why are so many against meds for ADHD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wasn't there a study just published that said the medicated kids did better in school but earned less as adults, and the non-medicated kids did worse in school but made more $$ as adults?

The report stated this in regards to adults medicated as children, not adults treated as adults which your statement alludes to:

Results pertaining to childhood medication treatment were quite interesting. Adults with ADHD who had not received medication treatment as children (n=329) were over three times as likely to be unemployed than those who had (n=75). This finding remained even when educational attainment was controlled for.

Adults who had not been treated with medication in childhood also reported significantly higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms.

http://www.add.org/page/doesadhdmedication/?terms=%22research+update%22

I found this summary and implication from the study interesting and supportive of prescribing medication earlier in life than later:

An especially intriguing finding was the strong relationship between medication treatment in childhood and employment status in adulthood, as those who had been treated were far more likely to be employed. What makes this finding particularly striking is that individuals treated with medication as children would be likely to have had more severe cases of ADHD to begin with, particularly since medication treatment is less common in Norway than in the US. If this were the case, it would have worked against more positive occupational outcomes in adulthood, thus suggesting an especially important role for medication treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because there are other options doctors refuse to try first.

I also refused to take medication for an issue I was having, did the research and changed my diet and my 2 year medical condition was resolved. I talked to the doctor about it and he said, "Most people are not that disciplined so I don't suggest it."

How about this ... suggest it, and let the patient decide.

Also, my son has a 3.3 GPA, he is happy, he is healthy, he is on 2 Varsity sports (as a Freshman) and volunteers with the Special Olympics. Why would I give him drugs?

Because think of how much better he would be if be weren't limited by his condition. If your son was missing a leg, would you let him crawl around without crutches and then ask why should you give him crutches?

Do you understand that for some kids -- many, in fact -- this kind of GPA is really good, and that not everyone is cut out to be a 4.0 student? Posts like this reinforce the idea that some parents medicate their kids to give them an edge in performance.

That's like saying, for some people 50/50 vision is really good, and not everyone deserves to have 20/20 vision. Do you believe that?

This response is actually funny to me. It is my son that has the 3.3 GPA. The doctor agreed that there would be no reason to give drugs... he laughed when we were relieved because in this area he is happy to find a parent that is happy with a 3.3 GPA. Yes, I know my son could score higher on his GPA if I gave him drugs, or he should if you look at his IQ.

So, actually, to the PP that would give drugs to her child to get a higher GPA, from my doctors experience, you are in the majority... even if he did not recommend it.

To answer you analogy.... would I let him crawl... maybe... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSayMXTaQY8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because there are other options doctors refuse to try first.

I also refused to take medication for an issue I was having, did the research and changed my diet and my 2 year medical condition was resolved. I talked to the doctor about it and he said, "Most people are not that disciplined so I don't suggest it."

How about this ... suggest it, and let the patient decide.

Also, my son has a 3.3 GPA, he is happy, he is healthy, he is on 2 Varsity sports (as a Freshman) and volunteers with the Special Olympics. Why would I give him drugs?

Because think of how much better he would be if be weren't limited by his condition. If your son was missing a leg, would you let him crawl around without crutches and then ask why should you give him crutches?

Do you understand that for some kids -- many, in fact -- this kind of GPA is really good, and that not everyone is cut out to be a 4.0 student? Posts like this reinforce the idea that some parents medicate their kids to give them an edge in performance.

That's like saying, for some people 50/50 vision is really good, and not everyone deserves to have 20/20 vision. Do you believe that?

It reminds me that now that I am older I need to get glasses... nah... I will wait another year and just have my kids read the fine print.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wasn't there a study just published that said the medicated kids did better in school but earned less as adults, and the non-medicated kids did worse in school but made more $$ as adults?

The report stated this in regards to adults medicated as children, not adults treated as adults which your statement alludes to:

Results pertaining to childhood medication treatment were quite interesting. Adults with ADHD who had not received medication treatment as children (n=329) were over three times as likely to be unemployed than those who had (n=75). This finding remained even when educational attainment was controlled for.

Adults who had not been treated with medication in childhood also reported significantly higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms.

http://www.add.org/page/doesadhdmedication/?terms=%22research+update%22

I found this summary and implication from the study interesting and supportive of prescribing medication earlier in life than later:

An especially intriguing finding was the strong relationship between medication treatment in childhood and employment status in adulthood, as those who had been treated were far more likely to be employed. What makes this finding particularly striking is that individuals treated with medication as children would be likely to have had more severe cases of ADHD to begin with, particularly since medication treatment is less common in Norway than in the US. If this were the case, it would have worked against more positive occupational outcomes in adulthood, thus suggesting an especially important role for medication treatment.

