Kids on ADHD medications
By Raevyn1972
@Raevyn1972 (275)
Canada
January 28, 2007 1:55pm CST
Anyone have children on this ADHD medication? I started my now nearly 14 year old son on it last spring. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, Inattentive Type last June and we tried Strattera instead of other medications (just the word Ritalin makes my skin crawl). His marks in school have gone up nearly 40% in some areas and at the very least 25% in others. His teacher (who taught him three years ago in Grade 5 as well as this year in Grade 8) said that he's a totally different kid as far as his school work goes. He's still the happy-go-lucky kid he always was, he's just less frustrated about his school work and he enjoys learning now. I'm NOT saying medication is the only answer. After 6 years of struggling (nearly 7), my husband and I (mostly I) broke down and had my son formally diagnosed. It was the best thing I could have done for him, and for all of us! I'd love to hear other stories about kids doing well on medications.
9 people like this
11 responses
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
3 Feb 07
i am so pleased to hear such a positive description of this treatment. Our eldest daughter is showing signs of ADHD and my wife would like her assessed but i think 7 years old is too young but i think it is something we need to look in to, thanx again
5 people like this
@ljcapps (1925)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I can't help but wonder, yes for some medication is the answer but when I was young (I am only 26) there wasn't much talk of ADD/ADHD. Now it seems like that is the first thing out of a doctor's mouth when ever he hears about a kid that likes to daydream. I had this problem back in school and due to the fact that the schools I was in weren't ver engaging, I and my grades suffered. I learned on my own that there wasn't going to be anyone to push me, so I have to motivate myself. I still have these flights of imagination and I can drift off and not even notice it my self. The good thing is that it hasn't hampered my work. All I am trying to say and please don't take it as criticism for my family medication is only a last resort. I am very glad to see that your son's grades are improving and that you don't like the thought of ritalin. I think it does more harm than good.
4 people like this
@14missy (3183)
• Australia
12 Feb 07
My daughter sounds similar to your son in that she was a daydreamer and people wouldn't believe that she could have ADHD/ADD when she seemed so quiet at school. There is such a stereotype with this disorder that the children don't get a chance without being judged (and the parents)
3 people like this
@ljcapps (1925)
• United States
28 Feb 07
Nah, these discussions are made to be butted in on. I'm glad he's doing well, and i'm glad it was a last resort. Like i said, medication is the answer for some. But other things should be tried first, as you did, before someone leaps to immediately put their children on medication. My son is very, energetic. has a hard time sitting still through a lot of things, goes ninety to nothing. but he's a quick learner and he's smart. Unless he started having problems, i wouldn't dream of taking him to the doc. I love the energy. But he's four. i'd worry if he wanted to sit on the couch all day and not use his imagination.
@debitopaz (26)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I felt a lot like you do a few years ago. I was set against dr's and meds. It took me 5 years to take my son to a specialist. I watched him struggle for years in school and with other issues. He's FINALLY content.
I also used to sit in class and drift away. Back then they called the student a "daydreamer" and pretty much told us to knock it off.
The medication for my son was a last resort and something I really struggled with. He only takes it in the morning on school days. It goes through his system very quickly. He doesn't require it on the weekends or on school breaks. He smiles all the time when he comes home. I never pressured him to have good grades, but to try and we would be happy. He's not as shy anymore now that he knows for himself he's as smart as we always told him he was.
Sorry, this wasn't my discussion, but I can relate to the author and wanted to post my views.
6 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
2 Feb 07
Good for you Raevyn! I get totally upset when parents do what they think is right for their children and are criticized by others for it. If you would have said you did not put your child on medication and it worked I would have had the same response. Any parent who is doing whatever it takes to help their children is doing the best they can; and it is way obvious you are doing that. ~Donna
By the way, I have adult ADD and take Adderal XR - it has done the world for me in the way of helping me to focus!
4 people like this
@Raevyn1972 (275)
• Canada
3 Feb 07
Thank you for that, Donna :) It means a lot to me that other think the same way!
