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Does Anyone Else Have Children with ADHD?
Just wondering if there was enough of us out there to start a group to give & receive advice. I have a 5 1/2 yr old son that suffers from ADHD. He is on meds & they have helped him tremendously! He used to be very violent & could not control his impulses. He started showing signs of ADHD when he was 3 yrs old.
In his last year of preschool, when I would go to participate in the class, I had children always coming up to me & telling me how mean he was. It absolutely broke my heart!!! So this is what led me to put him on a trial run of medication. So far, Kindergarten has been going great for him.
In his last year of preschool, when I would go to participate in the class, I had children always coming up to me & telling me how mean he was. It absolutely broke my heart!!! So this is what led me to put him on a trial run of medication. So far, Kindergarten has been going great for him.
Tags: ADHD
Views: 113
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lana on -
Yes I have a daughter that is ADHD. She is 8 1/2. She has been on meds since kindergarten. Like you, I knew something wasn't right way before that but honestly doctors won't diagnose them until they are atleast 5 most of the time. She has had to change meds because the first we tried made her have bad stomach pains. She had been doing really good but now it is like it quit working. Or maybe she is becoming immuned to it? It is definitely stressful.
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Permalink Reply by ~Sunshine~ on -
Lana, Thanks for your response. It's a tough thing to deal with, especially when the meds don't seem to be helping...maybe her doseage needs to be strengthened.
Lana said:Yes I have a daughter that is ADHD. She is 8 1/2. She has been on meds since kindergarten. Like you, I knew something wasn't right way before that but honestly doctors won't diagnose them until they are atleast 5 most of the time. She has had to change meds because the first we tried made her have bad stomach pains. She had been doing really good but now it is like it quit working. Or maybe she is becoming immuned to it? It is definitely stressful.
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Permalink Reply by ~Sunshine~ on
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Fawndoe, It's so nice to hear "the other side" of ADHD....someone that has it. I'm sure it was difficult to make thru school, but Congrats on doing it!!!! Thank you so much for your insight!
Fawndoe said:i don't have children with ADHD but i myself was diagnosed when i was 7 & i am now 31 so i've been on meds & in therapy on & off most of my life. when i was younger i was told i wouldn't amount to much, but i've graduated both college & university & have an excellent job in the IT industry. it is SO HARD being a kid with ADHD because of the stigma's attached. its hard expressing yourself, its hard being on meds everyday, its hard sitting still in classes when they're too boring because your brain works too fast... sorry for just jumping in here. i can't pass an ADHD discussion & not put my nose into it.
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Permalink Reply by Marie on -
My son is 5 and has just be diagnosised with ADHD. I am not sure what to do in terms of medication, I was hoping therapy along with dietary changes would help...PLEASE does anyone have any advice on where to start?
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Permalink Reply by kim wiland on -
my son is 12 and he was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 6 , he started having problems in kindergarten his teacher said he wasn't paying attention and that he was pestering the other kids. it was very upsetting to me because when i brought it to my doctors attention she would dismiss it and say hes just being a boy. i finally had to switch doctors. my son takes concerta 54 mg. and it seems to be doing the trick, he starts junior high this year so we shall see. i can tell a difference in his behavior when hes not on the meds so i am not about to take him off yet , although the thought often crosses my mind because his growth as far as heigth has been delayed. i just have to think whats more important smarts or size? but why should we have to choose!
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Permalink Reply by ~Sunshine~ on
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Marie, I have done a little studying on dietary changes to control ADHD, but my son did not respond very well. I know that Dairy products should be eliminated, not sure why they are linked with ADHD, but it's one thing I heard. There are lots of good web-sites out there that have info on how diet effects ADHD. If I were you, I would google ADHD & see what you find. Also contact your child's doctor to see if they have any advice.