Do you live in Norway?

[Anonymous]

It was the emphasis on employment status for adults medicated in childhood v. those who were not. I copied the full paragraph.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was the emphasis on employment status for adults medicated in childhood v. those who were not. I copied the full paragraph.

Did you read the limitations?

[Anonymous]

Take all the studies supporting medication for children with ADHD and put them in a pile. Next, take those that were funded by drug companies out of the pile and put them in the trash. Next, eliminate all the studies ghost written by drug companies. (Are they even required to disclose this?) Next, look at all the authors of the remaining studies and find out if they are connected to drug companies in any way. Have they ever been funded by a drug company? Do they have stock? If so, how much? Do any of their superiors have ties to drug companies? Does the hospital receive funding from drug companies involved in the study? I strongly suspect there would be little or nothing left in the pile once you really screen for conflict on interest.

Plus, many doctors off the record (friends or trusted physicians) have told me there are indeed long term effects that need to be explored. One is obesity. The same drug that might have made it impossible to get the child to gain weight, ends up being the one that contributes toward a lifelong struggle to lose weight. Also, kids are abusing these drugs like crazy in college and selling them on their own little "black market." These drugs can change the brain and we don't know if it's often for the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because there are other options doctors refuse to try first.

I also refused to take medication for an issue I was having, did the research and changed my diet and my 2 year medical condition was resolved. I talked to the doctor about it and he said, "Most people are not that disciplined so I don't suggest it."

How about this ... suggest it, and let the patient decide.

Also, my son has a 3.3 GPA, he is happy, he is healthy, he is on 2 Varsity sports (as a Freshman) and volunteers with the Special Olympics. Why would I give him drugs?

Because think of how much better he would be if be weren't limited by his condition. If your son was missing a leg, would you let him crawl around without crutches and then ask why should you give him crutches?

If your son is missing a leg, why would you give him a drug that lets him pretend that his leg is just fine while ruining the rest of his health, instead of getting him the external supports that he needs to manage his condition?

?? I wouldn't do that. I'd give him a drug that makes his leg just fine as well as get the external supports he needs, which is exactly the same as what I do from my ADHD kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We put off going on meds after getting the diagnosis because I didn't think it necessary (yet) and I was concerned about the side effects, primarily on appetite and sleep. We finally went on meds when it was clear that she wasn't learning as much as she should be despite many, many accommodations. We haven't experienced any side effects and two days after starting meds she started to read for the first time.

For us, meds were a total win-win and I regret not doing it earlier.

You haven't experienced any side effects that you know about now. And for your child's sake, I hope that continues to be the case.

Why, yes. Also, we take car trips and haven't yet gotten into an accident and hope we don't in the future. We also go outside and haven't yet gotten hit by a bus and hope that we don't in the future.

In all aspects of parenting, I make the best decisions at the time with the information I have and re-evaluate as necessary. Meds are no different.

Yes, but the odds that you will get into an accident on any one car trip, or get hit by a bus while standing outside, are extremely small. You can't say the same about taking ADHD meds. Side effects are a known; what is not yet understood (and that is even scarier) is the degree that they impact.

[Anonymous]

." These drugs can change the brain and we don't know if it's often for the better.

+1 This is why my DS isn't on it. To put a 7-year-old on these strong meds--will their brain develop normally? Ask yourself that.

[Anonymous]

This is not a black and white issue and I deeply resent those parents who make blanket statements condemning parents who medicate (not "drug") their children. Every parent must do a cost-benefit analysis for her own child and make the best decision possible in the moment based on the wide array of conflicting information that is out there. My child is 12 and has been on meds since he was 8. Yes, I am aware of the potential future side effects (he has no noticeable side effects currently.) I weighed these potential unknown side effects against his current SUFFERING-- yes I use that word because that is the right word. My child was in pain -- deep emotional distress. He was drowning before my eyes. I could see where he would go without my intervention. He would continue to spiral downward. I read the data about kids with untreated ADHD, and the statistics regarding depression, drug abuse, car accidents and suicide. I weighed those potential outcomes alongside the the potential negative outcomes. I tried other things; nothing worked. I tried the meds. They worked. His weight and his sleep were not affected. His life became immeasurably better. So we continued to medicate AND provide all those other supports people like to yammer on about as if they are some kind of miracle cure (for most kids they are not -- they work well in complement to the meds.) All of this considered, this is the best course for him based on the information available to me right now.

