Help/info on "Normal" ADD Behavior

Children who are suspected of having ADHD/ADD by their parents or the schools are often sent to their pediatrician/family doctor for diagnosis and/or meds. They may even be sent to a psychiatrist or a generalist psychologist. In either case, these doctors are going to do a very short assessment, maybe including a questionaire from the teacher/parents and then give their diagnosis. I think this is part of the problem with the over diagnosis and misdiagnosis. I would strongly recommend the parents seek the expertice of a child neuropsychologist. A qualified and specially training neuropsychologist will do a full day assessment using paper and pencil tests as well as interviews with the parents/child and questionaires from the teacher. Such an assessment can get you a lot further in reaching the appropriate diagnosis as well as generating specific recommendations based on your child's needs. Unfortunately, such assessments are usually not as fruitful with kids under 5 or 6 years old, they are just too young.

An important additional issue to keep in mind is that there is often times more than one issue facing the child (learning issues) when they get a diagosis of ADHD/ADD.

A little about myself, I am a almost done with my doctorate in community psychology and have 4 kids (10, 7, and 5 yr old twins). We just moved to Albuquerque from Chicago. My oldest son has ADHD and has been taking Concerta for 4 yrs. He does absolutely great but the dose has been adjusted a couple times. My husband is a neuropsychologist.

M.

Hello S.,
I would like to invite you to read my blog:
http://healthyhouse4u.blogspot.com/
I help Families create healthier environments, I started this blog to share with others how they can make a difference in their homes with those experiencing certain health issues.
ADD can have alot to do with Diet and Exposure to toxic products in our homes. His medication could also be causing him to act this way too.. there are different side effects with different perscriptions and sometimes it is hard to find the one that fits ones chemistry. Being 10 he could also be going through early puberty too. I would start reading and consult with your physician. You live with him and you know him best- start keeping a log of his behavior so you can share that with your physician too. If you don't like the results from your physician then I would recommend a 2nd opinion. I have also heard that chiropatrics can help with children who have add/adhd. They use a non medicated approach.
Hope this helps, C.

HELLO I AM NEW TO THIS SITE AND YOURS WAS THE FIRST I CAME ACROSS. I HAVE A 9 YEAR OLD SON AND HE HAS ADD TOO. HE HAS A HARD TROUBLE KEEPING FOCUSED IN CLASS. I FELT AWFUL AT FIRST TO PUT HIM ON MEDS HE STARTED ON ADDERALL 10 MG AND THAT ONLY WORKED FOR A WHILE NOW HE HAS BEEN ON ADDREALL 20 HE IS DOING FINE AND HE EVEN NOTICES IT. I DON'T HAVE HIM ON IT DURING THE WEEKEND HE IS NOT HYPERACTIVE. HE DOES EXCELLENT IN SCHOOL. SOMETIMES WHEN THE MEDS ARE WEARING OFF THEY CAN CAUSE MOOD SWINGS. I CAN TELL WHEN MY SON HAS THEM. I HAVE QUIET TIME WITH HIM WHEN I NOTICE THE MOOD SWINGS AND JUST TALK TO HIM TO GET HIM IN A BETTER MOOD. THAT ALWAYS WORKS. GOOD LUCK AND PLEASE WRITE BACK

S.,
I agree with Teresa B. When my step son was acting out after starting school and having his mother switch schools on him several times (A whole other story) the school pushed and pushed to have him put on drugs. Keep in mind THE SCHOOLS HAVE NO BUSINESS DIAGNOSING CHILDREN!!! They are not qualified, no matter what the teacher says, and the psychologist is going to tell you whatever they need to in order to make the teachers' lives easier. I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist, but that's not what I'm saying. Not all psychologists are bad, and no, not every one of them is going to imediately say your kid needs medication, but...They see that there is a problem and they are trying to fix the symptoms rather than find out what exactly the problem is first. When my step son was about 6 they started to tell us he was ADD and that he needed to be taken to a doctor and medicated. I put my foot down and told them all that they were crazy if they thought they'd put my kid on drugs. After fighting this for THREE YEARS they finally did extensive testing and found that he has PCD-Perceptual Communicative Disorder. A lot of the symptoms are what they look for in ADD kids but it requires a different approach to Teaching and Learning and best yet-NO MEDS. One thing that clued me in to the fact that Eric was not ADD was that he had a completely different behavior at my house than he did at his mom's. A child like that is not ADD. There is a consistency in how they behave and it wasn't there for him. For him it too was a lack of discipline in the classroom, and at his mother's house.
Almost everyone has told you to get a second opinion and I would highly reccomend that! I would also try alternative medicines! There is a lady in Greeley and Windsor named Joan Hellenrich who is a Bioenergetist and she works wonders.
Also, this is your child. DO NOT feel pressured to put him on medication especially if you don't believe it's working. You are the parent, and unless your son becomes truly violent your say goes. They cannot make you medicate him. The best way to defend your position is to educate yourself. Most of what I found about ADD when we were going through this was based around what the child is eating and what they are exposed to. The hormones, chemicals in your household, antibiotics in foods, and even the dyes all have been found to cause ADD type problems among MANY other issues. Local Colleges have seminars occationally about ADD and you can get in for relatively cheap.
Best of luck, I'm sorry to have bombarded you but hopefully you can use some of it.
C.

