Afraid to Give My Son Meds for ADHD

Hi I.
My son has PDD-NOS which is autism spectrum disorder with ADHD tendencies. He is 4 and we have him on Adderal XR and I LOVE IT.
It doesnt' "heal" the child BUT I've seen a big gains with it. I too was nervous but each child reacts differently to certain meds.

As for his ADHD diagnosis, perhaps, I agree with another one who posted it as a "mis diagnosis" cause of the "spectrum" and all the criteria certain kids meet.

I've never heard of that particular ADHD drug, but my 8 yr old niece is on Concerta and it is working well for her.

I.,

Let me tell you something. The school can not deal with figidy kids nowadays. If they aren't sitting still, they are considered ADD or ADHD. My son was diagnosed 7 years ago exactly the same way as you are explaining. I felt over the years and with all the meds he was on, they he did not have it I fought the school district that whole time and finally I was given another evualation (per state law, you can do that and the township has to pay for it) 5 years later and he never had ADHD, he has what is called a "Communication Disorder". I would rather have you go for a second and 3rd opionion before putting your child on meds. The meds would only make him feel like zombie, he may do well in school and stop sitting still, but do you want that for you child?

HOpe this helps.

By the way, my son is 15 years old now, off of meds for over 3 years now and the grades are must better (except for Reading and Language). He does have comprehensive problem, but parents and school have to work together on that.

I.,

I know it's not easy....we want what's best for our kids, right? I have two ADHD kids. Putting them on meds was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but it also turned out to be the BEST thing I've ever done, for THEM. They are doing so well in school, and I couldn't be more proud of them. You are not medicating your child because the school system wants you to, you are doing it for your child. You will be AMAZED at the difference! As a mom of 2 who were diagnosed more than 5 years ago, I've been through it all. You need to keep an eye on possible side effects and keep your doctor informed(appetite changes, sleep changes) - often times, there aren't any! My kids have occasional headaches, but that's about it. Your doctor should check their progress at least every 6 months - to check their heart rates, B/P, height/weight. Another thing that has worked really well for one of my boys is to see a counselor every week or two. It really helps him to be in control of his behavior, impulses, etc, to discuss strategies for self-control. If you have any other questions, or need more info, I'd be happy to help.

A.

My heart goes out to you. I am sorry I don't know the answer to your question. But if I were you I would call the doctor and speak to him about what other options you have. Tell him the side effects, (which I'm sure he knows already) and let him know that you want to explore other options and you are not comfortable with giving this medication to your child. You can even tell him that you've been holding onto it since you filled the perscription, that might open his eyes to how serious you are about this. It's your child and if you feel that strongly about it then you should let the doctor know. You and your son's doctor should have a good, open relationship because you both have to care for and do what's best for your son.

My daughter is a Type 1 Diabetic, which means she is insulin dependent & has to get insulin shots for every meal she eats. She also has a speech delay and I recently found out she is Dyslexic. She is 6 years old. I was very uncomforatable with the way her school & medical professionals were choosing to deal with her situtation but I called them, went to their offices, asked for scheduled meetings. If something bothered me I let them know.

You said you read reviews that the medication had 10 times more side effects that Ritalin, that is enough to scare any parent away from the drug. Have you tried researching online to see what other options are out there for ADHD? Maybe you can find out what other choices are out there and then you can discuss those specific choices with your son's doctor.

I wish you the best and I hope you and your son will be okay.

Hello I.,

I have a 11 year old son who was 5 when he was diagnosed with ADHD and a 9 year old daughter at 3 that was diagnoses. The best medication I have found for them has been the Adderal xr. my son takes 50 ml and my daughter 25ml. They are also bybolar and take other meds.

For your children you can get the FMLA if you have been at your job more than 1000 hrs. I had this for both of my children cause you never new if they would have a good day or a bad day.

I have also found that things high in sugar or red dyes trigger their outburst and limit their intake.

For adderal the only side affecty is that he doesnt have an appetite until later in the day.

