ADHD Medication

There is a doctor named Dr. Amen, he has written many books on the subject. He also knows of many options besides medication. He is a father of 3 children with AD. You can visit his website at amenclinic.com. I have read his book, "making a good brain better" and I have researched him extensively. I think it's work looking into.

hi L.

I have had my daughter on strattera for about a month now! No negative side effects and no more notes from school on a daily basis. I have noticed a change in her. She can stay focused at school and home as well. But every medication works differently on each child. It has not changed her bubbly personallity or her loving way. That is what I was afraid of. I do watch closely for any changes but so far so good!

Good luck I hope this helps. If you do see things that you do not like stop using it....

J.

L.,
I have a son who is almost 9 years old, he was diagnosed at 5 years old after he got kicked out of preschool. We have tried different meds, different Dr.'s and school was rough. We tried Strattera with no luck. We tried the Daytrana patch and it worked for about a year, then his body gets used to it, so now he is on Vyvanse and it seems ok. He also has anxiety issues around big groups especially kids, he got so stressed from school that he started grinding his teeth and had to have the top teeth capped. Not fun!! He got sent to the office so much that he couldn't finish his work so we had tons of homework. Then he got kicked off the bus about a week before summer vacation last year. So I started homeschooling this year, and it has done wonders, plus I have an awesome support group that really helps!! Good luck, V.

I have a 12 year old son with ADHD and he has been on Staterra for a long time so far he has had no problems on it. He also doesn't drink caffine and we limit his sugar. I have read online about a diet that works with out medication but because I work all the time I do not have time necessary to prepare all the meals for him which includes nothing with Red dye in it and that seems to be in everything these days....I say researc everything leave no stone unturned and you know your child, you can both figure out what works best for you.

I'm a single mom that my two beauties were just diagnoise with ADHD. My eight year old and four year old. My eight year old is in second grade and my four year old will be starting kindergarden this july. I have opted out to do med's, I'm doing other means to control it. I have heard good and bad about Strattera. I've heard it works wonders and then I heard it changes the child's personality. What I do is my children are on a schedule and I've cut out bad sat's fat, cut there sugar in half. I DO NOT ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO HAVE CAFFEINE. AND I HAVE NOTICE A DIFFERENCE. As long as I keep them on a schedule, which means they know what there day is like they do better, if I slide with that the nightmare begins with bad behavior and it slides in there schooling. My eight year old always the next day what she's going to wear, what's for dinner, what kind of snack and as long as she knows what the day is going to be like she does well in school and at home, still struggle with her reading we are doing other things to keep her focus on reading. She also in a reading class. Hope this helps
Thanks,
Mary Ann S

my son was on strattera he is 15 now was 13 when they put him on it he lost a lot of weight the first 2 weeks he was on it and he had no appetite and he was doing good on it then here lately we had to change him because he was having mood swings and nervous disorders like biting/picking at his nails until they got infected and got raw same with his toes. also he had to where out of the blue hed just pick someone to aggrevate because he got too bored no matter what meds you take there is always side effects. we just changed my son from his strattera to something else because it seemed as if it wasnt working anymore his grades started dropping again as well as other personal problems caused from the meds. just do some research on the medications and see which one you think would be the best for your son. strattera is the only one though that is NOT a stimulant but works like one. as for how to deal with it Ive learned the more you keep the child busy with activites the likelihood that they wont get as bored and wont be as wound up if they have something constructive to do and like to do sometimes also eliminating certain red food colorings and artificial colors and flavors as well as nitrates(like in hot dogs) will help to some degree thats what they did with my hubby when he was a child and that seemed to work wonders so you can also try that route I know its hard and can eventually be expensive but that way you can see which one works the best.

there have been two recent posts regarding this same thing. there were a lot of great responses about more natural treatments like vitamins and diet changes. read the other posts, you will get all kinds of info.

I have not dealt with ADD or ADHD in my home, so my opinion will not be worth a whole lot...but I certainly am strongly opinionated on the necessity of starting with the least obtrusive idea and working your way up the "ladder." The safest thing to do.

An expert in this field told our group in recent years that 85% of the children in his office are not ADD - only undisciplined. That is really the least obtrusive approach...but certainly not the easiest - especially with busy moms. Discipline is a high energy job - lots of attention to details, repeating, etc.

