ADHD...What to expect when 1st giving the meds

[Vivig]

HI Everyone,

I have been reading previous posts and thay have all been so helpful.

I too have a ds (6 1/2) that has been diagnosed with ADHD. I was / kinda still am opposed to giving the meds. But, have done and still am doing thorough research.

I have gone through the guilt that it is a parenting issue, was it something I did while pregnant? Or is it because was a premie by 10 weeks with a level 1 bleed that stopped? Despite what many people think the doctor validated the fact that it is NOT a parenting issue.

We have been provided the prescription today, however it was mentioned to us that we should wait until the weekend to medicate our son. I am soooo anxious! (understatement). Are we going to help his future or are we going to hinder it? By providing medication are we harming him more than doing good? So many questions...

IF you would all be so kind enough to share your experiences both for younger children as well as older I would be very gr8ful!

A bit of history, the doctors did mention that he did need the medicine however he has experienced the worst year in first grade that anyone could possibly imagine thanks to his teacher. That alone is a story in itself.

Thanking you all in advance for your insight on this touchy topic.

A special request to those that do not advocate giving children medicine ..please note that I NEVER wanted to go this way..but as someone had posted a while ago if your child needs glasses and you do not provide them who are you harming more?

Thanks again,
Vivian

 

[disneygals]

Hi from another Vivienne

My dd11 is on Zoloft for panic attacks. She started in Nov, is still on a very low dosage. She has had NO bad reactions, only good. No panic attacks since Jan.

Believe me, I would never have thought that I would be doing this either, but I couldn't stand to see her suffer.

I know the medications are different...just wanted to give you some support.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I have nothing to add, but lots of hugs! This I am sure is a difficult time for you and I pray for strength as you deal with this challenge. We had to face this issue as well. But DS's eyesight was so bad that some of his behaviors were because of that. We have worked hard to correct his eyesight and he has done better. I struggled and did lots of research as well. Good for you for helping your son get the help he needs. Hang in there, all will work out in the end.

 

[TriciaT]

Hi Vivian,

I have to sons with ADHD. My 12 year old has been on meds since he was 5 and my 8 year old also since 5.

I agree with starting the meds on the weekend just in case. You may be lucky and hit the right med the first try or you may have to play around with meds or doseages until you find what will help your son.

The possible side effects are headache, stomachache and loss of appetite. Those side effects will diminish when his body adjusts.

For us, the meds caused an instant improvement in behaviour and self-control which was a huge issue for my boys.

Good luck. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Trish

 

[Vivig]

I wanted to thank you all for your support.

You don't know what it means to hear support that's why I always know I could trust my fellow DISer's to come through for me


By the way we are starting with Adderall as well as Dixter..can;t remember the spelling..my notes are in the kitchen...


Thank You Trish for your kind words...I may take you up on your offer to PM you over the weekend.

 

[DisneyObsessed]

Hi. I know how excited you are to try this, believe me. My son is finally on a med for his ADHD for the first time. He's 15. The psych was treating it for years with anti depressants. I wasn't happy with that. His pedi reassessed his ADHD and finally put him on Concerta about a month ago. It is the best thing that has ever happened in our lives!!!!!! He's happy and comfortable with himself for the first time in his life. He has called the pedi, his hero. It even stopped problems it has never been shown to do in the past. I truly hope it works as well for your son. And thank you for quoting me I do believe that it is the same thing as needing glasses. We have a strong family history of chemical imbalance, so I know he NEEDS this medication. I, myself, was put on Zoloft about a year ago. I'm 45, and that was the best thing I ever did for myself and my family. Ya gotta do, what ya gotta do Best of luck to you and your son, and keep us posted.
Dawn

 

[Pembo]

DS, now 8, started with Adderall XR. He couldn't go to sleep. He was awake until 5 am! I slept on the couch, he watched movies.

He is now on Focalin, no problems.

