Why so many kids on meds???

[3jsmommy]

The reason I am asking this is because I really find it disturbing that I have read so many comments written by parents on these boards reffering to medication for ADD. I know (as I put on my flamesuit) that there are many special needs kids out there who need certain meds to make life liveable for them, this is not meant for your ears at all! I just can't help but think that the number of kids diagnosed w/ ADD & put on medication these days can be good for them. I know that my three boys are very energetic, often have trouble listening & need to run around outside everyday (similar to a labradour retriever ) or they will drive me & each other crazy. I think having 4 brothers has kind of desensitized me to there energy, but I often think is it the kids w/ the problem or the parents? Giving my child a stimulant everyday that makes them lose their appetite, become quiet or change in anyway would scare me. The side effects of any psychtrophic medication can be very complicated & the drug companies pushing these meds do not even know them all. It seems like a lot of parents just have that mindset that giving your kid meds is good for them, so this makes you a good responsible parent . I just hope this trend turns around a little & parents, schools & Dr.s put this into perspective..just say no...to all drugs!

 

[PrincessMom4]

I have a child with ODD and I am completely against meds, BUT my daughter has ODD and it makes life a nightmare is she was not medicated. I have done a lot of research and spent a lot time reading about behavioural "conditions". Medication is a "tempary solution which requires long term help (ie behaviour modification, etc). The meds are supposed to calm/balance (whatever you want to call it) the child so that as parents and teachers, we can teach him/her the techniques to cope with everyday lilfe. My child has the adhd and we have almost all of the behvaiour under control. She still has a bit of aggression that needs to be better focused.

Isabell

 

[mm_ja]

I have quite a lengthy reply in mind, unfortunatly I dont have time right now to get it typed. I will try to do that later. I think one answer to this question may lie in the way schools handle these energetic children. I know a lot of educators read these boards, please hold off judgement of my last statement until I can expand on it further. I would actually like an unbiased teachers opinion on my thoughts.

 

[DisneyRockStarMommy]

This is not ADD or OCD but my friend has a kid age 12 friends with my DD, very close to their family..the child has severe anxiety...I mean SEVERVE..she also has an inhaler, allergy medicine and is allergic to a few things. But if they need the medicine I thing it is a dumb question to consider not giving it to them...

 

[futreWDI]

To the OP, I am a 21 yo female that takes medication for ADHD and GAD. I think you are completely right when it comes to over-diagnosis. From what I have learned going both to a psychologist and psychiatrist, there are two ways for someoen to be diagnosed with ADHD. I was diagnosed as an adult. If you take a child to a psychologist, they actually perform about 5 hours of IQ testing, WAIS, etc. If you take them to a psychiatrist, they ask you questions and give the parents a check list. Questions like, "Does your child have trouble sitting still?" I think it is quite easy for someone to BS a checklist like that and I am not saying that parents do. That statement is more for the college kids that BS it just to get Adderall to study better. I know lots of these guys. Also, a family doctor can prescribe these meds and when a parent comes in complaining and super stressed out, I think more doctors are writing these prescriptions. That being said, medication isn't the only answer. None of these kids will live better lives just with medication. As an adult, it is much harder for me to train my brain to live w/o it but I still need counseling and need to make some serious changes in my life. I think more parents need to realize medication won't cure it and they need to see ADD counselers and such.

I do believe that ADD isn't a "do you have it or not" kind of question. I believe that everyone is a little bit ADD, but that everyone has different levels of it. One person may only have it 5% but grew up with it and is used to it so they don't realize while another person has it 50% and may need some help. Since I think this, I also believe that giving 20mg of medication to someone with 10% ADD and 50% ADD will have different effects and that medication needs to be looked at more closely.

I am an advocate of the testing a psychologist does and I almost believe that this should be the only way someone can be diagnosed. It does give you your results in a percentile to let you know how bad you have it.

