My dd is on Concerta... this ables her to focus on tasks and have clearer thoughts... before meds... she had a very hard time to get her point across... you could see that she wanted to say something and she is very very talkative... but it was not in full sentences that always made sense. She is 8 1/2 and been on meds for 5 months. the first weekend she was on meds she spoke to my Mum on the phone for 45 minutes and had a full conversation... I didn;t have to translate after the conversation my Mum understood it all!!!!
She is still her joyful little self, the Concerta helps bring out the best in her.. I can see how happier she is now that is mind in not all jumbled.
Good Luck to you and your family
My son is like yours he was more hyper and impulsive then lack of focus, it was just hard to get him to sit long enough to get anything done, as a few of the ones here have read we tried many diffrent meds, and now thanks to these guys I learned about tenex, my mirical drug lol. My sons personality didnt change persay but he has slowed down and we can enjoy him again. It has drastically helped the aggressive behaviors and hes more apt top enjoy life now when its not flying by at 90 miles an hour lol. We are also on concerta 36 mg. We never really delt with the groggy aspects in fact I have thought about adding melatonin at night to help with sleep since I feel its the concerta that causes him to still be going at bedtime. We had been on clonidine before the tenex but personally it didnt work as well for my son.Thanks to everyone for their response. We start the Clonodine after Memorial Day Weekend, and I feel much more confident that we will eventually find a good fit for my son.
I feel very comfortable communicating with his psych, and am looking forward to some positive outcomes,... eventually
I found ADHD meds did change my son. He went from being totally out of control, all over the map, unable to have a conversation, always in trouble, completely impulsive, unable to learn or keep up, unhappy etc. etc. to being the opposite. He was a completely different child afterwards. He could walk instead of run, learn, sit still more, more reasonable, have conversations and I could enjoy him totally for the first time ever. He said the pill were magic and made him good instead of bad. The best decision I ever made in my life. I thank god they have medications to help children and families function to their potential. He is now 16 and doing very well. He will go to college, and have a successful life in my eyes. Yes he will make mistakes but he is growing into a fine young man. Without med.s I don't honestly think he would have any self esteem at all, and would probably have problems with the law. I have an 18 year old son who was diagnosed when he was in Kindergarten. His teacher diagnosed him. We took him to our pediatrician, who recommended that we try everything else before resorting to medication. We did not chose medication, but a more holistic approach to treatment. Diet and behavior modification were used. We had found that food was a trigger for his behavior. There are so many chemicals put into our food that made him act defiant, emotional, and distracted. He always was an energetic boy, but it was a more controlled energy when we changed his diet. (Dr. Feingold's diet) His teacher's at church thought that I medicated himafter his diet was changed. The difference was that noticable. Honestly, the change was so gradual that I didn't notice it much until we had changed the diet for a few months. I have to tell you, we did choose the HARD way. You literally have to throw out everything in your cabinet and start all over. I even had to resort to homeschooling him so he could be trained to work through his wiggles. He is now an adult.....and eating food he shouldn't be....and it shows. Someday, we hope he realizes that eating healthy would help him. We have told him that he could chose medication since he is an adult, but he refuses. The food coloring that is used on the medication he has a reaction to. Too many of his friends in high school are ADHD on medication and act like zombies. I think he is afraid of the side effects. This probably doesn't help much.....but just to give you a side from one who didn't chose medication.jcmmom, Teachers CANNOT diagnose ADHD, they are not medically trained. You would need to take your child to a Paychiatrist for an accurate diagnosis.
My DD has been on meds since age 7, so almost 3 years now, and we have noticed no personality changes, no "zombie like" effetcs. She uses Daytrana currently, and has had tremendously good luck with it. Although we are stopping meds for the summer, she will start again next school year.
The right med, at the right dose will only enable a child to perform "normally", not appear medicated .