Sharon,
Boy can I empathize! We have a 7 y.o. with autism, and although we are blessed that he has a very mild case - it makes me especially sensitive to parents strugling with "disorders" their kids are diagnosed with. In treating our son's autism, we have found natural remedies that have worked wonders. I think the same is possible for ADD.

There was a FABULOUS article in The Doctor's Prescription for Healthy Living which talks about Omega-3. Here is a link to a similar article which talks about ADD http://borntoexplore.org/omega.htm and the benefits of treating with naturally with Omega-3.

Giving kids Rx's is risky and there are always side-effects interally and sometimes behaviorally. I hope this article helps you explore the Omega-3 option ;)

Best of luck!
____@____.com

Hi, S.,
My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 and was promptly put on Adderall. The first day, he sat and built a block tower from beginning to end for the first time in his life. I thought it was a miracle. Just like in your case, he was great at first, then he stopped eating and sleeping (a side effect of the Adderall), so the doctor put him on Remeron. He was also on Zyrtec for his allergies at the time. Slowly, his moods changed for the worse, but we kept listening to his doctor and kept giving him the meds. Finally after about 1 1/2 years, his doctor declared that my son had anxiety and prescribed Paxil (or Prozac, I can't actually remember which one). Anyway, this was the last straw! I couldn't believe all the meds the doctor wanted to give my then 5 year old. I switched doctors and took him off the meds. The very next day, his teachers remarked that his personality changed totally - for the better! I realized that I hadn't seen him smile naturally or laugh in months! A few months later, through different doctors and psychiatrists and child development specialists, my son was diagnosed (correctly this time) with PDD-NOS (an autistic spectrum disorder) and we were told that he probably also had Sensory Integration Dysfunction. The problem with an ADHD or ADD diagnosis is that the doctor isn't required to look further or deeper - it's the final word. In fact the checklist for Autism and ADHD are almost identical but there are so many related disorders with Autism that they check for a bunch of other stuff too. It doesn't sound like your son is autistic or anything, but if you have any suspicions that ADD isn't the only issue here, that maybe there's some Bipolar stuff or depression going on, you owe it to your son to get that second or even third opinion. It's ongoing - keep digging until you find what works for him. It took us almost 3 years to get to a place where my son is finally doing really well. There were alot of struggles along the way, but it's really paid off. My son is a very happy, pretty well adjusted 8 year old in a mainstream 3rd grade class. Of course, there are still issues, but we meet once a month with his psychiatrist to monitor them. Good luck to you and remember, keep questioning your doctor and be patient with your son...he's probably just as upset as you that he can't control his emotions. Take care!

Hello my name is B. im a single mom i have one 12 yr old daughter without ADHD and then I have 2 children 5 yr old boy and a 7 yr old girl both are ADHD AND ODD so i know where u are coming from .. My 7 yr old girl was diagnosed adhd back when she was 4 the medicine helped for a short time then she went right back and when the medicine did help she was still whining and crying all the time but then they changed her medicine well increased it and she was fine again except for the whinging and crying about every little thing.. now my son he is 5 if he gets mad he starts lashing out at himself instead of others and believe me being a single mom and doing it alone is even harder but it is a slow process the doctors should be changing the meds if the one you have him on is not working and then some individual counseling on how to control his anger more my 7 yr old takes aderall respiridol and was on clonidine to help her sleep we moved here and now shes on aderall respiridol and the took her off her clonidine and she barely gets her sleep now but being she was off her meds for a little while they have to start of slow again and work up to what will work but my daughter alot of the time builds a tolerance to the medications so that is what u have to be careful for also my son was just diagnosed so they started him off on 2.5 aderall 2 times a day that never worked and so this time they increased it and believe me right now it has made a difference but i know if hes anything like his sister HES GONNA start tolerating it soon and it wont work so then its onto something else i had someone though because my son was not medicated and all report it that i was medically neglecting my children but in the state of NY at the time they will not diagnose any child under the age of 6 anyhow i also had 2 brothers with the same problems growing up adhd and eventually they grew out of that but one has a touch of add now and has trouble concentrating on things i guess i do to but i dont see anyone or take anything for it odd is oppositional defiant disorder and let me tell u they fight like they are at war 99.9 percent of the time but anyway hang in there keep doing what the dr recomends i see a caseworker once a week that is helping teach me how to help them better because it is hard and like i said being a single mom gets on your patience a little more but if you would ever like to talk about it or anything else then give me a holler back.
I work on Biggs but i live just off Ft Bliss
My email is ____@____.com
I would love to have someone else to talk to also since i dont really know anyone here

