child with adhd?

Question

My child was diagnosed with adhd one year ago. He didnt' take the medicine all summer. I tried to start him off this year without taking meds. First two days were fine, third day he was not focused and couldn't stay on task. I had already informed teacher that I was trying to see if he could do without meds. Well, when he takes meds, he is so sensitive when he gets home. Meds (concerta) last for 12 hours. By the time we get ready to do homework, if I tell him his handwriting is unacceptable he cries and is so upset. If I were to tell him this and he was not on meds he would just blow me off and try to write better. He takes 36 mg per day. You think maybe the dose should be lowered?

Just read the answer that House gave. Maybe you should do some research on ADHD before you try to give advice.

Answer 1

i am not here to judge you on your choice to use medication to help your child. from what i understand from your question, you are trying to help him, not yourself.

my son was also diagnosed with ADHD, however, i chose not to use medication (i have seen many 'zombie' children as a result)

one suggestion that i will make is to monitor the food that your child eats. not the food per se, but the COLOUR of his food. yes, i know that i sound crazy but i am not ;o) .. red food dye is VERY bad for children. i cut out the majority of red food from my children's diet and it make a noticeable change in their behaviour. not a complete 180, but about a 90 ;o)

I'm not saying that this is the answer to your son's problems, i would definitely see your family doctor or pediatrician and discuss the issue with him/her, but i think this would help

best of luck

Answer 2

Personally I think that you people who have not had a child with ADHD are being ignorant. I too have a daughter that was diagnosed with ADHD and no its not that she just has a short attention span or is "hyper" she is also very agressive and beats on her brother or anyone near her when she does not have her medications. Among other things such as trying to hurt herself, lashing out at adults, and just being downright argumentative, even with things that she likes. I also tried to keep her unmedicated for as long as possible as i didn't want to give in the the "hype" of ADHD, until she started doing things like pinching her brothers nose with a pliers, or hurting him on purpose just cause she wanted to see if it would make a mark. While I agree that many children are being put on medication unnecessarily I also believe that there are some that need it. My daughter also becomes this way when she is coming off of the medication at night. It is better all around for her to have her medications, she is easier to live with and I think her quality of life is better. The only reason a child would turn into a zombie is if they do not need the medication or the dosage is too high. For my daughter, medication does not do that to her, it just makes her a normal child. She is still very active, she is still argumentative, but that is just her age. Now I will climb off my high horse.

Anyways to answer your question, My daughter's psychiatrist perscribed a 10mg ritalin kicker at night to help her come off the meds a little easier.

PS. My child eats whole grain foods, veggies and fruits. SO I know it is not her diet.

Answer 3

Of course your son is more sensitive when on the meds; they mess with his emotions!

Do you know how many kids are diagnosed with adhd in this country? A hell of a lot. You don't find that odd at all?

I am quite aware that there are some children who just don't do well in school because of short attention spans. My 7 year old son has some problems himself. However, this is NOT a "learning disability", and I don't believe in medication. If the school pushed the medication on you, tell them to bugger off. They cannot FORCE you to give your child medication. In fact, my sister-in-law (who is a child psychologist working in the public school system) told me that if a school ever tried to tell me Adrian had ADHD, I could request special provisions for him under the People With Disabilities Act. So medication is not your ONLY course of action.

Therapy is another option. There is a growing field of mental health professionals who are specializing in helping children change behaviors and cope with ADHD without the use of medications.

And personally, I don't think it's right to tell your 10 year old that his writing is "unacceptable". It may seem trivial to you, but to a 10 year old, that's just like you saying HE is unacceptable. You may want to find a different way to word that. Like..."Here, let me help you form those letters a little better".

Answer 4

You may want to consider changing medications all together. Some meds work well on one child but not on another. Also you may want to try some counseling or therapy( although most doctors advise the combination of therapy and drugs just to keep a better eye on the child.) Also try giving the medicine at different times of the day. My daughter has ADHD and we found that giving her the meds later in the day helped out.