All I can say is a big go fuck yourself to anyone who dares to suggest that my husband and I, as parents, are doing this to get his GPA from a 3.3. to a 3.9 or whatever. This is so insulting. I don't give a flying fuck about my kid's GPA. I care about his emotional health. I care that he can function day to day and feel like a normal human being who can live in society and carry on in a somewhat competent manner. I'm tired of people having an opinion about what my thoughts and motivations are as a parent; I'm tired of people assuming I am lazy or just want a quick fix. If you knew how many doctors appointments there have been, how many late nights researching, agonizing, discussing, how many conversations I've had with parents, teachers, and on and on and on it took before I made this very carefully considered decision. You people should be ashamed of yourself. Imagine your child coming home and rolling into a ball on the floor and weeping and weeping because he feels like a giant piece of crap because nothing in his life works or make sense, and think what you as a mother would do to lift that burden from your child if you could. I would literally cut off my right arm if it meant my child could function without medication. It will kill me if it turns out 20 years from now that he has some horrible condition caused by the medication. You don't think I live with that worry every day? But if you have a bucket of water and your house starts burning down right before your very eyes, you throw the water on the fire and worry about what you'll drink at some later time.

Rant over. Carry on.

[Anonymous]

why? the reason is really no difference from any other parental choices i make - i do what i'm comfortable with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not a black and white issue and I deeply resent those parents who make blanket statements condemning parents who medicate (not "drug") their children. Every parent must do a cost-benefit analysis for her own child and make the best decision possible in the moment based on the wide array of conflicting information that is out there. My child is 12 and has been on meds since he was 8. Yes, I am aware of the potential future side effects (he has no noticeable side effects currently.) I weighed these potential unknown side effects against his current SUFFERING-- yes I use that word because that is the right word. My child was in pain -- deep emotional distress. He was drowning before my eyes. I could see where he would go without my intervention. He would continue to spiral downward. I read the data about kids with untreated ADHD, and the statistics regarding depression, drug abuse, car accidents and suicide. I weighed those potential outcomes alongside the the potential negative outcomes. I tried other things; nothing worked. I tried the meds. They worked. His weight and his sleep were not affected. His life became immeasurably better. So we continued to medicate AND provide all those other supports people like to yammer on about as if they are some kind of miracle cure (for most kids they are not -- they work well in complement to the meds.) All of this considered, this is the best course for him based on the information available to me right now.

All I can say is a big go fuck yourself to anyone who dares to suggest that my husband and I, as parents, are doing this to get his GPA from a 3.3. to a 3.9 or whatever. This is so insulting. I don't give a flying fuck about my kid's GPA. I care about his emotional health. I care that he can function day to day and feel like a normal human being who can live in society and carry on in a somewhat competent manner. I'm tired of people having an opinion about what my thoughts and motivations are as a parent; I'm tired of people assuming I am lazy or just want a quick fix. If you knew how many doctors appointments there have been, how many late nights researching, agonizing, discussing, how many conversations I've had with parents, teachers, and on and on and on it took before I made this very carefully considered decision. You people should be ashamed of yourself. Imagine your child coming home and rolling into a ball on the floor and weeping and weeping because he feels like a giant piece of crap because nothing in his life works or make sense, and think what you as a mother would do to lift that burden from your child if you could. I would literally cut off my right arm if it meant my child could function without medication. It will kill me if it turns out 20 years from now that he has some horrible condition caused by the medication. You don't think I live with that worry every day? But if you have a bucket of water and your house starts burning down right before your very eyes, you throw the water on the fire and worry about what you'll drink at some later time.

Rant over. Carry on.

I don't understand the need to judge other people- I'm with you.

My son has poor coping and social skills, bit even worse, he's impulsive. I don't know how to work on the coping and social skills without first addressing his impulsivity. I can't seem to get him to think ahead, and it's actually getting worse on all fronts as he gets older. We're keeping the medication option open because his self esteem is beginning to take a big hit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not a black and white issue and I deeply resent those parents who make blanket statements condemning parents who medicate (not "drug") their children. Every parent must do a cost-benefit analysis for her own child and make the best decision possible in the moment based on the wide array of conflicting information that is out there. My child is 12 and has been on meds since he was 8. Yes, I am aware of the potential future side effects (he has no noticeable side effects currently.) I weighed these potential unknown side effects against his current SUFFERING-- yes I use that word because that is the right word. My child was in pain -- deep emotional distress. He was drowning before my eyes. I could see where he would go without my intervention. He would continue to spiral downward. I read the data about kids with untreated ADHD, and the statistics regarding depression, drug abuse, car accidents and suicide. I weighed those potential outcomes alongside the the potential negative outcomes. I tried other things; nothing worked. I tried the meds. They worked. His weight and his sleep were not affected. His life became immeasurably better. So we continued to medicate AND provide all those other supports people like to yammer on about as if they are some kind of miracle cure (for most kids they are not -- they work well in complement to the meds.) All of this considered, this is the best course for him based on the information available to me right now.

