Son with ADHD

[Anonymous]

So my son has ADHD and he started taking adderall two weeks ago. He takes them for summer camp Monday to Friday but not sure if he should take them over the weekend. Does your kid take pills over the weekend

[Anonymous]

You'll get more responses on the SN forum. But, no, my child with ADHD does not take meds on (most) weekends.

[Anonymous]

Yep! If your son had diabetes, would you not give him his insulin over the weekend? Sorry, didn't mean to be harsh but this is not just a "school thing." It's a real condition that affects his whole life and so he should have the treatment he needs to help him. That includes medicine and therapies. You also may find that adderall isn't the right medication for him and you may need to go through several to find what works for him. A lot of doctors start with the "popular" drugs and then go down the list until they find one that works. We've switched many times and finally feel that we have the right combo now for my almost 14 year old. It's really an art for the doctor to find the right combination. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Yes, do it over the weekend if he has just started. Stopping and starting Adderall sucks. I say this as an adult. ONe day isn't a problem but 2 days is.

[Anonymous]

People do different things - some have their kid take it 7 days a week, some on weekdays only, some only during the school year. We have our son take it 365 days a year, no misses unless we/he forgets or I accidently run out (and I have a back up stash so that is very rare). What I've found is this. One day off meds, he is impulsive, has trouble controlling himself, etc. Two days off, he is exponetially worse. It's not the same level of not being able to control himself and not even double - more like ten times harder. Then everyone gets upset at him and it's really not his fault (he is learning but he's a kid and it takes time to understand and learn to control and we now have puberty starting). Plus, it takes a day or two after he goes back on before he's back to his maximum success. In short, nothing good comes of skipping for my son.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the child. I know that some children take ADHD medication breaks over the summer. In some cases, kids take their ADHD meds M-F during the school year. ADHD meds are different from SSRIs, which you should daily or as prescribed by your psychiatrist. Obviously, this is a question best answered by your child's pediatric psychiatrist.

[Anonymous]

How old is your son? The medicines affect their growth. I stopped my DS's medicine in 5th grade for puberty. You can't get that puberty window back.

[Anonymous]

Please speak with your DOCTOR.

[Anonymous]

We use it on the weekends -- impulse control around siblings is one of our major problems.
I have two questions for the PPs:
1) for the adult PP, what are the issues with stopping and starting the Adderall? Curious because I hear many parents do weekend meds holidays, and I'm wondering what the effects are -- the doctor says there's no withdrawal effect.
2) The other PP said that "you can't get that puberty window back" -- I thought the research showed that the kids who had delayed growth while in stimulants actually do make it up as older teens or young adults. Anyone have the latest knowledge on this?

[Anonymous]

My son takes it in the weekends and in the summer. If he didn't, he has zero impulse control.

[Anonymous]

Yes. They take the pills on the weekends. Without the pills the entire family suffers.

[Anonymous]

Please please speak to your doctor. But we do ours all the time (weekends, summer, everything) because it helps keep her more regulated. She gets all out of whack if it's on again, off again. Her body needs continuity. YMMV, which is why you need to check with your child's psychiatrist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We use it on the weekends -- impulse control around siblings is one of our major problems.
I have two questions for the PPs:
1) for the adult PP, what are the issues with stopping and starting the Adderall? Curious because I hear many parents do weekend meds holidays, and I'm wondering what the effects are -- the doctor says there's no withdrawal effect.
2) The other PP said that "you can't get that puberty window back" -- I thought the research showed that the kids who had delayed growth while in stimulants actually do make it up as older teens or young adults. Anyone have the latest knowledge on this?

1) I am the adult who made the comment - the issue is insomnia basically. If I stop for more than 2 days and then restart, I literally can't sleep for days. I will get maybe 2-3 hours of sleep a night for 4 or 5 days then crash. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

8:07 here. Our issue more has to do with emotional regulation. She feels better when she takes it, because she doesn't like having no impulse control, and so going off and on just makes her feel like dirt.

[Anonymous]

I've stopped giving Adderrall to my rising 5th grader for the summer. I only gave it to him for 1 wk while he was in a summer camp. Honestly, I think his mood is better without it. Yes, he is more hyper and louder when not on it, but we can live with that at home. Unfortunately, in a class of 20+ kids during the school year, the teacher can't cope.

He's small for his age and I wanted to see if he would grow/gain weight during the summer.So far, he seems much more relaxed and his appetite has improved. I wish I didn't have to give it during the school year.