Good luck.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by Vivig
I too have a ds (6 1/2) that has been diagnosed with ADHD. I was / kinda still am opposed to giving the meds. But, have done and still am doing thorough research. ............A bit of history, the doctors did mention that he did need the medicine however he has experienced the worst year in first grade that anyone could possibly imagine thanks to his teacher. That alone is a story in itself.

Wow, I could have written your post(especially the two statements I've quoted) last year when DS was in 1st grade. Worst year ever, combo of things including his behavior and the teacher's handling of things, etc, etc.

Anyway, he's now on Concerta and it's made a huge, huge difference in his life(and the rest of the family's). We never really had a problem at home. At school the problem was fidgeting and focusing more than anything. Not hyperactivity or "bad" behavior. We did alot of research(2 years worth) and talked to lots of specialists(psychologists, psychiatrists, the pediatrician, etc) and decided to try medication. Boy are we ever glad we did. It's such a relief not to be stressed and worried about whether or not they'll be a note from the teacher every day...and he's a much happier child without the daily stress in his life.

I remember asking the pediatrician how long it would take to start changing his behavior and he said we'd know within 15 minutes of the first dose and he was right! Instant focus, goodbye fidgeting, lots more "stick-to-it-iveness"(I know that's not a word but I mean he wouldn't quick things in the middle anymore, he'd stick with them to the end).

The only side effects we've had have been trouble getting to sleep.....he'll go to bed and 9:30 and still be laying wide awake in bed at 11pm. That's eased up some now that he's adjusted but I must say DS never needed much sleep to start with so this was no biggie to us. The other side effect which is slightly more troublesome is he's not hungry AT ALL during the day. He'll eat breakfast, and barely touch his lunch at school but then he's hungry for dinner and snacks in the evening so I guess he gets enough in the end....lunch is just a wasted meal for him these days. We were prepared to endure much worse side effects for the wonderful results he's had but this has been it. Can't complain.

We chose not to tell the school/his teacher that we were doing this and still haven't told them.

We did have to adjust the meds up once. He was on 18mgs and is now on 27 mgs and this seems to be the perfect dose.

I'll see if I can find my old thread from when I was getting ready to start him on meds and bump it up for you.{edited to add: here's the link to my thread http://130.94.75.33/showthread.php?...age=15&highlight=\\ adhd \\ meds&pagenumber=1 }

Best wishes....let us know how he does!

By the way...what is Dixter...?

 

[donnajon]

My DS7 was diagnosed last year. He is a textbook case! Except he doesn't have problem behavior or difficulty socializing. I first noticed a problem last year in Kindergarten. In a January parent-teacher conference, his teacher said he isn't getting this and that but it's ok, he will. I didn't realize everybody else in the class WAS getting this and that. Then out of the blue, the teacher asks me in April if I had thought anymore about summer school. This was the first I had heard of this. Long story short, I bought Hooked on Phonics off of E-Bay and started helping him with his reading. That's when I really noticed it. He would literally climb up and down on the table every few seconds and just couldn't sit still. I always knew he was an active child but never attributed it to ADHD. I was prepared to tell the teacher he was not. But I did some research in the DSM IV (diagnostic criteria - I work in psychiatry but with adults) and DS definitely met the criteria. I scheduled an evaluation with my pediatrician and did the Connor scale with his summer school teacher and was given Adderall XR. I gave it to my DS and he showed immediate improvement! Very few fights with his sister, improved concentration and he wasn't so LOUD! I asked him how the medicine worked after his first day and he replied, "Good, I wish I could take it everyday." How's that for insight? Two things to note - After about six weeks, the medicine seemed to stop working. A friend who works in child psychiatry asked her psychiatrist about this and he said it is common to have to increase the dosage at about this time.
Also, you may want to consider getting a 504 for him in school. I think it is federal law - I know we have it here in SC - you have to make special accomodations for handicapped children. Now let me clarify - I have not at this point asked for anything special for DS in school - I want him to have to keep up with the regular class. And he hasn't needed any special accomodations in the first grade - but I am thinking of his future. He in so s-l-o-w in doing his school work and he cannot take timed test. His first grade teacher (who has been wonderfully supportive) tested him in Jan. and it showed he was reading on a kindergarten - 9th month level. We both knew DS reads better than this, but it was a timed test and he is slow. My sister - who is a Special Ed. teacher - tested him and said he was one month ahead of where he should be on reading, exactly on schedule in comprehension and halfway thru 2nd grade in math. A 504 makes the school have to give a child what they need in order to succeed. My sister recommended I go ahead an get the extende time added now because if I wait til the future when he needs it, the school may say it's an old diagnosos. She also said it would give him extra time when he takes the SATs. I know I rambled on but I hope this helps. I'm not shy about letting people know he has ADHD. Like I said, I work in psychiatry and I don't think it's that big of a deal.
One more thing. One major side effect (besides not eating much) is difficulty sleeping. This has always been an issue with him but so much worse on the medication. However, our doctor prescribed clonodine and it works like a charm. If I didn't give him a sleeping pill, he would literally be up til 1am or later and still get up at 7 for school. If you have any further questions, feel free to pm me.

