My 7 year old was officially diagnosed yesterday by his pediatritian who he has gone to since birth. We were called into his school last year to disscuss what to do with him. The teacher and I filled out a behavior evaluation and we also did an autism evaluation because his 10 year old brother has Asperger Syndrom. He is not autistic but deffinatly is impulive, hyperactive and except for electronics has a very low attention span. He even talks and walks in his sleep.
The MD has said over the last couple of years that meds would be his last resort. With his IEP at school we have made many modifications and included behavior training. Unfortunatly these all only work for a short time then he forgets, become impulsive and has many crying fits because it is too hard to remember all he is to remember.
He is unable to do simple tasks that children his age should be able to do because he claims to not remember how to do it (example folding bath towel or making bed) We have had many disagrements on these.
The doctor has come to suggesting medication. He is wanting to use Concerta along with behavior therapy. My husband and I want to research and get all the information that we can to make the right decision. I asked him about diet changes but he said it is a lot of work for very little result.
If anyone has any advice as to how to decide, any information on Concerta, diet changes, anything would be helpful.
Hi and welcome. The decision to use meds is very individual as is the decison on WHICH med to use. You are smart researching first. The more knowledge you have, the more comfortable you can be with your decisions. My advice is to read, read, read. Always know whichever choice you make, you're allowed to change your mind, AT ANY TIME. No decision is permanent. My daughter was diagnosed at age 5. We opted not to start meds until age 9. For us it was the right choice, she had some other issues going on that we needed to sort out first. It took us quite some time to figure out her med route, but now at age 14 we're getting it! It's still a work in progress, we actually saw the psych today and are tweaking her meds. We like her meds, but sometimes the dose or timing can be changed depending on where they're at in their life.
Medicaition allows these kdis to make the right choices. It doesnt do it for them, but gives them the same playing field as other children. It at least gives them the option of making a choice and curbing that impulsiveness. My daughter could not get by without her medication. aS far as Concerta as opposed to other meds, that is also individual. All people react differently to meds. People LOVE Concerta, it is frequently the first med tried. It was for us. We actually tried it twice. For my daughter it was not the right med, but again, everyone is so different.
Good luck, you guys'll do great!
My DS (now 13) was on Concerta for many years with great results. (He was dx'd ADHD when he was 5 and COncerta was the 3rd med we tried and he was on it from the time he was 7 until he was 12. He currently isn't on any meds.) Keep in mind that while Concerta worked well for us, each child is different and so what works for one person may not work well for another. There are many medication options out there and I'd say Concerta is a fine place to start if it is what your doctor recommends. If it doesn't work for your DS, there are other meds he can try.
It sounds like you have tried other things and they haven't worked well, at least long term. When my DS first started meds, we also tried therapy but after awhile realized it wasn't working - I felt he was just too young to really understand what was going on. Fortunately meds alone worked great for us. Don't feel bad about going the route of meds. It sounds like they may really help your DS. I can tell you that being impulsive and having a diffiicult time focusing can be very frustrating for our children and ther is nothing wrong with helping them with medication.
You asked about diet changes. Last year as my DS began going through puberty his meds didn't seem to be as effective so I figured we were going to have change meds. I had often thought about trying some dietary changes but since things had been going so well never got around to it. I decided to try the Feingold Program last summer and take my DS off of his meds (fully expecting to put him back on the meds before school started). The Feingold Program has worked very well for us with hyperactivity and a little with focus (he is doing fine with focus without meds but I know he works hard at it. At 13 he understands what is going on. He couldn't have done this at 7. He knows that if it becomes too difficult or if his grades suffer he can go back on the meds). The FG Program is NOT easy and it does take some time to see the full effect. We have been doing it since June and it is becoming easier but initially it is a lot of work. The program removes artificials, some preservatives and dyes. In the first stage it also removes foods high in salicylates. Eventually you can add the salicylates back if they aren't a problem for your child. Unfortunately for my DS I think some of the salicylates contribute to his hyperness. I personally would recommend that you try the meds so you can get your DS on track with school - so he isn't so frustrated. When you have that under control, look into the FG program (many people on it also have aspergers so it might be beneficial for your other child). Some people find they don't need meds with the diet and others find they can reduce the meds they take. Many people will tell you it doesn't really work (and maybe for some it doesn't) but most people don't follow it 100% and for it to work you have to do it 100%. If you don';t want to go the Feingold route, try just eliminating dyes. Doing that has seemed to help many to some degree.
This forum has a lot of good info both for meds and for alternative treatments. Good luck!
We have been using it along with concerta since we began back when he just turned 7. We actually know how much it helps my son because when we increased his concerta but didn't increase the tenex, the teacher noticed no change. We then upped the tenex the next day and she said so much better.
