Please help | ADHD Information

Taking my son to his neuropsychologist was one of the best things I ever
did for him. He did 2 full days of tests. They covered all kinds of things,
games, puzzles, he did an IQ test, a language test, tons of them. His doctor
pinpointed exactly what my son's issues are (inattentive/hyperactive ADHD
with extremely poor executive skills), then gave me an 8 page report of
suggestions to help him. His suggestions were so on target that when we
did them my son reacted as if he was medicated - his negative behaviors
nearly disappeared. And I have been able to use the report to back me up
when I go to IEP meetings at the school - even though I've given it to the
school about a dozen times and they keep losing it. But it's great to have a
professional back me up - yes, he really needs to have a daily written
schedule, his doctor said so. Fantastic!Thanks you guys. Great advice again. Today I am taking her to a specialist
to get evaluated and I am nervous. She is not happy about having to go so I
will have to take her somewhere to eat afterwards to bribe her. LOL,
Mcdonalds or something. Too bad there are no support groups for us so
that people can meet with people in person where they live. However, this
support forum is so very helpfu. and keeps me from crying hysterically which
I often feel like doing. I spoke to a psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD and
I was told to go to a neuropsychologist first to help us decipher exactly what
is going on and then we will discuss meds. I am so scared and never heard
of this type of psychologist and am afraid of what kind of testing will occur.I am so upset and feel all alone. My daughter who is only six has been
diagnosed with ADHD with a possibility of oppositional defiant disorder.
On top of which I was told that there is a possibility that she could
eventually develop a mood disorder. I have yet to see a psychiatrist to
discuss what medications she should be put on but have a call into one to
set up an appointment. I am very stressed out and upset. I am afraid for
her to go on medications especially after watching a show from PBS
entitled the medicated child. In addition a larger percentage of boys than
girls get it and I feel like she is the only girl that I know who has it. Am I
doing her a disservice by putting her on medications. After extensive
research I have learned that the stimulatns make the kids wide awake so
she will most definatley need a medication to help her fall asleep. And in
addition to that she could develop a tick. In that movie I watched there
was a boy who developed a tick and it did not go away. SHe is a very
difficult child who is hyperactive, very impulsive, constantly has
meltdowns that could go on forever. Among other symptoms. Again, I
need some support out there I have noone to talk to and feel all alone .
And I feel like a failure as a parent. I love her so very much and want to
do what is right.

Just wanted to say that I watched that PBS show also...how very scary!  The young guy that they profiled was on 5 or 6 different medications including I think it was resperidal (sp?) which is not prescribed very often for ADHD.  

 The first line of defense for ADHD is a stimulant..they are fast acting (in and out of the system very fast).  You will know (probably) the first day if it is working...if it doesn't it is out of their system fast.  Be strong..don't be afraid to take it slowly and conservatively in the medicine department.  But, in no way do I think the PBS show was indicative of the real experiences that most of us have. 

It is scary to give medication to small children.  Our DS, was diagnosed ADHD (severely hyper and impulsive) when he was 5.  We knew long before then.  We waited until he was 6 to try meds (stimulants).  He is one of the minority that is unable to take stimulants. 

Just know you are not alone...those of us here are walking in the same path with the same concerns and fears.  Hugs to you and your family!

 

 

Regarding the falling asleep issue... once you know how long the medicine works for her each day, try to time it so it's worn off by the time she goes to bed.  We've had pretty much success with that, and if one of them does have trouble going or staying asleep, we give a Melatonin tablet.  So far so good. 