Answer 5

You may need to try a different medication. My 8 yr.old daughter has been on Aderall XR for two years and it has helped A LOT !! She takes 15 ml. in the morning before school and 5 ml. right after school. I tried letting her go without it on the weekends and she was bouncing off the walls so we didn't do that again. As she has gotten older and her weight has changed we had to adjust her medicine. I also control how much sugar she takes in and she does not drink soda or store bought juices. When we drink orange juice I squeeze it myself so that there is no extra sugar. She also has trouble with her writing but with her she writes in cursive better than she prints. I still make her do her homework on scratch paper and then on her homework paper so that there is not a lot of erasing. When she has to do her reading for school we have 2 copies of the same book so that when she reads to me I don't have to read over her shoulder. Keep him busy and keep a regular schedule year round. It is hard to make her go to bed at 8pm during the summer and sometimes I do let her stay up late but in the end it is better for her. She has done so much better in school since we started on the Aderall XR. I hope in time she out grows this but if not at least we know how to deal with it. Good Luck to you both !

Answer 6

This is a toughy. My sister has ADHD and when she was younger she took Ritalin. She stopped taking it cause it was giving her "ticks".

Basically, you want to talk to your doctor. See what they say. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a second opinion...just don't get a third or fourth and so on.

My sister also used to do Bio-Feedback. It's basically a study of the brain and is done while the child is playing games, with there brain. IT was new when she started but she loved it. Maybe it'll work for you.

ADHD is soo hard cause each case is different. My sister is now off meds and is doing fine.

I wish you good luck.

Answer 7

I work for a school and we have students who are ADHD and take medications. If there is a problem, the best thing to do is to talk to your doctor and also you can speak to the school counselor and tell them what's going on. There is a form that you can have the school fill out, which states his behavior with teachers, classmates and his school work. And you fill your part of his behavior at home and the doctor can decide if they should lower his medication or probably change it. The form should be filled out everyday until your next doctors appointment (about 30 days). You also need to understand that everything should be documented, just to be in the safe side. Because if the problem happens in school and he gets to be out of control and you are not giving his medication, they can report you to DCFS for medical neglect. Just make sure you do everything correct and don't do it alone.

Answer 8

1st off I would like to say its not that kids are SUGARED up, it has alot to do with the metals we have in our bodies! Another a ADHD childs brain functions faster than anyone elses Thats what makes them impulsive. I tried meds with my child(it didnt work) . but have you ever thought of changing the childs diet? I have changed things in my sons diet that has helped greatly no meds at all!!!!! Email me if you would like more info! Your not a bad parent for giving meds. I will be glad to tell you what has helped me if you want some info. and yes 36 mg is to much!!!!

Answer 9

In my opinion adhd is a sham. Kid doesn't listen blam upside the head. I find it funny all these disorders were discovered when people who weren't ready to have children and raise them. Needed an excuse for their lack of skills, then the mental health community happily said yes. More sales for their pills. Ever think that if we were less pc that we would be living in a better society.Enjoy the free money. That i lose because you won't pull out the belt when necessary. Sorry may seem cruel but it's the truth. I know i'll get the bleeding heart response but the facts are there this generation of kids do not hold dear what they have, and their current behavior is a result of their parenting. Not trying to give advice lady just stating the facts in my day. You acted up you were corrected. Now everyone has a disorder or a trama that doesn't make them responsible for their actions. Research ?? nah just like to go with my gut.

Answer 10

I have one child with ADD, one with ADHD and one "princess". I feel for you. Ask your pediatrician about maybe giving your child a lower dosage of his meds when he gets home. Keep prodding, the doc can regulate the dosage to best suit your child. I've done that too. Good luck and never give up!

Answer 11

i have a son that has adhd for 3 years now he has been on concerta for 9 months talk to your doctor about changing dosages and it seems to me like u are not comfortable with any medication ask your doctor about non medication solutions they didn't work for us but they might for u all kids are different