Off to college with ADHD meds

[ruadisneyfan2]

How did your kids handle this? I would think since these meds are sometimes abused or sold on the street he should keep them locked somewhere safe in his dorm room.
Then again, if they're too hard to get to, he will likely forget to take it. (Out of sight, out of mind.)
I'm sure he'll only forget so many times until he develops a new routine but it really affects his grades so I'd hate to see him go without them at any point.
What worked for your kids? Any tips?

 

[emily94]

When I went to college 2 years ago, I got a Go Vault (link here) and put my meds and other valuables such as my keys for home, credit cards, extra cash, etc. I also used it to store prescription pills I was taking at the time. I used one of those weekly pill cases from Walgreens, CVS, etc. and would fill it every Sunday and keep that in a place I would see. (Though the pills I was on, people didn't sell or want so I wasn't worried about a roommate or anything taking them...) My mom would still call and remind me to redo it every week, but that was helpful at first

Hope this helps!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks! It does help.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Remind him not to advertise that he is on the meds. His roommate probably won't even ask what they are for.

Also, have him set a reminder on his phone every day to take his meds. That way he can keep the meds out of sight, but still remember to take them.

 

[DisneyFan13US]

When I was in college I kept my meds in a little waterproof key chain I had found at REI. I think it was supposed to be for matches or something but it fit pills just fine. That way I would always have some in case I forgot to take them. It also let me keep my pill bottle at the bottom of a drawer and take the meds when no one was around. Just a thought.

I'm not sure if this is the exact one I have but this is what I found from google if it helps. http://www.dhgate.com/store/product/5-pieces-lot-keychain-pill-box-waterproof/156494005.html

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thank you everyone!

 

[scrappinmom]

Hi there - We learned the hard way about meds. My dd is now 21 and a junior in college. When she was a sophomore she lived in her sorority house - like most sophomore girls on campus. I guess we didn't really think about it. She had lived with a friend freshman year so she just kept her meds in her desk drawer. That second year, she had them stolen. It only took once before we got a lock box for them, but that once was almost a full bottle. Still don't know who did it. I guess she later learned that college kids steal adhd meds to stay up while cramming or doing homework. So yes, definitely a lock box of some kind & you're right it will take maybe one round of tests for him to realize "hey there's a reason my mom told me to remember to take these" - Good luck to your son & to you too momma!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Hi there - We learned the hard way about meds. My dd is now 21 and a junior in college. When she was a sophomore she lived in her sorority house - like most sophomore girls on campus. I guess we didn't really think about it. She had lived with a friend freshman year so she just kept her meds in her desk drawer. That second year, she had them stolen. It only took once before we got a lock box for them, but that once was almost a full bottle. Still don't know who did it. I guess she later learned that college kids steal adhd meds to stay up while cramming or doing homework. So yes, definitely a lock box of some kind & you're right it will take maybe one round of tests for him to realize "hey there's a reason my mom told me to remember to take these" - Good luck to your son & to you too momma!

That's a shame. Someone is always looking to take advantage of someone's trust.
He did learn over the years how much he needs the medicine from the few days he forgot to take it. Like in Chemistry last year and it all looked Greek to him. The next day with meds he was whipping it right out. What a difference.
I don't recall where I ever heard about kids selling their ADHD meds on the street, maybe coworkers talking, but however I found out I worry that keeping them so locked up will make it harder to remember to take them. Or if he's running late for class and has to unlock a safe to get them out just makes it take longer and he might just skip it to get there on time.

I have to admit I probably spoil him a bit by putting a glass of water on his desk and putting his meds out. I don't want him to miss his bus over it. If he does, he has to call my dad to come over & drive him since I'm already at work. Yes, he has a driver's license but cars & ins aren't cheap for teens and his school bus stops literally across the street from our front door. Kind of silly to buy him a car to drive to school with the ridonculous taxes we pay that provides a bus. We told him we'd buy him a car if he got a job and he did apply to many places but no hire.

His college has minimal parking for freshmen and still I feel it's silly to spend all that $ on car ins, repairs, etc for his car to sit here while he's away at school. His school is an hour drive and I'll gladly go get him if he wants to come home on the weekend. My car is almost 9 yrs old but only has 42k miles so I don't mind adding more and/or loaning him my car when he wants to go somewhere.

Anyway, I'm off on a tangent again.

Thanks!

 

[kadrachb]

How did your kids handle this? I would think since these meds are sometimes abused or sold on the street he should keep them locked somewhere safe in his dorm room.
Then again, if they're too hard to get to, he will likely forget to take it. (Out of sight, out of mind.)
I'm sure he'll only forget so many times until he develops a new routine but it really affects his grades so I'd hate to see him go without them at any point.
What worked for your kids? Any tips?

I'm currently in college, a junior who takes concerta for ADD. Even though now I'm living with two friends in an apartment (one of them I've known since 5th grade) I've never had a problem with people trying to steal the concerta. If he takes a medication that isn't widely known for ADD or ADHD, I think he'll be fine. If he takes something that is widely known for people to abuse to stay up and cram, definitely lock it up. My first year I lived in a dorm where there was just one door to our room, my second year I lived in a suite where I could lock up my own room, and then there was a scanning lock for my ID on the door to our common area, so no one could get into my room unless I was there.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

He takes Adderall. Is that well-known?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

He takes Adderall. Is that well-known?

Absolutely!

You are fooling yourself if you don't think college kids know the name of all the stimulant drugs, including Concerta. If they don't, it takes 2 seconds to look it up on the Internet.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Just because I don't know which drugs are well known or popular amongst college kids doesn't mean I'm fooling myself.
In my OP I stated that I felt he should keep them locked up. This is why I posted to see how others handled this.

 

[emily94]

I am a current college student as well (as I said in my original post) and Adderall is very well known and I have seen kids who have a prescription for it, sell it for extra cash... Obviously I don't know your son, but it maybe be a good topic to discuss before he leaves!

 

[bookgirl]

Just because I don't know which drugs are well known or popular amongst college kids doesn't mean I'm fooling myself.
In my OP I stated that I felt he should keep them locked up. This is why I posted to see how others handled this.

I think the poster was talking to someone else who mentioned that students wouldn't know what the meds were if they weren't the popular ones, not to the OP.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Just because I don't know which drugs are well known or popular amongst college kids doesn't mean I'm fooling myself.
In my OP I stated that I felt he should keep them locked up. This is why I posted to see how others handled this.

You are too sensitive; this comment was not directed towards you. Just a general statement that college students who don't know what Concerta is can easily find out.

 

[bookgirl]

You are too sensitive; this comment was not directed towards you. Just a general statement that college students who don't know what Concerta is can easily find out.

You quoted her in your post. It could easily seem that you were talking to her, so I don't think she was being overly sensitive.