 

[3jsmommy]

It really is a problem w/ pediatricians & general practitioners writing prescriptions instead of referrals. This problem is really common w/ antidepressants which can also effect everyone differently & can be very dangerous even deadly. (also very trendy right now) I think big Pharma is to blame, if the FDA approved cocaine for tired kids, Drug companies would have their very attractive reps standing in Dr's waiting rooms all over the country w/ shiny little brochures & trays of fruit to woo these Dr's into giving you a script for little purple pills filled w/ well marketed cocaine for your children..as crazy as that sounds it is not far off!! These companies make BILLIONS of dollars every year this way!! Thanks FutureWDI for your perspective you seem much more educated than most on the topic

 

[mm_ja]

I started typing and my post got real long real quick and had the potential to go very much off topic. So I started over, with the intent of just adding my two cents. My son is on ADHD medication. It was not a decision we made lightly. I am still not convinced he has ADHD, and even our child psychiatrist would not say he has ADHD. My son does have a lot of energy just like a lot of boys his age. His real problem is he makes bad decisions. In talking to him my real concern is that he has something going on in his head that we just cant figure out yet. His choices are in my opinion immature for his age (8) and he gets into trouble for the same things over and over. When asked why he did this when he knows it is against the rules, he says he forgot until it was too late. An example on day one he gets into trouble and we get a note sent home that he was pushing another child to get in front of the other child in line. On day two, in the morning he gets into trouble for pushing in line again, and is told if he puts his hands on another child again he will be sent to the office. Two hours later playing some version of tag on the playground, one child grabs another by the shirt and the one who was grabbed yells for help, my son grabs the arm of the child holding the shirt, trying to “help” the first child. The child who had his arm grabbed tells the teacher about my son grabbing his arm and my DS ends up in the office. When I ask him why he grabbed the other child after what he had been told just two hours before, he replied he forgot until the other child went to tell the teacher. Back to the topic, we agonized over the decision to place my child on medicine, and to this day every morning hen we give him his medicine I wonder if we are doing the right thing and it makes me sick. Anyway this impulsiveness and bad decisions led to him being singled out at school and he started to earn a reputation among his classmates. His self esteem was becoming a problem. He would come off the school bus every day with his head hanging because of what had happened at school. My DW and I were exhausted emotionally from having talks with and when necessary punishing him, because it was a daily thing. We had to do something to make a change. His medicine is not a cure all he still has his bad days and makes bad decisions. His medicine does slow him down a bit and allows him to think through his actions a bit more. We still have to have a lot of talks with him and work hard with his teachers. In my opinion there is a percentage of the population that need this medicine, and there is a much larger percentage that is placed on medication because parents feel that a situation exists and something has to be done. I think in those cases a much closer look should be taken at the surrounding environment and what is placing pressure on these parents to feel like medication is necessary. As I stated in my childs case the punishment and social effects it was having on him was what led us down that path. As I stated earlier, I know a lot of educators read these board, please do not take my statements as a blanket response. I know there are good teachers and bad teachers out there that handle situations differently. I also understand that kids have a varying level of behaviors that can complicate life in a classroom. I am just stating that in our situation I think a little more understanding, patience, and communication could make a world of difference. My post ended up long anyway, sorry.

 

[lnh'smom]

I do agree that way too many kids are being medicated without a real need. However, there are some people that do have a need. As a pp mentioned, my ds has had all the "testing" including the boring "video game" which tests the severity of his ADHD. (He also has ODD). My ds sees a psychiatrist for his meds also sees a therapist for behavior modification to help with his impulsiveness and aggression. But he has to have his medication right now to go along with the behavior treatment. Yes, some meds have bad side effects. Sometimes you have to try more than 1 medication to get the desired therapeutic effects with the least amount of side effects. Being on his medication has helped my ds control his behavior which has in turn helped his self esteem because he is no longer getting in trouble all the time. Sometimes we can't all "just say no to drugs!"

 

[Whosemom]

..just say no...to all drugs!

Granted, my child's case is different. Her medications are not for ADD. But this message is driving me nuts. She cries at least once a week because she has to take medicine, and is sure she is the only kid in the world who does, and says she doesn't want to take drugs. It breaks my heart. How many zillion discussions have we had about the difference between recreational drugs and medicine?

FWIW Her thyroid does pretty much nothing on its own, which mimiced depression. The process of getting the right levels on a growing child lead to some changed behavior as well.

Additionally, I used to teach behaviorally handicapped teens. One of my dudes was 6ft+ with a itty bitty mom. He would decide ADD medicine was over rated too. Mom would call in tears to warn me he didn't take his meds. WOW. ADD was his only diagnosis, which is not supposed to qualify for special ed, but without his MEDICINE, he would cuss the principal up one side and down the other. Said brain-trust principal would threaten the mom about sending him without meds. Then she'd call me in tears because, really, what could she do?