Donna

 

[wdwnutze]

My DS is almost 20. He was diagnosed with ADHD at about 4 and put on Ritalin. We struggled with putting him on meds but he was so out of control we thought it was worth a try. Ritalin made a huge difference in his life at school and at home socializing with his friends. The teachers could tell right away if he forgot to take his meds. Sleep and appetite was never a problem with him. He has been off his meds(his choice) for a year now. He is now re-thinking this decision and will be considering going back on the meds. My DD is almost 12. She was diagnosed a year ago with ADD. She had none of the fidgety, behavior my son had. She was very disorganized and forgetful. Her grades were middle of the road because she was forgetting her homework etc. We started her on Adderall and saw a huge improvement. (no sleep or appetite problems). She only takes it on school days unlike my son who needed it everyday. She is now a straight A student. It was the best decision for her. Medicating a child is a personal decision and a very tough one at that. We had it compared to a diabetic needing insulin. We never let the ADHD/ADD become a crutch for our kids. It is something they (and we) have to learn to live with. It is a tough decision and one only you can make. There are such strong views for and against medicating kids. Don't let yourself be talked into or out of something you're not comfortable with. Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions or just need to vent.

 

[cruisnfamily]

After about six weeks, the medicine seemed to stop working. A friend who works in child psychiatry asked her psychiatrist about this and he said it is common to have to increase the dosage at about this time.

This is what happened with my DS! I didn't know it was common or normal. We did bump up his dosage slightly and it seems perfect now.

 

[Vivig]

Thank You all,

I am overwhelmed and so touched with all the stories you are sharing with me...however so VERY greatful that you all are sharing this information. It is putting a lot of things into perspective and assuring me with the decision we have made for our son.

I finally have the correct information:

Dexedrine 5mg and Dexedrine Spensules 10 mg...sorry I thought it was Adderrall.

Please continue to share the information...I will provide an update on how it goes this weekend

Thanks again and have a gr8 day
Vivian

 

[JESW]

No experience with ADHD, but our DS9 has something that we are trying to figure out...Aspergers? Bi-polar? Still no diagnose. We have been through the testing through school , he has an ISP, and now he sees the psychologist once a week - plus other things in school with the counselor and some o.t. Psychologist is giving a referal to a pediatric psychiatrist and wants us to look into medication - it scares the hell out of me!! But as others have said before, if he was diabetic or somethng else you wouldn't hesitate to give him the medicine he needs. Our son has mood swings and does not feel good about himself at times and it makes me very, very sad. Hugs to you and to all of us who try to do the best for our children.

Jill

P.S. Always feel free to post as there are a lot of us going through similiar things....the support I have found here has been incredible!!! No judgements.