Drugs are not a good thing if you can do without them...take care of that liver! I work for a wellness company with excellent ethical products and there are lots of testimonies from moms that have beat this frustration for them and the child with a good (not many out there) vitamin/mineral supplement and grape seed extract - which crosses the brain barrier (even vitamin C does not do that)- along with the other good no sugar, no caffiene advice and have had great results.

My neighbor is one of those moms...nothing in their home changed with their 12 year old except the supplements and antioxidant...he became a relaxed, good grades boy - that got his appetite back.

If you want to see some of those testimonies...just ask!

J.
www.joyboudreau.com

I am the mother of a 9 year old son who from the time he was in kindergarten until now has had a problem staying focused. My son is in the 4th grade but he was having problems remembering to turn in his homework or to bring home the necessary things to complete a homework assignment he disrupted the class, etc. I finally had him tested for ADHD and the results came back that he is ADD but of course now they just loop it all in together. I was adamant about not using medication but after I talked to his pediatrician we decided to start him on Focalin XR at 5mg for the first week and 10mg the next week and 15mg the 3rd week. She advised to start it on a Saturday so I would be able to see first hand how he reacted to the medicine. The first week of taking of the 5mg I could see a slight change in him but when he started the 10mg I thought to myself "who is this kid?". My son was doing his homework completing assignments he wasn't getting his name on the board for talking and his teachers said that he was more focused. Some of the side effects were he may develope ticks (hasn't happened so far)he may lose his appetite and he may have insomnia. None of that has happened and me and his doctor decided 10mg was enough. His personanlity didn't change and I am really pleased with the results. I know this is a scary thing to have to do but I promise it made all the difference in the world for my son. My advice would be to do some research on your own and see what the side effects would be and of course you know they are going to tell you the worst case scenerio. But think about how it will affect your child if you don't give him the medicine. And this is something as a parent you are in control of. If you don't like the way it makes your son act or feel you don't have to continue. I wish you the best of luck in whatever decision you decide to make. C. L

Hi L.. I have 4 boys 3 of which have adhd. Our oldest and youngest were both on Straterra. For our oldest it worked great for about 2 months then he said it was not working anymore. His body adjusted quickly to it. I would caution you that it has a horrible taste. Our youngest gagged with it every time we tried to get him to swallow it. After losing 3 pills we took it to our local conversion medicine shop (not sure what it was called) They put it into individual liquid doses. It was then that I was told straterra was horrible tasting. They made up 2 doses to see if he would be able to take it and the same thing happened. Could not stomach it. I did start putting it in pudding, applesauce and even ice cream. He eventually adjusted to it but after taking it faithfully for 3 months his body adjusted to it. We were in the same boat as our oldest. Our youngest is now on Adderall XR and that seems to be working for him but he just switched from the regular Adderall. He needed something to help him focus the last hour and a half of school. Our oldest did the same thing he is doing where their bodies adjust quickly to them. Our oldest has been taking a new medication for over a Year now that Stays in his system for 10 to 12 hours. It is called Vyvanse. They have different doses available and I have not seen any side effects. The day he began this new medicine he came home and was doing his homework on his own. This is how it has been every day when he comes home from school. He went from barely squeeking by in school and me playing mediator with him and his teachers (his assignments were not turned in even though he completed them.) It was put him in his IEP that he be allowed extra time to finish his work and now No more pushing and shoving to get him to turn in his assignments. Sorry this is so long. Hope you find the right medicine for your son. D.

Hi L.,
I know starting your child on medication can be a very scary thing, but if he is truly ADHD you will see an immediate benefit (assuming his dosage is correct)! I teach 6 and 7 year olds and it is amazing the difference the appropriate medication can make in these little peoples lives. I have had kids look up from their work in amazement and say, "look at me everybody, I am doing my work!!"...."my brain doesn't feel itchy"..."the channel isn't changing!"...."Thank God! my hands and feet are listening to me when I tell them to 'sit still!'. These are just a few of the better quotes that I have heard over my 26 years in the classroom. They have all made me smile and some of them have made me cry.

Kids who truly have ADHD are miserable in their own bodies and their self esteem can suffer SO much. I know there is a huge debate about whether or not we start these little ones on medication too early. From my experience, if the child is truly ADHD, the medication makes a huge difference in his ability to learn and in his feelings about himself as a student. If the child truly needs the meds., and doesn't get them, then we take a chance that he will miss important and fundamental academic education because of his inability to pay attention and, because the "foundation concepts" were not learned, he will often struggle with future concepts. But an even bigger concern is that his self esteem will suffer, he will think of himself as "dumb" because learning seems more difficult for him and this will impact his future.

