Welcome,
I lurk here frequently but don't post very often myself.
We started my son on meds when we noticed that he needed help at school. He was diagnosed with mild ADHD, so we didn't have troubles at home at first. We started meds in the second half of third grade.
We tried short-term ritalin first, and then tried Adderall. The Adderall for him was a nightmare -- moody, angry, depressed and not my little boy at all. Took him off the Adderall and now in 7th grade he's still on the short-term ritalin. We notice a difference when he doesn't take his meds - even at home now.
Good luck, and just remember, if it helps your child, doesn't hurt them or anyone else, and makes them feel better about themselves to do well, then it is worth trying medication. Don't give up if the first one doesn't work, and go with your gut if there's something that you don't feel comfortable trying.
Colleen
Hi. My son is 5 and we have decided after awhile of trying other things (Feingold diet and Behavior Mod) to try medication. I have felt since he was 2 he may have had ADHD.
I am curious from other parents who's children were diagnosed early when they chose to start meds?
Also I am sure my son will not be able to swallow a pill, any advice for that?
Did your child have success with the first med or was their trial and error?
Any side effect?
Any other advice you can pass on would be great. I have been wanting to hold off as long as possible to move to this next step but I also do not want my son to fall behind too much or have bad self esteem. Thanks
Welcome! My child started meds the summer after kindergarten, when we finally got a ADHD diagnosis. We'd been steered down the wrong path a couple of times about what was causing the problems we were seeing. The meds made an immediate impact on his behavior, and it allowed him to have the control he needed to be the wonderful person I know he is.
Don't worry about not being to swallow pills. There are other options: a patch, opening the capsule and sprinkling it on applesauce or something, a liquid.
It's trial-and-error to find the medicine that fits your child correctly. What works great for 1 person is not good for another, and there's no way to predict what'll work (actually, if close relatives have ADHD, you may first want to try a medicine that works well for them. Otherwise, there's no way to predict).
Good luck!
We did not want to medicate our child but we wanted him to have success socially and in school. DS was in 2nd grade when we started w/ Concerta. I picked him up after school the first day on meds and he said to me "Mom, I like myself so much better on these pills." If you want to try meds but are hesitant, I say go and get a prescription and try it. All you have to give him is one pill. Ask him what HE thinks. If he doesn't like it or you don't like the side effects, then stop or change meds. My heart kind of sank in my chest when I heard him say that because we had struggled for 2 years with the ADD and not medicating. So many tears were spilled, by me and DS. I wish I had done it earlier.Hi!
It's my first time on here, but I do share in the early diagnosis department, so I thought I'd share with my experiences. My son was diagnosed at 4 with ADHD. (after being kicked out of 2 daycares, and then finally the last straw after backhanding a teacher during one of his "fits").... He's almost 12 now. He's been on several medications, and we're looking to switch again due to some agression and impulsivity issues that have now surfaced, and I've tried the diet thing too.. I've been through the ringer with other people's opinions of medication, and parenting skill deficets, the typical "leave him with me for a weekend" answer for everything.... Its almost more exhausting to deal with other adults!
Concerta is what has worked best for my son- and he's been on it for years. He never had any problem taking the pill (although I started giving it to him in a spoonfull of applesauce or yogurt so he could get used to it).... He says it makes his brain feel better... And I wont EVER forget the first time I realized it was the right thing to do fo him. After 4 years of screaming in the car- fits, tantrums, throwing shoes... After the first day.... he finally said "MOM! I'm trying to get your attention!" I nearly drove off the road..... My son actually was able to TELL me what he was wanting to say... That was an amazing accomplishment in itself.
I now think of things this way- and dismiss peoples harsh criticism with this thought...
You wouldnt take away your childs wheelchair that helps them navigate their way around... The only difference, is my son's wheelchair is in his brain.
I figure, if this can be a tool, to help my son reach his full amazing potential- it's up to me to make sure he has access to it.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do and trust your judgements. :)
It is my personal opinion that while the "symptoms" of ADHD may be present before age 7, it is critical to not necessarily make that diagnosis UNTIL age 7 at least. Most children before age 5 are naturally active, impulsive, jump from activity to activity. That's part of childhood. To try and squelch that, in my opinion, is to do the child a disservice. I think it's better to wait for the diagnosis to really be sure. That's why many medications are NOT approved for children under age 6.kjl, I respect your opinion, but it depends how extreme the ADHD is. My child could not function starting at preschool age. The impulsivity and hyperactivity was so off the charts that we weren't squashing any normal child development. There clearly was an enormous problem. Through meds, we were helping him lower his activity level and to acquire proper impulse control so he could be like typical children his age. Meds didn't make him a zombie. He still was happy, energetic, playful, rambunctious --- but it now was within the range of the way children typically were. Prior to meds, my child's behavior was often dangerous to others and himself, and he had no friends b/c of it. His self-esteem was plummeting b/c he was being corrected most of the time, both at home and at school. Even w/ trying to handle the "corrections" gently, it still came across as constant criticism. He knew exactly how he should behave, for if you asked him after the fact what he should have done, he always gave the correct answer. He also said that things "just happened" which is the crux of the impulse control. He was acting w/o thinking, things happened so fast that he was never deciding how to act and just was doing it. The meds helped slow down his mind so he could think through his actions and decide what to do. Starting the first day he took meds, there was no more pushing people off the platform at the top of the slide, etc. Instead, he became the sweet, thoughtful person who helped someone up the ladder if they were having a problem, for example.
Also, most ADHD meds aren't approved for people under age 6 b/c that's a different set of clinical trials w/ FDA. All meds' approval is broken up this way. It has nothing to do w/ age that the condition is diagnosed.
Mom2ADHDboy39950.2799884259When a child below the age of 6 is struggling so much that it impacts on their ability to have a normal and healthy experience during those years the emotional damage can be catastrophic in the long term. When the behavior interferes with the child's ability to have quality of life on a daily basis it's not considered normal 5 year old behavior. If the medication produces zombie like behavior, that means the dose is too high or the med is the wrong med for the child. Being ZOMBIE LIKE is not the norm for those on ADHD med's. For those that really don't understand, understand that the labels the child gets as a result of uncontrolled adhd behaviors stay with them their entire life. Prior to my son going on med's he had labels like, stupid, air head, retard, scattered brained, etc. Nice labels huh Any med is a strong med but the child wouldn't be denied insulin or prednisone (steroid) at that age for a medical condition.Knowing ones subject when giving an opinion about ADHD med's is critical because when myths are reinforced over and over it puts the parent on a guilt trip just because they are trying to save their own child's life before everything spins out of control. Instilling fear and guilt in a parent prevents them from making informed decisions for their children and when one gives ill informed advice, they have to take ownership for the fact that a parent may be led down the wrong path and in doing so, that may send the child on a downward slide completely. Unless one is a parent, no one knows the gut wrenching feeling when they see their child depressed, frustrated, lonely and feeling isolated all because they have behaviors they don't have the ability to control in the absence of effective treatment.
Oneoftwo, welcome to the board and I hope that you have found some of the answers your looking for and please feel free to keep posting, Members are happy to share the experiences they have with their children and also offer emotional support
I applaud all parents who make their decisions based on what's best for their child, rather than make these decisions based on their fears. Medication is not for everyone and its not a cure all but for the vast majority, it makes the difference between quality of life and lack of.
I started when academics were affected. Jessica N40017.9063657407Thanks for all the feedback