Unhappy with ADHD Medication.

I have had great success with Focalin XR. My son is still himself and energetic! He even told me he likes it because he can control himself better. He is 8 and has been taking it for about a year now. He still eats still sleeps and is still his fantastic self! My son needed something to help him settle down!

Hello,
My son is six years old with ADHD and believe me we have been through it all. My son tried to concerta and the adderall, both with very negative side effects. He is now taking Focalin XR and we love the results. Something you could look into to. Let me know if there's any other way I can help.

I had the same experience with my son Nicholas. He was a Zombie when I gave it to him. It took awhile to finally get the dosage correct. I am asking the doctor about the Concerta next week.
I have also heard that diet helps with ADHD.
I limit to almost nothing with Red 40 additives. Preservatives and additives can be a major contributor. Increase omega 3's in diet. they help also.
J.

I am so sorry to hear that you are all going through this. My son is also six and was dx with adhd at age 3. We had him to every doctor and they wanted to try the medications. We felt we would because things were so bad for him. He could not go anywhere without getting into trouble, hyperactive....we always did disipline and couldn't figure out what was going on. We tried the meds and he had the same reactions. Bad reactions. Aggressive, moody, more on edge. Finally we said enough. He would hardly eat and we could see the weight dropping. When he was four and in preschool one of his techers picked up on his space issues, transition problems , and sensory issues. She referred us to The Children's Institute in Wexford to have him evaluated for sensory indegration. Turns out he has many sensory issues like noise, temp, transitions, large groups of people, social skills problems. We started occupational therapy there and saw many great improvemnets. Then, as I began researching these things I came across a lot of information about autism. High functioning autism. There are many child with PDD-NOS or Asperger's who have all of the symptoms of ADHD/ oppositional defiant disorder, that are actually on the autism spectrum. We looked furthur into this and saught help at Western Psyciatric Institute in Pittsbugh and found that , yes. This is what is going on. Most kids in the spectrum react very badly to stimulants because it increases there problems. He currently has wrap around support in school for autism and has a wrap around at home. He has an Individualized Education Plan at school to help him with his school day. It is amazing all that is out there and we had to find all of this on our own. If i can help you in anyway with doctors names, literature, school advice, please let me know. So many children are being dx with ADHD when in fact there is more to it and treating the right things makes all of the difference. My son has come such a long way in just two years so I know we are on the right path now. I will be praying for you and your family

I have two children (now teenagers) that have ADHD. Afre trying other methods and trying different med's to find the best fit, they are both on Concerta and have been for 2 or more years and I have found this to be the best drug with minimal or no side effects. Try sticking with it for awhile.

I also advise (and maybe he is already) have cousneling to go along with the med's.

Keep an eye on him though because if he's borderline ADHD and it doesn't seem to be helping I would take him off. Generally, at 6 it's hard diagnose. My son started the med's in 4th grade and my nephew (who I have custody of) started in 2nd or 3rd grade.

I have never heard of the coffee idea but I aggree with the Dr. seems like a bad idea if for no other reason than it will affect his sleep and won't stay in his system long enough to help.

Have you talked to your pedatrician at all?

