ADHD Medication

Sarah,

As a mom of a teen with ADD/ADHD for the last 10 yrs (she, too, was diagnosed when she was 7) the first bit of advice I can give you is PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE!!

Give yourself a time out to be able to deal with the situation in a calm manner =) (I've repeated to myself several times.. I love my daughter.... I love my daughter..lol)

Also, not every child is the same. You will find out with use of the patch whether or not it is the right medication for your child. I do agree to put it in different places so that your child doesn't get a rash from the medication. If this is not the right medication for your child, consult with your child's doctor about other medications. There are several out there. It's all trial and error unfortunately.

My daughter was on a couple of different ones before we found the right one that worked well for her. It's really unfortunate that she was kind of like a guinea pig trying the different medications before we found one that worked, but even the doctors don't know if the one that is prescribed will be the right one for the child until it is taken.

I can't tell you how to 'deal' with the behavior issues - again each child is different and at different stages. I just treated my child as if she was any other kid and gave her the same kind of punishment as any other child - i.e. time in the room, taking things away, etc. Just because my kid has this disabilty doesn't mean she can get away with things that are disrespectful, etc.

Also, I see some advice about non-medicating and using diet as a means of controlling ADD/ADHD. I'm not for or against this, however I do believe that you have to do what you think is best for your child.

Ten years ago, I wasn't aware of such things as diet changes to control ADD/ADHD, though I have taken into account of changing some of her eating habits to see if it does have an effect on her outbursts. Some have, some haven't. I do not buy anything with red dye in it anymore - cut out all junk food and limit the amount she eats totally. She's on Adderall XR and its SUPPOSED to cut her appetite.. but doesn't.

Good luck with your child and the medication. Keep in touch with your child's doctor and teachers in school on her progress - or lack thereof.

There is a yahoo group online that is a ADD/ADHD group/helpline/support group of sorts. The people on there medicate and also non-medicate and do the diet route. here is the link to join:

____@____.com

Hi Sarah,
Put your daughter on a sugarless and non-white flour diet and give her omega 3 capsules (fish oil).
It's a crime to put children on drugs of any kind!
Get the book by Dr. Daniel Amens "Change your brain, change your life!"

C.

I have never heard of this patch - is it a stimulant? My son who is now 10 has been on Focalin and Adderall. He was becoming so irritable and not eating so we switched him to a non-stimulant called Tenex which has been great.

Start the meds at home and keep and eye on her to see how she reacts. Then at school have the teacher takes notes on how she is doing throughout the day. The teacher will most likely tell you she is more focused, stays in her seat more, seems calmer etc. Of course if she biologically doesn't do well with it she will act completely the opposite. If this is a stimulant she may have trouble falling asleep at night. You can ask your ped. about giving her a little melatonin -worked for us.

We have tried lots of things for my son - traditional and alternative. We had him screened for allergies, tried supplements, OT, metronome sessions and now we are doing neurofeedback through an incredible psych. in Ridgefield who has done a more complete eval. on him and said sensory integration, anxiety and non-verbal learning disability also play a role. She has helped us at the school - serving as an advocate to put a program in place for him - lots of sensory breaks, etc We pushed to get him in special ed and he is doing very well.

I am happy to talk to you more privately - I know this is a difficult thing and it helps to talk to others who share your experiences.

Best,

M.

My step son was on the daytrana patch. It left marks on his skin and made it dry with a rash. The areas that the patch was , was always sore and red. He was on the minimal dosage and it didn't seem to help him to his full potential. The doctors and the teachers agreed. My step son didn't even want to be on the patch, he wanted to take a pill because the patch hurt him. He is now on Focalin. It works for him alittle bit better though he is on the minimal dosage too. He was diagnosed when he was 8. He is now 9 and hsi mother took him off it for the summer and when the school year started well lets just say we are still having a hard time. I wish I had some advise about how to manage the behavior problems but I still trying to figure that out myself. Time outs, no bike, no outside, no video games or no toys never works. We don't know what to do anymore. Hope this helped with your question about the patch. I hope you get more info on how to deal with the behavior problems.
Good Luck, I know how you feel,you are not alone!

My son who is 6 is also an ADHD kid and we have chosen to medicate him. We have finally found the right medicine, but tried two others that were not right for him. We are not using the Daytranan patch for several reasons - 1. he is incredibly fair skinned and my pediatrician and I were worried about his skin having a bad reaction to the patch; and most importantly 2, my son is incredibly skinny and with the two stimulant based drugs we tried he lost a huge and dangerous amount of weight. So although we had luck with Vyvanse, we can't use it due to this issue and the sleep issues. We are currently taking Straterra very successfully. My advice is to give it time and take the time to find the right medicine as it can make a world of difference.

As far as behavioral problems, it really depends on what they are. I have 3 kids, so in my case I have to had down the same punishments for bad behaviors. However, things like running the hallways, I consistenly tell him to stop and check his engine. If you have any specific behavior questions, let me know and I will give you my take on them.

Good luck and keep at it - your life will be peaceful!!!

When my kids were little I had them on the Feingold Diet because they were sensitive to dyes and colors. Clinical studies indicate that there is a link to dietary and environmental factors. Fried foods are problem. Intolerance to sugar may be part of the problem. Household cleaners are a big factor. Check the ingredients on your labels. You may find pesticides and toxins that are aggravating the ADHD. I am happy to say I have been able to get all the toxic cleaners out of my home. Call me at ###-###-#### and we can talk about this.
L.

Sarah,

Most ADHD is caused by food allergies and/or toxicity. Sometimes even fluorescent lighting can cause brain disturbances. I wouldn't consider medication without first ruling out all food/chemicals allergies. Sometimes it's so simple as removing dairy or wheat or chemicals from the diet. It's worth the trouble. A still developing brain deserves to have everything ruled out before using mind-altering drugs.