In my son's case, we put him on a trial run of Ritalin to start (not an extended release kind). With the short release meds, I could tell exactly when his meds wore off because his behavior would change drastically (sp??). Once we determined he was responding to the meds, we tried him on a extended release med call Concerta. This med would last him from about 8am til around 3pm. We would then start having issues with his behavior & impulseivity, so his doctor also has us giving him a short relase Ritalin at 3pm just to cover him thru bed time.
We started the process of adjusting his meds to see what works for him best in January. We finally have found what's best for him just in time for him to start Kindergarten. It took about 6 months to find the right meds & dosages to work for him. It was just a bunch of trial & error. My goal was to have him "fine tuned" on his meds for Kindergarten & we met our goal.
It will take you some time to figure out what is best for your son. Good luck & I am always here if you need any support or advice.
Marie said:My son is 5 and has just be diagnosised with ADHD. I am not sure what to do in terms of medication, I was hoping therapy along with dietary changes would help...PLEASE does anyone have any advice on where to start?
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Permalink Reply by ~Sunshine~ on
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Kim, thanks for sharing the information. Luckily we haven't experienced any side effects as far as growing goes. My son eats like a horse & he is still growing at the same rate they say he should. My doctor told me that the major reason for the "growing" side effect was due to lack of eating. As you know, the meds just make you not feel hungry so most kids don't get enough food to support their growth. Does your son est well? If not, maybe you can suppliment his diet with vitamins or ensure...My son loves choclate milk, so I give him Carnation Instant breakfast. It tastes so good & uis full of vitamins & minerals.
kim wiland said:my son is 12 and he was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 6 , he started having problems in kindergarten his teacher said he wasn't paying attention and that he was pestering the other kids. it was very upsetting to me because when i brought it to my doctors attention she would dismiss it and say hes just being a boy. i finally had to switch doctors. my son takes concerta 54 mg. and it seems to be doing the trick, he starts junior high this year so we shall see. i can tell a difference in his behavior when hes not on the meds so i am not about to take him off yet , although the thought often crosses my mind because his growth as far as heigth has been delayed. i just have to think whats more important smarts or size? but why should we have to choose!
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Permalink Reply by Lana on
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My daughter first started Adderall in kindergarten and it was amazing the difference, however she started having bad stomach pains and feeling sick to her stomach so bad that we had to change. She already wasn't a big eater anyway and is pretty small. The doctor changed her to Ritalin LA lowest dose. The long lasting so that it would work through school and also the regular ritalin in the afternoon. It is much better on her stomach, however she does not really want to eat afterwards so I make sure she eats before taking it and give her vitamins. She also gets prett hot not long afterwards. I believe that is a side effect too. But the meds for adhd all have some side effects of sick stomach and not wanting to eat so they do monitor weight real closely. Madison gained 3 pounds this last time after 2 months so I am glad about that.
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Permalink Reply by ~Sunshine~ on
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Lana, Glad to hear that she is gaining weight & that she is doing better. Luckily my son hasn't complained of tummy aches. He is still a good eater. We are just having problems controlling his impulsivity. Just yesterday he had to miss his PM recess due to cutting in line & pushing another kid...I am at a loss on how to handle this...He was labeled the "mean" kid of the class last year in preschool, & I've been soooo worried about it starting again this year. I have spoke with his teacher of my concerns & she is doing everything she can to prevent it. I just cried when I got out to my truck after my talk with her this morning. I don't know how to teach him to be nice...I really need advice!!!!
Lana said:My daughter first started Adderall in kindergarten and it was amazing the difference, however she started having bad stomach pains and feeling sick to her stomach so bad that we had to change. She already wasn't a big eater anyway and is pretty small. The doctor changed her to Ritalin LA lowest dose. The long lasting so that it would work through school and also the regular ritalin in the afternoon. It is much better on her stomach, however she does not really want to eat afterwards so I make sure she eats before taking it and give her vitamins. She also gets prett hot not long afterwards. I believe that is a side effect too. But the meds for adhd all have some side effects of sick stomach and not wanting to eat so they do monitor weight real closely. Madison gained 3 pounds this last time after 2 months so I am glad about that.
