My son is on Speed the docter prescibed it should i take him off he is 11 aka d-amphetmene?

Question

The docter has 45 years+ experince and my son has experineced decreased appitite and he lays around and sleeps allday

His skin prooves his over 65

Answer 1

You should not take your son's treatment into your own hands against the advice of your physician unless you have a VERY good reason for doing so. Suddenly stopping a treatment can have very nasty side effects.

If you have doubts about the currently prescribed treatment, seek a second opinion from another physician, explaining to that physician the reasons for your concerns.

Answer 2

Stimulants are an effective treatment for ADD, "speed" is no different than Ritilin in this regard. I know because I'm taking Adderall right now, which is really just fancy time release speed, if you need to call it that.

Fact: This can improve someone's life DRAMATICALLY, but only if they really do have ADD.

Is your son's life improved? Are his symptoms severe enough to put him on a drug? Does he feel like it is improving his quality of life? Have him list out his symptoms on paper and try to measure if they are improved.

If you're both concerned about these questions, maybe you can take him off of it for a month, then put him back on for a month, and have him record the plus and minus of each time period.

I would definitely talk to the doctor about Adderall though, because the way it is released gradually over the course of the day makes it much less of a "drug" experience and more like medication. My doctor was prescribing me the regular stuff for a while and I feel like there was more of a high and low effect, like chugging coffee and then getting tired a few hours later.

Don't let these people scare you away from helping your son (if it does help him), but also don't be afraid to experiment with whether he needs it or not. He can always go back on it, and he can always quit again if he wants to with no harm done. Since you're the adult it is your responsibility to take both possibilities seriously and make the best decision for your son.

Good Luck. - John

btw: I wanted to add that the side-effects from quitting this stuff are not a big deal. Depending on how much and how long you've been taking it, you will be very tired until it wears off, perhaps 2-5 days (5 days in a case like mine, where I have been taking it a long time). Also, when I was taking the regular amphetimine pills, they only lasted 2-4 hours and then wore off. This may explain your son's behavior, since the stimulant is being metabolized quickly and then leaves him tired. Since being on Adderall I have not had this problem.

Answer 3

You haven't said but I'll assume your son's doctor prescribed d-amphetamine (note spelling) at a low dosage for behavioral reasons. If it's effective, why would you want to take him off of it?

Unless a medication is havng a life-threatening effect, never, never, never discontinue a prescribed medication until you have spoken to the prescribing physician. If you have concerns, then speak to the provider immediately.

Note to all those of you who think the boy will become addicted to "speed": This is not methamphetamine we're talking about. Meds like dexadrine and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are two of the psychostimulants used to treat attention deficit & hyperactivity disorders. If the boy has a deficit, he will not become addicted and, as the dosages are low and very carefully monitored, it will not kill him.

In the meantime, you haven't stated your reasons for wanting to discontinue the med.

Answer 4

Hard to imagine why a doctor would prescribe "speed" for an 11 year old, but if that's the case, I'd watch closely and see how he reacts. Remember, just because a doctor prescribes it, doesn't mean it's right for EVERYONE. They're playing a guessing game at times, and the best one to observe how this drug affects your child is YOU!

Answer 5

Pills Pills PIlls...They are so quick to prescribe them, they are the fix all, right? Wrong! This is something you should get a second opinion on, but not on here. I would get a hold of another physician....asap. I think most Dr's do the best they can with the knowledge they have. But...Dr's don't know everything. Get him/her in right away....

Answer 6

Oh, my goodness! How can they prescribe it for a child ? If he was my kid I would have taken him off of it a long time ago! Why, did they give it to him in the first place?

Answer 7

Why was he on it in the first place? If taking him off it is worse than leaving him on it, then I would leave him on it. But this is just my opinion.

Answer 8

It depends on what he's on it for. If you are uncomfortable with it, take him to another doctor for a second opinion.

Answer 9

You don't even know how to spell doctor, in most cases mother knows best, but in this case I think you should listen to your doctOr! (There is a spell check tool in this program, USE IT)

Answer 10

if you mean amphetamine salt or dextrose amphetamine he is on adderall. amphetamine is the generic name. Its for ADD. if it helps him then keep him on it, it is relatively safe. I had to quit taking it as it became habit forming and became recreational.