Stopping meds | ADHD Information

Hi !  I'm new here and just had a few questions.  My son Tyler was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in 3rd grade. He's now in 7th.  We've tried Focalin XR, Adderall XR and Vyvanse.  The Focalin worked the best..he was on that from grades 3-6 but had to switch meds because we got to the highest dose the doctor would go. So we tried Adderall....that was ok but again, his body metabolizes these meds quickly and we got tot he highest dose and had to stop. Now we're at Vyvanse and I HATE it !  it makes him even more defiant than ever !  He's never acted the way he's been acting now. He got suspended yesterday for insubordination by disrespecting a teacher. So we had an appt today with the doc and the doc is stopping the meds to see how he does.  has anyone ever had a child on meds for a long time, and then stop and the child was able to cope without it ?  I am SO nervous to send him back to school tomorrow ~!  Tyler was the one that asked if he could stop taking meds to see how he does..the doc feels that at the age of 13 he should have a voice.  If he cant cope at all, we'll try something else but I would really like for him to not take anything and be fine !  THANKS !! Hi ya Tyleigh, I have been in the same boat as you my son was on his meds for 3 years then he had a 2 week break but when he had the break he was in a special school that delt with his adhd and not in a main stream school like other children, The only reason we had a break off meds was cuse my son was having ticks and we needed to try and calm them down and cuse of the ticks he was having he was loosing concentraion in class, But to be honest it was a god send cuse he is on a low dose now and coping great he still as his moments,But if the school know about his condition and they can cope with it then give it a shot it wont hurt by trying new things, If he feels that he can cope with out them just try u might be amazed by what he can do.  You said your son is now in 7th grade - have you considered the possibility that puberty is affecting the effectiveness of his meds?  I think taking him off the stimulants right now is probably a good idea.  If he is having trouble coping without the meds, you might want to talk to your doctor about trying a non-stimulant for a while, like Intuniv.
Though puberty can change how the body deals with medication, stimulants are not inherently bad. About 1/3 of people respond to stimulants, 1/3 to non-stimulants, and 1/3 to both. If your doctor is a ped or family doctor I'd switch to an ADHD specialist. It is typical for teens to want to go off medication, but I have yet to come across a parent that judged it to be a good experience.

Also, your ds should be on a 504 plan that addresses discipline.


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Luvmykids0240614.3991898148I agree with NY1524... if your son has ADHD, he qualifies for a 504 plan at a minimum, and probably an IEP (my son has had one for years).  A properly written plan would not allow them to suspend him for behavior related to his disability.  Ask your school district for a meeting to address this... it's federal law and they have to follow it.

Audrey