 

[Christine]

Originally posted by Vivig
Thank You all,

I am overwhelmed and so touched with all the stories you are sharing with me...however so VERY greatful that you all are sharing this information. It is putting a lot of things into perspective and assuring me with the decision we have made for our son.

I finally have the correct information:

Dexedrine 5mg and Dexedrine Spensules 10 mg...sorry I thought it was Adderrall.

Please continue to share the information...I will provide an update on how it goes this weekend

Thanks again and have a gr8 day
Vivian

Viv--
I believe the drugs above may be generics for Adderall or, if not, very similar to the Adderall class. They are all stimulants, including Ritalin, but just different. The Adderall class of stimulants seems to stay in the body longer than Ritalin. My kids had more lack of appetite problems with the Adderall but it did last longer through the day.

 

[ripleysmom]

Just wanted to pipe in with what everyone else said. One other thing, if you don't feel the medication is working don't be afraid to tell the doctor about it.

Wait until you see what a big difference medication will make.

Also wanted to add that you should not listen to the people who may make comments about medicating your child. Generally they are the people who do not have children with ADHD.

 

[missyc]

Have any of you had your children tested through their school? My DS has been struggling through every year. He is now in 5th grade. He was tested in 3rd grade, but I didn't really get much out of it. Every teacher since 1st grade has suggested the possibility of ADD, and some have said maybe dyslexia, or other learning dissability. I do remember them saying his IQ was on the low side of average, 85 I think. The lady that tested him and 2 of his teachers all said no way that's accurate. Seems too low. His 2nd and 3rd grade teachers both assigned a "buddy" to help keep him on task. Reminded him to take home evrything needed, etc. This was a huge help. Teacher this year is a B - - - -
DS was comming home from school telling me that the teacher is on his back all the time and that she says he is out of control (behavior). In 10 1/2 years no one has ever had a problem with his behavior. He is the best kid! I questioned the teacher and she reluctantly said that he's not as bad as most of the kids (talking, etc), but since he's not doing so good academically that he shouldn't be so "silly". Said that if his grades were up she wouldn't even notice.
I'm starting to ramble...sorry!
Anyways, this wonderful teacher asked if we had ever thought of having him tested. I said he already was. She opened her file that was on her lap and saw the report from the testing. She had never even looked at it! DUH....And she claims to be so concerned about him?
I have an appointment for outside testing as the school won't do it again.
Just wondering if people are generally satisfied with testing through school, or is it better from someplace else?

Any parents of kids with Dyslexia out there....I have a question about that too.

 

[Mishetta]

My DS8 is also ADHD & he was absolutely impossible. Had no friends (since he was so agressive & could not control his impulses), did awful at school, not only academically but also socially. Anyway, after 1 full year of just trying behavior modification (which did not work), we gave in & agreed to the meds. What a difference!! Not only is he about the most popular boy in school & in the neighborhood now but he gets all A's & B's on his report card (& he barely studies!)

The draw back was that we did have to try a few different meds before we got the right combo for him (which is 36mg of Concerta & 0.5mg of Clonidine). He had different ticks with different meds but this combo seems to be just fine. He also lost 12 lbs the first year he was on the meds (which is scary for a child). He still doesn't have much appetite but his weight loss has stopped.

At first we only gave him the meds during the week but a few months later, we gave him the pills on a daily bases because we could tell that he was a little disoriented when we would "stop & go" the meds.

Just keep a close watch on your child & if you see anything that looks weird, call you doctor for some reassurance.