Anyway, just a rant about the popular rant.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

just say no...to all drugs!

I don't know why someone who is not faced with this situation is judging people who are. . . My 8 year old son is on medication for ADD. It is not a decision we made lightly. I don't give him the medicine in the summer or even on the weekends during the school year. Strictly school days only. It is NOT given to him to make him behave better, it is given to him solely to help him focus. We tried tutoring and "special" classes for extra help. While they helped a little, it just wasn't enough. His teacher said it's not that he can't do the work, it's that he just can't stay focused. After evaluation from teachers and doctors we reluctantly decided to try the meds. Total transformation. The teacher said he now looks at her with eye contact when she's teaching. He now knows what he is supposed to be doing and does it. There's no more staring off into space and fidgeting with anything he can find on his desk. He is totally caught up on his math and went from reading 21 words per minute to 91 words per minute in a matter of a few months.

Would you suggest that we just let him fall behind in school when there is a medicine that helps him stay focused and have a better life?

 

[famofsix]

It is because people are more open to talking about medications and such in this era. Also, in this era there are more treatments available and doctors know more medically....

Funny how people are judgmental about medical needs for ADHD but are understanding of medication for other medical needs.

"just say no to drugs" is not helpful. There is a big difference between OP's boys who have a lot of energy and the boys or girls with a lot of energy that have an attention deficit. Then there are the kids who don't have the "H" and jsut have an attention deficit. I feel sorry for those parents who read "just say no to drugs" when they have a child that looks "normal" who needs medicine to help them.

I have no idea if there is an over-diagnosis but I have yet to met a parent who simply filled the prescription for ADD/ADHD without trying all other options.

Also the diagnosis is a lengthy process...it is not like getting a prescription for an ear infection.

 

[3jsmommy]

I am not judging anyone who gives there children medicine.. I do think that children are over diagnosed & it is more of a problem of schools & society putting pressure on parents to make sure all kids fit their "mold". Two of my brothers have been diagnosed w/ ADD & they both had an IP at their High School,they were not medicated because my parents were educated about the side effects & decided it was not worth the risk. Yes medicine today can work wonders & save lives, it can also be very dangerous, there has been links to Ritalin use & drug use & I personally knew a boy who was on ADHD drugs who was in rehab last I heard. I honestly had a real concern for these kids after a recent post I read that said "my DS5 wasn't hungry again due to his ADD meds.." That was after reading many comments similar, judging just from this response in such a short time it seems that a huge percentage of our population is on meds or thinks nothing of going on them.. that worries me

 

[famofsix]

I am not judging anyone who gives there children medicine.. I do think that children are over diagnosed & it is more of a problem of schools & society putting pressure on parents to make sure all kids fit their "mold". it seems that a huge percentage of our population is on meds or thinks nothing of going on them.. that worries me

The reason I am asking this is because I really find it disturbing that I have read so many comments written by parents on these boards reffering to medication for ADD. I know (as I put on my flamesuit) that there are many special needs kids out there who need certain meds to make life liveable for them, this is not meant for your ears at all! I just can't help but think that the number of kids diagnosed w/ ADD & put on medication these days can be good for them. I know that my three boys are very energetic, often have trouble listening & need to run around outside everyday (similar to a labradour retriever ) or they will drive me & each other crazy. I think having 4 brothers has kind of desensitized me to there energy, but I often think is it the kids w/ the problem or the parents? Giving my child a stimulant everyday that makes them lose their appetite, become quiet or change in anyway would scare me. The side effects of any psychtrophic medication can be very complicated & the drug companies pushing these meds do not even know them all. It seems like a lot of parents just have that mindset that giving your kid meds is good for them, so this makes you a good responsible parent . I just hope this trend turns around a little & parents, schools & Dr.s put this into perspective..just say no...to all drugs!

It seems like you are making judgments to me but you are entitled to your opinions.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I am not judging anyone who gives there children medicine.. it seems that a huge percentage of our population is on meds or thinks nothing of going on them.. that worries me

You most definitely are judging. And not everyone has side effects. My son never lost his appetite or anything.
If you were faced with heart or kidney disease or cancer would you not take the meds??? After saying - " say no to all drugs", that is what you are saying.
If your child that was old enough to drive (or even a young adult) had a form of ADD that s/he could just not stay focused and spaced off a lot or made bad decisions, would it be okay for them to drive a car without their medicine and endanger their life and others because we should just say no to all drugs. . .