Regarding the medicating of young children, I know what you're saying.  One of our sons has been medicated since he was 5 years old (last year.)  We didn't really wrestle with it too much because his symptoms were creating much more havoc on his life than what we expected from prescription side effects.  We were right (so far) and are very glad he's on medication.  Of course, it's usually quite a journey finding the "right" medicine and timing it "correctly" for the day, but that's another topic :)

 

You have a right to be concerned about the medicines. My daughter was 6 when she was put on the medicine Vyvanse. She could not handle Ritalin or Adderall.   She did very well on the medicine but I was worried.   I finally convinced her doctor to give her an EKG and they discovered a long qt interval in heartbeat. They said she was probably born with it, but I was not convinced. I kept her on the medicine for the rest of the school year but I had them do another EKG after school was done. I take her off the medicine in the summer. Her irregular heartbeat went away, thankfully!     

If you do choose to do medicine, please have the doctors do an EKG before the medicine and again after she has been on it for awhile. My daughter was on this medicine for 3 years before her developmental ped. agreed to an EKG.    

My daughter did well on the medicine. She was not a zombie, her grades went from barely passing to straight A's. She went from feeling stupid and kids calling her dumb and stupid to being very smart and kids seeing her as smart. She is impulsive and hyperactive, combined. My daughter sound so much like her daughter before the medicine. The meltdowns were constant. They called her Oppositional Defiant and such. She was just impulsive and couldn't control herself at such a young age. The medicine enable her to not be so impulsive so she could think before acting. It had a lot of benefits, but unfortunately for her, it effected her heart and she couldn't tolerate the other medicines. A small percentage of children can not take these medicines and I fear she is one of them. When my daughter was first put on the medicine, she noticed the difference. She was able to cut out objects at school and not become so frustrated because it wasn't perfect. She wanted to take her medicine. She doesn't know she wont' be able to go back on it again. She will be worried because she saw for herself, how it helped her.

I tried diet, natural supplements, homopatic therapies, nothing worked. Only the medicine gave her the ability to sit and learn and control her impulses. No one could tell my child was any different then the other children. Without the medicine, you can tell she has ADHD.

Please try not to let your fear scare you from making the best decision possible for her. Take steps to prevent anything from happening. Make sure you have an EKG and watch her. If you don't like what you see, as we did with the first two medicines, then you don't give it to her again. They will begin her with a short acting medicine. The worst experience we had was adderall where she took her clothes off and cried uncontrollably and wouldn't let us touch her. After a half hour she calmed down and that was the last time we gave her that medicine. The Ritalin made her desk chair feel as if it had wheels on it. When she took the Vyvanse, it was as if our little girl came back to us without all the frustrations and temper tantrums and back talk that started when she entered K.

There's never an easy answer.   Good luck and make sure you cross your t's and dot your i's...even when the doctors tell you, you don't need to worry about that. Insist...insist..insist that they monitor her and do an EKG...

good luck....(((hugs)))I have a girl with ADHD. After a few years you will be able to spot the other girls with ADHD in 10 minutes flat. You don't see them now. As far as the statistics, girls more often have ADD instead of ADHD. Therefore they don't attract attention or get the help they need, and suffer in silence.

I wouldn't entertain the ODD idea just yet. She is too young and has not received treatment. That is a worry you should not put upon yourself so soon. Also, I don't know who told you that she could develop a mood disorder, but what a bunch of poppycock. 50% of kids with ADHD have a comorbid--of which there are MANY. A mood disorder is a comorbid. Of those 50% a much smaller percentage have mood disorder as well, which I assume is bipolar. Certainly toss that concern out the window. I hope you are not getting info on ADHD from school staff...

Regarding falling asleep, it depends. If it's a problem you can give the stimulant as early as possible. They wear off at the end of the day, or mid-day. And you can give melatonin --- I've had a psychiatrist and a behavioral pediatrician say it was fine.

The tick thing is not that common; if they do get a tick from meds it usually goes away and is subtle. Really, don't fret about that. Big tick problems are unusual.

