So, talk to me about ADHD meds

[bec]

We have recently started down the path of getting our 10 year old DD diagnosed with ADHD (presuming that is what the psychiatrist is going to come up with).  Her main issue is inattention, but she does have the wiggles on a daily basis (while not reaching an inappropriate level).  Impulsivity is not much of an issue, either.  We have had the initial meeting with the psychiatrist, have filled out a packet of surveys (as well as her teachers) and just took her in for an EKG and blood tests.  We meet back with the psychiatrist on the 28th, and am curious to know what other people's experiences with medications are.

We currently do a great deal of behavior modification stuff at home to help her stay focused when she needs.  Getting through homework is tough.  I should note that DD has a fantastic attitude towards school and homework.  It just takes her a very long time to get through it.  Her inability to focus and stay focused is impacting every area in her life.  She has social problems because she can't keep track of conversations, much less conversations with groups of kids.  She has a hard time in dance because it is hard for her to focus on the music and the specific dance moves (even though she loves dance and is pretty musical when allowed to move on her own by just feeling the music).  She has a hard time in school for hopefully obvious reasons.  She has a hard time managing her time at home because homework just consumes every waking moment (she isn't being given an unreasonable amount).  All this to say, that I think we are heading towards accepting medication as an option.  We have a great diet filled with good whole foods, very little in the way of processed foods, almost no artificial dyes, whole grains, lots of veggies, good protein, the whole deal. 

So, what have you tried? How have you liked it? What were the side effects?

[Emmeline II]

It looks like she may end up with an ADHD primarily inattentive diagnosis.

My son is ADHD combined (pretty much equal parts impulsive, inattentive, and hyperactive). Concerta was the first medication we tried and the results were amazing, though after a couple months my son's impusivity increased a lot--we upped the dose to 54mg which made things worse, and after 3.5 months of Concerta had to switch to Vyvanse. After 2.5 months on the first dosage of Vyvanse we had to up the dose a little and it has been working well for three weeks. We did try Intuitiv as a supplement to help his tics but it gave him ADHD symptoms and insomnia so we stopped that within 3 days.

With stimulants, positive results tend to show up quickly--mild side effects (if present) may take a few weeks to go away.

Also, fish oil supplements sometimes are helpful for ADHD.

A Full List of ADHD Medications - Health and Life

ADHD Medications

Edited by Emmeline II - 4/19/11 at 7:08am

[bec]

Thanks, Emmeline for the reply and the links!  I have been thinking that the diagnosis would be exactly as you described.  She's a smart girl, but she isn't able to focus on some pretty basic things that will make her life so much easier!

[bec]

So, did I lose my MDC street cred by being open to medicating my child?  No one else has any experience with ADHD meds?  No discussion about the side effects?  No BTDT advice?

Emmeline, thanks again!  Looks like yours is the only support I'm getting here.

[betsu63]

I have no experience with children and ADHD meds. I only have seen the results that adults get from them. You are doing the right thing by having your child properly assesed. My concern would be if she was put on the meds without this. I haven;t had any of the adults I give them today complain of side effects. I believe in quality of life.

[melissa17s]

I think Emmeline II has some comprehensive knowledge in this area that some of us do not have.  My ds has adhd with range of symptoms, but so far we have tried to do behavior modification at school and he does not really bother us at home.  His impulsiveness and overly chattiness are somewhat a result of taking anti-seizure meds., and dh and I are worried about adding more to the mix because we are still trying to find the right anti-seizure med.  We have also started him going to  psychologist for a range of issues he has been having mostly at school- the impulsivity is one in particular that we are hoping to tackle with her help.  He will not really start this until May, though.

I can say that some individuals are more sensitive to medications than others.  Such as ds has had many side effects from his aeds, and I am also sensitive many medications.  It may take some experimenting to find the one that works for your child.  Keep communicating with your doctor, if you notice any problems.  

[karne]

There was a recent thread here about ADHD/ADD and meds, with most folks having a positive experience. We have experience here-I'd be glad to PM you with specifics if you like.  I can say that we also did everything prior to medsand have have had positive results.  It's definitely been a little trial and error to find the right med and dosage, and we are dealing with a little weight loss.  Like the above poster suggested, communication is key.  I routinely communicate with the physician, and I work very hard to have good communication with teachers.  I find that I am routinely checking in with school as that's where the issues we are trying to address are seen. 

