Help a mom out! | ADHD Information

I would ask your doctor about med breaks and such.  If it is a med that goes in and out of his system you shouldn't have to give each day.  Some meds you have to keep in his system, like strattera.  As your son gets older his adhd may get better, may get worse.  I find as my son is getting older it is better in some ways and different in others.  He is better than what he was at 5.  This is probably due to him just getting older.  Adhd usually does not go away, look at it like diabetes, it is always going to be something there.  I would also ask for an evaluation at school for services that will help him succeed in school.  You should do this in writing.   Also, like Corrina said, you are at the beginning of this journey.  Educate yourself, be your son's advocate.  Look at the positive of your son, not the negative. 

HI I'm Tabitha. I'm new and trying to get info and what is best to do for my 6yo son Trevor.

He has been having a very hard time in school. Concentrating,making noises, keeping hands to himself, learning..and his attitude.

I took him to the pediatrician yesterday and of course he has ADHD, and the dr wanted to try him on Ritalin. Growing up i was taught it was "Kiddie Cocain". I Dont know what to do :( I want him to be able to learn..

Our insurance sucks and it would cost us a month for ritalin.. but generic methylpehidate is cheaper.

is there a major difference in the two? What are the pros and cons? I am confused. Help me please

 

Hi Tabitha,

My now 15yr-old daughter was diagnosed in First Grade, and started medication soon after.  She really couldn't have been successful in school without meds.  She was doing the same thing as your son in the early grades: making noises, not keeping hands to herself, etc.

Ritalin is just a name brand for methylphenidate.  In my exerience, the generic works just as well.  My daughter now takes Concerta (another form of methylphenidate) during the day, but I give her a booster of 5 mg of generic methylphenidate when she comes home to get her through her homework.

Silly question... and i probably should call his doctor.

But how long are kids usually on these medications? Is this a temporary thing? can i give it to him every other day for school... so he doesnt get dependent on it?

Thank you very much!

My son does not take his meds on the weekend. I'd check with his doctor
to see if that will work for your son. An every other day thing, though, I
think would be incredibly chaotic - it would probably be better not to
medicate at all.

You've got to remember that if a child needs the medication, it won't be a
problem for them. If I took steroids regularly it would kill me, but it
definitely doesn't for people with asthma. Any drug could poison you - if
you don't need it. Tylenol could kill you if you don't take it correctly.
That's why you need to build a relationship with your son's doctor so you
can trust each other.

As far as how long kids are on the medications - it depends. A lot of kids
have ADHD for their whole lives and perhaps they can have lives that
allow them not to be medicated, but if they need it, they need it. You
wouldn't deny a diabetic insulin would you? My son's neuropsychologist
believes that his ADHD is due to his brain growing at different rates. Like
goony high school kids who eventually grow into their noses, his doctor
believes that the parts of his brain will catch up with each other and he
will "grow out of" his ADHD. That's an uncommon statement from a
doctor, but each kid is different.

You're just starting this journey. I know you want to just do something
and fix it for your son. I'm sorry to say it's not going to work that way. If
you focus on the final result you're going to drive yourself nuts, because
ADHDers have notoriously twisty life paths. Start by dealing with what's
going on right now, day to day, and getting him to the point that he can
function in his world. Once things are going better, then you can start
looking further ahead to make sure that he's going in the right direction.

It is so normal to be scared about the diagnosis and medications and
what your child's life is going to be like. Educate yourself - the more you
know about what's actually happening with your son vs the indirect
impression you got however many years ago, you will realize that it's not
as bad as you fear.

And there's nothing you're doing now that can't be adjusted or tweaked.
My son just had his dosage upped, and he's not sleeping, so he's going
right back to where he was before. So he had a groggy week. Big deal. It
seemed like the right thing for him, it turned out not to be, so we
changed it. You can too, if you need to.

Don't let fear keep you from doing what's best for your son. You'll know
if the doctor's plan is working or not pretty quickly, and if it's not, just
get it changed.

Keep talking - it helps so much to hear from people who understand
what you're talking about.

Best of luck to you!

If you decide to try a generic medication, make sure you stick with the same manufacturer when you get refills.  Some people react differently to different ones, so you want to make sure you stick with what you know works!

Also, once you know what medication and dosage work for him, look into doing mail order.  You can save a lot that way. 

Good luck.

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