For ADHD - H, could you tell me why you decided in favor of/ against stimulants?

[Anonymous]

We started meds when our son was 8--he was diagnosed a year before. It made a vast difference in school performance and behavior--he went from barely being able to read, constantly getting in trouble (he was sent home from multiple summer camps), etc to testing in the 90th+ percentile in reading and being placed in accelerated math. No more calls to pick him up early from anything. The definitely kill his appetite, but we give them after breakfast and they've worn off by dinner so he's skinny but healthy.

Our doctor calls in 3 months of prescriptions at a time, but we have to pick them up month by month. She sees him in person every 6 months and we do Telehealth appts in between (so every 3 month he has some kind of check.)

[Anonymous]

Thank you. These are all helpful answers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting point about med breaks. I can see pros and cons of both. I guess it’s a trial and error process to see what arrangement works.

When the kids are smaller it’s ok to take med brakes but as they get older they don’t feel good when they are off. I see it with our daughter who is now in college. A day or two missed and she gets bad headaches and is moody and not feeling well. Our pediatrician first told us that it’s best to keep them on it and this remains true today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The insight about self esteem is also very helpful. Someone else told me a similar thing - that the negative feedback they get from those around them - as a result of impulsivity they can’t control - makes the kids feel bad about themselves and gradually fulfill the expectation that they are “problematic” or “difficult.”

If this keep up as they get older, eventually some could self medicate and that’s not what you want. We did meds in 2nd grade for our daughter and even at that age the ADHD was affecting socially. Things got better and she was able to sit and pay attention better and was calmer. Was it perfect? No. But overall the meds have really helped her stay focused, do better in school, sustain friendships and feel more confident. It was a roller coaster finding the right medication but one thing to keep in mind is that there seem to be two distinct kinds of stimulants. You first try the Ritalin type and if those types don’t sit well then the other alternative is a Vyvanse type of medication. For our daughter any of the Ritalin style stimulants had awful side effects whereas Vyvanse has been a game changer with minimal side effects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9YO DS just got diagnosed with mild ADHD, mainly H. He is doing well academically, social relationships are fine, and is athletically active. But sometimes does have impulse control issues, can’t sit still for long, and sometimes talks over people in class.

We are discussing options, including medication, with the doctor.

I have heard/ read about some concerns with stimulants, and I’ve had friends in their 20/ who had challenges with adderall dependency, so I’m a little cautious on this.

For those of you that had similar circumstances and decided for or against stimulants, could you share your reasoning in decision making? And how is your child doing?

Thank you in advance.

curious about the bolded. are these people who misused adderall or who otherwise did not have ADHD? stimulants are the first line of meds for ADHD - a diagnosis which will not go away. it's like any other diagnosis that requires medication.

FWIW, i'm a 50 year old woman who was not diagnosed with ADHD until i was 47, after my 9yo son was diagnosed and i majorly "outgrew" any coping skills as i hit middle age/menopause/teen/tween years/covid. was not a surprise that i had it too, had long suspected. both my son and i are on concerta (not adderall). on the days i don't take stimulants there is a marked difference in my ability to get through the day in one piece - but that was my life before stimulants, too. stimulants are life-changing for me.

we do not take stimulant breaks for my son. he has comorbid diagnoses so he has a lot going on, this is one med that easily helps him get through the day with this self confidence intact.

[Anonymous]

It cannot hurt to try. I am a teacher and have had so many kids over the years that needed meds for ADHD, and their parents said they would end up as druggies and would not allow even a trial. So sad to see kids struggle so much when it isn’t necessary.

[Anonymous]

Have any supplements worked for any of you?

[Anonymous]

We tried stimulants because other interventions were not enough. Just a word of advice about the social things. If your child has impulse control issues and is talking over others, the social situation may not be as good as you think it is, or is may not last. Other kids often pull away from that behavior and it can be isolating.
Something to keep your eyes on.

[Anonymous]

My child is five. He’s not on a stimulant yet but I’m sure it’s in our future. He’s on a non stimulant.

We decided to medicate because we spoke to many doctors and psychologists. My son and our family were not functioning. Things still aren’t perfect, but we consider ourselves lucky to have medication options for his adhd, which is a neurological condition like anything else we medicate for. My son was struggling massively with emotional regulation and focus, and it starts to hurt their self esteem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We tried stimulants because other interventions were not enough. Just a word of advice about the social things. If your child has impulse control issues and is talking over others, the social situation may not be as good as you think it is, or is may not last. Other kids often pull away from that behavior and it can be isolating.
Something to keep your eyes on.

+1

[Anonymous]

The medicine doesn’t work for comorbidities. Just something to keep in mind because ADHD usually comes with other diagnoses that might take more time to sort through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The medicine doesn’t work for comorbidities. Just something to keep in mind because ADHD usually comes with other diagnoses that might take more time to sort through.

Also, meant to say that stimulants can make the other issues worse. For example, while stimulants might help with ADHD symptoms they can make anxiety worse.

[Anonymous]

Because they work!

You will never hear someone caution you not to take insulin because it may cause “dependency.” It is absolute garbage to think “dependency” on lifesaving medicine is bad. Be grateful for access.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The insight about self esteem is also very helpful. Someone else told me a similar thing - that the negative feedback they get from those around them - as a result of impulsivity they can’t control - makes the kids feel bad about themselves and gradually fulfill the expectation that they are “problematic” or “difficult.”

+1 OP this was a major consideration for us. My son was diagnosed young, and eventually medicated young a well and this was a primary motivator for us. Our therapist said that one of the most important things to keep an eye on is how much negative feedback and correction they are getting, that protecting their self esteem/confidence is key because otherwise it leads to what can be even bigger problems of depression and anxiety in later years. Our child was having very significant emotion regulation issues though. But for us it has been very worth it.

[Anonymous]

Also, from my understanding being medicated for ADHD can actually be protective for substance dependence issues generally. Many of the kids abusing adderal in college do not have ADHD. And being umedicated if it is impacting your life can be hard. And it does work really darn well. If your child is struggling enough that you sought out assessment I would consider it.