Medication yes or no

[Rosy2017]

I started my son on ritalin 10mg he was on it for maybe 4 months but started noticing sadness so i stopped 1week ago i have seen a difference himself happy...but acting more at school even with medication he would act out .anyones opinion will be helpfull

[MomOfAMermaid]

Have you tried genetic testing? A mouth swab that can give you specific medications that better match how your child metabolizes medications. You still may experience side effects but the medication will be most effective. I also wonder if the dosage was correct? A while back my daughter was displaying more anger then normal for her and she was being "under medicated". I wish you all the best!

[Rosy2017 in reply to MomOfAMermaid]

i will ask see if it would be a covered benefit or i would pay out of pocket i can handle him at home but school/teachers is the issue thanks for your advise

[MomOfAMermaid in reply to Rosy2017]

It was a covered benefit on my daughter's Medicaid. Good luck!

[Rosy2017 in reply to MomOfAMermaid]

My son just has kaiser and most of the time is no

[PetH]

10 mg of Ritalin is a very small dose. Most doctors only prescribe that amount for the first week or so just to make sure that there are not severe side effects. I would be surprised if you saw any change in the managing of your son's symptoms with that low of a dose. My son is very sensitive to chemical changes, and it took us about a year to find the right medication and dosage for him. You might talk to your doctor about trying a different medication or if non-medication therapies may be appropriate, such as cognitive behavior therapy. Also, you don't mention how old your son is.

[22789 in reply to PetH]

My son takes 5mg of Ritalin when he needs just 3 or so hours of coverage. Dose is person specific. Low for one is not high for another. My son's impulsivity is on the high-end without medication.

[Rosy2017 in reply to PetH]

My son is 10 years old havent tried anything else until this comming up appointment lets see what the psych. Recommends or hopefully approves the testing to get him the best medication or what you suggested cognitive behavior therapy

[22789]

Medication is just one component of a multi-modal treatment plan. What else have you tried?

[Rosy2017 in reply to 22789]

Just that for now i have an appt. Comming up so i will ask psych.

[pwb78]

It's important to remember that Ritalin isn't the only medication option. We've been doing a lot of experimenting with my son, and we've made good progress. We may also go the genetic testing route just to have that information.

You might also check with the doctor to make sure that sadness/depression is a side effect of Ritalin. I know that with my son who just turned six, he has ADHD, but it's accompanied by anxiety. The medication needs to be able to treat both for him.

Someone mentioned a multi-modal approach. I concur there. A psychologist could be great if your son is depressed or feeling anxious about something outside of the medication. But you may also consider checking with a psychiatrist for medication purposes to ensure that the sadness was a side effect of Ritalin and not due to some extenuating circumstance in your son's life.

[Rosy2017 in reply to pwb78]

Thanks

[Cleo317]

I agree with everyone that there are different meds and different dosages to try.

I wish I had known more or was guided more appropriately for the last 3 years. I just kept going along with what our pediatrician told us. Don't get me wrong, she is a great doctor, but I've come to learn that pediatricians are not always capable of providing the best advise for ADHD.

We took my son off all meds as they all caused those side effects - depression, moody, becoming withdrawn, etc. For the last 3 years he was not medicated and it caused a lot of problems at school - mostly behavioral. This past summer I spent countless hours and money going to specialists only to find he just wasn't being treated properly for him. We did do the genetic testing and found every medication we tried in the past he does not metabolize well. We put him on Focalin, which the test indicates he should metabolize well, and so far (knock on wood) he's doing very well on it.

That said, my son DOES have depression and anxiety which has only worsened as he's heading into his teen years. So we have also been treating that as well. I can't say if the other meds would have caused any problems if he was being treated for his depression and anxiety appropriately. But, right now we seem to have a medical plan that is working.

Some of the medications can exacerbate an underlying depression or anxiety issue. So if that is not treated properly, the meds may do more harm than good.

Behavioral therapy is also a must for us. I would highly recommend that if you are not doing it.

Good luck! It can be really trying finding the right treatment for your child. It is so hard when they struggle.

[Rosy2017 in reply to Cleo317]

Thanks unfortunately behavioral plan not working so im going to change that in school. i believe he needs more patience someone that could point out positives too. thanks