ADD - Any Experience with Metadate?

Hi
I wanted to share my experience with Metadate. I have a 10 year old step-son that was on this medication. It was awful. My husband and I were against putting him on this, however against our wishes...his mother went ahead with it. She had nothing but wonderful things to say about the medication and what it was doing for him. However my husband and I did not see that at all. The medication has awful side affects. Tiredness, not eating, not able to sleep, "zomby syndrome". My step-son is a very active kid, and when he got put on this medication he was not himself. He would not go out and play, all he would do is sit on the couch and stare at the tv. When it came time to do homework, it didn't really help that much. He was just very bla about it. He was still getting frustrated with it. So eventually because of other reasons his mother quit giving it to him (money). My step-son now lives with my husband and I full time...and let me tell you we are having a very rough time with homework and focusing in class and at home.
My advise to you is keep your patience. I know it's very hard...trust me! Him and I both lose our patience...but what I found works for us, is instead of me yelling and him getting upset...we take a break from it and then come back after we both have calmed down!
I hope this helps!
Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

I have an 8 year old son diagnosed with ADHD last October. He was put on Metadate CD started on the 10 mg and is up to 40 mg now. We have noticed a difference in his hyperactivity and ability to focus better in school. He has not displayed any of the side effects that people worry about with ADHD meds. He doesn't have decreased appetite, problems sleeping, or any other issues. It works in his system for 8 hours just long enough to get him through school. On the weekends, I do not give it to him and he does fine. So I don't think it has any addictive properties. We do continue to struggle from time to time and I actually am currently researching the use of caffeine in people with ADHD. I have learned that the caffeine works in the same way ADHD meds work. It apparently has an opposite effect on people with this disorder where it actually slows them down and helps them focus better as opposed to stimulating their brains. My son also has epilepsy and takes meds for that too and the Metadate does not interact with it at all. I feel your pain! I am very low on patience myself so I understand about the screaming and yelling. However, it doesn't seem to work does it? We have struggle this whole school year and I cannot wait until it is over!! Good luck! Hope this helps!

Hi T.

I'm certainly no expert, but I have a 10 year old who has been on Metadate CD for a little over 2 years now. We went thru MANY medications and nothing was strong enough! Believe me, we've had our concerns. He is an extremely intellegent boy who has always had such a happy excitement to him. I didn't want to loose that. I wanted him to keep his personality. He was starting to get in such trouble at school and home just because he couldn't focus. We've given him medications that made him a "zombie" and we've given him medications that work for a week then quit. It's a hard thing to figure out--- the exact medication and dose he needs. Yes, he doesn't eat like other kids, but we work with it. He eats a BIG breakfast and then by the time he comes home from school, he's hungry again. Dinner is normal (except for his picky eating!!!). He also tends to get more emotional when he is tired. He did have a hard time sleeping for the first 6 months or so. Now he goes to bed and reads and is asleep within about 30 mins. His meds have usually worn off completely by around 8 PM (that's giving them to him at 8 AM). But at night he isn't SO unfocused. He can handle it better. That's all we want. We try to stress that this medication is just allowing him to focus better and he needs to work on techniques to help him do it on his own without medication. If the day ever comes when he doesn't need the medication... great. But if he's on it forever I don't want him to think any less of himself (he used to think he was stupid because he couldn't focus). It's a tough road. I've been there, and still traveling it! :) Let me know if you need anything. :)

It is hard to deal with this issue; I can empathize. All you have to do is go to the bookstore and the controversy over to medicate or not is in all the parenting books. I am not sure I can say anything to make you feel better since it was years before I had my son functioning at his best.

If you meant DH is your husband, they have a hard time with this issue. If I had left it up to my husband, he would still be trying to figure out what to do.

Your son must be a second or third grader. Every year the classes get more and more structured. My 8 yr old second grader has been in trouble most of this school year.

Since I dont know if this is your first experience with elementary school, I will express my thoughts. Sorry if you already know these things. I have noticed that the teachers make all the difference in the world! Some will try different things to accomodate children. And, some will complain about everything. Also, you need to contact the special education department in your school district. The medication is not the answer to the problem. It is part of the solution. He needs special classes to help him learn to adapt to who he is. They will make accomodations to his work load and homework if he needs it. For example, my son (now 13) would answer less math problems and had relief from writing assignments. You should try to take yourself out of the homework routine. If your husband has more patience, let him volunteer. Or, maybe a teen in the neighborhood could help. I have always refused to get into this mode with my children. Since I work, I only have a few precious hours with them each night and I dont want to fight over homework. My oldest was required to get her homework at after school care, my son does his in study hall, and my daughter and I study spelling words while I cook.

I know a few things you might want to observe. There are his sleep patterns, his time on video games, and his reaction to caffeine. First, most children don't sleep near enough. My son's behavior improved when he started on melatonin and sleeping at least 10 hours a night. Video games increased his frustration levels. Caffeine made him super-hyper. The old wives tale is that caffeine will calm an ADHD child if even only temporarily. This is what prompted me to get additional testing for my son.

Lastly, you might ask the doctor if he needs an extended medication. It makes common sense that your son should start on the lowest dose possible and build from there. There are prescriptions as low as 2.5 mgs. Maybe his schedule can accomodate medication only in the morning when more desk time is needed.

Good luck and feel free to email me if you need anything else. L.

I don't have experience with this problem or the medication, but have colleagues that have had good results with modifying nutrition/food intake as we all believe medication usually causes other problems. A couple of websites to check out are sugaraddicts.com and blockcenter.com. It's a very hard thing to change a child's diet, but if they think it will make them feel better and have support with the other tempting foods out of sight, it might be worth a try. Best wishes!!

You have great advice from the other moms! I would have to agree. There are so many other options that are natural and better for your child! I have heard about the homework problem often for children with learning disabilities. A learning disability doesn't mean he's not very smart, just may be a perfectionist or thinks differently. My 5 year old is suspected to have Asperger's Syndrome and I already have him in a school that will NOT give homework! They know that a "20 minute" assignment can turn into 2 hours of frustration for the whole family! You need to get a neuropsych (independant) evaluation and take that to your school and get him on an individualized education plan so you don't have to go through that anymore. Don't let the school turn your child into a zombie so their day will be easier and your child will fit into their mould! Go with your gut! Do not doubt yourself! We are treating our child naturally and will never drug him with rx's that only do more harm than good. I'm a little fed up with big pharma and allopathic doc's that only want to write a prescription to say the least!!!!

Who can stay quiet sitted and on task for seven hours a day? I sure can't. Can anyone?.
This school system is really treating our kids like little factory workers and whoever does not comply should seek medication. I know it sounds dramatic but it really amazes me how easily all this medications are prescribed everyday to active healthy lovable kids and transform them into this little zombies just because they cannot sit still at class.
My oldest son has been on Special Ed classes since he was 3 years old and received OT and Speech therapy since 18 months, and I have learned that you really have to advocate for your kids at school so that they accomodate to his needs, not the other way around.
Seek help at school, talk to the counselors and have them evaluate him, change teachers if necessary and dont get discuraged by the struggles at homework time. I hear your pain 'cause is the same here everyday. I ask for the homework on fridays so we can get an early start during the weekend and that way have a less stressful week.
I highly recommend the book: "The Mind of Boys" by Michael Gurian. It really helped me see that we have a very good oportunity here to make a difference in our boys lives by helping the school system be more assertive and compassionate about the learning styles of our boys.
Good luck
A.