Often kids who are denied medication when they truly need it end up thinking of themselves as "losers", because of their lack of impulse control, they often do things that get them labeled as "trouble makers" by their peers and adults, some of these kids will become involved in illicit drugs because of their inability to see the consequences of their behavior...others will become involved with illicit drugs because they find them "calming"---in other words, they try to self-medicate their ADHD.

I would be sure that your son has been evaluated by a team. That you and his primary teachers have filled out several behavioral surveys which have been analized by a psychologist. And, that whomever is prescribing for your child is very familiar with the different classes of ADHD medications, dosages, and their effects.

I would also ask that your teacher keep a very brief log of you child's daily behavior and make notations on any differences she/he notes from his behavior prior to med.s.

If I were you, I would also keep a log of the time of day the medication was given and any notaeable behavior you witness at home.

In this way, you can see if dosages are appropriate and if the medication is truly effective.

If a child is truly ADHD and is given the appropriate medication at the appropriate dosage, you will see a much calmer affect, but your child will still be very animated, his eyes will still 'light up' when he is excited etc etc.

In other words, he will still be himself...just a bit calmer! If he looks groggy or "like a zombie" the medication is either inappropiate or he has been given too much!

I have actually had former students come back to me and thank me for having helped their parents see that they needed medication. They have described feeling as if they were going to "fly apart" and feeling as if they had "ants crawling under their skin" prior to medication. One of my returnees said that he used to want to hit things and jump up and down just because it was the only way his body didn't "feel achy".

Watch your child carefully, I'll bet he actually seems happier and more content if the medication is appropriate for him!

Good luck!

Heard really great things about this:

www.feingold.org

Hi L.,

My son is 5 years old and has delays because of his delays he can't be diagnosed with ADHD but he does show signs. Currently he is on Concerta but the developmental pediatrician would like me to consider using strattera. It is not a stimulant like all the other meds out there. My advice is even on medicine make sure you find a psychologist are someone to help with behavioral modification. Medicine alone cures nothing. I believe it is a combined effort. Medicine does not cure the problem, it is just a temporary fix because no one wants to deal with these kids. Just seek help with behavioral modification. It was very hard for me to put my son on medicine but when he started school and would bring homework home I could not get him to sit still and focus for just a second. That is why I did end up putting him on meds but the stimulant meds last a few hours and then they're out of the system. I have had some success at home since I started him seeing a psychologist. The school system is another story. Be blessed and be confident in whatever you decide.

I have suspected my child had a very mild form of ADHD for a while now. He is not bad enough for medication or to even see a doctor about it, but I did see a commercial the other day that might help you. Go to ADHDRoadMap.com and get a free brochure on stepping stones for ADHD and helping your child reach their full potential. It focuses on what the child is good at and slowly brings in what frustrates the child. I haven't received my packet, but I am hopeful after reading through the web page.

Hi, L.. My 7 year old son just started the medication 6 weeks ago. I have noticed no difference in his personality which was one of my concerns. He is still the loving son I have always had. My son Jeremy has always had problems concentrating on his school work. He never really caused any problems in the class but he could not keep his focas. He is now finishing his work almost everyday. We go back to the Dr. in two weeks for his checkup and as far as I can say, I think the Dr. will kepp him on the medicine. He has lost around 6 pounds, but we were told that was normal. He is a healthy sized child so losing a few wont hurt him. I feel your pain on making the decision. I also wrote for advice on here 6 weeks ago. I trust my pediatrian, he is a great Dr. and i know he would not give my boy something that would do him harm. Its your decision, every child is different, but this stuff works for my son. Good luck and if you need someone to talk to contact me ! C.

Hi. I have a ten year old son with ADHD. We have had much luck with Concerta. It had the fewest side effects (which you really need to keep an eye on). My son experienced headaches with Stratera that is why we switched him. He started on medication in 3rd grade. As they grow up, they don't always outgrow it (which is also possible) but they handle situations better.

With my son (and every child is different) if he were tired or hungry, his mood swings were more exaggerated (with hitting, yelling, throwing things, etc. Note: that at 10 he does not do this anymore) The trick is to give them some snacks throughout the day so they don't get too hungry. Also, you will notice the "before" warning signs of an outburst. Try to redirect them before it becomes full blown. With my son, I would ask him to help me with a chore, this would help redirect him.