Hi S.,
I'm not a professional but I am a graduate psychology student specializing in child psych. It sounds like maybe your son is bipolar. Sometimes the stimulant meds we use to treat ADHD create faster cycles between moods and more extreme moods in people with bipolar disorder, causing the bipolar to present itself more clearly. If your son's psychologist is not specifically trained to work with kids,then you should really take him to a specialized child psychiatrist. Children do not present symptoms in the same ways adults do so its hard for people not trained to work with children to diagnose them properly. Also when it comes to things that need to be medicated ( like ADHD or Bipolar) it is important to have a medically trained doctor at least as a consultant with medications. Psychologists are NOT specifically trined to treat with meds, psychiatrists are. The other thing that could be wrong is the dose or type of medication. Medicating psychological disorders isn't an exact science, and sometimes it take a couple time to get it right. You can talk to his doctor about that, but in my humble ( an unliscensed) opinion, bipolar is where you really should be looking. Good luck!

Hi S.,

I am an elementary school teacher with 10 years of experience. I have worked with many ADHD students! My suggestions:

Have the doctor re-evaluate the meds. Kids respond differently to different meds and different dosages. There should be an evalutation form the teacher can fill out and you can take it to the doctor. Most students I've had have tried more than one med before they found one that did the trick.

Look very carefully at your child's diet and sleep habits. Many kids diagnosed with ADHD are either sleep deprived or are not getting the right nutrients. Both scenarios can produce symptoms that look like ADHD.

For discipline, read Parenting with Love and Logic. So helpful for ALL parents.

Best of luck :)

-P.

Hi S., congratulations for being a bit suspicious about the ADD diagnosis. It seems that it has become a one-shoe-fits -all, pop-a-pill quick solution. Now, he might be ADD or some variation of it (see all the other posts) and then I am all for it to help him every possible way. But it is always good to rule out other causes especially as it seems that you have your doubts... a second opinion always helps for such an important diagnosis...

From your description I don't know if your son has always been acting like that and it got worse or if it only started a while back... It is very common for kids, especially younger kids, to act up when they are not able to handle some emotional stress. You've mentioned that you have 2 teenage step sons living with you and you have an 18 month old daughter.

Have you considered that a new baby in the house and a recent union of two families (as I said, I don't know the details) are a lot of changes for a young boy to deal with? From being the oldest and only child to being one of many is tough to swallow, even for adults... this might be his way of getting heard... he might need some help to figure out his new role in the family in which case a family counselor, etc. could help.

Hi-
I myself have ADD. I too am on Aderral 10mg. It helped me at first! I was superwomen. I didn't forget a single thing, I had the best attitude ever! Then after about 3-4wks I too have noticed extreme bursts of emotions. I really feel that it is due to the meds. I have tried varies solutions, like taking one in the morning and one in the mid afternoon. One bad thing with this medication is that you have peaks, ups and downs. It can make you crash. Talk with the doctor, also bi-polar is associated with ADD. I haven't heard of it when the child is young, my dr. told me it is usually when you are older growing up with it, it kinda developes. Good Luck! I too have a ten year old, and he has not been diagnosed with ADD. But he has emotional episodes as well! It also has to do with their enviroment, what they have been through. Life is hard and it really can have a negative effect on all involved.