HELLO, MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AT THE AGE OF 4. THE DOCTORS WANTED TO PUT HIM ON MEDS, BUT I ONLY AGREED TO THE ADHD MEDS. THE LIST OF DIFFERENT MEDICATIONS HE WAS ON OVER THE YEARS ARE MORE THAN 7 THAT I CAN JUST RAMBLE OFF. MY SON IS NOW 16 AND HE IS NO LONGER ON MEDS AND HASN'T BEEN FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS. COUNSELING ONLY HELPS IF YOU HAVE A GREAT COUNSELOR. ONE WHO WILL LISTEN TO ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND GOOD THINGS. ONE WHO WILL TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY AND NOT COP OUT WITH AN ATTITUDE OF IT'S THE PARENTS FAULT BECAUSE IT ISN'T! MANY TIMES MY SON WAS PUT IN PSYCH HOSPITALS, WHICH LEFT ME WONDERING IF THE MEDS WERE HELPING OR MAKING THINGS WORSE. SEEING HIM OFF THE MEDS AND A GREAT KID WARMS MY HEART! IT WILL NOT BE EASY, THOUGH, JUST KEEP TRYING AND NEVER GIVE UP. AND ONE MORE TID BIT, MAYBE TRY A SUPPORT GROUP FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT DO HAVE ADHD, THEY ARE AN EXCELLENT GROUP OF OTHER PARENTS WITH THE SAME CONCERNS, AND MAY PROVIDE RESPIT IF YOU NEED IT, AS WELL AS OTHER REFERALS.

T.-

My 5 1/2 YO son was diagnosed at 3 years old with AD/HD combined type (both hyperactive and inattentive). It took me over a year to try meds. We did start with behavioral modification/therapy but it wasn't enough. We are continuing on that path still, but I finally added in the medication about a year or so ago. It got to a point that I realized how unhappy he was being so out of control all of the time. It was worth a try. I've seen enough positive changes with him being on the low dosage that he's on to continue. But, it's a process and with all the information they keep coming out with...who knows....

We started on Ritalin LA (long acting). Which, wasn't too bad, but about 30 minutes after he got his dosage, he would get nasty. Just really picky and would come over and smack my legs or something similar. His developmental peditrician and I determined that this behavior was probably being caused b/c that was about the time when the "meds" hit his system and he could "feel" it. It would only last about 15 minutes or so but we still decided to try something else to see what would happen.

We then tried "regular" Ritalin (the short acting kind). OMG! What a NIGHTMARE! I took him off after just a few days. He was RAGING on it. He actually picked up his mattress and threw it across his room! And...he was only 4 at the time.

We then quickly switched to Dexedrine Spansules. His doctor originally prescribed Adderal XR at this time, but my pharmacy wouldn't fill the script. They said that not enough studies were done on kids under 6 on this medication. So, the dcotor switched to Dexedrine. So far, it's had the least amount of side-effects. I don't see any effects when it "hits" his system or when it's wearing off. It appears to be pretty 'clean' for him. We probably need to up the dosage a bit at this point. It's sort of working, but he's starting to become more hyper again even while on the meds. But, until he goes into Elementary School and there's homework and stuff he needs to attend to, I'm not willing to "up" the dosage for his overall success in preschool.
Now, I realize that it appears as though you are looking for other options besides medication and I'll be interested in what you find out. I'm always looking at the big picture to see what is ultimately best for my son. At this time, the medication (very low dosage, 5 mg. per day) has helped him in social settings and peer interactions as well as listening. He used to run right into the street!!!!! But, maybe there's something out there that's better for him and won't be such a medical concern.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help with other alternatives....good luck! I'll be curious to see what's suggested :)

Hi T.,
The medication sounds horrible, as you said. My dearest friend had similar issues with her boy- she changed his diet completely- giving him only healthy natural foods- no sugared cereals, sodas, or packaged foods. His problem went away within a few weeks, naturally.
Once in a while, she slips, or goes to a party, and eats typical junk, and he "falls back", but she starts over again and he is doing very well now, a few years later.
Good luck, I say try the natural way!

Hi, I am a mother of four. One of my sons was diagnosed when he was two. He has adhd and about four other alphebet soup labels. He is also a high functioning autistic. The truth about the drugs is that it is trial and error. It's frustrating. He is now 16 and wonderful.

We tried adderol, haldol, luvox, and a gambet of others. What finally after all of these were done was Benedryl. The effects are not long lasting. I was able to control when I used it and how much to dose. Don't give up and don't completely hand over control to a doctor. I'll bet he doesn't have a son with adhd. Some of the other drugs made my son a zombie, others caused him to close in on himself. I missed the smile too much to not question the outcome of these.

