Ritalin advice?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a child with ADHD? Thoughts on Ritalin? I have a 9 year-old boy who was professionally evaluated by learning speclialists in Rockville, after the private school he attends recommended the test. To make a very long story short, our pediatrician recommends a 10mg dose of ritalin after breakfast each morning, which he says will help. He recommends taking it on school days, not holidays or summer...

I thought I was anti-medication and have done loads of research...every book or article seems to have a different opinion. The more I read, the more confused I get. Teacher has to ask him to do something on average 7 times before he does it. He gets pulled for a learning center twice a week; they use study carrels and position him very close to teacher to help. He was placed with a very hands-on, experiential teacher who knows he leanrs best with visual aids, etc...we have tried cutting back on sugar and taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements, which donl;t seem to make a difference.

At home, I have to sit with him whole time on homework, even so, need to redirect. If I get up and go somewhere, he loses focus and either gets up from table or runs off to do something else. He gets very emotional and cries a lot when somerthing doesn;t go his way. He has two siblings, so it's not an only-child issue and the other kids don;t have similar behavior at all.

He is an amazing kid, loves sports, video games, etc but is starting to feel like he isn;t smart, has lost self-esteem related to school etc.

Can I get some advice? And PLEASE (for the love of god), don;t reply if you are going to say something cruel, hateful, nasty or evil. I truly am seeking advice, NOT a bunch of hateful replies. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

We medicate our child for ADHD. It was a tough decision, but significant behavioral issues, that did not respond to psychotherapy, behavioral interventions or diet changes, really left us with no choice. We did not see immediate results, and it took awhile to get to a point where we could say things were better. We think the medication has made our child more available for the other things we are trying, like therapy etc. but did not do it alone.
One thing that has worked well for our child is to break homework into small parts and do a little here and there throughout the afternoon and evening. We have other children, who also do not have the same behavior issues, so this was hard to manage at first but now we have it down to a system. The smaller parts allowed our child to feel successful in finishing something and let us reinforce that good behavior often. We have slowly been able to increase the amount completed in each sit-down. It takes time, patience and commitment whether you medicate or not.
It sounds like you are working well with the school, which is a good thing. Good Luck

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with the PP and I totally udnerstand what you're going through. Our 6 year old was diagnosed just a year ago and we initially did not medicate. Our DS's primary challenges are with distractibility and executive functioning. We joined CHADD (www.chadd.org), immersed ourselves in research, went to conferences and workshops, participate in ADHD research at NIMH and came to the conclusion that the benefits of the right medication and the right dose far outweigh the risks. The difference in his ability to learn has been so rewarding. But, keep in mind that finding the right medication and the correct dosage is basically trial and error.

You might think about posting this question on the Special Needs forum. This has come up before on that thread.

One last thing, DH was diagnosed with ADHD a few months after DS. He also takes medication and his ability to process information and multitask has really increased.

[Anonymous]

Have you considered having him take meds and also receive psychotherapy/play therapy/etc? For many children (not all) the combination of the two can be very effective because it addresses the brain chemical issues as well as teaching how to live with ADHD and gain some sort of mastery over its challenges.

[Anonymous]

My dd has been on medication for several years. It has helped tremendously. Word of caution - there are several medications out there and she tried 3 before settling on Concerta. Ritalin tends to be shorter acting. She had weird side effects (crying, etc) from Adderall. So monitor it carefully and don't be afraid to try something else. Initially we only used it on school days but as she's gotten older she has ended up taking it every day - in part because she has homework to do on weekends. And now she drives so the medication is absolutely critical.

[Anonymous]

Just want to second the idea that you may need to try different medications (various forms of ritalin and other stimulants). I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult and put on 20mg of Ritalin three times a day. It made a huge difference for me, but it also created a roller coaster ride during the day-- ramping up with a new dose, then a crash as the dose wore off. I tried Adderall extended release and that was better. There is a relatively new version called Vyvanse, which I've been on for two years now, and it's great. It's a very smooth, even effect that lasts all day. (The Adderall would wear off around 4 pm, so I'd lose a couple of hours of much needed productivity every day. The Vyvanse gives me those extra hours.)