My son started with us breaking the pill in half, which you can. we upped him to a whole pill and he is still there - 1mg a day.
You can also add another pill in the afternoon if needed, we haven't but know it is there just in case for like football practice, etc. anything that could be overstimulating. He is getting better with age, but mornings are still the worst part of the day, sometimes until the meds kick in.
I can't say enough good things about the combo, best wishes!!
My son is on Concerta (36mgs) and Tenex (1/2 mg) and I can't tell you the difference adding Concerta to his med routine was. He had developed ODD and was getting increasingly angrier and violent - I believe all out of his frustration with his symptoms of the ADHD. I, too, tried the FG diet, adding Omega-3, behavior therapy, behavior modification but it only worked a little and then the ODD seem to take over last Christmas. IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!! I had done so much research that I knew adding meds would help but my husband faught me on it. However, when his grades started going down I was finally able to convince my husband to allow for an evaluation. So we went to phycologist. We both, along with his teacher, filled out forms and he met with my son and came to the conclusion of ADHD & ODD. We then went to our peditrician (20 years exper with ADHD) and started Concerta - only one med adjustment and I can't tell you how wonderful it is now. He is happier, calmer, his grades are awesome and he has friends. I believe the meds helped him see that the glass is half full and not half empty like he used to. He can focus now - he reads constantly where before it was a stuggle. He is now reading above grade level.Thank you. These messages have been a big help. It is nice to talk to people who are going through this. We are going to go back in this week and talk to the doctor to get started on the medication and the other parts of his plan. It is nice to know that the two medications together make a difference in so many that it may come up as a possiblility. Thank you for all of input of things that have worked and not worked.
Can I pass along a tip? My son uses checklists, and they are a lifesaver. I know tons of adults that use them - why not kids? He started with picture lists, and now he has written lists. At school they are laminated for him, and every teacher knows to remind him to look at them - one by his cubby for things like remembering to turn in homework, one on his desk for things like remembering to write his name on his papers. At home we have them wherever they are convenient to the activity he needs to do. They were the end of all fights - instead of "did you do this? did you do that?" all I have to do is say "did you do everything on your list?" and the lightbulb goes off and he gets everything done - no more accusations, no more meltdowns.
Wow! You all have been helpfull. My husbands main concern is the side effects and so far most everyone has said the same thing, on here and in things I have read elseware. I can deal with the apetite loss by doing what a lot of you have done and since I know it will most likely be an issue I will be prepared.
How has this med affected your children's sleep? I am figuring that if given in the am before breakfast it will wear off before bedtime, but I just wanted to see if my thinking is correct.
BETHANN and NEWMOM: Is Tenex pretty safe? My son is very impusive and I can see this as possibly comming up in future visits.
my daughter has had very little sleep issues and she's been on several different meds over the years. That too can be dealt with if it is a problem. You are correct though. Concerta is supposed to be a 12 hour med, so for the majority of people it is in and out of your system in 12 hours. So if he takes it at 7:00am, it should be out by 7:00pm (theoretically). If he has trouble fallig asleep, give it earlier (if possible). If it is an issue, there are shorter acting meds. Ritalin LA is also long acting methlphedinate (like Concerta), but is a 10 hour med. My daughter takes Methlin ER (also methlphedinate) which is an 8 hour option. She takes it twice a day and still has no sleep issues, as long as she takes her second dose before 2:00.My DS did have minor sleep issues on Concerta. Even though it was given to him at 6:30 am he still had trouble going to sleep. He would go to bed (not because he was tired but because we made him go)but just could relax and usually didn't fall asleep until after 10:00. We tried many things and ultimatley allowed him to read for as long as he needed in bed. At least he was quiet and resting. The thing that was always odd was that the meds seemed to have worn off long before bedtime (based on behavior in the evenings) so I never really understood the sleep thing and often wondered if he was just "playing me". One doctor even told me that there was no way the meds were keeping him awake. Well, he has been off of meds sice June and he no longer has trouble going to sleep and now he is even tired at night and will go to bed on his own. This tells me his sleep issue was med related. Our sleep issues weren't severe but they did exist. Something we never tried but one doc suggested in the last year was melatonin. You can read about it on the board.We are on concerta, since 7, now 11. It truly saved my son's life! He also takes guanfacine/tenex for his impulsive behaviour. I can't say enough about it.
My son moved up quicky with the dosages. he started at the lowest and within 4 months leveled off at 72mgs. It is NOT weight or age based, it is based on where they are successful.
My son stayed there for 2 years or so then moved up to where he is now 90mgs at age 11. We have been at this dose for over a year.
Please ask all the questions you have even while he is on it. There will be rebound and will have loss of appetite but it all settles down. My son grows in both height and weight, but he did slow down for a bit.
Ask questions as you have them!!