who have experience with the meds and hopefully they can give you the benefit of their experience.

Mainly I answered just to say welcome, you are a good, loving mom and you aren't alone and to give you this because I bet you can use it right about now.

barb39054.9824189815Hi, I hear everyone talk about medications like adderall, Ritalin... my son has been on three.  He is now on abilify and use to be on provigen and respedal.  these are actually used for people with sleeping disorders and suppose to have an opposite effect on adhd kids.  These are being prescribed by a behavioral program.  I just switched medical records to a private doctor to get a second opinion as they are now telling me since neither of these worked he may need to be hospitalized for his hitting and hyperness.  I am so fed up.  My son just turned five.  Anyone ever experienced any of these meds? I have a 4yr. old son and is just like you describe yours to be.  After listening to everyone teling me that he is just a boy and he is just 4 the behavior is age appropriate and he will get better the older he gets.  Well guess what he was not getting any better in fact he was getting worse.  I had to listen to my mother instincts and get him some help.  He has been dx. with ADHD and we tried Metadate CD 10 and 20mg. no help then Concerta 18, 36, and now 27mg. along with risperdal and now clonidine.  I have to say he is better not perfect which no one is and no medicine will make him perfect but better.  He is having more good days than bad.  This is my expericence so I hope this helped. Best of luck!

My son has been on adderall xr, adderall, and is now on strattera and doing well on it. 

He also has been on abilify and is now on risperdahl and has been for a while and let me tell you as far has his aggression and fits or episodes as I call them this medicine is my life saver.

I too think that your son has more than just adhd. My son also has bipolar among a few other things. but I too am a single mother and like you my family will not take him at all because they don't know how to handle him or what not to do to not send him into an episode.

The meds have helped my son a lot and I got him on these meds and got them adjusted by putting him in a phsyc hospital and I thing that is the best thing I ever did for him. infact I with I would have done it sooner than just a few weeks ago. Don't get me wrong it wasn't easy leaving him there but man has he changed.

I may be young but I have been through lots of different meds and suisidal thoughts and talk and very bad aggression and hospitalization and you name it and I think I have been through it with my son.

And we are just now after the hospitilization doing very good I would recament it to anyone and would definitly do it again if I had to do over.

So if anyone has any questions about any of these things feel free to ask and I will give my experience

Good Luck It's hard but there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are just reaching ours

O and one thing that I have figured out with my son and his aggression is that however you talk to him or treat him is what you will get back.

If you are upset, or angry, or any other emotion then so will he be.

I have to talk to him gently and calmly so that is how he takes it and that is what I get back.

the principle at his school is not aloud to talk to ethan because he only makes the situation worse by the way he talks to him.

and if you do put him on meds I don't think you should skip doses weither he does good at the moment or not it is not good for their systems.

 

my son is 4 going to  be  5 in july and  yes he was kicked outr of  about  4 diffrent palces before i had to  stay home with him for  2 months  to  gedt  him on the  right meds  adhd  diqgnosed about  9 months  ago  -hes so  wild  and  you know  what  it  doesnt bother me totake him out no more he still is very sqirmish in his seat but deserves to enjoy the  outdoors as well ..hang in ther  it will get  better have you tried a stumulant like 

dexedrine  its  one of the  oldest  yet  best  meds  out there  ratrher than the  ritalin or  adderall try it  my son takes 5ml in the  morning  and  2.5 in the afternoons just  for  preschool and  hopefully off to kindergarten next year

but hang in there  it will get  bettre theres light at the  end of the  tunnel -also  try behavior therapy it workd too also  get onlineand get  some  adhd  books to  help you it helped me  and  possible  join chadd and get  into  a local support  group in your  community we are  all here to  help you and  kn0ow  exactly what your going through so  remember yopur  not  alone have a wonderful weekend and  remember to  love your  children unconditionally for who they  are !