Any parents of children with ADHD????

amystoffel

amystoffel

New member
I know this topic can bring up some controversy...please no arguing today!!!! However all opinions are welcome.

My son has an appt next week to be evaluated for ADHD. It's soemthing that DH and I have been observing and trying to work with and figure out other reasons for his behavior issues....but we are finally in agreeance that this is the necessary step.

Any advice on what to talk to my childs doctor about or what to ask or anything????
 
Yes Amy-My 14 year old was diagnosed with ADHD formally in the third grade. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
 
Amy, good luck today! My dh and I fought the whole ADHD thing and said our child would never be on meds. Well 1/2 way into his 2nd grade year when he was getting punished by the teacher every day and it was affecting his outgoing personality we caved and brought him to be diagnosed by a Psychologist. He went through three full days of testing 4 hours each day, it was tough but it was the best thing we ever did. He was diagnosed and put on medication. He did a 180 in school, has not been in a stitch of trouble and is getting straight A's and the notes that come home are that he is a joy to have in class. It's hard to admit that there is something wrong with our kids but man once we did we see how much he was struggling with something he really had no control over. We don't give him meds on weekends, holidays or on vacations as we can deal with his 'attention' issues but at least he is happy and not thinking he is a 'bad' kid anymore.

I know that really doesn't help you with questions but I just wanted to tell you what we went through in case any of it can help you. If you have any questions just PM me.
 
Something else you may want to consider is a test of the thyroid. When i was recently diagnosed with thyroid, the endocrinologist asked about my kiddos. Seems that a low thyroid can present itself with similar symptoms of ADD.

Both of my kids are being tested in a few weeks.
 
Lots of experience from a teacher's POV. My little brother (9 years younger) also has ADHD. You know where to find me. :wub:
 
My bro has ADHD. I think he is better on med, just needs to be on the right one. He refuses to take it now.
 
I very recently put my son on meds after fighting it for 4 years. It's been night and day. Although my son may still have an undiagnosed learning disability, he is focusing and not disrupting the class and doing much better than he was in September.
 
My son is 12 (6th grade) and he was diagnosed in 2nd grade. I knew when he was in the 1st grade that he had it. Finally, after having behavior and focus issues we saw a doctor. I was against medicine, but agreed to do so. He is on Adderall RX and you can tell a big difference with him on it.

Does he have trouble focusing as well?
 
I have a kiddo that has ADHD and one with ADD..and I was TOTALLY AGAINST meds..til I saw the wonders it did in my children. I would definitely go in with an open mind. I tried everything diet (glueten free, etc)..exercise..you name it to control the issues on my own but it just didn't work for us. I have 2 happier and more proactive children b/c I was willing to listen and see the benefits of medication.

If you need any more advice or have any more questions PM me!
 
Count me in the converted too. One thing that my doc said that helped me to give meds a try is that they only work in kids with ADHD so if you try them you can see if your child needs them. It has been night and day for my girl. I think it is important for her not just for school performance but also for social relationships - her impulsivity was getting in the way of building strong friendships too.

There are a variety of medications and they all have strengths and weaknesses so part of the discussion should be around what issues are most important to you. We are on our third med and I am much happier with it than with the first two.

Feel free to pm me with questions - I work in a related field and know some about the meds and the condition.
 
we are on our third med too..and actually about to change meds with my son b/c he's hit a growth spurt and the dr wants to try a newer one on him...

We went thru just plain Ritialin, Concerta, and now Adderall...and moving him to Vyvance (sp?) next month I think...(hoping the insurance will cover it lol)
 
Meg

My daughter is on Vyvanse now. For her - it takes longer to work (45 min) but works several hours longer in the evening. Her side effects are less than with Focalin (a longer acting ritalin). I am pretty happy with it. She had not tried Adderall when we switched to it. My insurance covers it. You can print a coupon for a free month on their website too.
 
Hi
I've totally been there. I was totally against putting my older son on medication, but he had trouble 'being with the program' since pre-school. It is important to find the right medication for your kid and the right dose. Also, have the Dr look for other things that may be going on. For us, there is an anxiety component, so when he gets anxious, he is more impulsive. Also, a sensory thing.... So, by lowering stress in those areas, or handling things differently(at home and at school), we were able to minimize the dose of ADHD medication. I was also worried about the growth thing. I am short(4'11") and my DH isn't tall(5'9") and DS1 is a little guy, but my stepson, who was also a 'skinny-mini', I used to call him, is now 18 and 6'1" despite taking ADHD medication since he was 7. PM me if you need anything. I have been through a lot to get my DS1 in a steady state and he is doing really well now(4th grade).
 
FlirtatiousBrat said:
we are on our third med too..and actually about to change meds with my son b/c he's hit a growth spurt and the dr wants to try a newer one on him...

We went thru just plain Ritialin, Concerta, and now Adderall...and moving him to Vyvance (sp?) next month I think...(hoping the insurance will cover it lol)
Click to expand...