Not all allergies manifest themselves with sneezing, rashes, or a runny nose. Sometimes they affect the kidneys, bladder or other organs and a lot of the time, the brain. Perhaps her blood sugar levels are out of whack. This can wreak havoc too.

Please watch the video on my website. It explains a bit of this and I'd be happy to talk to you personally if you want a list of resources or books to check out first.

S. Hoehner
www.sharethecause.com/detoxqueen

I know some children take Concerta, Ritalin, and Focolin pills. Those children don't experience that much side effects except bad appetite. I suggest you feed the child really well before giving her time release pill which has effectiveness upto 9 or 12 hours from swallowing one pill without embarassing herself for repeating the medication every 3 or 4 hours at school. Time release ADHD pills help to avoid being seen by others when your child take one pill at home each morning after a sensible breakfast. If swallowing the pill is difficult, it be can taken by breaking the pill and sprinkling over ice cream or jello which are the same pills in different forms. Please always check with your doctor and child-neurologist for informed medical opinion. Do not get intimidated by others who berate you to get your child off medication unless your daughter experience unbearable side effects. Please include in her diet with lots of fish and fish oil capsules with omega 3, 6, and 9. Having routine disciplined exercise would also help her for focus and self control.

Hi. I want to start off by saying how sorry I am for what you're going through. I hope you have gone for a second opinion. My son started off with the daytrana patch. Here are a few things to realize. 1) No child is the same. 2)This will determine whether or not this dosage will be sufficient for your child. Put the patch on your daughter's hip, but not where the elastic from her underwear will be. You will notice a reddish color on her skin where the patch was. I used to put lotion on it, it appeared to be dry skin. The daytrana patch did work for my child. I also go to his neurologist once a month and I take him to a certified social worker every week for behavior modification. I hope everything works out for you and yours. Good luck and be well!!! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. All the best!!!

Hi,
My son is 7 and has been on and off the patch for 1 1/2 yrs. I can share our experiences but know that everyone is different and may have a different experience. The good news is that it has been very effective in terms of controlling his impulsivity and hyperactivity. For us, the key has been finding the minimum effective dosage. He seems to change every few weeks and we go between too much med and not enough. For the dry spots on the hip, we use Eucerin and switch hips every day. If you don't, you will run out of places to put the patch. It kills his appetite and he has gone through periods where he did not grow. At the beginning of summer we took him off the patch completely and started on Strattera. He had a huge growth spurt but it did virtually nothing for the ADHD. So, now he is on a combination of both. Make sure the patch comes off before dinner so that she eats and then can fall asleep at night. Even though she will be calmer, it is still a stimulant!

Do not be intimidated by the other people who berate you for putting your child on meds. They clearly cannot understand what it is like to have to make a decision like that. Be sure to involve her school in the process. They can probably offer resources to help with the situation. My son was officially classified in Special Ed this year (he is still in a normal classrom, he just has modifications). If you can get past the negative stigma, it is a huge benefit to get your child what she needs to be successful.

Good luck! Feel free to write back!

Hi Sarah,

My 9 year-old son wore the Daytrana patch just for a few weeks. We found it irritated his skin on a daily basis, so we switched to Concerta & Focalin, which seem to work for him. His doctor advised that we also incorporate Omega 3 in his daily regimen. We consume more fish, and we give him the Omega 3 gummies for children that you can find at your local pharmacy. Good luck.

Sarah,
I was going to say something about 2nd opinion on the meds, but it sounds like you are already into medicating.

A few friends have been going 'natural' and getting ?nature-o-path? opinions and prescriptions and treating their children's AD(H)D that way. A lot of factors are in there, so individual diagnosis is necessary (well, it is supposed to be like that anyway, but a fair amount of doctors lump kids together in one big category for this stuff).

There is a lot on the internet - you'd have to tailor what you find to your daughter.

Good Luck, wish I had info on the patch for you,
M.

I am impressed with the variety and quality of the responses the moms on this site offer. I look forward to checking the the resources offered by some of the other respondents.

I have experience with Daytrana for my own ADHD; and it was the best treatment I've used. Unfortunately, I was one of the unlucky few who developed an allergy to the glue. I was very sad when I had to stop it, and I may try it again now that I've been off it a year. Because it offers continuous delivery of methylphenidate, there are no peaks and troughs in the treatment day.
On the other hand, I have a number of patients who have been using it since it came out and love it. (I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in ADHD.) The sales rep gave me an excellent handout on skin care. I looked for it on their website, but it's not there. Ask your prescriber.
Good luck, and if I can help with other information, feel free to ask.
-C.

Hi Sarah,
It's not an easy decision to start your child on meds. I have not had any experience with the Daytrana Patch. My son was on meds for years. Some worked great, some not at all. Please keep track of all symptoms/side effects while your daughter is on this. Keep your doctor informed of all changes. I recommend checking the website www.goaskmom.com ; it has alot of tips on managing behavior. Also, check out www.miraclebelt.com . I just recently heard about this and it looks like it could be helpful without meds. Good luck, keep in close contact with your daughters teachers and doctors.
Hope this helps, you're not alone...
R.

See my site :

www.enhancedmentalclarity.com

and after that respond directly to ____@____.com (that's an "I" before the "J." with a "Y" at the end). Not sure if the links are working currently. My son takes care of all my web stuff.

J. Marie

Hi Sarah,
A great book that I'd recommend is 10 Lessons That Medicine Can't Teach. I don't remember the authour's name but I found it on Amazon and it really had some great information. Good Luck!