Help with an ADHD child?

Question

My Son is 5 and was diagonosed with ADHD. We have tried Adderall , it helped, but it supressed his appetite too much and we switched hm to Strattera. That doesent work at all he is all ove the place all of the time. He is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks and I am afraid of his teachers seeing this as a bad child, which he is not, we have raised him to be respectful and have good manners. He is just too hyper at times and dosent always think about what hes doing. Any suggestions on a different medication or tips with dealing with him. I know of other ADD meds, and I am not a big fan of Ritalin. Our ultimate goal is to get him under control w/o meds.

Answer 1

How about therapy so someone can teach him, re teach his thinking, and actions. It worked for my child. Medication is good, mine is on Concerta, but she was trained how to control her actions. She went to a councelor, and it's helping, and has helped. I don't know if you can control him without meds, but good luck. Maybe in later years when he is older. But the teacher will need the child to behave in class so she can teach and if medication helps then I'd give it to the child. You need to think about the teacher too, if the child can behave without the meds then go for it, if not then you must medicate the child.

Answer 2

If it is really ADHD, then you can't control it without medication. Some answers say that he'll grow out of it. This is a myth. It's not a phase. It's a chemical imbalance that never goes away. There is no cure for ADHD. There is only treatment with medication.

One way to tell if a person has ADD or ADHD is the response to the medication. You said Adderall helped your son. That is your answer. ADD medication works almost immediately on the brain. If your son didn't have ADHD, there would be no improvement at all. These drugs are not antidepressants. It doesn't take them a long time to build up in your system in order to work. Yes, that is one of the side effects. Unfortunately, that's the trade off for these medications. That can't be prevented. All you can do is make sure your son takes supplements and eats regularly even between meals. There is also Concerta and a few others. There might not be an "ideal" medication. You simply have to find the one that works the best for his ADHD, regardless of the side effects.

I was diagnosed with ADD not too long ago. I am 41 years old. Had I known this whole time that I had ADD, I could have gotten treatment sooner. Instead, I believed I was lazy, unstable, flaky, among other negative descriptions. When I found out, it all seem to make sense why certain things happened in my life and why I didn't understand many things. It was a huge relief. I could now get medical treatment and start living my life. Of course, I still have to see a life coach. But the medication has made my life less chaotic and now worth living.

ADD masks who your son really is. It masks his talents, his intelligence, his capabilities. The medication creates that balance in his brain. It uncovers the wonderful little guy he really is. It leaves him all the opportunities in life that others have. Please don't short-change your son by depriving him the medication that he needs.

I wish you well.

Answer 3

I'm reading all of these answers...is my kid the only one taking Concerta??? He was diagnosed in Kindergarten-never told the teacher he was starting medication, but she noticed the difference almost immediately.

After going through the pros & cons of different medications with his psychologist, it was decided that we try Concerta, because it is a 12 hour time release medication. I didn't like the idea of the ups & downs of Ritalin (plus having him take medicine in school). He started out on 18 mg & after about 6 months, we bumped him to 27 mg (most of the online info skips the 27 mg dose) and he has been fantastic w/ that dose & he just turned 8.

We've never needed to switch medications, so I don't know how it compares to the others. He doesn't have much of an appetite during the day, either - but he usually eats a really big breakfast and a pretty decent dinner. He is growing and gaining weight and is doing great in school. At home we need to be consistent with him-he needs his life to be black and white-he doesn't deal well in the gray areas.

Everyone's families are different, but whatever you decide to do-I wish the best for your son (and you!)

Answer 4

My daughter is 3 and several people have suggested adhd.. I'm a little skeptical in even going there as much as it's so very very hard to be parents to children that are hyperactive. I think too often people try to find a solution in a bottle and maybe it's not the right solution. Sometimes the best things are the hardest, and that's trying to be a patient parent. Don't have the answers for your son other than do a lot of reading and research and see what other parents are doing. He might be an indigo child .

Answer 5

Loaded question! I was told my son had ADHD at the age of 4! And boy did I have problems. With out boring you with my details.....I would really suggest keeping him off the meds if possible, it changes them. The teachers in school use this as a weapon. They push for the meds because they don't want to deal with an unruly child. Don't get me wrong, not all teachers are like this. But I stripped my son of meds (adderall) and never told the school. Imagine my surprise when they told me how much better he was taking the pill! They never new. Every year my son matures and calms down, it just keeps on getting better. I would love to share more thoughts if you are interested, you can e-mail me - [e-mail] - Good luck :)

