Is medication the only answer? | ADHD Information
Yme! wrote:
"My Dr. basically says that the meds will either work or not. PERIOD. It is based on whether or not the frontal lobe needs "awakening" which is what ADHD kids need. So, it is kind of like a no brainer..... "
I wish ADHD and the med issue was really that cut and dried for me... and if it has been that easy for you then you are truly blessed!
IMO..whether or not your child needs meds depends on a few things...#1 is it TRULY ADHD in which case the meds will help...but not meds and meds alone...multimodal approach will almost always be necessary..if not at first.. it will later.
#2 could the ADHD be only symptoms of something underlying like food allergies, etc.
I have a feeling there are many cases of "ADHD" where the parents are like we were..scratching their heads wondering why the meds worked so well at first and then ZAP! they stopped working! Then your child becomes quite the little guinea pig...changing meds and dosages like changing hats trying to find one that is suitable. Just when you think "ahhhh" we finally got it right....WHAM! it is no longer suitable!
Personally, I got sick of it....your heart can break a million times for your child's well-being and it never hurts any less as it breaks again! From Kindergarten to 4th grade, the only thing we had not tried was strattera and I refused to give him that one.
Now we are working HARD to get to the heart of these issues and we discovered several things...DS has a misaligned spine (particularly the C1 and C2 vertebrae- which CAN affect behavior) and chiropractic care has been doing WONDERS for him. Even his handwriting improved with NO effort! Yet I was still seeing really good days and really bad days-- and wanted consistency if possible --so I mentioned it and the chiropractor begin discussing diet and food allergies/sensitivities. We elected to have him tested for food allergies/sensitivities and had a major "AHA!" moment when the results came in.
He is allergic to wheat, milk, and eggs and can not tolerate gluten. (we already ditched foods with red#40 and other dyes). Looking back, I could tell some of his "really bad days" were pizza or pasta days while his "really good days" were steak/baked potatoe days.....
Within the digestion of ONE MEAL completely free of allergens we saw his whole countenance change! I can't wait to see how much better he does as we change his entire diet. For the first morning in a long time, he woke up and didn't complain of a belly ache. I always thought he was doing this to get out of school, but his tummy was REALLY hurting! This morning, he never complained. He was actually bright-eyed and bushy-tailed...something I haven't seen in a long time from him! I asked him after a while if his tummy hurt. He seemed to think for a moment and said....no-- it doesn't and smiled a relieved and genuine smile that has brightened my whole day.
Now I must change the way I shop and the way I cook. I'll have to make sure he doesn't get anything "contaminated" from school....it is going to be alot of hard work--but it will be worth it!
(but I am still not counting on this to "cure" him by any means..it would be great if it does, but I am NOT counting on it)
So --IMO if your child is "diagnosed" with ADHD...go ahead with what works for him or her right now..but don't get too comfortable thinking you have it figured out because 9 (or more) times out of 10...you are embarking on a big roller-coaster ride and you shouldn't rule any possibilities out... especially not the possibility of "misdiagnosis"
To adhdwarrior: I am happy for you and your family that your diligence and persistence is paying off. I understand what you mean about the heartbreak and, also, about the roller-coaster ride!
Long story short: My DS, likely ADHD, has a family history of bipolar disorder as well as sleep apnea - both of which are a possible dx - neither of which has been ruled out (the bipolar disorder has been mentioned to two psychiatrists). However, he has been approached for years as likely ADHD (accommodations in place, medications tried in which 2 of 3 have caused reactions/one with unusual rage, the other with hallucinations).
I truly do understand what you mean about making sure the diagnosis is correct, and we, too, are working on making sure our DS has the correct diagnosis, as well.
Hope your DS continues to do well on the new diet!
If your child does fine with no meds and is happy and content why would you add a potentially dangerous medication?????
But if your son comes home in tears and says he gets in trouble and he can't control his brain. Or everyone blames me when the class gets in trouble. Or... I know how do the math problems but I can't sit in the chair to do them. I forgot to listen in school because the air conditioner is too close to me.
