Just started medication | ADHD Information

Hi I am new to this board. It's really nice to have such a positive outlet. We started my 8yr old son on medication yesterday for ADD. I honestly, having being delaying it but after meeting with his teacher, I realized this was a path we needed to go. He is such a gentle, loving sociable boy who has great difficulty focusing and concentrating. In gr 2 we had him assessed privately and eventhough ADD was not apparent a strong non-verbal learning dissability was diagnosed. He has an IEP at school and this year the lack of focus manifested big time. My husband has ADD and has achieved great success without meds.
I know this is the right decision, I am so afraid of the side effects of the medication. Please let me know your stories.....
love kissingmom

hi kissingmom and welcome! My daughter, age 13, also had NLD with coexisting ADHD. We've been doing the med route for about 5 years and are still figuring it out!

One thing to keep in mind, side effects are exactly that. If there is anything going on that you (or he) doesnt like, you stop the med. There are some who go along fine with little/no side effects. Others, not so lucky, but with patience and persistence you will find the right med or med combo at the right dose for your son. Read as much as you can, and ask as many questions as you can. It will give you more confidence in your own decisions. You'll get ALL kinds of persepctives, some at opposite ends, but even reading opinions the complete opposite of yours allows you the freedome to make your own choices and notrely on others views. Just take what applies to you and throw the rest out!

Great advice Diane. 

 We (my family) are one of the lucky ones that has not had side effects.  I however still worry. I think worry is only natural for a parent. When  I think about it  however, many drugs that people take have side effects.  I think you take a chance with any med you or your child take.  My dad was on many heart related meds that had side effects.  Some were okay and some were not.  His doctors just looked for other meds. He lived a fairly decent life and much longer than doctors even thought/expected. 

In the long run I think we all just need to make the decisions that are best for individual beliefs and needs.  I'd rather not give my son meds but yet I know that without the med his chance for a better lifestyle are slimmer.  So in my case I opted to medicate and use diet and play therapy(he has impulsive issues) for my son.  We are able to keep the med to a low dosage thus far with the three of these things working together.

Good luck with the route you choose for your child.  I can tell you will do what is best.  Like Diane said take the info. others share and make your decision based off what you feel is best.  There are indeed many opinions on the subject, stick to what you feel is the healthiest route for your child. 

Welcome kissingmom,

My oldest has the inatentive form of ADHD and an auditory processing disorder. We just thougt she needed more help learning organizational skills. Her problems became worse each year until in the 6th grade we decided to try meds. She likes the meds because they help her "hear" the teacher's instructions and help her not feel overwhelmed when presented with too many choices for where to start (homework, cleaning her room, etc). The meds help her stay in honors math and do her best (As and Bs) in all her classes without losing and forgetting her homework (most of the time ). She could get by without meds, but it would be a struggle and her self esteem would suffer. I am sure that meds will also be needed when she starts driving in order to keep her focussed and safe.

My youngest was failing school in the 4th grade and the teacher just said she was lazy. She became depressed and anxious with the stress of school. Her relationship with family and friends was falling apart and she was having horrible rages that endangered herself and others. Once the diagnosis was sorted out and treatment was going (meds, behavior plan, IEP at school, play therapy for a while) she started getting As and Bs, making and keeping friends and became my happy, quirky, fun little girl again. Meds have been a very important part of her treatment and I believe a life saver for her and our family (the rages were frightening and she wanted to die).

Everyone is different. Both of my kids got ADHD from both parents. We can look back and see where medication might have made a huge difference on our lives during those childhood years and sometimes even now.

thank you so much. I am so glad to hear such positive feedback. Today we had a little glimpse of the "positive" effect of the meds. My son could not believe how quickly hebrew school went...and usually this is a struggle. In my heart I know we are making the right decision since our child's happiness is what ultimately matters.    I am doing as much research as I can, but why do we always question our decision as parents?