 

[3jsmommy]

Again I an not judging the parents, we have been raised in a time where there is a pill to fix everything & everyone wants to keep up w/ the Jones's and there kids to keep up w/ the Jones's kids. It is just the norm now and I guess this is the world as we know it now. There are more people on antidepressants than not..they are prescribed for quitting smoking, insomnia, pms, you name it. My aunt is on them because she wasn't happy, well she still has an unfaithful nasty husband & kids who talk down to her, but now she doen't care that much!! Is that a solution She tried going off of them & experienced "brain zaps" & scary thoughts. This is not a crazy woman, this is a person given medicine instead of fixing the problem( her life) I know I am going off topic a little but instead of being defensive I wish people would just do research on these side effects, it is very eye opening!!

 

[famofsix]

Whether you like it or not you are making a judgment and you truly don't understand why a parent would choose to use medication for ADD or ADHD since you have seen no "good results" in your circle of family and friends.

We did research side effects and like ANY OTHER medications side effects depend on the person taking them and there are many different types of ADHD/ADD medications.

Why did you post on the family board? Maybe this should go to the community board or the disabilities board.

 

[mm_ja]

judging just from this response in such a short time it seems that a huge percentage of our population is on meds or thinks nothing of going on them.. that worries me

I have to say that your posts do seem somewhat judgemental. Judging from the responses here, I think you are misreading peoples feelings behind the stories. Is there a huge percentage of our population on meds? Huge may be a bit overstated, but posting a question about children on medicine on a board that the vast majority of posters are parents will possibly skew the responses. As far as "thinks nothing of going on them", you dont medicate your children, good for you. I dont want any parents going through the anguish I go through when I set that pill down in front of my son. It took over two months of research, second opinions, and praying before we made the decision. We went through that and deal with the anguish because at this point and time it is better for him to take the medicine than to not take that pill. As I read the responses here it seems everyone has struggled with the decision and did not make that decsion lightly.

 

[WendyisDarling]

I hope most parents think very carefully before giving their child medication. I think most do. I also think many would prefer to not medicate. I'm sure there are exceptions.
DS has ADD. We have gone through years of counseling, testing, evaluations from a variety of professionals. Last school year we decided to give Concerta a try. Oh my gosh, what a huge change. His grades went up, he received great remarks from his teachers, behavior at home was SO much better and he was in a better mood (I don't think this was a direct result of meds, but a side effect of getting positive reinforcement). He was also better socially.

About a month into the meds and his heart started racing. Of course, we took him to the dr. right away who said to stop meds immediately (resting pulse 130-140 ). He had an EKG performed and was fine. He was taking a pretty low dose of the med. too. There could have been other factors related to his pulse, but a stimulant seemed most obvious. Anyway, he discontinued the meds and wham! everything was back to before. He couldn't "hear" me when I talked to him, school slipped, he got 3 lunch detentions in a row for not having his homework (he did it, it just got lost). I feel sure he didn't stage the results as he didn't like taking the med. in the first place, so it would have been in his best interest to keep things the same as while he was on the med to prove it didn't have an affect.

I wish we could return to results like that month on medication. It just seemed like everything turned completely around for the better. But, the rapid pulse is a greater concern. We are back to behavior modifications, which don't really help much.

That's my ADD and meds story. But, too many kids are diagnosed and IMO they need complete testing and a specialist before medication should be provided.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

but instead of being defensive I wish people would just do research on these side effects, it is very eye opening!!

Do you seriously think people just give medicine to their children without researching it first?
It seems to me that you have nothing better to do than to put other people down for something that you have no personal experience from. And you fail to answer questions about the dangers of disease without medicines.

 

[3jsmommy]

You most definitely are judging. And not everyone has side effects. My son never lost his appetite or anything.
If you were faced with heart or kidney disease or cancer would you not take the meds??? After saying - " say no to all drugs", that is what you are saying.
If your child that was old enough to drive (or even a young adult) had a form of ADD that s/he could just not stay focused and spaced off a lot or made bad decisions, would it be okay for them to drive a car without their medicine and endanger their life and others because we should just say no to all drugs. . .

I am saying that giving kids stimulants so they can be in a higher reading group in school is nothing like a cancer treatment.