4 people like this
@payingforschool (678)
• Canada
1 Feb 07
My son is on dexedrine too. I know it's really hard to medicate our kids - we all feel like we are somehow letting them down, or not trying hard enough, or taking the easy way out. But the bottom line is, some of these kids really need the meds. Mine is one of them. His life is so much better since he has been on the meds.
3 people like this
@cockadoodledoo (337)
• Australia
28 Jan 07
My 12yo son is on dex and has been for a while. We tried Ritalin but it didnt make any difference to him at all. He still has his bad days but we have more better days now. We have seen so many specialists over the years and spent a lot of money on natural products. With the use of medication and the specialists we see, we will get through this. It is not easy living with a child that is like this and others can not understand what it is like unless you live with a child with ADD. He will be weaned off his medication slowly during this year and we will see how he goes. He has improved by probably 85% now compared to not being on the medication. He was even expelled from 2 schools when he was 7 years old.
4 people like this
@Ruralchook (538)
• Australia
13 Feb 07
My son has been on Dex for 6 years, the doc didnt want to try Ritalin as he thinks it could react the same way it did with my daughter - it made her more hypo.
Troy (now 11) got expelled from preschool when he was 4, the catholic School said to take him back the year later when he'd matured a bit more and was less hypo. Thats perfetic.
Im not sure how Id cope without my son's medicaiton
2 people like this
@debitopaz (26)
• United States
2 Feb 07
After 3 years, my 12 year old was diagnosed with ADHD/ADD. He's now taking Concerta and his grade have also improved from E's to C's and B's.
4 people like this
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Well, every medication works differently for each person. That is to be expected. I don't have kids that are on that. I hope it'll work out for you somehow.
2 people like this
@lvap0628 (731)
• Philippines
14 Feb 07
My son has been diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive type about a year ago. I am still very hesitant to put him in meds. So the doctor advised me to take him out of the regular class and put him in a special section where he only has to take 5 major subjects in 3-hr days. He is doing well in school right now and we make it a point to praise him and show him how much we appreciate his efforts. He can also concentrate more because he has fewer subjects to study, and he is enjoying himself because the teacher pays him more attention and makes him feel that he belongs. i'm not closing my door on the possibility of meds helping him even more with school work, but i'll wait until the doctor's reevaluation before we finally decide on that one way or the other.
1 person likes this
@kelly60 (4547)
• United States
13 Feb 07
I have two sons with ADHD and one with ADD one takes concerta, He and one of hit brothers both also take abilify which is a mood stabilizer. The oldest one no longer needs his medications. He took them up until he was around 16 but does ok without them now.
The two younger boys, one with ADD and one with ADHD will probably need to remain on theirs for quite a long time. We tried going off the meds for a while last summer and it was a disaster. We won't be trying it again for a while. It was so hard for them to be off of the medications. They needed to be put back on after a very short time. They do quite well on the medications.
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
28 Feb 07
We finally took our daughter in to see a specialist about the problems she was having with concentration, being extremely easily distracted and just not be able to pay attention even when whe really was trying. We wanted so bad to tay away from medication and were very leary when it was suggested, but when we finally agreed with the specialist to try it, it's been wonderful for her. She's on Adderral. A few weeks after she started we noticed a huge improvement in her attention span and compulsive behaviors. The teachers noticed it also.
@psychotaz206 (2086)
• United States
13 Apr 09
my son is almost 11 years old he haas been on 15 diffrent adhd meds before they got it right but he also has other problems as well because his adhd also turned him into bipolar which can happen with kids that have adhd he is now on vyvanse for it and has been for a few months now he seems to be doing better, he was on strattera and it made him halosenate really bad to the point when he was in the hospital he was banging his head off walls and saying people kept telling him to do things it was scarry my son was diagnosed with it when he was 2 he also has odd and bipolar both types of bipolar and adhd, its been a fighting battle and i know it will continue to be but i know my son is a smart kid that we will over come it some how.
