Considering to Medicate 15-YO DS for ADHD
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Anonymous
I thought a psychiatrist had to prescribe the medicine. Are there also pediatricians who prescribe ADHD meds? |
Anonymous
Some regular pediatricians will do it, but we get ours through a developmental pediatrician. OP, is your ped skeptical of the dx, or of using medication to address the symptoms, and if so, what is the reason. I absolutely would seek a second opinion on this. If medication is appropriate, but you wait too long, he won't have time to recover for college applications. Maybe even more importantly, he'll develop poor self esteem and internalize the idea that he's stupid, that he can't succeed, stop trying because he thinks it's hopeless, etc. If he has ADHD, he's probably used to now to being told (either outright or subtly) that he can't do certain things as well as his peers. Research facts regarding the medication; don't let unfounded fears prevent you from helping your kid (if his dx and symptoms warrant medication, which is something none of us know). Don't let him suffer and try to make him power through a medical condition when there is a way to help. Also keep in mind that ADHD often travels with something else (my son also has dyslexia and dysgraphia) so it may be worth a full workup if you suspect other issues might be causing the problems. Also, remember that a lot of advice (nutrition, exercise, executive functioning skills, limit screen type) is helpful regardless whether your kid is on medication and regardless if he has ADHD, so certainly try those things too. Good luck. |
Anonymous
The impact comes from the drug's well-documented appetite supression - if the child is eating less calories, their growth is impacted. That's why you go in regularly for med checks to make sure your child is still on the growth curve that they had when they started taking the medication. If they are falling off, then a different intervention is necessary. These are not drugs that are fix it and forget it - they need regular monitoring for both the child's physical well-being and mental health. That said, they can be a godsend for aneurotypical children. There is nothing like seeing an 8yo child go from pre-suicidal to a straight-A happy, funny 12 yo with friends and deep interests with the help of one pill a day. It was the best and hardest decision we've ever made for our child. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I think there is a lot of hysterical over-reaction on this thread around using meds. However, having said that, you shouldn't take any medication with out being sure it's appropriate. (Just like you don't rush to take antibiotics.)
We did a full evaluation with a group practice (not regular pediatrician) that offered psychological and psychiatric services for children. It involves a number of tests and questionnaires filled out by child, parent, and teachers. Only once we received that diagnosis did we proceed. We did a combination of therapy and medication for a while. The therapy helped tremendously we getting some important techniques. We also had to do a fair amount of adjusting of medication--both type and dosage. We are now at a great place, but it does take time and money. |
Anonymous
Yes, pediatricians can prescribe the medication. You need one who has that as their focus or special interest. Our old pediatrician was not comfortable prescribing ADHD meds. |
Anonymous
It can suppress appetite. My kid was always always at 95-100% on the growth curve since he was 5 had this side effect. My other kid who runs at 50% on the growth curve did not have this side effect. You just have to be sure they are eating enough when the medication wears off or before they take it for the day. |
Anonymous
This - they can eat constantly for 4 hours after medication wears off and get plenty of calories - it's just a matter of adjusting the family schedule to accommodate the child's need to eat. |
Anonymous
That's not a great way to set up a teen for healthy eating throughout their adult life. |
Anonymous
To eat when they are hungry? It is exactly what we should all be doing. My ds isn't hungry for lunch. He eats a big breakfast and a meal sized snack after school. We eat a late dinner. PP made it sound like binge eating - it doesn't look like that for our family. We also make sure he is eating a full rainbow of healthy foods and getting enough calories. Instead of a piece of fruit or some crackers after school, he eats a full meal. |
Anonymous
1 - you make it healthy 2 - not treating ADHD greatly increases the chances that the kids will have stuggles with addiction because they end up self medicating. Not treating ADHD greatly increases the chance of suicide. Parents' choices have consequences. The 'no meds' camp is incredibly short sighted because they drastically increase the risks their children face. |
Anonymous
NP here. For my nephew who was on it, he would eat a huge breakfast, take his meds, pretty much skip lunch and not eat anything all day at school and then by 6pm when the meds wore off my sister would make him a huge dinner. He also didn't take it on the weekends. They were concerned about the growth, and he ended up being ok. |
Anonymous
| Studies show that children and adults with untreated ADHD have a significantly higher rate of obesity. Similarly, children with ADHD treated with stimulants likewise have a lower BMI as children and a rebound higher adult BMI. |
Anonymous
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We should never has waited as long as we did to medicate. It is by far my biggest parenting regret with my hS senior. Not because of grades. There isn’t a disaster on his transcript. But because he was so clearly unhappy and struggling. He wanted to do things like other kids so badly and just couldn’t. But, I didn’t want to pull the trigger. A couple months after he started, he asked me why we had waited so long when his life had been so hard before. It broke my heart. And the answer is because I was scared. But looking at the difference and what we put him through by not acting. Forget grades. Screen are still a struggle. He’s happier, more balanced, more confident, less angry and less anxious. It's hands down the one parenting decision I know I blew.
OP— forget the Ped and do it right. Get an adolescent psychiatrist and work with them to get a valid diagnosis and Medicare if appropriate. ADHD meds are tricky. Some work for your kid, some don’t. And as a kid grows or hits puberty, what they need can change. But please do something. I’ve now learned that unmediated ADHD kids are at very high risk for anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse. And I see why. |
Anonymous
| Anecdotes are not science but I can tell you that meds have had a tremendous positive impact for me. I started with them early in elementary and take them still to noticeable effect. I graduated from a top law school, am a partner at an Am Law 100 firm and of above average height. Don’t let the anti-med folks scare you. |