I was afraid at firt to have my children put on this but it helped alot. they are both doing great in school and pay attention and I am not getting the calls "Can you come pick your child up!" anymore.

Hope this helps,
T.

I know of a woman that refused to give her child drugs to treat ADHD and decided to try diet instead. She cut out things like red dye and sugar and her son is doing very well. It is possible to treat it without the drugs. She also put him in a private school where they didn't have so many kids to worry about and they were more understanding. I recommend a Montessori school if you can afford it (there are some charter schools). They are all about learning hands on and it's not just sitting in a chair all day.

I would suggest Straterra it is a non stimulate. I had to put my 5 yo on it who has ADHA ODD because of his uncontrollable behavior. He has alot of medical conditions and this has not interfered with any of them. The only side effect we noticed was he's gotten a few headaches but it's not all the time. We have noticed that he is alot better about controlling his behaviors he's even been going to preschool without a TSS worker and learning what he is supposed to! I can say if you do try it don't judge by the first week. My son got a bit emotional the first week while trying to adjust to it. I can honestly say this medicine has been a godsend as we didn't know if we could have him ready for Kindergarten next year and he'll already be almost 6 when he starts. Good luck!

Hi I.,
My name is Jennifer. My daughter is 11yrs old and she was also diagnosed with ADD a few years ago. We had her on ADDERAL 10 and 15mg for quite a while and it did help. We really did not experience and side effects. What we have been doing recently is changing her diet with no meds at all. We are amazed to see such a difference! We have cut back drastically on sugar intake. It is a shock to see how many foods have a great deal of sugar in them! This seems to have helped her. We do not have her on any meds right now and with just this change in her diet, she seems to be doing very well. Hope this helps.

Hi I.,

I have not had this experience, but I have checked out some of the drugs for ADD because my husband has it and I fear my son will also. The drug I would want my son on if he needs it is Strattera. It helps with the focus problem, but is not a stimulant like all the rest. It also doesn't seem to have as many side effects as the others either.

L.

I wouldn't put him on that if I were you. Did you ever consider teaching him at home. They have a great cyber school program at www.agora.org (you can also find them at www.k12.com ) The public schools are intollerant of children, unless they have no personality of their own. If you want your son to grow, take him out of that horrible environment. You have a 6th sense about this, follow it. As a mother, you know what is best for your child. A childs brain needs to be able to grow and form, not be changed and altered by all these medications. They can damage a childs growing brain. I sometimes wonder if there is such a thing as ADHD. It is all too common for them to diagnose a child with this these days. The psychiatrists are like drug pushers anymore.

Honestly, in my opinion, I don't really believe in ADHD or ADD. I believe those are just the kids that need more to do. Maybe he is bored at school and needs more work, maybe it's his diet, (no white flour or sugar). Try natural approaches first, like that vitamin called Little Angels at GNC. Some kids are just more hands on, not everyone can just sit in class and be lectured.

Not to scary you any more. But how do they know that it is ADHD? My son is more like Aspgberg syndrom. A form of Autsuim. I just have heard to many kids be missed dingoned with ADD and ADHD. You have every right to be scared. We as parents are the only ones that are going to be able to care for our children.

Have you had him retested for ADHD? And why a new med?

The schools are not doctors and they are not the parents of our children. Sometimes i think that the kids can learn more by staying home and being taught that way, then have someone tell you what it wronge with your child.

My daugheter was diagnosed with the same exact thing and put on the same med. I NEVER had the prescription filled. the ADHD was a handful and very fustrating at times but i refused that medication. I did alot of research on the adhd and the mechanisms and realized that it was other things that can cause if to act out. I realized that some of the ingredients that was in the processed food can cause the symptoms if this to get worse so i changed her diet to a all natrual diet and i spent the xtra time needed to keep here on the same level with the other kids at school now my daughter is 7 and although at times she goes through her little phases we have learned how to deal with them and they are not as bad as they were but with the meds its just to much of a risk that can effect other things and i just think our kids are just to precious for that.

