mom doesn’t know what to do | ADHD Information
She is on 36mg which is what she has been on since she started it almost four years ago. I know her dose probably does need to be increased, but I am scared to keep her on it much less increase it. I read so many scary things today, and I just don't know if it's rare occurences they are talking about or if it's something that is common in long term use of Concerta. Another problem we are having is insomnia!!! She doesn't sleep well, so now I wonder...is she not motivated because she is tired, is Concerta causing insomnia, will an increased dose help the insomnia or make it worse? Should I try to treat the insomnia first or the lack of motivation first? It's like the chicken and the egg theory and it's making me nuts!!!What dosage is she on? My daughter is 16 and has been taking Concerta for a few years at 54mg. This last year her grades have dropped. I am considering the 72mg per day.Hormones do play a roll with ADD. When it is the time of the month, the ADD is more pronounced. Maybe she needs a different dose? I just hate having my girl on meds. PLEASE REALLY BE CAREFULL WITH CONCERTA. YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ WHAT I POSTED TODAY. I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS YOU ARE,BUT WITH MY SON. SOMETIMES I WANT TO GIVE UP, BUT I CANT....I NEED TO TRY AND HELP MY SON.I've heard that Concerta can cause you to act 2-4 years more immature than you are. (That was on this message board, if you want a link that's my only source for saying that)Also, taking stimulants can make you act a bit weird/akward socially so kids think you're nuts. When I was on concerta for the 2 weeks that I took it, some people thought I was acting "cracked out", and a lot of people took it literally. haha (I'm a junior in high school)
I thought it was funny when people would ask me if I've been going through "a rough time"
OH! The best was when this kid gave me a christian drug panphlet. Oh that was gold!Why isn't concentratiopn taught rather than meds. MHMR does this.kays Mom!
Thanks for a great laugh!! I needed that!!
[QUOTE=daniel's mom]Why isn't concentratiopn taught rather than meds. MHMR does this.[/QUOTE]
**Tension Breaker**
I thought you said CONTRACEPTION.
Okay now back to your regularly scheduled discussion
I don't know what MHMR is!!! I do know that it's hard to teach a child how to concentrate when they are crawling under desks or trying to climb out the window of the classroom. Back then, I just felt I had no choice. The school was dragging me into numerous meetings about her, and I was made to feel that if I didn't medicate her, I was hurting her ability to learn. Now, she is really suffering in school. Off medicine, she fails! On medicine, she still struggles! Now there is mention of needing to increase her dose, and I am so nervous about it. I would rather pull her off of it than increase it.
Yvette...where can I find your other post? And what do you mean by "be careful"? I just have to figure out what to do.
Has anyone tried the "diet approach" successfully? Aren't there other options?
I'm just so confused and up in the air. My daughter is 12. She took Ritalin in 1st and 1st (she was retained)grade. I then switched her to Concerta which she took in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade which is where she is now. She did well until she reached 5th grade. She has no motivation whatsoever. She's happy and outgoing at home, but quiet and withdrawn at school. She doesn't have many friends, and she is very immature. Twelve, but acts more like eight. The medicine just doesn't seem to work anymore. She wanted to quit it, and I respected her request for three months, but she began failing at school. I put her back on it, and it has made no difference. Now she is going to have to go to summer school, and I'm just crushed. I'm thinking that her lack of motivation may be more hormonal, and less ADHD. Now I have read about IQ drops, growth stunt and heart damage with the use of Concerta, and I just don't know what to do. I would love to hear from other parents about their experiences with their children, and what has worked for them.
Thanks so much,
Michelle