ADHD Meds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's also not demonize doing things "to make life easier." I wouldn't die without glasses, but having them makes my life easier. I buy vegetables instead of growing my own because it makes my life easier. We all do things every day that make life easier. There is no inherent nobility in suffering and effort.

So yes, we started my son on ADHD meds because it makes HIS life easier. Sure, it also makes my life easier to not have to worry about him getting kicked out of camp or not being able to read but that's a secondary benefit. Easy and lazy are not synonymous.

They can be . Whats casually shoved under the carpet because who wants to worry about that are the side effects.

Side effects of ADHD stimulant medication
Sleep problems.
Decreased appetite.
Weight loss.
Increased blood pressure.
Dizziness.
Headaches and stomachaches.
Rebound (irritability when the medication wears off)
Moodiness and irritability.

Different PP with kid on stimulants for 10 years now.

Of this list, DS has decreased appetite after a large healthy breakfast, when he takes his medication. A light lunch. (see large breakfast comment). Mid-afternoon snack, hearty dinner and most evenings a second meal. He is on the thin side, for sure, though he exercises, walks miles, and lifts, so he looks like a seasoned runner.

Nothing else you mention (swept under carpet or otherwise). Every kid and every experience is different. Without meds, even with all the therapy, OT, diet changes, etc., my kid was counseled out of private and sent the the office most days of the week during the early years in public school. This was not due to lazy or lack of parenting. If your kid needs to wear glasses, it is not because you poorly parented their eyesight. Sometimes medication is just one part of the solution, side effects and all.

We didn’t start meds until sixth grade, but I’ll say that’s how my child with ADHD ate before meds. It’s tough sometimes to tease out what is a side effect of medication and what may stem from the restlessness of the condition itself. He never could be bothered to sit still for a meal, was always go go go. At the end of the day, he’d finally listen to his hunger pains. I didn’t see much of a difference after he started medication.

Will your child eat when he's on the go? We let ours walk around the table as he chews.

But yeah, this is a good point. When you have difficulty focusing on the things you need to focus on, you can't always pay attention to hunger cues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's also not demonize doing things "to make life easier." I wouldn't die without glasses, but having them makes my life easier. I buy vegetables instead of growing my own because it makes my life easier. We all do things every day that make life easier. There is no inherent nobility in suffering and effort.

So yes, we started my son on ADHD meds because it makes HIS life easier. Sure, it also makes my life easier to not have to worry about him getting kicked out of camp or not being able to read but that's a secondary benefit. Easy and lazy are not synonymous.

They can be . Whats casually shoved under the carpet because who wants to worry about that are the side effects.

Side effects of ADHD stimulant medication
Sleep problems.
Decreased appetite.
Weight loss.
Increased blood pressure.
Dizziness.
Headaches and stomachaches.
Rebound (irritability when the medication wears off)
Moodiness and irritability.

NP. How do you figure that dealing with the side effects of meds is the lazy way out?

Right - some kids have those; some don't. As an adult, I don't. What I do have: increased ability to function in the world, learn things more easily, have self-esteem etc.I wish meds and diagnoses had been more common when I was young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One downside, by the way, is that the child may lose appetite and tend towards being underweight. But the benefits of ADHD medicine FAR outweigh any downsides.

Maybe for some, but definitely not for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's also not demonize doing things "to make life easier." I wouldn't die without glasses, but having them makes my life easier. I buy vegetables instead of growing my own because it makes my life easier. We all do things every day that make life easier. There is no inherent nobility in suffering and effort.

So yes, we started my son on ADHD meds because it makes HIS life easier. Sure, it also makes my life easier to not have to worry about him getting kicked out of camp or not being able to read but that's a secondary benefit. Easy and lazy are not synonymous.

They can be . Whats casually shoved under the carpet because who wants to worry about that are the side effects.

Side effects of ADHD stimulant medication
Sleep problems.
Decreased appetite.
Weight loss.
Increased blood pressure.
Dizziness.
Headaches and stomachaches.
Rebound (irritability when the medication wears off)
Moodiness and irritability.

NP. How do you figure that dealing with the side effects of meds is the lazy way out?

Right - some kids have those; some don't. As an adult, I don't. What I do have: increased ability to function in the world, learn things more easily, have self-esteem etc.I wish meds and diagnoses had been more common when I was young.

ADHD meds affect kids and adults differently - including affecting adults who started meds as kids and adults who didn't differently. There are temporary and permanent brain changes at work, especially in children. Are they beneficial? Sometimes. Hopefully. Anecdotally, sometimes not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not medicate. I taught my child self-control. He was diagnosed 10 years ago, at age 6. I worked hard with him to teach him to channel his energies and to control them. ADHD is only a curse if you do not harness it. Think Ghosr Rider and his curse. What you perceive to be your curse could also be your greatest power. Six years after his diagnosis, the same psychologist who diagnosed him dropped ADHD from his IEP and told me that she would not have believed it was possible to teach a kid to control it, had she not seen him before and after. Parents medicate to make their lives easier, not their children's lives. I worked hard with my child so that he could be a success. He'll be 17 next month, he'll be completely finished with school before winter, he is working, managing all his own finances and his own personal business. I am currently only the driver, but he'll be moving to his dad's in a month, so he can fix up one of his dad's motorcycles and get his motorcycle license. Raising independent adults is the goal. The only thing I used to calm him when he started getting wild was coffee. It's the only ADHD med I approve of. Use honey to sweeten. Stay away from soft drinks, too much sugar. Give your kid lots and lots of work and play, keep them busy, they need to learn focus and self-control, or they will be handicapped for life. Don't create victims. Create warriors. Good luck. It can be done, I did it. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

Sounds great but you don't say what you did.

[Anonymous]

She gave him coffee with sugar instead of pop with sugar.