Enough time??? | ADHD Information

I have to disagree with happygirl, Ritalin works differently for everyone. It does work quickly, but that doesn't mean that if he is responding to it "you are out of the woods" 
I have found with my son, he has suddenly been thrown into a "normal" world. What he had learned before meds doesn't apply anymore. This sometimes results in aggression, frustration, and depression.

It takes a little while for them to get used to the ups and downs of the medication, but in your case I would ask the doctor to lessen the dose or try short acting. Using Ritalin SA makes it a little easier to figure out what dose is right because you can play around with the morning dose and afternoon one as well. For example you can give them half a tablet in the morning and a full one in the afternoon and see the different results.

You are the only one that will be able to tell if you son is ready for camp! Is it possible to go with him as a helper or volunteer?

My son was diagnosed with ADHD (mild to moderate) about one month ago. We have started behavior mod and have been seeing a psychologist on a weekly basis. We were very hesitant about beginning meds but after spending the day with my 9 year old at a school field day I realized that it would be worthwhile to try it. He has no problems academically, his problems are social ones because he is so impulsive. I finally had "the talk"with him about the meds this evening and he responded well. We are going to start tomorrow morning with his first dose of Ritalin LA. The BIG QUESTION is that he is leaving for a 7-week sleep away camp. Do we have enough time to know if his dosage is right? What experiences have others had with Ritalin LA and getting the dosage correct? How long should it take to see results and how often do you need to adjust the dosage? Please share!!! Anyone have an ADHD child at sleep away camp? He is very excited to go.  Thanks.

Hi Daisy,

 

You should see results quickly with Ritalin.  If you have 2 weeks before camp I think you'll get the dose down.  Just remember to check the side effects - insomnia, weight loss were the big ones for us.  Are you sure he'll need medication in camp?  Being outdoors with lots of activity may help.  If anything I'd err on the lower dose side but I do think you'll know within a few days what dose works best.

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies. This message board is really helping because I haven't discussed this with anyone except my family and they haven't been through this before.  We have 2 days under our belt. The first morning he took the pill no problem....his first time swallowing a pill. I was thrilled. He had a party right after school and I didn't see him until 5:00. He said to me "the thing really helped!". Then at about 5:30-6 he crashed. Was hysterical crying like a baby about something very insignificant and was violent. Threw a jacket at me and pulled my hair. I let him calm down and then explained to him that his body was adjusting. Day 2 he said "it didn't really help" and he didn't crash (baseball after school and an end of year party). I havn't told his teacher yet because I want to see if she has noticed a change on her own.  I guess time will tell.

 

Thanks.

Hi Daisy....Unfortunately there is no time frame in terms of when you learn which med and what dose works right for your child as everyone is different. Initially the lowest dose of Ritalin is prescribed and if the dose is not effective, it is increased until the the most effective dose is acheived. Doses can be increased and then decreased depending on how the child responds to the medication but its all very individulistic. It could take days, weeks or months so you may or may not have the answer to this question by the time your son goes to summer camp. Good luck and please keep us posted.