Advice on Meds? | ADHD Information

Corrina,

Would you be willing to share that 8 page report of interventions? If so, please PM me - I am trying to find any and all information on non-medicating solutions. TIA.

I'd cut out the Benadryl if I were you - it causes rebound symptoms, and
treats medical issues he probably doesn't have.

For sleeplessness try Melatonin, or get a doctor to prescribe something.
It he has breathing issues try the breathing strips - people w/major
breathing issues in my family swear by them.

If those meds didn't work I wouldn't try them again yet - too soon. Why
is Vyvanse not an option? My son is young but he's on it and doing great.

You can also request a pharmacological specialist to take a look at your
son's case. Thought I was going to have to go that route with my son.
There are other drugs that work differently with different people, and
combinations might do wonders for your kid, but definitely you would
need an expert to start that kind of prescriptions.

Have you talked to a neuropsychologist? My son's doc gave us an 8 page
report of interventions that we could do that worked as well as
medication for the first couple of years. Yes, it's a heck of a commitment
to alter your parenting style to what works for your kid, and some
suggestions might seem just looney, but you'd change the environment
of your house if you had a child in a wheelchair. If it works, it's worth the
effort.

Don't expect the meds to take care of every issue immediately. You still
have to get through to your son and help him learn and understand how
he should behave. Meds just help him slow down enough to catch what
you're throwing at him. He's still going to be delayed because he's going
to have to learn things that he's missed all his life. But one of the great
things about ADHD kids is how quickly they can pick up on things, so
hopefully that transition period will be fast for you.

Vent here when you need to! And don't give up. Don't take a doctor's
dismissive answer at face value. If you son's doc doesn't have an answer
that works, get a new doctor. There's always something that can be done
once you get the right answers.

Best of luck!

My 5-year-old has now been diagnosed with ADHD by three different doctors and we've tried all kinds of things over the past year and a half. Dexadrine made him very clingy, ritalin didn't really work for him, risperdal didn't help with his sleep.

In the meantime, I had begged for a sleep study and it showed that he did suffer from sleep apnea. He had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in November and there has been improvement since then. But he still has plenty of ADHD symptoms, so he has since gotten the second and third opinions that it is ADHD.

Since then, I have been giving him benadryl at night along with fish oil and we've started him in Tae Kwon Do. All of these things have shown improvement, but I do think he still needs medication. The reports from school have been consistent with what we see at home - problems with impulse control, inability to sit still, doesn't listen or acknowledge that he's heard you, trouble focusing on a task...

My child psychiatrist says because of his age, we are still very limited on medication choices and goes back to Dexadrine and Ritalin. Since we tried these prior to the sleep apnea being fixed, does it make sense to try them again? Or could we have different results now that he's older? He also suggested Adderall XR, but isn't that the same thing as Dexadrine? Does anyone have any other ideas? My doctor is great - very responsive and willing to work with us - so I'm more than happy to bring up alternatives if you guys have them!

My son, almost 10, started meds at 7.  He has had much success with focalin XR )between 10-15 mg) in the a.m. and clonidine in the p.m. to help him sleep.  You may have to try several meds (sorry, but your child will be a guinea pig until you find the best medication).  It took us several tries over the years but this current combo has been very helpful in addressing hs impulsivity and hyperactivity.  Keep your kid busy, that too will help.  I'm sure that you have his vitals checked and keep an eye on the weight.  It is a journey.  Good luck.

Corinna, we've tried Melatonin on several occasions and have had HORRIBLE results. He would go to sleep easily, but then be up a few hours later and WIRED. The last time I was here, somebody suggested the time release kind, so I did that, too, with the same results. We've also tried risperdahl and clonidine at night without much success. The benedryl seems to be the only thing that can get his little body to actually calm down at night. He just seems so hyper ALL THE TIME that he has a hard time holding still long enough to sleep! He doesn't have breathing issues since we got the surgery and he is MUCH better than he was. So what are "rebound issues" that we might have problems with?

We have been working with a psychologist and have gotten some good advice on "calm parenting" techniques. They don't always work, but, again, we keep trying. It seems it's been a long journey already, but we keep at it! Thanks for all the suggestions. I will definitely look into the vyvanse and focalin.

maybe a calming routine at bedtime like a readingJessica N40017.9057986111