Today, he only get 2ml of risperdol to help him sleep and nothing during the day.

You are the mom. The 24/7 caregiver. Rate each drug that you try. Remember to keep in mind all side effects, especially liver function. If the coffee worked I don't see why your doctor would be against it. I have talked to many moms and we all agree that we are the bottom line. Listen to your doctor but also listen to yourself and what you observe.

You are doing great and remember that trial and error is not pleasant but it's the best way to make an intelligent choice about treatment.

Good luck.

Hi T.,
My daughter (13) is on Adderall & it works great. We tried it with my son (9) and it did not work at all. He is on Ritalin now and it works well for him.

My 8 YO has ADD. She was on Adderall XR and she was depressed, mean, irratable, and wouldn't hardly eat a thing! She started off last year doing well on it, but as the year went on she developed a blinking tic, was irratable with her teachers, and was beginning to resemble a skeleton! The Dr switched her to Concerta, and it was the same thing. I took her to a psychiatrist this summer and he has now put her on Guanfasine, which in high doses is used to treat high blood pressure. It is not a stimulant like the other two. I have heard some very horrible effects from being on adderall long term, like organ failure! Very alarming. Any how, my daughter starts school on Wednesday, so we will see what they have to say, but I have noticed she has calmed down a bit with the new medication, and it doesn't make her upset or mean, and she has her appetite, so it is working.

I will never put my daughter back on a stimulant, it made her too crazy. If the current medicine isn't helping her at all at school, she will be taken off completely of all meds. It isn't our problem when the teachers don't want to deal with them when they are off their meds! JMO!

T., my son has ADHD, ODD and BiPolar. We have been "experimenting" with his meds since 12/03. We have finally found out that by putting him on 2 different meds has helped mellow him out to the point where he listens and follows direction from people now. I went through the Ritalin and he literaly spazzed out on it and I couldnt even send him to school. We have tried many different ones to finally come to the conclusion that just one is not enough for him. He is on Adderall and something else (cant remember), but like I said tried different meds and different doses. Sometimes you have to make suggestions to your doctors as well. That is what I had to do. When I find out the other med I will post it for you. Good luck
A.

PLEASE.PLASE....PLEASE......
Before you pump your little man with more meds, check him out and see if he allergic to anything. Especially dairy,sugar, and wheat products. Allergies come in many forms such as, moodiness,laziness,and over all just not the kid he can be. I didn't find out until my 30's that I have a reaction to sugar. I would turn into a total brat and witch as I got older after a cookie or bithday cake. Now that I try to stay away from all the sweets, I am a much nicer person. My friend Michelle was put in a special ed program at the age of 8. She couldn't understand basic and simple things. It turned out she was highly allergic to wheat and wheat products. It also turned out that,once her mom changed her diet, she had an extremely high IQ and went on to Med school.

Hi T.,

I just read your request. My daughter is 9 years old and has been on Concerta for 6 months now. Was hesitant to do it, but it really works for her. She can focus better in school and no longer has outbursts. Sometimes she is so quiet, I ask her if anything is wrong and she is ok. The medicine does not make her spacey. Thank God for that. Our family life is so much better. She can get through homework without panicking. I just make sure she has clothes picked out, because that can make her upset. Some people say that schedules are very important to their children with ADHD. Good luck

