My 5 yr. old ds was diagnosed in Jan 2008 and put on adderallxr 10mg. The meds have been working great, but we had to increase to 15mg this week. My pediatrician has said that he may not be on meds forever, he may grow out of it.
From reading this forum, I have seen alot of people saying that if you have true adhd that you do not outgrow it. Is it possible that if my son's adhd is mild that he can get off meds at a later date and learn coping skills ????
Right now he really needs the meds.
Thesamman
Your little guy may not need meds all his life and then he might. This points out why you need a multifaceted approach. He needs some counseling/coaching to help him learn coping skills
Talk to your doctor about the med break. They will tell you how to do it. It may be a weaning off period, I can't remember. We do not do med breaks. Our version of a med break was going to a lower dose for the summer.
My son is 12 and has been on meds for 6 years. We are the combined type of ADHD and the meds help him with social interaction with other children.
For my youngest, a med break is off the concerta for the summer for weight gain. We also start the school year without meds to see if they are still needed/reconfirm they are needed. This is what the doc does with most of his patients to keep on top of thier individual needs.it's definitely possible. Many adults with ADHD do not take medication. Like you've said, as they mature and learn coping skills and work environments more condusive to them (less restrictive than school). Many physicians do med break checks every so often (say yearly) to see how the perosn is manging when unmedicated.He may or not be on meds forever, but he certainly won't "grow out of it", ADHD is never outgrown, and never cured. I know that many people on here have said that they can't grow out of it but...I have been told by our ped that he can and she's seen it when they hit puberty. Also, many times brain injured people and people who have had strokes are suddenly healed. What about coma patients that come out of it? I say that the brain is an amazing organ and no one fully understands it's capabilities so, I will keep the hope that he will grow out of it and if he doesn't I think I can help him learn to manage it. This is very individual. I function well, but my youngest seems to have gotten a double dose from both my hubby and me so she is having more trouble. I do see signs of her functioning well when we miss meds for a day, but it does not last when she stresses. Only time will tell.Thanks everyone for your opinions. I want to hold on to the hope that my sweet little guy wont be on strong meds forever. But we will do what is in his best interest.
We are still thinking of a med break this summer- but I don't know quite how that works. Do I wean him off of adderallxr?
Wyatts Mom,
How old is your son now? How long has he been on meds?
my adhd spouse does not and has never taken meds, and i would not want him to. he is fine without them. he takes omegas, magnesium, and multivitamins that help immensely. he needs LOTs of aerobic exercise and to eat regularly. otherwise he gets off-balance and be very hard to live with. but if he does all of these things, and i take care of the family organization stuff, children's academics, red-tape stuff, he's fine.Jessica your attitude is a little negative. Meds should be his decision. It is great he is able to manage, but what if these coping mechanisms stop working--will you still be opposed? Meds might help him manage even better than he is doing now.
As an ADHD person I will tell that you can not understand how hard and stressful it can be just to get by day by day. To most people I look I have it all taken care of, but I will tell you I live in constant fear of forgetting something or messing up. During high stress periods, I have nightmares and talk in my sleep. I just found out what my problem was and considering trying meds. I am waiting to get my son settled and then I can focus on me. (Possible Aspberger and combined ADHD)
What happens if you get sick and can't do all this for him?