As for foods. Stay away from red dye 40, which is in more foods than you realize. Also, you may want to check him food allergies. I have just been diagnosed with Celiac's Disease (an allergy to wheat and gluten) I learned that a sign that a child may have it could possibly be ADHD. It is a simple blood test.

I hope this information has been helpful.

A.

Hi L., my name is M. and I have Adult ADD and I also have a 12 yr old son with ADHD who has been on meds since he was 9 yrs old. He has really good results with Adderall XR. He finally plateaued on Adderall this year and we are trying new meds right now. He is on Concerta right now and I am not noticing any ticks or anything. I am not a big fan of Straterra myself for 2 reasons. First it just didn't do anything for me and my ADD. Second as per my GP and my son's Pediatrician Straterra can affect your liver function and he will have to have semi-annual tests done to check his liver function. I would be more than happy to discuss my experiences with my ADD and my son's ADHD further if you would like. You can email me back and I can give you a number to reach me.

Take care and god bless
M.
( A mother who has been blessed with 2 sons with wonderful abilities)

My nine year old has been taking meds for ADD for four years. We tried Strattera with no luck. To many side effects. The best we have tried so far is Amphetamine Salt Combo extended. It lasts thru school and most of his after school activities. The side effects are low as well. The one that bothers him the most is loss of appitate. But he eats a big breckfast before taking it and a small meal just before bed. Along with his other meals. This has kept his weight up. Hope this is helpfull. Pam S

There is a natural remedy with many health benefits that may help. I have some ADHD testimonies using this drink. My grandchildren like to drink it like a freezer pop.

J.

Tid bit of info, My son has ADHD and at a point someone had suggested stratera, They down fall to stratera is it is known to damage the liver. I dont suggest any meds because they have multiple sidects. We have had bad expieriences on two. thats all it took. You have to weigh it out. To me my childs health was more important. So even thgough we have to work on his attention span and sometimes he is a lot not a lil annoying he just has to work a lil harder!! If I could give any advice I would tell you meds are a rediculous way to drug children. They are so dangerous. My son was absolutely healthy and it ruined his nrevous system. You will hear parents say just do it, wow he concentrates so well etc; However thats if you get the right meds on the first try. And if you dont you just deal with the life long side affects. Whatever your decision is I pray God is with you and your family and you make the right decision hole hearted!!

God Bless

.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was almost 6. He is now 8 and has been on medication for 2 years. We have never used Strattera but have had very good results with Focolin XR. It is an extended release drug which makes it easier to use during school hours. He has not no side effects except for not wanting to eat, I make sure that every evening he gets a good healthy snack before he goes to bed and a good breakfast in the mornings before he gets the meds.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

Try cutting out ALL extra sugar. Sugar is in just about everything, but try to stick to natural sugars as much as possible. Drinking strictly water (milk at meals) will also help. Eliminate TV time. TV only encourages pent up energy which leads to ADHD symptoms or exaggerates ADHD issues. Spend time in the morning going for a walk before school, help him get his energy out before he has to go sit all day. Let him run free for a few minutes before doing homework or reading.
Hope these ideas help.

My sister started on Strattera when she was about six years old and she hated it. She said it made her stomach hurt ( her older brother who was on it said the same thing). Honestly it helped her behavior a little but there was still some major issues which the Strattera didn't help.
I have ADHD and I take a nutritional supplement which has helped me a lot ( as long as I remember to take it ) My five and seven year old have ADHD and they are taking it as well. Feel free to email me if you would like to hear more about it.

I believe Strattera is a good one because it is the only one that is not a narcotic. All the other ones are. Sometimes you have to go through 4 or 5 meds to find witch one works best for him. I am a peds nurse and we have alot of kids on Strattera. Good luck. J.

You might look into adhd oriented yahoo groups like AHDH_DrugFree.

Hi L. -
I am the mother of 3 boys, and my oldest son who is almost 11 has ADHD. We tried Strattera first because I loved the idea that it was not a stimulant. It did not work. My son is very impulsive, and it didn't help with that at all, but it did help his focus a little. We did have 1 really weird side effect on this drug, and it was frequent urination. The Dr. was saying that it was the rarest side efferct, but sure enough - he had it! As soon as he went off of it, things returned to normal. We have since tried just about everything. He is now on the Daytrana patch. We like this very much, although it does take a while to kick in in the AM. Good luck to you and your son. This is a hard thing to deal with, especially as they get older, and the school work so much tougher. If you ever have any more questions - feel free to contact me!