I need some advice from those who have or know someone who has a child with ADD/ADHD. My son is on Adderall XR 30 mg. once per day. He was doing fine until about a month or so ago. He was focused, always doing well in school, was able to complete his homework with no problems, and felt great about himself. Now he has done a complete 180. He cannot focus, is always in trouble in school, won't do his homework without a fight, and can't even stand still in the hall it is horrible! I have heard of other medications out there that can help him. He cannot swallow pills, they have to be broken open, so Strattera is out. Didn't care for it anyway. Any thoughts on Ritalin LE? (i think it's le) Please help me, I love my baby and I am watching him fall apart. He does not watch much TV, no video games, he loves to play outside, and we play lots of board games together,(when he will sit through it) so I am not looking for a babysitter drug, I need him to be my loving, polite, well behaved little boy again. He is even calling himself a loser, and putting himself down when he can't seem to do something, or has a hard day at school. Please help me figure out where to turn. (has doc. appt. tommorow) Thanks in advance to any advice given..... Truly, Brooke
Hi there. I understand your anguish. I have watched my nephew go through so many med changes and some were not good! He is severely ADHD and required meds in order to function. While I am not a huge advocate of medication, there are definitely when it cannot be avoided. I also work with students with behavioral/emotional disabilities (BED) and those with other health impairments (OHI). My advice is to work closely with a child psychiatrist. Peds are great, but not when all of these meds are concerned. ADD/ADHD, etc are specialty areas in medicine and should be treated as such. Is your son involved in counseling? Please let me know if I can make a suggestion to you as to a very good one that my nephew goes to. Best of luck to you and your son. Joy
Thanks Pirate, He is not curently in any therapy, he was hit with a double whammy, he also has Sensory Integration Disorder. I feel so bad for him sometimes. I just did some searching on the net, and found HORROR stories about kids dying on Ritalin, commiting suicide, heart problems, Holy Shhhugar! If you know of anyone who can help him, that would be awesome! I am at my wits end, and am tired of crying at night because I can't help him.
you don't understand. hitting them does not help. they simply look at you like "harder I did not get it the first time" The harder you hit the worse they get. Trust me that is not the answer. I thought he needed a butt whooping at first too. that is not it.
Talk to his doctor about Metadate CD. It is very frustrating but hang in there. I would also recomend some counseling for him, that can help him understand the emotional side that he is actually going through. I know you love your son and it is hard to watch this with him. But please know that it is VERY hard on him too. Watch your discussion in here, I learned some of these people have no clue what it is like to deal with this type of situation. PM me if you feel like it.
I know this is tough for him which makes it hurt me even worse, watching him have to go through this and I don't know what to do about it. What is Metadate? Can it be broken open. Thanks for your understanding RCARP, I know most people dont understand what this is like, and I hope they never have to. I would not wish this on any child. or adult for that matter.
Sensory Integration Dysfunction http://www.pedtherapy.com/ I can not sing there praises enough for what they have done for my daughter so we can treat her without meds. Please give them a call they are wonderful with ADD/ADHD and SID.
The growth spurt is what I thought too, but we adjusted him from 20mg a day to 30. Maybe not enough? I will try peds for sure Thanks ws, anything is worth a shot to me right now :?
On a side note, I recommend that you read with your son the Jack Gantos book series Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Joey Pigza Loses Control, and What Would Joey Do? These books really can open your eyes to what goes on in his mind and help him understand his own behavior without feeling like a loser or guilty. The author suffered through ADHD as a child and wrote these fiction books about a boy with severe ADHD. They are funny and poignant to read. They are also fairly short!
I will find out a phone number and pm you with it. I know it is at Dix...outpatient. Sometimes people freak when you mention Dix, but they have a great outpatient facility. He has never been a patient hospitalized there...thank God! And you're right....spanking a child for behaviors relating to their disability does NOT help at all. This does not mean there are no consequences to actions. All children must learn that in order to be productive members of society. Mama, I was not necessarily addressing you...just my 2 cents in general.