My son, Donivan is almost 9 yrs. old. Currently he is on Stratera. Stratera is a non-stimulant medication. He also takes 1/2 a one mill. tablet before bed because he used to lay in bed for 2-3 hours awake. The reason Donivan is on the stratera is because he is going to be tested for Tourettes in November and his doctor is hoping that Donivan's tics don't increase due to his ADHD meds. Before Donivan was on Concerta. To be honest I felt concerta was helping the most after the two-three month mark.Our main goal with Donivan is to have him off all medications eventually. For right now Donivan is having a great deal of trouble just mastering his alphabet due to his consent inattention. I didn't want him in a walking coma either, I know how you feel. I went through four pediatricians before I found the one I liked. Donivan was also tested at the Michael Gordon clinic for the ADHD when he was 6.The stratera Donivan is on isn't really helping the ADHD and doesn't appear to lesson his tics either. We have chose to tough it out until the tourettes speacialist meets with us for the neurological exam. Please keep me posted if you find any knew outlooks. If I was you I might try the stratera though. It's a non-stimulant with like no noticable side effects. Good luck

I understand your frustration, my daughter was diagnosed with adhd about 5 years ago. I always thought it was a cop out for teacher's not wanting to do their job. Then we tried her on a medication and a teacher at school who was against medicating kids for ADHD said she was shocked at the difference. I want my daughter to focus enough to learn, but not lose who she is. I have had her on medication and nobody appears to be at home. We have been using Metadate CD for the most part and it wears off to do home work but gets her through the school day. We have had some rough medications also. I read at one time that there was a diet that could help control ADHD, not sure if it works and we are not disciplined enough to follow it but you might be able to find it searching on the internet. Good Luck!

i was recently diagnosed with adult adhd and i can tell you these drugs are strong. i lost weight, lost the messaging from my brain to my bladder to pee, and was jittery with mild heart palpatations. i never took the adderol prescribed to me (i took strattera and concerta) b/c adderol is addictive. i fear that children are diagnosed with this left and right and put on these drugs that may not be necessary. sometimes, what is normal behavior is viewed as disruptive or impulsive when really the truth is that no 2 children are alike. the schools would like for every kid to just conform and if they don't, there's a 'problem'. when in actuality the child(ren) just need to be handled in an individual way. which unfortunately, the schools are not equipped (or alot of times willing) to do. there is a book called nurture by nature - it is about temperament and the inherent attributes we are all born with based on our personality type. you may want to pick it up - if you can't afford it, it's probably in the parenting section of your local library. sometimes an impulsive kid is really exploring the world in his own natural and normal way. it's WE adults who need to change!

Hi T.-
I have a little experience, as I nannied for a family of 5 children, ages 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. They were a mixed family on their respective second marriages. The father was a widowed pharmacist, and the mother was a former EMT, now a successful midwife. Both were experienced with alternative medicines, and natural remedies.

All of the children had their own quirks, as they all do. Some were more pronounced than others. Several times they were told to medicate. But they stuck to their beliefs.

It was a hard battle at times, but we had a plan and we stuck to it. After cutting out a diet full of processed foods, sugars, and fats in favor of a nautral, raw, and organic mostly vegetarian diet, we looked at altering the children's lifestyle.
We started with less (almost NO) TV and video games, and began involving them in arts, music, crafts, and physical exercise. We hiked, biked, climbed, and white water rafted with them. We were a team. They all excelled in their own ways, but when it came down to it, they had to also cooperate and help the younger ones, and act as a team to achieve the goal. Keep them busy, and they sleep like angels.
They all had their own chores to do as well. They all learned to cook, clean, sort, pre-treat and fold, as well as put away.
It wasn't always perfect, in fact quite hard at times. Especially whe you are the one who wants the greasy burger and soda. But we all lived, and they all thrived.
The end result is an incredible work of art called a family. They have had their fair share of trouble in the teenage years, the wrong friends and peer pressure, experimentation with drinking and drugs. But they are blessed to have a computer programmer, a nurse, an esthetitian, an aspiring chef, and an artist.

Hi T. nice to meet you,my daughter was told she had adhd at about 9 years old I think she has been on everything but she does seem to be happy on the Aderall.I Just put her back on it also she is Mild Mentally Challenged 19 year old. When they labeled her as ADHD I said what she is lazy she isn't hyper but I guess its the brain that is going faster if you understand what I mean. The way I look at things if a child is hyper they take the med it brings them down but yes that is good for school so he can concertrate, but it's not good for at home I understand that but believe me if its helping in school keep him on it my daughter is in her last year in school which she should of graduated 2 years ago but not being on meds she failed all her classes right now she is the most improved child in her class :0 ) and thats on meds. Have u tried Ridlen yet?