Does your child receive any behavioral intervention services from a psychologist, behavior specialist or therapuetic staff support person? They could help your son deal with triggers, model appropriate behavior and teach coping techniques. They can also guide you and teh school staff in working with your son.

Hi I. -
I feel for you. My oldest got diagnosed in the 4th grade; he is now 21 and in college. ADHD is a bear to deal with, but you will survive and so will your son. My son was on about 5 different meds before we found one that he had some success with. You didn't mention who prescribed the Vyvanse. My first recommendation would be to get him to a child psychiatrist and start therapy as soon as possible. If you have done that, and a child psychiatrist prescribed the Vyvanse, call that doctor and tell him you're not comfortable giving that drug! There are other options which are not stimulants (such as Strattera). Be proud of yourself that you didn't give your son the Vyvanse - I wouldn't have either. Once he starts taking a drug, and you and the md decide to change, it takes 2-4 weeks to wean him off of the old meds to put him on the new meds. I know this from experience!
I can't say enough about getting him into therapy - it really helped my son (and me) deal with this condition and the constant pressures associated with it. There are several great books and workbooks to help; check them out at Amazon.com. Just type in ADHD in the search bar.
Regarding the school - it took me years and many many many meetings to get through to people that ADHD is a MEDICAL condition that effects the learning process in the brain. If your son is at a 1st grade reading level, what is the school/resource doing about it? Does his IEP have that as a goal to improve?
Well, I've rambled long enough. I hope this helps you and your son in some way. Keep the faith and eventually it'll get better!
L.

I don't want to scary you ,, but please whatever you do ,, watch this video . It a long video ,, but in you case it's totally worth it .... PLEASE WATCH IT !!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3609599239524875493

ALSO , please let me know what you think !!!

and best of luck ,, jess

i know it sounds strange but chiropractic can help with adhd.
it's been proven, and after some adjustments and when the nervous system is working properly again, alot of kids/adults can get off their medications.

i know chiropractic is included in some health plans these days, but even if it's not, it's worth a try, to stay off the medications.

here is a website from the chiropractors i go to. there is lots of information on there and i think you can even email if you have questions.

http://www.correctivechiro.com/

good luck. i'm a firm believer in chiropractors over medical doctors. every med doc seems to prescribe pills. well, most pills don't make the issue any better, they just cover up the symptoms. is that really solving a problem?

Dear I.- I too have a child with ADHD, she is twelve now and was diagnosed at 9 years old. We have a wonderful Doctor in Wilmington, DE who has been treating her. The medication that she has been on is Focalin XR and it has been a miracle for her! There are no signs of side affects at all, and her behavior has been a complete change in the best way possible. I am so glad I made the decision to treat her- she is much happier and focused in school and at home. My husband is a physician, and he had done all the research possible before we decided. He is just as happy with the results as I am. Believe me, I know your concerns, but it has helped my daughter in such a positive way. Ask your Doctor about Focalin XR, and research the drug yourself. With any drugs there are risks, which any physician has to inform you of, but, by my personal experience, she has had all her yearly physicals and they have been very good. I wish you the best. K.

I have a 10 year old daughter with ADHD and she was diagnosed at about 5. She was having a hard time doing even the simplest things like writing her letters and she would get upset cause she couldn't do it. I took her in to get evaluated and the poor lady that did the evaluation looked frazzled by the time it was done. She was prescribed ritalin and it made a huge difference! She was sooo happy because she could actually color a picture. It is scary but so is the depression and frustration and even alienation they can go through when left untreated. I tried some all natural ways but it just didn't work for her. She is now on Concerta and she is reading above grade level and has been on the honor rolll many times. Her only low scoring class is math.
One thing you may want to consider is reading about Asperger's Syndrome which can go hand in hand with ADD and often be overlooked. My sister is High Functioning Asperger's. I don't have all the info about your little boy so this is just a suggestion. Early treatment helps a lot! If you have any questions you can email me at ____@____.com Its a rough thing to go through. Hope this helps