Answer 6

No ritalin no future for the child.
Your "likes" will destroy that child's chances in life.
I suggest that you buy a copy of Delivered From Distraction a modern edition of Driven To Distraction by Dr. John Hallowell.
That boy will be labelled as deliberately disruptive or underachieving or an antisocial problem child. Through no fault of his. And all because you do not "like" ritalin.
children will discover other stimulents that will relieve some of the symptoms of A.D.D., like caffeine from coffee, nicotine from cigarettes, or cocaine. He'll get them despite all your efforts even though you don't "like" ritalin. (there's a good chance that he'll be a school dropout or juvenile delinquent by then because you don't "like" drugs.)
There are other drugs besides the two that you have named. Amantadine, modafinil (= provigil), bupropion (=zyban), some beta blockers like propanolol, atenolol, naldolol, and clonidine (=catapres), guanfacine, are often tried by a neurologist who specialises in A.D.D. Even the older tricyclic family of medications are sometimes tried and some (a few), patients respond, very well, to them. ( recently some clinicians have discovered that low doses of desiprimine work very well). Pemoline is an older drug that may also work.
He may need an antidepressent such as the S.S.R.I. family (e.g. sertraline, celexa, prozac, paxil,) as well. Many A.D.D. people are also mildly depressed or dysthemic.
But you obviously have considered all of these, as you have dismissed all medication for your son.
Children do not outgrow A.D.D. they just change symptoms to less obvious ones. It is a life-long condition and a definite handicap if not treated.
Ritalin has been used to treat the condition since 1936. It has few side effects. It takes at least 4 weeks for that medication to stabilise in a patient. In that time your child would most likely regain his appetite. Also parents frequently do not dose children on the weekends, when children can be rambunctious and not disrupt classmates. There is a chance that after that time time that ritalin does not work but it is not common. Ritalin is usually used in conjunction with other treatment modalities.
There is a very good chance that you or your family have A.D.D. or your wife or/and her family has the condition. A.D.D. has the highest genetic component of all the neurological syndroms. Both of you should be tested.
But then again you don't "like" ritalin.
I am writing all this for your son and certainly not for you. I do not like people who regard prejudice and perceived status and propriety, more important than their son's future.
For his sake read the book and get your son to a physician or psychiatrist (NOT a psycologist, they cannot prescribe medications) that specialises in A.D.D. or/& A.D.H.D. specifically..
Having A.D.D. is not a "death" sentence. Einstein had it, T. A. Edison, Henry Ford, Ansel Adams, Emilia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin (probably), and many others had it.
Give your son a break before he is given a label by the school authorites, that will hobble him for the rest of his life.
Very intelligent males have a much higher incidence of A.D.D., and that % rises with the rise in I.Q. There is a majority of A.D.D. individuals at the "severely" gifted levels of I.Q.'s (third & fourth standard deviation).
Dan.
Try www.add/about.com for many articles on the condition. All manner of articles.

Answer 7

Talk with your doctor. Ask for other suggestions. Contact your Local Child & Family Services Office. They do counseling in this area.

Get him and your family into some sort of counseling with a Psychologist. Try to work with your son & his teachers. Make this a partnership between all parties.



Adderall: new strengths of Adderall tablets are now available, including 7.5mg, 12.5mg and 15mg tablets. This makes it easier for parents who often had to cut up larger tablets.

Adderall: a generic version of Adderall is now available.

Adderall XR: a once a day, extended release form of Adderall is available as a 10, 20 and 30mg capsule.

Concerta: a once a day, extended release tablet form of methylphenidate (Ritalin) is available in an 18mg, 36mg, and 54mg tablet.

Focalin: an short acting stimulant with the active ingredient dexmethylphenidate hydrocholoride, which is also found in methylphenidate (Ritalin). It is available in an 2.5mg, 5mg, and 10mg tablet.

Metadate CD: a 20mg extended release capsule form of methylphenidate. It includes an immediate release and extended release form of medication, which gives a biphasic pattern with a peak in the am and another 4.5 hours after the dose is given.

Answer 8

i was diagnosed add as a child. my parents did not believe in medicating me so they took steps to ensure that i was under control from the beginning. i think the biggest thing was having a structured routine that i had to go through every day. everything i needed was in the same place every day. all the places i went to had the same people telling me the same thing. sports and activities really helped because i wanted to be part of the team and to do that i had to behave myself.
i think structure is the key to dealing with add kids. i noticed the same thing when i was teaching elementary school. it may take awhile to get a child into a routine but once they are into it they will try to stay there because they like being with other people, interacting, learning, and having fun.
also, remember, add and adhd are the most over-diagnosed conditions in kids. often times exceptionally gifted children are diagnosed as add because they are bored with what they are doing. they need to be challenged so they have a place to channel all of their energy. teachers, parents and doctors are quick to reccommend meds because they think that's the easiest solution. there really isn't much research on the long term effects of add meds. but i have students in hs who have been on the meds for years. they are often moody and sometimes depressed and directionless. and when they're off the meds you'd think they had 5 bowls of lucky charms that morning. they become dependent on the drugs to function normally.
i hope this helps. i think it all goes back to providing a creative outlet for your child's energy.

Answer 9

I had a stepson that was also diagnosed with adhd. I hated the meds they gave him. They made him into someone he was not. He was no longer lively, he was like a zombie. never wanted to play. Anyways I did some research and tried behavior modification methods. After trying different ones, I finally found one that worked. Search online for behavior modification methods and Good Luck. I know that it is a very long and tiring struggle for both the parents and children.

Answer 10

Lots & Lots of Patience-try asking your family physician to refer you to a psychologist & some counselling for your son & yourselves-you'll be amazed at the books- the coping methods-ask them about the resources they have and how they can help your son with or without the medication- there's even group therapy where other parents bring their children with ADD & ADHD, When your son enrolls in school-Tell them- If the teacher knows-the teacher will have better coping skills with children with ADHD and they have resources at school that can also Help