[Emmeline II]

I just wanted to add that ds is one of those that tolerates medicine well.

[Guinevere]

Sorry for not responding sooner, karne is right, there have actually been a number of ADHD threads recently in which med options were discussed pretty thoroughly, so I would definitely try reading through those for more input. It could be that's why more people haven't responded?

Briefly (b/c I have to go get kiddos into bed in a moment), my oldest DS has a dx of ADHD inattentive type. He is 12 and was 11 when we pursued dx, for many of the same reasons you did. We had already tried diet changes, supplements, and a whole range of coping behaviors before we sought out the official dx, so when our concerns were confirmed, we already knew we were ready to trial meds.

We tried 4 or 5, I forgot exactly, different meds before hitting upon the right one and then had to tweak dosage as well. That may sound a bit much, but I was assured by his psych that it's really common to need to trial and error first.

Anyway, he is now on Adderall and is doing 1000% better in all areas of life. The effects have been remarkable (in a good way.) We are also dealing with weight issues, though (trying to keep him from losing any further.) No other side effects, however -- we did have some on other meds (stomach upset, primarily.)

Let me know if you have any more specific questions that I could answer! :)

Kind regards,

Guin

[karne]

I also wanted to respond to the "street cred on MDC" piece-which is funny.  But on a serious note, I've been really happy to see how supportive the threads regarding ADHD, and coping mechanisms, evals, and questions of meds, have been.  It seems like there are a lot of us in various stages, and I'm gratified that this board has been welcoming.

[bec]

Thank you.  I have looked, but not really searched for older threads.  I will do so tomorrow.  While the academic issues are concerning, it breaks my heart to see my sweet, amazing kid struggling so much socially. 

[columbusmomma]

My DS has AHDH. He started taking medication last year, in 2nd grade. It has been super helpful for school, both for attention and impulsivity. His pediatrician prescribed vyvanse. It worked right away, this is the only med he has been on/tried. I know some kids need to try different meds until they find what's right for them. The biggest,and really the only side effect he has is decreased appetite at lunch time. I make sure he eats a big breakfast before giving him his medication. He eats nothing at lunch or school, or just a little bit. I quit wasting money by sending in a big packed lunch or letting him buy the school lunch. Now I pack oj and a high protein power bar. Sometimes he eats it, sometimes not or a few bites.  When he gets home from school he eats a big snack and eats until bedtime. The dr. said he should have a bowl of icecream every night. He loves that! I do give him breaks from the med, holidays, weekends occasionally, just so he can eat more. He hasn't gained any weight in the past year...but hasn't lost either. Good luck finding what's right for your DD.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

My 8 YO DD is ADHD and we medicate.  Her inability to focus in school meant she was not learning to read as quickly as her peers.  her inability to sit still in class was an issue both with the teacher (who would have coped if we had insisted) but also with her classmates.  The teacher was pretty good about being positive and constructive but the other kids were blunt (a la "sit down and be quiet!" and "Leave me alone I'm trying to do my work").  So her self esteem was really low at the point we decided to move forward with diagnosis and medication.  She was convinced she was "bad" and "bad at school" and "no one likes me" and it was just heartbreaking to hear her.  I also really struggled because she would never stop talking or moving when she was home.  As a person who loves silence and calm, it drove me up the wall.  It was so hard not to yell at her for it, even though I knew she was just being herself and not deliberately annoying me all the time. 

We ended up with a psych. who was really helpful and encouraged us to try non-medication options first.  Diet and routine were already pretty good, so we tried omega 3's and a measured amount of caffeine.  I really wanted that to work, but no effect.  Then we tried a low dose of ritalin just to see if that helped.  It was amazing.for day 1.  But its really inconvenient since its a short-acting med, meaning doses at school as well as at home.  Knowing that a stimulant-based drug was helpful, we moved on to Vyvanse as the longest acting of the available options.  Its supposed to last 14 hours but we barely get 10.  But that's enough to get through school and homework, which is all I ask. 

She's been taking this for about a year now.  In the first 6 months she caught up with her class in terms of reading and other academics.  The other kids found it easier to play with her.  The improved focus meant her gymnastics coach put her on the demo team.  She feels much better about herself and will ask for her pill if I forget to give it to her in the morning.  I figure that's about the truest recommendation I could have -- she likes it better when she is medicated.