If your child is unhappy and feels like the odd man out, you must try to help him.. change his diet , do some research on amino acids, if meds is the help... do not beat your self up. My son is not medicated because so far a change in environment is making a huge difference to him. Being in a quiet space instead of a busy classroom allows him to function extremely well. That stated, he does have major organization issues, but that's not singularly an ADHD problem. If he's less interested in doing something he is less successful at it. But reward systems work wonders for him. Perhaps he just has a mild case, but he also tested very high for logic ability, so maybe he can get around the problem for now. I have not and will not rule out medication in the future. However, for now he's doing really well without it, and he's being taught self-awareness and coping techniques for his worst symptoms, so until something changes we're going to keep the status quo.adhd warrior:
Now that the doc's and you have discovered your son's spinal misalignment and food allergens, has your son's psych erased the adhd diagnoses? Do the doctors still think he has adhd too, or has there been such a remarkable turnaround that that diagnoses was wrong?
Just curious!
I do not think meds are the only answer. They are part of the puzzle, just part of the solution. You child will need behavioral intervention and some coaching.
The meds help your child to slow down and to focus. You need to learn how to create the right environment for your child. You may have to learn new skills because our children aren't like other children. You also have to help your child learn coping skills and what are irritants and triggers. You child needs to learn how to calm themselves down. You need to help them learn the skills that harness their unique skills and empower them. Basicly, how to take lemons and make lemonade.
[QUOTE=blondesoprano]adhd warrior:
Now that the doc's and you have discovered your son's spinal misalignment and food allergens, has your son's psych erased the adhd diagnoses? Do the doctors still think he has adhd too, or has there been such a remarkable turnaround that that diagnoses was wrong?
Just curious!
[/QUOTE]
He hasn't "erased" the diagnosis, but he has agreed with stopping the meds on a "lets see what happens" basis. So far, so good.
But it is a lot harder changing his dietary habits, etc. than just giving a pill....but we have better results than we ever did with meds...so its all worth it. PLus, once we get new eating habits in place, it will get easier.
Today, I have noticed he is far less "twitchy" and quirky" than usual. That is a really good sign!
[QUOTE=BPQW] I think that lots of people without children with adhd have opinions about medicating children with adhd, which can make it hard on those of us who do have those children. Anyway,..IMO medication is not the only answer. Because adhd doesn't directly threaten a life like diabetes or asthma, you can survive without the meds. But it's all a question of severity and quality of life. So it's a judgment call for parents and a personal call for adults with adhd. [/QUOTE]
AMEN to that. We had to deal with all the attacks (from people who had no clue what they were talking about) when we chose to medicate our son. Now, we have suffered a few attacks since we decided to go all natural and ditch the meds....go figure!
In the end, we felt the risks for OUR child far outweighed the advantages of meds that didn't seem to be working anymore. But that doesn't mean I am going to slam meds! I mean---when they worked..it was quite blissful! But when they stopped working....DUCK! 
So we are finding other ways to help....and its just a blessing that the natural ways are helping even better!
Its funny b/c I really did try many other things before medication...behavior mod., dietary changes, etc. but I had never heard of chiropractic working for ADHD symptoms. I had heard about food allergies, but I didn't think that could be my son's problem...after all...how can a food allergy cause hyperactivity and inattention (a question I get asked all the time now and I still don't really know the answer to)? But when our son started complaining more and more of tummyaches and then broke out in a rash, along with having major ups and downs.... I elected for the testing the chiropractor had recommended and was shocked to learn that he was highly allergic to milk, wheat, eggs, and gluten and that those allergies are also linked to the severity of ADHD! SO we'll just keep plugging away until we get it right
Hi,
I tried going the supplement and diet route and while it worked for my dd (inattentive type) it did nothing for my ds (hyper and impulsive). The Feingold diet is great when it works but after 2 years and ds very close to being kicked out of 1st grade, we had to try meds. They were a godsend and now we are not on the diet at all. My dd is on Daytranna during school and while I would like her to go back on the diet, it is almost impossible to have only one person in a family do it. I didn't realize until after we stopped Feingold how much stress it was putting on me and the family. I was hypervigilent about what was going into the kids mouths and it made me crazy. I feel guilty sometimes that I didn't take the diet to the nth degree by cutting out gluten and cassine (sp) but my dh was not willing to go there so I don't know if that would have helped.
