Please share your experience with ADD (inattentive) medication

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DS started medication in 6th grade. It was a big mistake.

DS has gone thru adderall, focalin, concerta, ritalin. Started after teacher said he was having trouble focusing and getting tests by pediatric neurologist. It seemed like a godsend in middle school and really did help then, but in high school it started affecting his sleep. We did not do enough research and did not fully understand the tradeoffs. Getting up at 5:45 for school going to school medicated, crashing after school, taking something else for homework (offered by DR when DS complained about homework), taking something else for sleep, on and on. All prescribed by DR with parents thinking this was helping. Child started thinking that pills were solving problems. Affected mood, both highs and lows. Took a whole summer of no medications to work this out and let DS starting to sleep normally again.

Don't start with medication, start with counseling, and tutors if necessary, and after that has been exhausted, and even then I would change schools first, and only then would I think about trying these ADHD medications. There are no biological tests for ADHD, it is all subjective judgement by a DR.

I would also challenge parents, are your children really that much different than when you were a child? I had the same attention and focus issues, still do, but I learned ways to adapt, and the school/pressure wasn't so over the top.

Thanks for the honest feedback. I think sometimes those of us that choose to medicate become very defensive about that choice and don't admit that there are side-effects or other options.

I think the reason some people become defensive is because of the immediate PP who doesn't seem to have a balanced view of her experience with medication. If you ever go to the SN forum, you'll see lots of parents discussing the side effects of medication and the challenges they have finding one that works and with an acceptable level of side effects. Even though the PP noted improvements that 'seemed like a godsend and really did help', she feels her later experience negates all that. What I see in her post is an extreme reaction that doesn't sound reasonable and is colored by prejudice - she had the same attentional issues but she learned to adapt. The implication is that everyone else should as well. In recalling kids of her own time, she likely doesn't realize the kid that was considered stupid or a trouble maker likely had ADHD - which is what the kids with it in my day were labeled. It bespeaks of ignorance about ADHD and continues the stigmatization of those who choose to treat their children's neurological disorder with medication. No medication is without risk and without potential side effects. Not all medical providers are equally capable of treating ADHD. To make argue that medication should only be considered after changing schools is extreme.

FWIW - I have one child that can't tolerate the stimulant medications and the non-stimulants provided no benefit. I have another child that responds very well to stimulant medication and we've seen no negative side effects - not even weight loss or sleep issues.

I want to apologize if my post came out as preaching or extreme. I did not mean to criticize or tell anyone else what to do. Anyone that has children especially those that just don't fit in or are challenged at school, knows the stress and fear and knows that each is unique and special. I actually like the description snowflake even though people hear use it as negative. I just wanted to add my personal experience and opinion. Anyone that has children knows that you are never truly happy until your kids are happy. I have reflected on these past decisions often, and don't think we did the best we could. The OP asked for feedback and I wanted to provide my experience.

Your honest insight is a real breath of fresh air around here. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

OP, your dd does not stand out to me as one who needs meds. I was diagnosed in high school, but I was having a hard time keeping up...not just not making straight As.

My own dd is and A/B student with a 99.9th percentile FSIQ who does not test well, but does not have ADHD.

Be certain that your dd needs meds before you start down that road, and don't do it just because you think she should be getting all As.

[Anonymous]

I have taken Ritalin for over twenty years with no problems.
Organizing is helpful, though it often helps people who have to live with the ADD person more than the ADD person, but it doesn't help you focus. For those without ADD, imagine being at a bar or a loud party and you are trying to hear someone talk to you, but it is hard to do so because of all of the other noise. The medication is like giving the person who is trying to talk to you a microphone.

I was off of the medicine through junior high and high school, because ADD was not as commonly diagnosed in the 1980's and my parents didn't want me to be stigmatized. I wish they had. I was lucky to be accepted to a program at a good university that specialized in students who had high SAT score and middling grades, or the reverse. Students who would otherwise have fallen through the cracks because a student who is pulling a 3.2 gpa isn't a student that seems in trouble. With the medication my college gpa was a 3.5 and my law school gpa was a 3.7.

[Anonymous]

Medication has been very helpful for my ADHD--PI son. He was diagnosed in the beginning of second grade and had various supports in place both at school and at home. By the end of 3rd grade it became apparent that these were not helping sufficiently. We tried several different meds until we landed on a fairly low dose of Adderall XR (10 MG). He had no side effects except a decrease in his midday appetite, but he ate a lot in the morning and in the evening and continued to grow normally. Most of 4th and all of 5th grade were fantastic and my son was happy. It wasn't a miracle cure, but it got the situation under control. He also had fantastic teachers who supported him and we continued to work with him at home on organization and so forth. In sixth grade we hit a rough patch and the meds were starting to make him feel emotionally out of whack and moody even though his focus was still good. His psychiatrist confirmed our suspicion that this was likely a change caused by a hormonal shift as he enters puberty, and said that this happens quite often, particularly with boys at this age. We tried different meds and then stopped for a few months at his request. His ability to do anything at school or home went straight to hell, and my husband and I redoubled our efforts to support him in his decision to go off meds by sitting with him during homework (which we had stopped doing in 4th grade), emailing his teachers to get extra reminders, increasing his outdoor/exercise/sleeping time etc but nothing worked. He felt so out of control and miserable, but we didn't push him because we wanted to give the "no meds" experiment a fair try. When his quarterly doctor's appointment came up he made the decision, along with his doctor, that he wanted to go back on the meds. We went on a super low dose of 5 MG XR and that has helped a lot. (The literature I've read suggests that the inattentive type tends to respond better to very low doses of stimulants). No side effects and now he is able to function. His focus is not as good as it was at 10 MG but this is the sweet spot for now where he gets some relief without the side effects, so we are sticking with it.

