Do kids really need medication for ADHD if....

[Anonymous]

they aren't in school yet? DS's Ped wants to put him on ADHD meds. He is 4 and has no school/hw commitments. I feel that ADHD cannot be fully manifested until the child has to sit through school or other commitments that aren't always "fun". I thnk that right now, DS is not hyperactive, just being a newly turned 4!

[Anonymous]

No. Don't do it. Crazy.

[Anonymous]

No friggin way.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:they aren't in school yet? DS's Ped wants to put him on ADHD meds. He is 4 and has no school/hw commitments. I feel that ADHD cannot be fully manifested until the child has to sit through school or other commitments that aren't always "fun". I thnk that right now, DS is not hyperactive, just being a newly turned 4!

I would get a second opinion from another doctor or relative expert in the field. It really depends on the child. I would also encourage you to trust (but verify) your gut.

[Anonymous]

DId you go to the ped for an ADD disgnosis? Did the ped just decide based on a checkup?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it and I have a child on meds for ADHD (but didn't start until age 11 years old). ADHD meds are being way too overprescribed by doctors these days IMHO. A parent should only put kids on meds until they have had a complete battery of tests from a psychologist (neuro-psychological testing or something similar for his age). I'm amazed the number of parents/doctors who willingly give out this medication like its candy...this is serious medication and shouldn't be taken lightly.

My son had a bad experience with his first medication, but we had the professional who deals with this medication daily be able to help us find the right one.

4 years old seems awfully young. If you are handling him well and can do what he needs now (lots of exercise, eating right and playing) then that's what he needs now - not medication. Get another opinion from a professional, but also use your gut instincts as a mother to know what is right for your child.

[Anonymous]

No, but now is the time to change your parenting style to get him to learn to control himself so he has a chance at being med free. age 2 would've been better.

[Anonymous]

How do you know she hasn't already PP? And kids with ADHD will still have ADHD with the most consistent rules and consequences. OP- I wouldn't do it now. If he has real issues in school, I might consider it but at age 4, nearly all boys look like they have ADHD.

[Anonymous]

It seems to me your child has not really been diagnosed yet, so no don't do it until he has been fully tested and his life affected by ADHD. If you can manage it without meds all the better. He is very young and most likely he is just an active four year old.

[Anonymous]

Its strange that your doctor wants to put your child on meds for ADHD. Your pediatrician usually plays the role of balance trying to minimize meds or dosage to reduce side effects with the teachers or psychiatrists being more gun ho to up the dosage.

My DC has been on meds for 2 years but we go off for the summer. They make a big difference in her ability to finish tasks and not fall behind academically. They do have side effects do its always a balance. If DD didn't have boring school work then she would be on them.

[Anonymous]

DS is 4 too. When I took him to see a developmental ped (dr Turnacioglu) at Children's a month ago, he commented DS showed signs of hyperactivity. He then said at DS's age, he couldn't make a diagnosis of ADHD. he wants us to go back in a year. he also said he did not recommend meds for young children like DS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me your child has not really been diagnosed yet, so no don't do it until he has been fully tested and his life affected by ADHD. If you can manage it without meds all the better. He is very young and most likely he is just an active four year old.

Your pediatrician really shouldn't be dispensing ADHD medication. You need to work with someone with the expertise and will be looking at the whole picture. Everyone who I know who's gone that route, work with a psychiatrist or developmental pediatrician. These medications have powerful side effects and they are done in conjunction with other strategies, e.g., behavioral.

Also, in a 4 year old, I would be wary of starting medications b/f I had exhausted every other therapy, like speech, OT, CBT.

If you haven't done so already, you need to have a full evaluation. I would suggest a developmental pediatric visit. Good luck with this.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, you mentioned that your DS isn't hyperactive. He could have a receptive speech delay, e.g., following directions:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001545.htm

Medications won't change this. If you have concerns about his development, an evaluation is key so you know what you're dealing with.

Also, PLEASE get a new pediatrician. Yours sounds like a quack.

[Anonymous]

Is your DS's ADHD have a significant negative impact on your home life or his preschool day? What lead you to seek an ADHD consult? If your DS isn't hyperactive, what symptoms did the pediatrician use to make his diagnosis?

My kids are not hyperactive and couldn't be diagnosed until they were in kindergarten/1st grade. Even then, we didn't medication outside school because their ADHD didn't initially have a signficiant negative effect on our family. We have started medicating during the summer because of their emotional regulation/impulsivity issues which wrecks havoc on our home life. If nothing like this is going on with your DS, why medicate?