I still have doubts about meds but for now they are working okay.
Well said. Take a walk in my shoes... so to speak.
I know my mom was totally against meds until she had a grand son with FAS. She always said she raised 4 very active children and I was the one she tried to medicate. I was found asleep on the sidewalk and she stopped the meds. With that one experience all meds were bad.
Then comes Grandkid with FAS and so much impulsivity he was a danger to himself and others. Meds was the miracle that kept him alive and in school.
Then my mom went the total other way! She encouraged me to medicate all my kids, (I have 5) not just the way hyper, probably FAS, adopted ones.
Ahhh well. thank goodness I am the mommy!
It will probably be obvious by my question that I haven't done a lot of research on ADHD. Knowledge is Power, I know. With that said ... "Is it the belief or fact out there, that medication is the only answer for someone with ADHD?"
Living with someones' impulsivity and lack of organization is difficult, no doubt. My DS struggles -- and that's not to say that I want him to struggle -- but in the big picture, I think he does pretty darn good. I'm not in his shoes, I know -- unless he inherited some of his traits from me. Apples dont fall far from the tree. I know I have issues with organization too.
Nevertheless, overall, I find him pretty responsible and characteristic of most teenagers his age. He can get A's as well as F's. I think there are a lot of factors contributing to his academic successes or failures besides the ADHD itself including the educational system.
Is there not an effort to promote functioning without medication, if possible?
I think, like with everything, this is very individual. I also think, as you point out, it's very possible for people to not use meds once they are not in school. Many ADHD'ers do fine when doing what they enjoy. So if they are able to do work in something they love and can apply themselves, GREAT! There are others however, that cannot get by without meds. My daughter is 13 and also does a lot of things other 13 year olds do, both good and bad, BUT she could NEVER be functional (at this point anyway) unmedicated. She is very med sensitive, and we've had quite the battle for years on finding what will work. I do think we are at a turning point with her, finding a med regimen that works well enough without side effects, and changing our focus on her education to fit her abilities. We're getting there...................
Short answer to your question......no meds are not the ONLY answer, but for many it's part of the answer.
It's so hard to separate biology from environment when we're dealing with mental issues, and each person has their own degree of "impairment" from ADHD.That said, we just have to remember that the studies so far show that children with ADHD were more likely to show improvement in symptoms when they were on medications than they were with just behavioral modification/counseling w/o meds.
Obviously there are many adults now who almost certainly had ADHD as kids, but never had a diagnosis and functioned just fine, but now realize that they have the disorder. (often finding out when their kids are diagnosed.) So many people can get by without the meds, but not all can.
My thinking is that if other therapies work for your child, don't feel afraid to say "NO" to the medications available. And the opposite of that is, I hope that more people (esp parents of kids w/o adhd) would be less judgmental of those of us who DO need to medicate our children. It's no different than a hypertensive patient taking blood pressure meds.
So, no, I don't think you HAVE to use meds to control the symptoms, as long as they are tolerable and ds can still function properly! :) Good luck!
You're lucky that your child can do so well w/o meds. I'm unfortunately not in that situation. He has enormous hyperactivity and impulsivity problems without it, and he cannot function w/o the meds. He was constantly getting in trouble, had no friends, etc. All these problems vanished the day he started meds. Putting him on meds is the best thing we've ever done for him and for everyone around him.In my opinion, and that of my dr., if your child truly has ADHD (and there are degrees of severity of this as well, so take it with a grain...) he or she will have the best chance for success in life on meds. It awakens the frontal lobe that is not as active in ADHD kids. I ruled out behavior modifications, diet, etc. and then found that medication worked. So, in my opinion, for the most part the answer is yes.