I don't know anything about how Ritalin is dosed for children, but one dose in the morning seems strange to me, unless it's an extended release version.

The medication has changed my life, for the better. I've also been in talk therapy/coaching all during this time-- also helpful-- but the medication has been an essential part of a successful strategy.

[Anonymous]

That is a very reasonable low starting dose of Ritalin. It will only last about 4 to 5 hours, so you won't notice anything by the time he comes home from school and you'll still have to sit with him for homework. He and his teachers will notice quite a bit of improvement in his ability to stay on task and actually acquire information, because he will be able to pay attention (until the med wears off). If you see an improvement with the starting dose, you'll probably be given something to last longer into the time after school, like a slow release form of Ritalin/methylphenidate. Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

One thing to remember if the medication helps your dc is to make sure to use it for all school like activities in the summer. I taught a 1 week creative summer learning program for gifted and talented 4th grade students last year. It turned out that 4 of the 15 students had ADHD. All four were not on their medication during the summer. This was very hard on both the students and the teachers. Guest teachers frequently commented on these four students and couldn't understand why they had been chosen for the program since they weren't able to focus on the projects, games, instructions, etc. for even a short amount of time. It was really sad because these children would have gotten a lot more out of the program if they had been taking the medications that they took during the regular school year.

[Anonymous]

I think all of us are reluctant to use meds but what convinced me was solid research showing that kids with ADHD that is not treated have elevated rates of drug and alcohol abuse.

The ritalin family didn't work for my two kids but other drugs have, and have really worked miracles. What many parents will say is that once they see the results they wonder why they hesitated. And the kids feel so much better about themselves. Just prepare yourself for the hit and miss sand finding the right meds.

[Anonymous]

My Child has ADHD as well being gifted and talented. When the school year stared he was totally stressed about being GT. We have not made a big deal about it. But at less for now he is on th right meds. He has to be told to do his homework but he sits down, getting it done in record time. Last year he was a lot like your child OP You also have to watch your child for side effects. Mine had a very bad reaction to one. Likee PP said it is hit and miss.

[Anonymous]

OP, you say you have reduced sugar in your child's diet and increased Omega - 3s. It is just a suggestion, but you might wish to try eliminating any arificial flavorings, dyes and preservatives on a trial basis. (The preservatives aren't always listed on the labels of foods, if they are added to packaging). We noticed significant reduction of our child's distratibility, and frequent weepiness, and increased ability to focus on tasks, when we eliminated these things. It is definitely worth a try, and you can do this in conjunction with medication if you like.

[Anonymous]

I'll let my medicated ADD son speak through me. He started taking meds (first Adderall, then Ritalin, now Daytrana - a Ritalin patch) in second grade. In fourth grade he told me, "There is a lot that happens in school that is important but it isn't exciting. Even though I know it's important I can't make myself pay attention to it. But with Ritalin I can pay attention".

[Anonymous]

I have two kids with ADHD and would never take a summer "vacation" off meds. An inability to pay attention at summer camp could have a profound effect on their ability to participate, to socialize, and for their self-esteem. I think water sports are very important for kids, but much more risky if unmedicated and unable to pay attention. Not clear what benefit they would get from such a "vacation."

[Anonymous]

I'll just echo everyone's posts re: "We didn't want to medicate, either . . . but we did" -- and wow, what a difference! We also combined the medication with close to a year of weekly therapy sessions through JSSA (and no, you do not need to be Jewish to receive services) which really helped a great deal. Take your time trying out different medications, different dosages, different forms, etc. And the best advice I ever received was "listen to your child" -- they'll tell you a great deal.

[Anonymous]

One thought not intended to contradict any of the above, and without science/studies to back it up. We do notice that our son is just a different person after he plays computer games. He is louder, has a harder time concentrating, etc. We think maybe the visual stimulus revs him up in a different way. Now, no computer games during the week, or after dinner - which he hates - but he sleeps better. To me, there are lots of reasons to go easy on computer games, but our biggest justification is behavioral.