Brooke, I am a mental health professional and I have a son who has ADHD, so I have experience with this issue from both sides. Pediatricians often do quite well treating ADHD, but if your child is getting treatment and still having problems, you might want to have him evaluated by a psychiatrist. Often, there is a co-existing mood disorder or other problem with ADHD which may go untreated if he is not evaluated by a specialist. I would also recommend therapy. The good news is that you have many excellent choices of mental health providers right here in the Clayton/Cleveland area, including the only private psychiatrist in Johnston County. If your son is covered by private health insurance, medicaid or NC health choice, you have lots of choices. If he is not covered, you can get him treated at Johnston County Mental Health Center (JCMHC) in Smithfield. There is a sliding fee scale based on household income, and assistance with obtaining medications. Therapy and psychiatric (medications) services are available there. I would give you a list of providers in this reply, except I'm afraid I might leave some one off the list by accident and get somebody mad. For a complete list, call JCMHC at 989-5500 between 8 am and 5 pm and ask for Access. From my experience as a parent, Concerta has been the best medication. It is the same medication that is in Ritalin, but it is time released so you only have to give it once / day. My son is an A-B student now and I never get phone calls from his school anymore about his behavior. Without it, he bounces off the walls, talks so loud it sounds like he's inside your head, and never goes to sleep. However, the Concerta pill is shaped like a barrel, so if your son can't swallow pills, he could never take Concerta (you can't cut it or crush it). I trust you have the good sense not to listen to advice from spaced out cowboys. It reminded me of an old saying, which I paraphrase: "It's better to keep your mouth shut and leave people wondering about your ignorance than to open it and erase all doubt." Comments like his only perpetuate the stigma of mental health which scares so many people away from treatment they need to live productive lives. This does a real disservice to the community, and I find it personally offensive. Thanks for listening. Go get your son the help he needs. Best wishes and prayers for a positive outcome. Snuffleufogous
About the meds: Ritalin, Metadate, Concerta, and Focalin (I believe) are all the same medicine. It's a stimulant, Dexa..something or other. Adderall is a different medicine but it is also a stimulant. Strattera is the only non-stimulant medication for ADHD that I know of, and is the primary medication used for adults with ADHD because it is not a stimulant. Your psychiatrist can go over the choices with you and help you decide on one that is best for your child. By all means, ask questions early and often when working with your psychiatrist. Snuffleufogous
Also, I write down questions that I have BEFORE I go to the doctor. That way they all get answered. Sometimes when you get to the office, you forget much of what you wanted to ask. Write down your questions so you don't forget any. Not much help here. Just a suggestion. Ben
Calling me names already? Yet another insult. Do you feel threatened because I've introduced the possibility that some kids need a firm hand as opposed to medication? If you can turn another fee and hand the parents the magical pills they've been searching for, it's just business right? The real disservice is to the children. Would you say 100% of the people you treat for ADD actually have ADD? It's an honest question. MAMA - this is in no way directed at you, nor am I insinuating you are a bad parent. I understand some kids truly have ADD.
FrameMama, I don't have any info, I just simply want to give you a (((((GREAT BIG HUG)))))) and wish you the best of luck with finding help for your son.
I just saw your post this morning. I have a son that is ADD. We were told that our son's headaches and impulsive behavior were normal. We struggled for two years before we decided to seek a second opinion. We kicked ourselves afterwards when we were told that our son has seizuers and ADD.We have had to keep a diet journel, had him tested for allergies, and had an MRI done. We even had him tested for special education. I agree with snuffleufogous, you should look into having him evaluated for an underlining problem. We see a great neurologist in Raleigh. In the same office he sees a woman who helps him with tips on how to manage his impulses. It has made a big difference in how my son sees himself, and he feels a little more in control of his illness. My son also has problems with his meds. He will do great on a new med, but after six months or so it no longer works for him. My son has a rare condition that anything that he takes for a long period of time his body adjusts to it. So we switch his meds about every six months. So, far that is working for us. Lately, the meds started bothering his stomach so we are now using the patch called Daytrana 20 mg. He wears it for 9 hours and then takes it off . It has worked great so far. So, I guess what I am trying to say is don't just settle for one opinion. Ask as many questions as you can , look at alteritive methods as well. I have done so much research on this topic and tried so many different treatments. Some worked and some didn't. When it comes to my child I will try anything if there is a chance it may work for him.