Best Wishes-
Deb

OK - have you thought that maybe it isn't ADD? My children were both originally dx with ADD. It seems like the easy dx with children. By with my four year old it didn't explain the outburst and the mood swings. She was later rediagnosed with Bipolar - which does occur in children and takes a whole differant approch to meds then ADD. It is estimated that a fourth of the kids dx with ADD are really Bipolar. You can find more information here - http://bpkids.org. Also if you are not comfterable with your children's doctor then I would see about finding a new one. Does he specialize in special needs or is he just a genral practicioner? If he is general then you may want to find someone else for his ADD.

I have a son who has ADHD, and we experienced the same behavior on Adderall. In fact, we have changed medication 4 times, but we finally found one that doesn't cause mood swings or trouble sleeping. My son is now on concerta. Not all medications work the same for all kids, but I suggest talking with your child's doctor about switching. Not only is is not fair for you to have to deal with mood swings, but it's not fair for your child to have them. I always cried when my son had outbursts, because I know he is so loving and caring, but he truly couldn't help his behavior. Now that we found a med that helps, he is happy and so are the rest of us.

Hi S.,

I have read the other responses and it sounds like most everyone is of the same opinion. My suggestion is that you seek a second opinion and adjust your son's medication until it is the right combination and or dosage for him. I know that even with my birth control medication when changed to a new rx caused terrible hormone surges and caused acne as well as horrible PMS type symptoms and mood swings. I also have a friend who is bipolar and it took many years and many doctors to get his prescription right. It almost cost him his job, marriage and family. Thank goodness he found a great doctor who was willing to stick it out with him and try different things. You should start keeping a journal and document when your son takes his medications and when he has terrible moods swings. Also make notes as to possible triggers or overstimulation type situations. This will help you and your doctor determine whether it is ADD or something else.

Good luck to you and your son! Please let us all know how things are progressing.

Hi-S.: I am in tears after reading your notation. I can easily say I am in tears, my son is in the 5th grade & his teacher recently said-she wants him to get tested for ADD? I am in total denial, I've been crying, trying to think of what did I do wrong to him? Can I help this situation? I said "Hell No" & stormed outta the room, never speaking to her again. I am irrate & don't know what to do? he has alot of similar behaviors as your son. I'm sorry I am not giving any advise, but leaching off your info for my own situation. My son has mood swings gallor & I never thought anything about it cuz I have a 3 & 4yo so he's not the baby no more I thought that's what's been wrong? But maybe I should consider the test? I'm sorry I didn't have any help/info but I read alot off your page that I learned. The only thing I have read about is Fatty acid Deficiencies & omega-3 (diet)~god bless~

Hello- First of all- I sympathize with your situaion. I have an 11 yr old son who was diagnosed with ADD 2 years ago. He was having problems in school- and VERY emotional at home. Angry and passive one day- happy the next. I was emotionally so tired of the verbal tirade he fired at me and my daughter on a seconds notice. I took him to a Psychologist and in two minutes he was diagnosed with ADD and given Strattera. Like your son he did great for a few weeks and he felt better and then it seemed not to be working. For me I noticed that he payed attention and minded when he WANTED to. I started having creeping suspicions that he truly did not have ADD as I know some kids really do. I talked to his doc and suggested weaning him off his meds just to see. I really had to do some behavior modifaction with him. Setting limits, taking time outs for myself and being completely involved in his life. It was a struggle for me at first but I noticed he really did better with this, he has not had any outbursts(he is very-strong willed, like me) he just requires more attention at times. He does not have ADD and I medicated him for 1 1/2 years unnecessarily!! I also read up on this and found Strattera CAUSES depression and possible suicidal ideation!! Yikes!! My advice is to get a second opinion and log his behavior and yours, may prove to be interesting. I hope this helps you- Take care- L.

