medications | ADHD Information

I am new here and have lots of questions! My 5 1/2 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD. I don't know much about any meds so I am not ready to put him on any. I am really scared to do so as a matter of fact. Can anyone ease my mind and give me any advice on this matter? Thanks in advance--ShellyHello Shelly.  Giving meds can feel like such a scary thing, especially when you hear all the hype.  Educate yourself, reading post in this forum can really help.  You have to be ready to try the meds, or it isnt going to work for you and your child.  I myself just like you was very scared to have my 9 year old on meds.  We tried diets (which helps by the way), meditation, herbal medicines (would not suggest-can be very dangerous), and counseling.  My son Ryan is very artistic, and I was afraid he would lose some of that.  I put him on Concerta 18 mg 5 days ago...WOW what a different child....On Friday he took 5 AR test and scored 100 on each of them, he took a spelling test and scored a 102, this weekend at baseball he hit 3 homeruns, and my son drew a picture of a female statue that was breathtaking.  Now I expect that we are going to have our ups and downs, I expect that, I am ready for it....but it sure did boost his confidence over the past 5 days.  So like I said educate yourself, do what you feel is best for your child, and try not to listen to some of the negative hype...Good luck to you.Our son on Strattera has not lost cretive things. Behavior is the most we have trouble with now.Herbal meds: At one time that is what was around. Bible days. I have grown up on herbal meds they do work. I only take synthroid and no other meds.Must be educated in how and when to take them.Anything to much or to little can be dangerous. daniel's mom38426.3441087963Thanks for the help. My son's main problem is impulsivity and behavior. He does have a little attention things but mostly just no down time. I have tried looking up medications on the net but seem to get overwhelmed. I really wish it was easier. Thanks, Shelly

Hi Shelly

My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 6 years old.  I was so scared to put him on meds, but agreed to try it.  I am so glad I did and have no regrets at all.  Good luck to you.

 

-Susan

Shelly,

Definately wait until you're ready and comfortable with it.  After a long resistance we put our son on meds about a year ago.  We have had a really hard time finding the right one and that can make the process even more frusterating, but now that we have the right one (for now) we are really pleased with the results.  I should mention that during the trial my son developed a seizure disorder attributed to Ritalin use (it is very rare, but it can happen)  as a result he has to take Depakote for the seizures.  He has not had any seizures since we started the medication but at this point it is unknown whether he will have to have the seizure meds for life.  It can be really scary to start meds, but I suspect you will go through a similar experience as I had in making the decision.  That was watching my son's self esteem go down the drain as he progressed grades and slowly became the "dumbest" kid in his class.  Despite his high level of intelligence, his inattentiveness makes it really hard for him to keep up with the class.  It also makes in nearly impossible for him to focus on things like reading.  As a result he is in the lowest reading group at school, he has to be taken out of class 2 times a week for one on one tutoring and even though he is progressing wonderfully, the other kids are really cruel to him.  I think sometimes the biggest obstacle is the peers in class.  After he came home in tears several times from school we finally gave up and medicated.  It has been a difficult journey, but if you can find the right one you will probably not regret it. As one psychologist told us, instead of attaching a stigma to medication think of it as prescription glasses.  When the child is on medication it is just like putting on a pair of glasses and you wouldn't have a problem if your child needed glasses.  That helped my husband deal with it better. Good luck.