All I can say is a big go fuck yourself to anyone who dares to suggest that my husband and I, as parents, are doing this to get his GPA from a 3.3. to a 3.9 or whatever. This is so insulting. I don't give a flying fuck about my kid's GPA. I care about his emotional health. I care that he can function day to day and feel like a normal human being who can live in society and carry on in a somewhat competent manner. I'm tired of people having an opinion about what my thoughts and motivations are as a parent; I'm tired of people assuming I am lazy or just want a quick fix. If you knew how many doctors appointments there have been, how many late nights researching, agonizing, discussing, how many conversations I've had with parents, teachers, and on and on and on it took before I made this very carefully considered decision. You people should be ashamed of yourself. Imagine your child coming home and rolling into a ball on the floor and weeping and weeping because he feels like a giant piece of crap because nothing in his life works or make sense, and think what you as a mother would do to lift that burden from your child if you could. I would literally cut off my right arm if it meant my child could function without medication. It will kill me if it turns out 20 years from now that he has some horrible condition caused by the medication. You don't think I live with that worry every day? But if you have a bucket of water and your house starts burning down right before your very eyes, you throw the water on the fire and worry about what you'll drink at some later time.

Rant over. Carry on.

I wouldn't (cut off my right arm that is). My son needs medication, and that's that. If there is a horrible condition down the line, then we'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. I treat what I can see. I'm not going to worry about something that may, or may not, happen down the line. That's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not a black and white issue and I deeply resent those parents who make blanket statements condemning parents who medicate (not "drug") their children. Every parent must do a cost-benefit analysis for her own child and make the best decision possible in the moment based on the wide array of conflicting information that is out there. My child is 12 and has been on meds since he was 8. Yes, I am aware of the potential future side effects (he has no noticeable side effects currently.) I weighed these potential unknown side effects against his current SUFFERING-- yes I use that word because that is the right word. My child was in pain -- deep emotional distress. He was drowning before my eyes. I could see where he would go without my intervention. He would continue to spiral downward. I read the data about kids with untreated ADHD, and the statistics regarding depression, drug abuse, car accidents and suicide. I weighed those potential outcomes alongside the the potential negative outcomes. I tried other things; nothing worked. I tried the meds. They worked. His weight and his sleep were not affected. His life became immeasurably better. So we continued to medicate AND provide all those other supports people like to yammer on about as if they are some kind of miracle cure (for most kids they are not -- they work well in complement to the meds.) All of this considered, this is the best course for him based on the information available to me right now.

All I can say is a big go fuck yourself to anyone who dares to suggest that my husband and I, as parents, are doing this to get his GPA from a 3.3. to a 3.9 or whatever. This is so insulting. I don't give a flying fuck about my kid's GPA. I care about his emotional health. I care that he can function day to day and feel like a normal human being who can live in society and carry on in a somewhat competent manner. I'm tired of people having an opinion about what my thoughts and motivations are as a parent; I'm tired of people assuming I am lazy or just want a quick fix. If you knew how many doctors appointments there have been, how many late nights researching, agonizing, discussing, how many conversations I've had with parents, teachers, and on and on and on it took before I made this very carefully considered decision. You people should be ashamed of yourself. Imagine your child coming home and rolling into a ball on the floor and weeping and weeping because he feels like a giant piece of crap because nothing in his life works or make sense, and think what you as a mother would do to lift that burden from your child if you could. I would literally cut off my right arm if it meant my child could function without medication. It will kill me if it turns out 20 years from now that he has some horrible condition caused by the medication. You don't think I live with that worry every day? But if you have a bucket of water and your house starts burning down right before your very eyes, you throw the water on the fire and worry about what you'll drink at some later time.

Rant over. Carry on.

I'm not suggesting that's what you did. I'll admit that's what I did, though. Why not? Like the glasses poster, I'm not going stand by and doing nothing just because my kid happens to get a 3.3 with blurry vision. I'll correct his vision so that he can see everything as it truly is. If that brings his GPA up, I'm not surprised. In our case, it did more than just bring his GPA up -- he had more confidence, a better attitude socially, and a host of other things.