Hi S.,

I know you have gotten tons of responses and I hope something will be helpful, useful, and an answer. I have allergies and have passed them onto my kids. They are food and chemical(environment). My daughter is 20 and my son is 12. I also have a blended family. I have a 21 year old step son and an 18 year old step son. All have moved out and that leaves my husband, son, myself and 2 dogs. We have been married 8 years. Let me tell you, I love my family, but I have a lot calmer house. My daughter had difficulty adjusting to the blended family and fitting in to say the least. My 12 year old, being 4 was all boy, but everyone would say he is aggressive. I had stayed home until he was age 2 but then had to move to Az. and get a job after a divorce. It seemed my stepsons personalities were more pleasing than my children. They were compliant children. When I put my son in a charter Montasouri school to be close to where I work and so that he could move around in the class, I thought his behavior would be better. That was not the case. I was called several times and had to come pick him up. He stayed at this school until the middle of his 2nd grade. They had a pyscologist come in and evaluate him and said he had ADD and I needed to take him to the doctor and medicate him. They had me take their evaluation sheet to the doctor. I took him all the way to Scottsdale to an MD/Holistic doctor. I had gone to her for myself and trusted her approaches. She looked at what they evaluated and said he had it after asking a few questions. She gave me choices of natural or regular medication. I chose the natural approach even though it seemed to take longer and we struggled still. My husband said we needed to medicate him and so did the school. He has changed his mind now. They even had me do an IEP on him. I refused to medicate him. I then switched my daughter to another school and I could send my son there also. At progress time the teacher said I have a hard time passing him, he can't read. She said I don't see him as ADD. He can sit while other kids are working. She suggested Sylvan Learning Center. I did get the school board to contact the charter school and they did pay because they were found at fault. There was more stress to take him to Sylvan and school and I also worked. He was becoming stressed. The doctor had suggested I stay home, but our situation at the time I could not. I know that would have made a difference in him, even though he was not ADD, but acted out because he needed me, structure and less stress and all the changes in his life. Today his grades are A's and B's and he has never taken medication and I have had several teachers that he has had say he is not ADD. He needed structure in the classroom that he wasn't getting and I thought he needed to move around. When he went to public school after Sylvan, he was taken off IEP status. I don't think that happens very often. Everyone that sees him and is around him tells me he is such a good kid and a joy to be around. He loves helping people. He holds doors for people coming out of stores or restaurants. I never taught him. This may not be the case with your son, but he probably needs you around more, even if you work part-time. I did do that when I was able. I also feed my kids very healthy. No cows milk. Some people say they give organic milk. It seems to help some. They have hormones and antibiotics in milk as well as meat. Think about how hormones effect women with periods and when going thru the change. No one needs more hormones. Chemicals that you clean with can effect emotions. Food additives are not healthy for anyone either. I shop at Sprouts and Trader Joes. I also limited my son from fast food. It was a treat when he got it. There are more allergies some kids have that can cause real emotional problems. The best advice I can give is you are the mom and you know your child better than anyone. Don't feel you have to do something because 1 doctor tells you. If I had given my son medication I don't know what he would be like today. He didn't need it. I only believe in medication when it is necessary. I have a CD on toxic awareness if you would like I could send it to you. If you would like to contact me feel free to at ____@____.com.

Sincerely,
T. B.

sorry for the late response...did the doctors tell you about all the side effects that come with the meds? they can create all sorts of mood swings, even thoughts of suicide in kids under age 18. my son was diagnosed with adhd, and after refusing meds and seeing a great doctor (sanford newmark) we discovered he was allergic to soy. ot's hard work, but keeping soy out of his diet removes about 85% of his ahdh behavior. he has been diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, which seems to come along with adhd, but managing that is do-able. i strongly suggest you do an elimination diet, remove all media for a while, and take all artificial color and flavor out of his diet.

S.,
I would listen very carefully to Jennie's advice (she was the grad student studying psych). There are more than a few members of my family that are bipolar and when I first read your post I (like Jennie) automatically recognized your description of your son as someone with bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, even if he is rediagnosed and the diagnonsis turns out to be bipolar, it's only the beginning of a long road. Many people who are bipolar have lived with it for so long that when they are finally medicated for it they say that the medication makes them feel "wierd," and "not normal" or not "like myself." For this reason it can be very difficult to medicate tweens and teens. The scariest part is that many of them may refuse to take the medication, and opt instead to self medicate with tobacco, drugs and alocohol (this was the case with many of my family members). Also, a person with bipolar disorder will typically be mediacted for life. However, once people with the disorder become adults they typically accept that the medication is actually making them feel "better," "normal" or "like everyone else" and are able to go on to have successful careers, marriages, and families. Like many of the other women have said, having him reevaluated would be a good first step. Whatever you discover, I wish you and your family (and espsecially your son) the best of luck. God bless.
-J.

