Before anyone goes on a rampage on how much damage I'm doing to my child, I 'm sure I have heard all the arguements, I just want my child to do well in school and have friends and not feel different, ostracized and a complete failure at everything. So please keep those opinons to yourself or another posting as I am not interested in the negative responses, only the positve. You may have a reponse that is in disagreement but as long as you don't attack me I'll be happy to listen or read as the case may be.
I have a healthy 10 year old boy who has adhd. We have tried Ritalin la, concerta/straterra and now we are moving on to adderall which we haven't started yet. He had the most improvement on Ritalin, however insomnia, nausea , dizziness and accelerated heartbeat made it impossible for me as a parent to continue him on that medication. Focalin in the afternoon helped him with his baseball and home work. He was a different child on the Ritalin/focalin. Now we are right back to where we started: excessive impulisivity, mouthiness, argumentative, nasty attitude, picking on others, etc etc etc. Has anyone had any better results with another med? I realize every child is different, so any one who has had the same experiences may understand my dilemma.
Welcome stressed parent. Your name was how I was until we found the right med for our 9 year old.
Our first experience was with Adderall. It worked very well in the begininng, but 5 months into it he started experiencing a horrible rebound effect. The anger he had almost completely alienated all his friends. We have found that 60mg Strattera & watching his diet is what currently works for him. Sugar has no effect on him, its the artifical colors & flavors that change him. What happened when your son took Strattera?
I saw where you mentioned, in another thread, the reasons why you have chosen to use meds. I echo them. I know what I lived through as a child. No support at home & being the school outcast. The pain was unexplainable. My son will not go through what I did. However, I will not accept just any med/solution without investigation & my son agreeing with his treatment.
Good luck in your search. There are many helpful parents here that are willing to share what works for them.
csmommy38327.3609259259As far as I know, there is still Adderall and Dexedrine left to try, in short and long acting forms. I hope something will help. There is a percentage of ADHDers that do not respond to medication. I do know some adults who went through a number of meds until they found that Dex was the only thing that worked.
I found with my daughter that it took a while to get her on the right level of medication. She was on concerta and could not tolerate the best dose for her due to too much effect on her appetite. As she has grown, it seems like she has acclimated to her medication somehow. So one thing to consider is, if your son has side effects, back down on the dose a bit and see if that helps. Perhaps he may have to take a slightly less optimal dose until his body adjusts.
I know another boy who started on Ritalin at age 15. When he first started taking it, it had a "dulling effect" on him, which is not uncommon. He seemed subdued and not his usual self. After several months on the med, he adjusted and his personality came back, although he can still focus better.