I agreee with Mom... I think the decision to use medication in managing ADHD is related to the degree of impairment.
When I read these boards it's very clear that each child's ADHD is as unique as their fingerprints. For some families, daily routines are challenging from one minute to the next and for others it's much less so.
My DS too was getting into trouble in school, losing friends and not getting schoolwork/homework done. The day meds started, his life and ours as a family changed dramatically. His sense of self-esteem is rising every day, he comes home a successful student and his social skills are slowly, but surely improving. It was devastating for us to see a boy who had so much potential not able to meet it; and now we have such hope for him to be happy. I haven't even fully settled on his current medication as the "right" one, but I know in time we'll survive this. (I say we because our whole family is in this together with him -- the sorrows and the triumphs.)
My son was functioning (to a point) up until his diagnosis this year, but 3rd grade just brought him to a halt and thus we discovered his ADHD. Remember too that the degree to which someone is able to cope with their symptoms will change as they mature and demands on them increase: they might be able to live well without meds or find that they ultimately must take them.
one more thought...meds is never the only answer. I've discovered that I must continue to teach my DS things in life which other children seem to pick up by osmosis. I must emphasize routines, clock watching, schedules, monitor his food intake and sleep. There are constant reminders until things begin to take hold. I've discovered that threat of punishment doesn't work, since he's unable to bear that in mind when making choices. I must reinforce rules and punish by withholding privileges as soon as possible if he chooses to break a rule. I must praise, praise, praise to help reinforce good habits.
so...it's not the only answer but it does help in the entire process.
(didn't want to omit an important point)
ADHD.....like many of these disorders including Autism..... is a spectrum disorder. There is WIDE variation in the severity of symptoms and functioning level of the individual. Add to the mix the fact that many ADHDers have Co-morbid conditions that complicate treatment. So........ while some parents may be dealing with mild enough symptoms that do not warrant medication, many parents do have children who GREATLY benefit. It is very very individual.
I agree with the multi-modal approach where you combine many alternative treatment approaches including behavior modification, meds, therapy, parent training, diet changes, etc. Personally, I would never judge another parent's choice on treatment approach because of the nature of the wide variation between individuals. While it is great for us parents to compare experiences, we really do need to be careful to NOT fall into the trap of the "one size fits all" treatment approach.
I think if my child's case would have been mild enough where I did not have to use stimulant medication to best help him succeed, that would have been great. As it was...... we waited until 5th grade to start meds and it turns out that medications really do help him and he probably suffered needlessly for years. Parents need to look at the "big picture" of the child's functioning....NOT just how he/she is doing in school. How is he functioning within the family? Sibling relationships? Parental relationships? Peer relationships? THOSE are the areas that are so important....along with school, in really shaping the beliefs and values of a child.
Okiemom
My Dr. basically says that the meds will either work or not. PERIOD. It is based on whether or not the frontal lobe needs "awakening" which is what ADHD kids need. So, it is kind of like a no brainer. (However, when I say meds: I mean stimulants such as concerta, ritalin, etc. NOT strattera which isn't really meant for this, but rather an antidepressant repackaged by smart and (imo) criminal drug companies to fool parents afraid of stimulant meds that there is "something new.") I am glad I am not the only one on here who is pro-meds.
Also, know that my child has a comorbid disorder as well, and ONLY his ADHD is affected by ADHD meds. Kinda like, duh.
Yme!39569.7049884259
[QUOTE=Yme!]In my opinion, and that of my dr., if your child truly has ADHD (and there are degrees of severity of this as well, so take it with a grain...) he or she will have the best chance for success in life on meds. It awakens the frontal lobe that is not as active in ADHD kids. I ruled out behavior modifications, diet, etc. and then found that medication worked. So, in my opinion, for the most part the answer is yes. [/QUOTE]
I totally agree- I used to believe that behavior modification/ diet could work for my kids but after the seeing the positive changes in them from taking the "correct meds" I am definitely and advocate for meds.