Looking for Meds 101 for Kids | ADHD Information

I personally wouldn't go with a blind trial if you have a solid diagnosis by a neuropsych or psychologist. The sooner you start the meds, and get the right dosage the better. Hi all,

Dd was recently diagnosed with ADHD (combined) and Gifted.

We are going to our family doctor tomorrow, with report in hand.

I know a *bit* about ADHD meds- not much- and was wondering if there is a sort of 'meds 101' out there.  I have heard of Concerta, Strattera, Focalin, and a couple of others.  Just wondering if there is anything that would give me an idea about which is prescribed typically for what subtype of ADHD, side effects, etc.  It would be great to have a bit of info of our own before going into the doctor's office, if only just to have the right questions to ask.

Background:  Dd is *very* active, twitchy, klutzy, always quick in speech, inattentive to detail, has a hard time organizing, remembering to put things away when she's done.  Is doing *very* well academically so far, but my theory is that this is the giftedness in action- she doesn't have to slow down and focus- YET.  Not particularly disruptive in class except for calling out answers.  She is doing pretty well socially, she has a few close friends and lots of other friends, though she is definitely identified as smart/quirky.

Thanks in advance- I have been reading here for a few weeks ago and I find all of your insights SO helpful :)

Tosca

Tosca,

 ADHD meds 101: What works for one person may not work as well for the next.  We can't pick and choose the meds that we want.  Only by process of elimination can we find the best med and the best dosage for each of us.

my dd is inatentive-impulsive type, she is on concerta 36mg and it is working wonderfully for her, she is now doing great in school, able to focus, and socialis better, no impulsive actions which drove us nuts.

But it does not mean it will work for your dd, you might have to try a few different ones before you find the right one.

There is not "typical" med for any one particular type of ADHD, some work for some, not for others.

The BEST thing you can do is see a Psychiatrist for meds, and not a family Dr.

Thanks all-

No worries- not at all looking for a 'prescription' here, just looking for some overall info.  What I am hoping for really tomorrow is that our family dr. will refer us to the ADHD clinic at the local children's hospital- they have a multidisciplinary team, psychiatrists, pediatricians, etc.- and they will do a medication review.  Apparently they can do a titration, double-blind trial of methylphenidate.  From their website:

A titration trial may be recommended: this is a four-week trial using a placebo and three doses (low, medium, high) of psychostimulants (methylphenidate, the most frequently prescribed medication). During these four weeks, the parents and the teachers fill out a daily questionnaires describing the positive and negative effects of the medication. They do not know what medication the child is taking, as the tablets prepared by the pharmacist are all identical and the order of the week is random. This trial allows for an unbiased assessment of the effect of the treatment and for determining the optimal dose for each child.

I am not actually very confident of our family dr. in terms of prescribing meds for ADHD- he's not a pediatrician after all.  But I thought it was important to fill him in on what's happening with dd.