You have done lots of research, but only enough to scare yourself. You are skating on the surface, subject to extremist scares. Dig deeper. DO NOT TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VERY WELL-VERSED ON ADHD. They don't know what they are talking about, although they think they do, and may have good intentions. Talk to doctors (MDs and PhDs, not therapists) and talk to people who live with ADHD children. When you research on the internet, screen for extremist type stuff. You need to strengthen your filter or you are going to let the world stress you out.Jessica N40381.9047569444Thanks guys for your answers and advice. I was so surprised that so many
people viewed my posting but did not respond so I am grateful for your
support and advice. I was wondering what are your opinions to seeing a
pediatrician to start on the meds and than starting to see a psychiatrist if the
meds actually work.frustrated2840382.4819212963You need a child psychiatrist to manage the medication, or a behavioral pediatrician. Regular peds don't have enough expertise and may prolong your journey to the right med at the right dosage.I think all of us that medicate our kids have gone through a phase like you're going through!  It's soooo scary at first!  I have to say though that medication is the ONLY thing that has ever given my son relief! My son's ADHD symptoms sound a lot like your daughter's and you need to remember that your parenting is not to blame here! If she has ADHD then she literally cannot control her behavior so none of the typical parentling techniques will work.  Any of the side effects that my son had were FAR outweighted by the benefits of the medication.  With him there is simply no comparison.  Medication has allowed him to have a happy childhood! We have all been there. I was terrified to start my then 5 year old son on
meds. He is turning 10 and I would still have made the decision to give him
medication if I had to do it all over again. See a qualified psych. that has
experience with ADHD and medication. Pediatricians are better for when you
just need a med refill. At first I felt alone and that I was the only parent
going thru this with a child. I think we all feel that way at first. As soon as I
opened up to a parent who went thru the same thing, my son found 3 more
friends who took medicine at school. He even had a girl diagnosed with
ADD in his first grade year. She is on meds now as well. There are lots of
kids dealing with ADHD. Find support from parents who are actually dealing
with ADHD kids. I don't think you can fully understand it, until you have a
kid who is going thru it.Oh and I forgot to say...definitely go to a psychiatrist or other specalist!  Pediatricians just won't get you to the right meds as fast.  They deal with other issues like the flu, check ups, bumps and bruises etc.  The specialists ONLY deal with meds so they will get you to the right one/combo quicker!You guys are all awesome!!! I really do feel all alone and your comments,
despite that fact that I do not know you personally make me feel as if I have
some support. Because I certainly don't from my friends because I do not
want them to know as they do not have these problems. Thanks you all.
Again this is a very frightening time for me and I feel all alone and confused
so your comments have helped me greatly.Remember - everyone (yes EVERYONE) has something they are dealing with.
It may not be a kid with ADHD, but it's something. Family issues, job issues,
marital issues, financial issues, etc. Nobody gets a free ride thru life. We
just have to deal with what has been dealt to us and move forward. "You
can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf".Yes, I only found solace on this board five years ago. No one else offered support, including family members and friends. In your phase, I was on the board daily. This was really the only place that I could find practical, realistic advise (as opposed to opinions and theories).Welcome to the forum. First, let me say that a lot of the stuff you will read through internet searches is put there by people with personal agendas, so don't take all of that as gospel truth. Medicating your child with stimulants is scary, but they've been around for decades with a proven track record. Next, I have to say that the only disservice you could do your child is to put blinders on and ignore that she may need help. As I'm sure you've read on this board, there are lots of ways to go about getting that help and the path you choose may work great the first time or may need some adjustment as you go. Find professionals with serious experience with childhood ADHD. If you can afford it at all, try to find a psych w/MD to handle the meds. I know pediatricians are good with kids, but IMO, ADHD requires a doc with specialized focus.  Keep asking questions here, you're bound to get lopts of advice! Good luck.Whn my DS was first diagnosed with ADHD, I was doing research and discovered a lot of the behaviors I thought were oppositional had more to do with how I was discciplining him as a "regular" child and it wasn't working. The more research I did on how to structure life for my ADHD child, the more the oppositional behavior went away. Hope that helps.