My DS1 started Vyvanse last May and it is working really well. His teacher noticed a BIG difference on the first day. We noticed that there is no 'crash' at the end of the day as it wears off. It comes in a wide range of doses too, so you can get the dose your son needs. The biggest Side effect was that it made it hard to sleep. We backed down a notch and have it pretty well dialed in. And, like someone else said, it takes about 45 minutes to kick in...we were running late one day last week and gave DS his medication just as he was going out the door.... Sure enough, he was in trouble for the first hour of school after not being in trouble at all this school year.

Try Walmart for the Rx of you have one close by. It was a lot cheaper than the other pharmacy we used-like $10 cheaper!
 
My son is being tested, but I don't think it is ADHD ... I think he has a sensory seeking Sensory Processing Disorder.
 
I don't have a kid with ADHD, but a DH with ADD and his sisters (who are about 12 and 6) are getting tested too. Please make sure they define as either ADD or ADHD as it makes a big difference in the reaction to the medication.
 
I have one child diagnosed with ADHD...and another child with ADHD and PDD-NOS (a form of autism). Feel more than free to PM me with any questions you have.

I could not believe how relieved we were to get a diagnosis and medication to help them...the difference at school socially and in their work was "out of this world" with medications! It's not a complete "cure all" but it sure makes their day much "easier" on them.

There is an excellent little video clip that is EXCELLENT on letting you Hear/See/Feel what it is like for a child in a classroom that has ADHD. I watched and listened to it and my son said "oh mama! that's me!" I wanted to cry...I knew that medication then was the right thing for him...and when he started on the meds...he noticed the difference in himself. If you want the link to the video...LMK and I'll call our advocate and ask for the link...I can't find it at the moment...but it's an eye opener.

I am now homeschooling my children for various reasons. They are on their medications and they need it to help them be successful. They are much happier when they have "control" of their day.

This might help understand some about ADHD:
http://www.chadd.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Understanding

Keep in mind the H in ADHD does not mean solely "hyperactivity"...it can be defined as "impulsitivity" in children. My son could sit still in his chair ALL DAY LONG...but couldn't control his mouth (blurting out answers...saying something before he thought about how it would sound)...and the other son couldn't keep his hands to himself...but they weren't "hyper" in the way most people think of.

...and yes you may hear or read about ADHD meds side effect as being possible for limiting height...well my youngest (13yo) has been on it for 5 years and is the tallest on his basketball team! lol

Feel free to ask me any questions...and the best thing if your child is diagnosed to do is...READ READ READ READ and then READ some more. The more you read about it...the more you will understand and be able to help your child. My son's 6th grade teacher told me I was one of the best parent advocates she had ever dealt with because I understood what my child needed and I was well informed.

My 2 cents!
 
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I suffer from ADHD and so does my teenage son (age 16 - diagnosed in 3rd grade). I take Adderal and Alex takes Concerta. I also think that my 9 yo daughter may have a mild case. I do have a child that doesn't have it (my middle son).

I am considering taking my daughter to my psychiatrist for an evaluation. I know that my hubby was totally against Alex (my oldest) from being medicated, but once he saw the HUGE difference in behavior he was fine with it. I actually took Alex to the pychiatrist behind my husband's back because he didn't approve. I think attitudes toward ADHD have changed significantly over the last few years.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Hugs,
Eva
 
Sharon Kay said:
...and yes you may hear or read about ADHD meds side effect as being possible for limiting height...well my youngest (13yo) has been on it for 5 years and is the tallest on his basketball team! lol
Click to expand...

I actually had not heard that. My 16 yo son has been on ADHD medication since the 3rd grade and he won't stop growing. He is now close to 6'4" and doesn't appear to be slowing down.

:) Eva
 
My son doesn't have ADHD he has ADD - It is soooo difficult for him to pay attention - We went through ALL the options (including diet) and even held him back ~ at last after the med merry go round (including strattera) we settled on the Daytrana Patch and LOVE it!!! He takes the lowest dose and puts the patch on only on school days -
I will say that EVERY family is different and what works for one does not always work for another -


****Important note AS SOON as he gets a diagnosis from the doctor - schedule a 504 meeting with his school - get a 504 which is a plan of action that the school must take - My son's 504 includes things like he can sit in the front and he can have extra time on his homework -
as they get older (middle school) the school expects them to keep up their own planner - this is not an option for my son so his 504 states that the teacher must sign the planner -
I also keep in constant e-mail contact with the teachers -

It does get better as they learn to manage themselves! So chin up and have faith
 
FlirtatiousBrat said:
we are on our third med too..and actually about to change meds with my son b/c he's hit a growth spurt and the dr wants to try a newer one on him...

We went thru just plain Ritialin, Concerta, and now Adderall...and moving him to Vyvance (sp?) next month I think...(hoping the insurance will cover it lol)
Click to expand...

Have you thought about Daytrana - Its the patch and we love it!!!
 
scrapmonkey said:
I don't have a kid with ADHD, but a DH with ADD and his sisters (who are about 12 and 6) are getting tested too. Please make sure they define as either ADD or ADHD as it makes a big difference in the reaction to the medication.
Click to expand...

AMEN!!!!!! And the kind of medication -
 
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