 

[Sleepy]

My son has always had ADHD. I don't know of many kids who NEVER took naps as a baby and toddler. He would wake up at 6am and not go to sleep until after midnight. He was a bundle of energy that could not calm down and his mouth ran just as fast. Finding a daycare to understand this is just how he is......impossible. He was even classified as a troublemaker because he could not stay still on the cot during naptime. I knew the nightmare would begin when kindergarten started. I warned the teacher ahead of time.....before the school year even began. Keep him close to your desk away from the other kids. She learned the hard way . During circle time (reading, etc) she had to place him next to her and touch his face and constantly call his name to get his attention. Yep, he was always more worried about what the other kids were doing with their hair, etc. I hate to admit it, but the teachers misery was my relief. I had spent years explaining to the docs (military where you never saw same doc) that something was wrong with my son and they just kept saying he was going through a stage. Right...and how many years does this STAGE last????? The teacher had all she could take and talked to the guidance counselor. YES! Someone who can help me. We got document from the school and I took it to a doc and got referral to psych doc. She started him on a VERY low dose of Adderall. With each visit, we increased the dosage very slightly until we found a good dose. IF your kid is a zombie, then they have too much. My son was ...welll.......normal. For the first time in his life, he could sit quietly and not notice EVERY little thing that was going on around him during class instruction. He still notices class outbursts, but a girl twirling her hair does not distract him....lol. He is now 12 and we recently switched to the 24 hour Adderall. He does very well on it and has never had a side effect from it. Some people can give their kid a drug *holiday*. I cannot. If he goes one day without his meds, he reverts back to the way he was without the meds.....motormouth saying eveything that pops in his head and running around the house at 100mph Give him his meds and within 30 minutes he is better. Coming from the mouth of a 12 year old....if you ask him how he feels WITHOUT his meds he says his brain feels screwy . Like everything wants to come out at once and he can't control it. He will even tell me he needs his meds if I forget. Taking a test on days I forget the meds........he sat and stared during the whole class period....even the teacher noticed there was something wrong. As far as sleep.....well, that has not changed. Even on meds, he is awake till after midnight and if you left him alone and did not constantly holler at him to be still and go to sleep, he would be awake at 5am. Yes, hubby once got up for work and our son greeted him with a *good morning Dad*. Dad asked him why he woke up so early and he said *never went to sleep yet*. I don't know how he functions with so little sleep. We tried to give him a med to help him sleep when he was first put on Adderall, but it gave him night terrors. His height/weight has always been an issue (genetics) and that has kept him from being able to be prescribed a sleeping med. I am sure he would qualify now, but I feel he is drugged enough so if he is functioning ok with what sleep he gets, I will not give him anything else. Oh yeah, and with my son.....if he is extremely exited, such as being around someone he has not seen in a long time or at a place like Disney World, the meds do NOT work! Lots of neon signs make him crazy too...too much stimulation.....lol. Good luck with your kids. I know it is difficult to place a child on meds, but in my case,it was either do it or have my kid fail miserably in every aspect of childhood....both socially and educationally.

 

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by ripleysmom
Also wanted to add that you should not listen to the people who may make comments about medicating your child. Generally they are the people who do not have children with ADHD.

I also want to add that until my son was old enough to tell me how being withOUT meds made him feel, I did not have a full understanding of how necessary this medication was. Comments from others who are against the meds and say there is no such thing as ADHD....that the kids are just brats that need discipline..... are like men who will tell a woman there is no such thing as PMS or cramping.

 

[missyc]

Originally posted by Sleepy
Comments from others who are against the meds and say there is no such thing as ADHD....that the kids are just brats that need discipline..... are like men who will tell a woman there is no such thing as PMS or cramping.

I think that would be my DH. He just doesn't get it. That our DS just can't do better is too much for him to accept I guess. Whether it's due to ADD or not, we've yet to determine! Either way DS does try. He never misses homework, and does all his work in school. Slower, but he does it. I swear the more he studies for spelling tests the worse he does.
We disagree so much sometimes. I think sports and playing are important to a kid. DH thinks that he should do NOTHING but sit at the table or in his room studying until he gets it. Even if that means only stopping for a quick dinner, then back at it 'til bed. Even on weekends. Sorry, but if he doesn't understand a math problem, then staring at the problem isn't going to change anything! It just makes him frustrated and he's starting to say how stupid he is.