The only side effects we've seen is that she has virtually no appetite during the day.  Since she was already small, this is concerning.  But she does get hungry in the evenings -- its just not at convenient times.  But I can live with that.  We make sure when she does eat that everything she gets is nutrient and calor dense.  Which is ironic because the rest of the household really needs to loose weight.  We don't see any sleep problems and she actually goes to sleep more easily now than she did before.  She is definitely still full of spunk and activity -- not a "zombie" at all.

Philosophically I would prefer not to have her medicated.  But the reality of the situation is that she is a happier child with her medication, her day goes more smoothly, and the impact on her, her classmates and the family is all positive.  And that's the bottom line.

[bec]

Thank you for your stories! 

My daughter does have a history of motor tics (a small one that has gotten better over the past couple of years, but is still present), the doctor wanted to try her on a non-stimulant med first.  We took her first dose of Intuniv this evening.  I am hoping to see a difference within a week or two.

[HollyBearsMom]

Philosophically I would prefer not to have her medicated.  But the reality of the situation is that she is a happier child with her medication, her day goes more smoothly, and the impact on her, her classmates and the family is all positive.  And that's the bottom line.

We tried a homeopathic route with us son as well   Self medicated caffeine, Omega 3 and 2 different remedies.  While the teacher noticed "some differences" it was small and worse not consistent,  We continued to work with his therapist and his neuropysch but finally ended up with a Neurologist. His is now on the lowest level adderal level.  We get about 9-10 hours so as long as home work is "priority" he has an easier time doing them right away however we have opted out of most homework so that's kind of a none issue. He is a different kid now and it make my heart swell that the phone has started ringing with kids wanting to play with him. His teachers are amazed at is progressive and cooperation. He comes home happy!

As with the PP appetite is an issue so we load him up at breakfast before meds. My son doesn't like traditional breakfast food so a typical morning may be a lean grounder burger topped  w/ xtra sharp cheddar on a whole grain bun, a glass of milk and some strawberries.  Other mornings its homemade veggie pizza or homemade corn dogs (nitrate free veggie or turkey sausage). This gives him staying power until lunch where he eats very little. I have a huge snack waiting in the car when I pick him up. So far we have been able to keep the weight up, especially as we don't medicate on weekends so he make up for a lot of it then, LOL

[FarmerBeth]

Good luck with the new med!  Thought I'd mention that our son had a history of motor tics as well and we had good success with Straterra without worsening the tics.

[bec]

Stratera was one of the other meds that she was considering.  I don't know exactly why she chose this one over the others, but she did.  So, we will see how it works out. 

[ZakareyasMama]

I don't have any experience as a mom, but as a former teacher I can say I've seen ADD/ADHD meds work wonders not only for academics but also for self esteem. I'm guessing your 10 y/o is in 5th grade and will go to middle school next fall? This is a huge transition and it's so good that you are working to find the right medication beforehand. As far as side effects, the primary ones I've seen are with eating. Talk to the teacher and make sure she knows that meds have been started and your daughter may need to eat several small snacks during the day. That's what my students did.

There was a recent study that found an elimination diet worked just as well as meds. I only read about it in the news so I haven't read the actual research article, but it may be worth looking into.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-adhd-diet-idUSTRE7130AI20110204 

Also, you may want to look into requesting testing and schoolwork accommodations once you have the diagnosis. She may be able to have extended time to complete assignments or shortened assignments. Anything you can get started before (I assume) she changes to a new school, the better.

I hope she is doing well!! Some of the brightest and most creative children I knew had ADD/ADHD 

[bec]

She is in 4th grade this year.  We already made dietary changes.  Her diet is pretty solid at this point.  She has been on an IEP for some time, and the accomodations made are similar to the ones you suggest.  This is the reason we are reaching out to meds at this point.  We have really made a lot of other behavioral and environmental changes to very little effect.  I did make sure to tell her teachers about this, and they are keeping a close eye on her.  I have had a great relationship with her teachers, so we are in close communication.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by ZakareyasMama 

There was a recent study that found an elimination diet worked just as well as meds.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-adhd-diet-idUSTRE7130AI20110204 

What I get from the article is that children diagnosed with ADHD frequently have food sensitivities that cause ADHD symptoms, and though improved diet lessened symptoms in some children, the symptoms remained (which can also happen with sleep and exercise). ADHD is a neurological disorder resulting from a deficit of norepinephrine; true ADHD is not cause by diet, inadequate sleep, or lack of exercise.

Edited by Emmeline II - 4/30/11 at 12:12pm