Grandson 6 ADHD..Medication..help! | ADHD Information

We tried four diffferent stimulants before getting to Focalin.  It's the only one my son can take without causing emotional breakdowns... and he's been taking it for several years now successfully.

Sometimes, like the other posters said, you need to try a few different things before you hit on something that works.

Audrey

We also tried everything we could before we tried medication.  Unfortunately NOTHING helped my son - not even a little! .  The only thing that helps him is his medication.  We tried several different meds before we got to the right cocktail.  But now that we have found the right one-WOW what a difference in my son!  Please don't discount all medications because one doesn't work.  It takes A LOT of trial and error to get the meds right and I recommend seeing a specialist (psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist etc)  You'll get much better results much faster with a specialist!

My son started on Adderall and it had a lot of benefits for him but it also changed his personality and we simply would not accept that.  Adderall also made him moody and emotional.  We switched to the Ritalin family and it works much better for him.  But each meds works differently with each child.  What works for one may not work for another.  The ONLY way to get to the right one it to try! 

My son is also on L-theanine, fish oil, and probiotics (as "prescribed" by the doc) but unfortunately I've never noticed any benefit from them.  It sounds like your family is doing everything they can for your grandson and that's what matters!  If you stick with it you will find the answers eventually.  Just try to be patient! I wish you the best of luck!

My grandson has ADHD and we have tryed most everything. Change of food (no suger, wheat, red die), more sleep and so on. But, he is really struggling in school and after 1.5 years (he is in 1st grade) my daughter and her doctor have put him on medication. Adderall, now my grandson seems worse. He still has all the symptomes but now just does not seem him self. It's like he is gone and a new child is here...he is not as loving and gets upset easier and is bouncing off the walls. (more than he used to)

I really would like to do anything other than this crazy medication. I have read that it is not good for the heart and that in UK they recomend not using it on children his age. (we live in the US)

Does anyone have any other ideas of what we can do to help this sweet boy? There must be something better than this medication.

Thank you, Grandma Cindy

P.S. we also tryed moving him to a better school...a waldorff school hoping that a calmer classroom would be better for him. But, he still gets in trouble everyday for acting out and not being able to sit still.  

There are quite a few things that you can do. First of all, there are other
medications that can be tried. That was the number one no-no when my
son started medication - a change in personality.

I got the most help for my son when he went to a neuropsychologist who
gave us specific instructions about how to help him. Things like, using
checklists - worked great for my son, but other kids it could be more
chaotic.

The biggest piece of advice I could give you is to not stress his parents out
about their choice to use medication. It sounds like they've tried every
other route first. You don't live with the child, and you can't see how
heartbreaking it is to watch a child struggle day after day. The biggest
effect ADHD as on kids is social - they have no friends. I started
medicating my son when he told me that he wished he could learn like the
other kids in his class - he saw it himself. Parents don't medicate their
children until it's absolutely necessary. Families with ADHD children are
incredibly stressful. Don't add to the stress by trying to make his parents
feel guilty for doing everything they can for their child.

Thank you for your feed back. I'm really not trying to stress my daughter out, but I so want to help her and my G-son. I must say that I probably do add a little stress to her life, because I love and worry so much about him. He is such a wonderful boy and as all Grand parents I want what is best for him and my daughter. I know you understand if you have a child with this. 

May I ask what kind of medicine you have tryed?  Did you ever see a change in your childs personality. It seem this medicine makes him have worse symtoms.

 

Thank you for your help!!

My son started on Concerta. He was absolutely horribly worse on it. He
became very verbally violent. He took 2 pills before I took him off.

His second medication was Vyvanse. He actually ended up having smaller
than the normal starting dosage, and it worked great.

And he now has come off of medication. It's not a life sentence. He was on
medication long enough to learn coping techniques and now he's stopped
his meds. He still has a ton of interventions and he's continuing his therapy
so he can continue to learn how to make choices instead of just going along
with the first impulse that pops into his mind. (He has impulsive and
hyperactive type ADHD.)

I tried 5 medications with varying levels of results and unfortunately issues.  My child falls into the category can't take the meds.  Thankfully, she is not severe, but it is still stressful. 

We are now using some natural things that help, but it is still a challenge.  She struggles with friendships and has to work really hard for her grades.

Check the Alternative Treatments section of the forum.  Different things help for differnt peoople.

My daughter takes fish oil, theanine and phosphotodyl serine.

To be honest, I wish the meds would help her.  As much as I worry about the long term effects, her life is challenging and it is stressful for me.

Adderall may not be the right med. He needs to try others. If he is with a pediatrician, he needs to switch to a child psychiatrist for medication management.

I have to warn you about taking an anti-med position. My mother did this which influenced me and lead to all the wrong decisions for my son for two years. Also, when he was finally medicated, she was not told, and never will be. She remains in the anti-medication closet, beating her drum. The big result is that I find her completely useless when it comes to support in an area of great and consistent trouble in my life.