I encourage parents making these decisions to have an open and ever-ongoing conversation with their kids about their meds and how they feel about them. I let him know that it is ultimately his body, his choice, and that we will give him our best guidance but that ultimately we can't be inside his mind and feel how he feels, so we will follow his lead. I also think it is important to realize that this is not a decision that is etched in stone. You can try something, try something else, change course, take a break, go back on them, and so on. As your body and circumstances change, so may your meds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Medication has been very helpful for my ADHD--PI son. He was diagnosed in the beginning of second grade and had various supports in place both at school and at home. By the end of 3rd grade it became apparent that these were not helping sufficiently. We tried several different meds until we landed on a fairly low dose of Adderall XR (10 MG). He had no side effects except a decrease in his midday appetite, but he ate a lot in the morning and in the evening and continued to grow normally. Most of 4th and all of 5th grade were fantastic and my son was happy. It wasn't a miracle cure, but it got the situation under control. He also had fantastic teachers who supported him and we continued to work with him at home on organization and so forth. In sixth grade we hit a rough patch and the meds were starting to make him feel emotionally out of whack and moody even though his focus was still good. His psychiatrist confirmed our suspicion that this was likely a change caused by a hormonal shift as he enters puberty, and said that this happens quite often, particularly with boys at this age. We tried different meds and then stopped for a few months at his request. His ability to do anything at school or home went straight to hell, and my husband and I redoubled our efforts to support him in his decision to go off meds by sitting with him during homework (which we had stopped doing in 4th grade), emailing his teachers to get extra reminders, increasing his outdoor/exercise/sleeping time etc but nothing worked. He felt so out of control and miserable, but we didn't push him because we wanted to give the "no meds" experiment a fair try. When his quarterly doctor's appointment came up he made the decision, along with his doctor, that he wanted to go back on the meds. We went on a super low dose of 5 MG XR and that has helped a lot. (The literature I've read suggests that the inattentive type tends to respond better to very low doses of stimulants). No side effects and now he is able to function. His focus is not as good as it was at 10 MG but this is the sweet spot for now where he gets some relief without the side effects, so we are sticking with it.

I encourage parents making these decisions to have an open and ever-ongoing conversation with their kids about their meds and how they feel about them. I let him know that it is ultimately his body, his choice, and that we will give him our best guidance but that ultimately we can't be inside his mind and feel how he feels, so we will follow his lead. I also think it is important to realize that this is not a decision that is etched in stone. You can try something, try something else, change course, take a break, go back on them, and so on. As your body and circumstances change, so may your meds.

Thank you for this thoughtful response. My dd is in 2nd grade, and I think we will need to give meds a trial. I am going to save your post to help me with this process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience is not quite what you are asking for but...

At that age, my son played on sports teams with a number of ADHD kids. The kids can be really challenging at early evening practices when their meds have worn off. Not easy for their team mates, and probably not so easy for them, either.

Mine too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience is not quite what you are asking for but...

At that age, my son played on sports teams with a number of ADHD kids. The kids can be really challenging at early evening practices when their meds have worn off. Not easy for their team mates, and probably not so easy for them, either.

Mine too.

They probably need an afternoon boost or second dose of medication to get them through homework and after school activities. My DS takes a boost of Ritalin at 2:30 p.m., which last until about 8 or 9 p.m., enough for him to get his work done and be focused when he has a basketball or lacrosse game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience is not quite what you are asking for but...

At that age, my son played on sports teams with a number of ADHD kids. The kids can be really challenging at early evening practices when their meds have worn off. Not easy for their team mates, and probably not so easy for them, either.

Mine too.

They probably need an afternoon boost or second dose of medication to get them through homework and after school activities. My DS takes a boost of Ritalin at 2:30 p.m., which last until about 8 or 9 p.m., enough for him to get his work done and be focused when he has a basketball or lacrosse game.

How old is he?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
For a medical professional to be in your family, you sound really ignorant. OP, you should consult your dev. pediatrician about what is best for DD. The medications on the market today are safe and have been administered for many years without any evidenced based research to support what PP states about risks to developing minds.

I am going to call you out and challenge you to quote me the studies that have proven ADHD meds given to 5 year old children to have zero aversive side effects for them in long term treatment...say in their 40s. In their 50s. Etc. Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

And now the anti-med poster is reviving old threads.