Hi T.,
I just wanted to write and put in my two cents. It is amazing to me that so many young children are being diagnosed with ADHD at such young ages. I believe that all kids under 6 look like they have ADHD, and am concerned when a doctor is willing to diagnose a 3 year old with this disorder. I understand that you want to do what ever you can to help your son. My recomendation is to find a child psychologist to work with, and make sure that he is correctly diagnosed. There has been an increase of children who have been misdiagnosed with ADHD when they really had a mental illness like Bipolar disorder. I am not saying that this is the issue with your son, but before you settle with this diagnosis please rule out all other possible causes. If kids/people are misdiagnosed the medication that they are put on can create even more problems. By working with a Psychologist you will have access to other types of treatment, like Biofeedback, besides just medication. I hope this helps you, and good luck.

T. i understand your grief baby i do.......my son was diagnosed with ADHD at the tender age of 3 so they say, but when he turned 5 it was official........his doctor had given him Ritalin and it made him the same way you stated your son was, really lifeless, lazy, and zoomed out of everything--i hated it, i felt bad, and also blamed myself for putting him on that medication it was a mess.........after a while his doctor put him on Concerta as well, he responded to it ok and a little differently as well, his appetite did increase he was a little back to normal at least until the medication really took affect and gotten into his system.........he did better in school, got lots of awards, and excelled tremendously if i may say so myself--lol.......he's 14 now and we are going to be starting behavioral modification so he can learn to deal with what he has, continue the life skills that he receives in school, and also learn to be able to function with everday life in order to get off the medication........honey it will be a process, but i am willing to do whatever it takes to get him off that medication....i am sorry i get passionate when it comes to my son and other children who have this problem, T. if you have any more questions please feel free to e-mail me personally

take care and good luck with everything

D.

There was an article last year, NY Times, I think, that spoke about sleep disorders as often being mistaken for ADHD. When children dont get enough sleep, it can often look like behavioral problems or inattention. Things like sleep apnea or adenoids can be the cause. Even if you dont think thats the answer, it couldnt hurt to ask your doc about it, or have a sleep study done to be sure, especially if the meds arent working for him. Also, talk to the school about why they think the meds are great. A school psychologist should be around to monitor your son in school for a while when he is put on new meds to make sure he is on the right dose, with no side effects, and communicate the info to you and your doc. And side effects do include not being his usual happy loving self, as you pointed out.

Check out this website....I thought it was really informative. www.naturalchild.com

hi my name is D. and I have a almost 6 yr. old that's been diagnosed with adhd also. We've been through soooo much different medications. There's a natural remedy that we're just starting to try this weekend. He's(our son) has also had many bad reactions and currently takes med that makes him tired when he first takes it. It has worked the best but I don't want him tired all the time, so we're giving the natural way a try. Our doctor told us to get a multimineral, multivitamin, omega3/fatty acids and to try less sugar and less refined and processed foods. I'll let you know how he does. I'm so grateful you wrote because I thought I was the only one having trouble and didn't want the medication that took away his happy self. If you want to talk more on this I'm also home all day.

T.,

I have not done a lot of research into it, but I've seen clipped newspaper/magazine articles and pamphlets about ADHD and chiropractic treatment. Some of the stuff I've seen was at my chiropractors' office, but apparently there is some research about chiropractic care as an alternative treatment. It might worth investigating if you are seriously wanting your child off of the meds. The side effects of chiropractic care are all positive. I don't know if this is something all chiropractors are trained in working with or not. I can give you the info to contact mine if you are interested though. They are in the PennHills (East Pittsburgh) area. Let me know if you want the info.

