My son does not like taking meds, for several reasons. He feels like he is singled out or different from the family. He takes a time release Focalin - that lasts him through the school day. He also said that Strattera hurt his throat. The Focalin can be sprinkled in apple sauce and swallowed that way- that is his preference. Also it is just one more thing he has to do each day. I am working hard to find alternatives for after school/evening when his med is worn off.
I'm so caught in the middle of the meds/no meds dillema. Either decision leaves me wondering if I'm doing the right thing for my child. I hear so many people talk about how wonderful the meds are and what a difference they are, but I hear many people talk about their kids not wanting to take the meds. Why don't they?PS. I don't want this to get into a whole "what's better, meds or no meds" debate. I know there are a ton of opinions out there, many success stories, and many not successes. I just want to know why the kids themselves would want to not take them. I have no idea why either....Chase likes to take his, but he has mentioned from time to time that he wishes that he didn't have to take these pills and that he was just normal....Chase has never mentioned the guanfacine having a taste, he throws that and the periactin (tiny white pill) in his mouth together....he impresses himself that he can swallow 2-3 pills in one swoop! The Ritalin LA are a little bit bigger capsule, and he takes 2 each morning, so he takes those separately.My DD is 9, and she hated taking Metadate CD because she said itsounded funny when she swallowed it, like it was shaking. She took Straterra fine, and uses her patch diligently. She even reminds me if I forget.
The guanfacine tablet evidently tastes really bad. She always makes a face trying to get that one down. She doesn't really mind taking a capsule that doesn't have a taste. From what I've heard, with a little older kids, they just want to be normal, so they don't want to take it.I think it is a control thing or maybe side effects they do not like and will not share. For my daughter she likes being able to swallow a capsule, each child is different.Vickie I am so happy that your daughter is doing well on the Concerta!
When they are older like that I think that they can be so helpful in their treatment, and tell you how they like or dislike a certain med...it was so neat when Chase lit up and told me how much he liked the ritalin LA compared to the Concerta. He is hungrier now and can eat his lunch at school, and he says that the way the ritalin releases during the day is "much better". I like hearing his opinion on things, it makes me feel better about it all....
My youngest likes taking her meds and reminds me when it is time. She had a day a while back where we forgot meds and she got so upset with how hard the day went that she doesn't ever let me forget.
My oldest just started concerta and was happy to try meds after watching her sister's improvements in school and with friends. Yesterday at the new dose (3rd day), she was so happy because she can now control her wandering mind and she "hears" the teacher better and the day is so much easier for her.
Side effects have not been an issue for my kids (knock on anything that even looks like wood). If there were side effects, they might not be so willing to take the meds. I also think the paren't attitudes towards any treatment presented to a child will "color" how a child views the treatment.
We recently decided to try a med break because it's been 6 months since we started and wanted to see if he'd improved in maturity, etc. Weelll.....not so much. He always said that he didn't like the meds because they made him feel different than the other child. Not physically different, but different like the others could tell he was on a med. One day of school off the meds, and he told me he'd like to start taking them again. He wasn't able to focus or participate and HE KNEW IT. He pulled his teacher aside on the no meds day and told her that he wasn't on his meds, so that was the problem. The next day, after he was the first one done with his math page and the teacher had praised him, he gave her the PSST! and told her that he had taken his meds and he liked taking them. He has very few side affects, but when they show up, we try to deal with them (crankiness at end of day, no appetite, etc.) with a smile because they are minor, for us, compared to the benefits.