Adderall

[Anonymous]

We started DD on Adderall (worked up to 20 mg XR) when she was 7. We did close to a year of therapy in combination with starting the medication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4 yr old has been on meds for the past year. Please don't judge until you've met him or others like him. The decisions of a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, neurologist (2), psychiatrist (2), psychologist, OT (2), his pediatrician and his teachers (several) all concur. His ADHD with high impulsivity and SPD/ sensory seeking. In other words, without meds he will run into traffic or break bones and not notice- just to name a couple of the more "mundane" events that have occurred.

I know it's not an easy decision to make but you absolutely made the right one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4 yr old has been on meds for the past year. Please don't judge until you've met him or others like him. The decisions of a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, neurologist (2), psychiatrist (2), psychologist, OT (2), his pediatrician and his teachers (several) all concur. His ADHD with high impulsivity and SPD/ sensory seeking. In other words, without meds he will run into traffic or break bones and not notice- just to name a couple of the more "mundane" events that have occurred.

You did make the right decision with the help of a medical team. But it would be unwise to say this is a typical scenario and it is not a decision which should be taken lightly.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP w/ the medicated 4 year old and I will be the first to say that it is NOT typical. I have had him described by professionals as an "extreme and extraordinary case" and "off the charts" in terms of severity of impairment. I would also throw myself out on a limb and say that if I had a child who was inattentive-type only I would very likely not medicate until at least kindergarten or if there was a significant impairment in learning. I was merely putting my story out in the ring to let people know that medication is a ligitimate option for some very young children (and I sincerely hope for everyone that the number is very low). My reply was knee-jerk to the comments that 4 or 5 is too young, and my head was not clear enough at that moment to include what I have here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP w/ the medicated 4 year old and I will be the first to say that it is NOT typical. I have had him described by professionals as an "extreme and extraordinary case" and "off the charts" in terms of severity of impairment. I would also throw myself out on a limb and say that if I had a child who was inattentive-type only I would very likely not medicate until at least kindergarten or if there was a significant impairment in learning. I was merely putting my story out in the ring to let people know that medication is a ligitimate option for some very young children (and I sincerely hope for everyone that the number is very low). My reply was knee-jerk to the comments that 4 or 5 is too young, and my head was not clear enough at that moment to include what I have here.

You are absolutely correct. I think it's the PPs who say 'absolutely not' or 'my pedicatrician would never consider it' are having knee jerk reactions. Taking medication for ADHD, at any age, is not typical. If the potential benefits to the child and family outweigh the risks/side effects the you should try medication. You can't blanketly say a four year old shouldn't be medicated - it all depends.

[Anonymous]

it also depends on the meds. dr conlon -- our dev ped -- put our dc on tenex when dc was 4, but was hesitant to use stimulants because he said the research shows that stimulants are less effective and have greater side effects on younger children (on average). every kid is different, though, so you have to go with what works. sometimes the meds help the kids incorporate the therapies more effectively. but i wouldn't JUST do meds -- they aren't a magic bullet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:sometimes the meds help the kids incorporate the therapies more effectively. but i wouldn't JUST do meds -- they aren't a magic bullet.

We found the combination of therapy and meds worked best for us.

[Anonymous]

At the risk of being perceived as unhelpful or a troll, I would like to offer a counter-opinion on prescribing meds for a four year old. I think it really depends on the individual child and the issues involved ... a flat out "no drugs before age x" or "first try every nonmedical option ever described on the internet" is not always the best option, although it is sometimes.

As an example, my son has ADHD-inattentive and it showed up very early. We did try everything before drugs first and for my own peace of mind, I'm glad that I did. BUT. It is untrue that medication is not needed before first grade IF the inattention is greatly affecting important areas such as social skills and language development. My child was completely unable to converse with other children (even at a reasonably age-appropriate level) because he was unable to remember the topic being discussed or stay with a child to the end of his one short sentence. As long as kids are still mostly doing parallel play, no problem. But by PK and definitely by K, he was truly unable to fully join in class activities, understand what the heck was going on, and form friendships. A low dose med made a world of difference to him and enhanced the effectiveness of other nonpharmacological therapies we were also pursuing.

So PLEASE be open to the idea that sometimes, although certainly not always, medication can be very helpful even for a very young child and can prevent certain delays from becoming more pronounced or problematic than they need be. Thanks for listening.