Hello,.. I'm new here! I wanted to respond to you because the behavior you decsribed sounds very familair! My son who is now 8 years old was diagnosed ADHD/Mood disorder at age 6. My husband, his sister and his dad are all Bi-Polar. When I sought help I already knew he was bi-polar, I just needed the diagnoses so that we could receive treatment. The Doc said he wouldn't put the "Bi-polar" Lable on just yet because of his young age,. but I guess the mood disorder covers it. Also one of the things that led us to get help was a program that I saw on TV about kids with Bi-Polar being mis-dianosed with ADD. Meds for ADD will not work for someone with Bi-Polar it may even intensify the problem. My son, my husband and my father in law all take Lamictal and have FANTASTIC results!!! My sons does is 25mg of Lamictal daily. I can't even tell you how much I love this drug! It's a miracle drug as far as I'm concerned. I know everyone is different,.. so when you seek your second opinion,.. suggest it. You never know it may work for your son too. Blessings! Jo~ oh and I'd like to add how important it is to get a correct diagnoses! Try having him tested through a Neuropshycholigist. They do extensive testing and are very thourough. This way you can feel confident that there has been a correct diagnoses and "IF" they still recomemd medication you can stand strong in knowing you are doing what is best for your child.

I have a 7 year old step-daughter and her teacher wants to have her tested for ADD. My best friend growing up had a brother who was like your son. At the age of 9 he was diagnosed with ADHD. At the age of 16 he was retested and was found to have been bipolar. I would get a second opinion from a different doctor.

S., wow. I really need to get you in contact with my mother actually on this one, however my brother is going to be 16 in august and in the past 10 years or so he has probably been on every add/adhd medication out there. Since then he has been diagnosed with ODD (opositional defiant disorder) and bipolar, along with that he has also been diagnosed with depression. We have been through such a long road starting when he was very young. He didn't learn to talk even until he was 3 and had to go to a special speech school. Even today he is still mentally behind a few years and is socially not in a good place. We have faced many many hard years of him running away, bad friends, and a justice system that couldn't care any less about the troubled kids that need structure and strict military-like guidelines rather than being put in a mental institution. I have helped take care of my brother since he was a baby, and we have seen him go from the sweetest kid in the world to our worst nightmare. There isn't anything in out house that hasn't been broken or stolen. The biggest advise that I could give that I wish my parents would have done more (although I know it's hard) is to just extend your patience as far as it can go and show him how much you love him. More and more these days teachers are not trained to deal with kids with add/adhd and will quite possible see your child as a troublemaker, but its almost like having to take care of two kids in one. my mom's email address is ____@____.com. I could tell you all of the heartaches as a sister but im sure my mother could give you alot more insight. you should email her and I'll tell her about you. I know she would be more that happy to have someone to talk to about it

Tell his md about his behavoir I have ADD and Im 32. They may want to change his med since he is getting angry. I used to take a couple diff meds that made me just explode. I aslo have depression and only take meds for depression now but its does not help the add at all. Also check on Bi-polar since that is another reason that add meds can make you have out burst if the child also is bi-polar. Hope this helps. Its a struggle but when you find the right med what a difference it will be. Im a mom of a child with Epiepsy and learning dis. Having ADD and depresion has definalty been alot of ups and downs but it will get bettter! Jen Surprise,AZ

Hi S.-
First of all, I want to emphasize the fact that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! The hardest part in dealing with a child like this is understanding that. I spent the first 5 years of my son's life keeping him away from other children. I felt like we were a burden on our friends and family because of his behavior. He was diagnosed ADHD and ODD at the age of three, after a long and drawn out struggle. I did not want him labled. I did not want him grouped in with what I saw as the "bad kids". Plain and simple, I was wrong. Just because a child is diagnosed this way does not mean they are "bad". Over the years, we have tried almost every medication out there. I feel terrible about not being able to find the right one for so long. But my thought process was if he was going to have to be medicated then I wanted to make sure it was exactly right. Turns out, a blood pressure medication called Clonidine has helped the most. It keeps him from getting so physically upset. Also, he and I attend family therapy twice a month. As a single mom with no family in the area, I understand how hard this can be. Don't be afraid to fight for what is best for your child. He is YOURS, no one else's. Don't feel pressured to make him a "perfect" child through meds. The one thing that has stuck with me through all the years of trials and tribulations is this: "There is no miracle pill or magic cure. Every child is different and special."
So get that second opinion...or third.... Try counseling as ADD and Bi-Polar and Autism all have so much in common. I had never before believed in counseling until seeing for myself how much it can help. My son and I can now talk about (and recognize) his feelings, and mine, and actually get somewhere. I have accepted the fact that he will most likely be on meds for the rest of his life. But, like someone already said, it will be easier for him to deal with that having taken them for so long, rather than starting much later in life.
I realize that my opinion and advice differs dramatically from everyone else's. I do not mean to offend or upset you in any way.... God knows you get enough of that every day. I just wanted you to know, more than anything, that you are not alone.
Peace, love and happiness...............C.