[QUOTE=momiss2]I found ADHD meds did change my son. He went from being totally out of control, all over the map, unable to have a conversation, always in trouble, completely impulsive, unable to learn or keep up, unhappy etc. etc. to being the opposite. . [/QUOTE]
I completely agree with this. My son changed completely as well. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make, and I struggled for months about medicating him. He had tried several which resulted in more aggression until finally we found concerta 27 mg for him. Now, he is so much fun to be around for myself and his little sister. It changed him into the little boy he was meant to be, sweet, caring, loving, respectful. Don't get me wrong, he still has some hard days, but not at all like before. I no longer have to worry he might fly off the handle and punch his sister when the impulsivity hits. Now, he just handles things the way an 8 yo should. I love being around him now, and I know that sounds awful, but before he was so hard to handle. I was constantly stressed and on the verge of tears when I was around him. So, yes my son has changed, thank goodness and I look forward to him growing into a well rounded teen.
Those are blood pressure meds. From what I've heard they are for hyperactivity and they can cause sleepiness during the day. I have not heard of them affecting the personality -- stimulants do that, esp when the dosage is not right.We've taken many stimulants and Tenex. I agree the stimulants can sort of affect personality, some more than others, and if the dose is off. We are currently not using any stimulants, but are using Tenex and it is not affecting personality. She was VERY groggy for several weeks, but we do seem to better now. Hope this helps. This again is how things affect my child. Every shild reacts differently to both stimulant and non stimulants meds.Hi all,
I have been lurking for awhile, and decided to reach out for some support. My 4 yr old son has finally being diagnosed with ADHD. I have suspected this diagnosis since he was 2, but haven't been able to get anyone to confirm it until recently. His main problems are with his impulsivity (random hitting kicking at school), and hyperactivity in the classroom. He is a handful at home, but we have kind of gotten used to it, so it doesn't seem like as much of a problem at home. He has less of a problem with his ability to focus and maintain attention.
We have decided to start out with a trial of Clonidine or Tenex to see if that does not help settle him down. Our biggest fear is that our child will become a completely different person. Right now, our son is outrageous, very up, happy and energetic, sometimes too much so, and definitely too wired to have any self-control in the classroom. When he is at home he loves to dance, run around, act a little crazy, and many times we adore that aspect of his personality, and his enthusiasm for life.
Do you find that medication results in a brand new child? Or just one that can control himself, but you don't lose their very nature? I have always felt like if we could just turn my son's "volume" down, or take the edge off, he would be able to function.
I'm just scared that once our son is medicated, we will have a little lifeless zombie walking around the house.
Any insight anyone can offer would be appreciated. And thanks so much to everyone on the forum. It seems like the only place where people understand how hard parenting can be for me and my husband.
Julie (Mom to Paul 4 yo, and baby on the way due 9/30)
My kids are happy, quirky, and all the good things that they were before meds. The youngest is less impulsive, does not irritate others as much, and is making and keeping friends now. She is still quite active, but can settle down and play calmer games with her sister or a friend when she wants. She can have a coherent conversation with others and is interested in going to the store and other simple things that she has not done in years.
If meds were to make your child into the "zombie kid" then the meds are the wrong meds or at too high of a dose. Never accept these kinds of side effects.
The tenex and clonidine can be sedative. This effect can settle down after the body gets used to the med, but in some people, sleepiness does not go away.
My Chase is still the funny little guy that makes me laugh every day! The only thing that is different is that he gets frustrated less often, blows up at his brother less often and generally is calmer. Not zombie like, just a touch calmer. This morning he described the tenex as "My patience pill, it helps me to be more patient."
As vickie says, the tenex and clonidine will most likely make your child sleepy (the clonidine is much more sedating than tenex) in the beginning. This usually goes away, but sometimes does not. Chase was a bit sleepy the first 10 days or so as we ramped up, but not so anymore.
Here Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before meds Erik said he hated himself and he was stupid. He even referred to himself as an alien-if we called him a child or a kid he would say "no I am an alien". After Concerta (then tenex later) he started getting good grades, he GOT IT when they taught him something new in math and quit beating his head on the ground from frustration.One day he said "I am good at math and I am smart" He never really changed who he was - and I was very fearful of that happening too!