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Permalink Reply by Karin on -
My son is 14 and has been officially diagnosed since he was 6, and unofficially since he was 5. We have tried most meds that have been out there. I was hesitant to put him on meds prior to ruling out other medical issues (food allergies, hypo (or hyper) glaucemia (sp?), diabeties, etc. When all those were ruled out, we tried Ritalin to start and immediately there was a difference in his ability to focus, follow-through and behavior. We (and he) can tell when he is on or off. He has been on Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, and Daytrana, some regular and some slow-release. He currently is on Daytrana which is Ritalin on a patch. It works well for him, because he has a very fast metablolism and burns through meds taken orally about twice as fast as should be (ie., if the extended release is supposed to last 10 hours, he gets 5 to 6 hours, max) However, because of the insurance we have, it is very expensive. We tested him with Focalin XR this summer and he really liked it and as soon as I am done with the patches, we will be switching him to that as a test.
Unfortunately, once you find a dosage that works for your child, it can be affected by growth, hormonal changes, illness, and weight gain, so you do have to keep on top of it. What works for your child today, may not work next month. My son's appetite has never been effected by the meds, nor has he really struggled with sleep (also can be a factor)
Some great resources are:
www.ADDResources.org
http://addwarehouse.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/article3.htm (this is a medication chart, if you have been trying medications that have the same base, METHYLPHENIDATE or DEXTROAMPHETAMINE, and you are not seeing the results that you want, you may want to try a med from the other base)
http://www.additudemag.com/ (has lots of ideas and research)
http://www.chadd.org/ (area support groups)
If anyone has any questions, let me know.
Karin
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Permalink Reply by ~Sunshine~ on
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Karin, Thanks for all the info. I think I may be taking my son in soon for a meds adjustment. He is having issues at school where he just can't focus or sit still. He is also having trouble controlling his impulses. It just breaks my heart to know he's having a tough time :0(
Karin said:My son is 14 and has been officially diagnosed since he was 6, and unofficially since he was 5. We have tried most meds that have been out there. I was hesitant to put him on meds prior to ruling out other medical issues (food allergies, hypo (or hyper) glaucemia (sp?), diabeties, etc. When all those were ruled out, we tried Ritalin to start and immediately there was a difference in his ability to focus, follow-through and behavior. We (and he) can tell when he is on or off. He has been on Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, and Daytrana, some regular and some slow-release. He currently is on Daytrana which is Ritalin on a patch. It works well for him, because he has a very fast metablolism and burns through meds taken orally about twice as fast as should be (ie., if the extended release is supposed to last 10 hours, he gets 5 to 6 hours, max) However, because of the insurance we have, it is very expensive. We tested him with Focalin XR this summer and he really liked it and as soon as I am done with the patches, we will be switching him to that as a test.
Unfortunately, once you find a dosage that works for your child, it can be affected by growth, hormonal changes, illness, and weight gain, so you do have to keep on top of it. What works for your child today, may not work next month. My son's appetite has never been effected by the meds, nor has he really struggled with sleep (also can be a factor)
Some great resources are:
www.ADDResources.org
http://addwarehouse.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/article3.htm (this is a medication chart, if you have been trying medications that have the same base, METHYLPHENIDATE or DEXTROAMPHETAMINE, and you are not seeing the results that you want, you may want to try a med from the other base)
http://www.additudemag.com/ (has lots of ideas and research)
http://www.chadd.org/ (area support groups)
If anyone has any questions, let me know.
Karin
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Permalink Reply by Cheryl Bunch on -
My son was told he is adhd when he was in first grade...we struggled with public schools until he was in the 6th grade...I finally put him in a private Christian school, took him off adderal and he is doing very well...he is now in the 8th grade. I do not really know if he was/is adhd but I know something was very wrong. It seemed to me I was at the school all the time with all sorts of little things he was or was not doing. I still go to school to keep updated on his work and behavior...he seems very normal now. Is there anything I can help anyone with, please ask.
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