Good Luck.
H.

Hi T., How was your son diagnosed, what is the test?
How accurate are the results?
I'm not sure my son has it or ADD. I'm not even sure what the difference is. I'd rather not medicate him either.
He just seems unhappy most of the time, and hard to reason with
at the time. Still trying to figure out next step.

My daughter started on on Concerta. There were many side effects with this drug initally, stomach pain, headaches... she got used to it and they went away. As she got older and heavier, we had to increase the dosage a couple of times. The side effects came back and were worse. It got to the point she was having heart palpatations. We switched her to Dexedrine and have NO side effects at all. Her appetite isn't always great but she eats enough.Like any other child, when she is gong through a growth spurt, she eats like a pig. Sometimes she has sleep problems, other times not. Not sure how much the pills affect this.

I know I would not put her on Adderall. It has been removed from the shelves and banned in Canada. Something MUST be terribly wrong for them to do that. Please check that drug out before using it.

As far as I am concerned ADD/ADHD is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions that there is. I am amazed at how many chlidren are labeled as having them. My second child, age 7, was diagnosed last fall as having ADD. He actually has a severe vision problem. He can not understand and process what he is seeing, so most of what he sees, especially in school, makes no sense to him. He gets bored and acts up. A friend's son was diagnosed as having ADHD at a routine doctor's appointment only 20 minutes after the doctor met him. He did no tests, this was the first time he ever met the child. I have known him for 5 years (he is 11) and he has never shown signs of ADHD, and shows no difference on the medication. He has been on the medication for over a year. Unfortunately, his parents just do as the doctor says without question.
Before medicating your child, make sure that it is truely ADHD. There are so many things that it can be. Vision, food, stress, NORMAL CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR. If it is ADHD, there are treatments not involving drugs that you can try first.

I think that "ADHD" is an overly diagnosed condition.. and medicating a child so that the teacher doesn't have to do their job is not helping your child... did you put your child on this medication because he was acting up at home .. or was it the schools suggestion... doctors have their own biases they don't want to lose the money they get for continueing treatment of your child... you need to decide what is best for him.. not for the doctor..

I'm going out on a little bit of a tangent, so please forgive me. As a teacher of high school students, I have had many kids with many different diagnosises over my years in the classroom. I do the best I can to accomodate all of my kids and all of their IEPs (individualized education plans). I work hard every day and have DEDICATED myself to children. To all moms, please don't bash us - we leave our families everyday to try to make the world a better place by teaching your children. I have found that we work hard to create the best learning environments for your kids so that they can learn to the best of their abilities. I love my students and want only the best for them- whatever that happens to be. If you're having problems with the school, please continue to talk to them and work with them to make sure your kids have the best school experience they can have. Please try to remember that we're all working toward the same goal- great kids who love to learn.

That being said, I feel for all the moms that struggle with kids who don't fit the 'traditional' school model. I know that it's hard - school isn't always an easy place- especially for kids who are 'non-traditional' learners. Don't give up on any of us- kids or schools! My dad and sister had HORRENDOUS school experiences because of severe learning diabilities- so I try to remember that school isn't easy for everyone- but everyone deserves the best education I can give them- no matter what.

Thanks for letting me vent- even though is has little to do with your request. I would say not to stop trying to find something that helps him feel like he's in control. This ADD / ADHD stuff -IMO- is much too easy a diagnosis for kids to get these days- sometimes kids are just lively. Is that a a bad thing? I'm not sure that medication is the answer-I hate to see how many of my kids are medicated everyday-I'm no doctor, but I think some of them would be better off without meds. I wish I had the answer- it would make life so much easier for my kids and their parents!

Good luck! I wish you all the best.
C.

Hi My name is K., I am in your shoes, I don't no what to do anymore, maybe we should try the holistic method. I am going to go to the health food store and see what they say... Good Luck.