Advice

[Lashaun]

Hello all,

I have a 8 year old son that has been diagnosed with adhd at the age of 3. He did not get on any medication till he was 6. The medicine he is on is Methylphenidate he is on 54mg it's only in his system so long in the day, he attend a after school program. That is threatening to kick him out he has a very hard time staying on task blurting put and they are scared he is gonna hurt him and other do to all the energy he had he is all over the place. I need some help can someone direct me a good direction because if this carries on he will get kicked out of school and the after school program because his behavior is getting worse and I don't feel like the medicine is working anymore

[toyldc]

I'm a mom of an 8 year old boy as well. I would say to switch pills now because as they grow, the same pills they're on may not work as well anymore. That's what my son's therapist told me over a year ago when I had to switch him from Concerta to Adderall. He has been taking pills for two years now. The Adderall is working great but each child is different. If I notice my son getting more aggressive, frustrated easy, or quick tempered......I'm going to change his pills asap before he gets into trouble in school. Don't give up!

[Sarah-lizzy in reply to toyldc]

Can I ask you a question my daughter is 6 she was giving 1mg 1/2 in 2014 never gave her none three years ago but she would listen more and her behavior was better now when we are at home she behaves but when ever I try to go to a store she always ends up making a big seen I really didn't want to give the pills but as she becomes older instead of she behavior getting better it's getting worst sometimes I feel as it's me not teaching her the right way or that she really needs to be taking the medication one of her teachers called and told me she wouldn't stay sitted plz let me know what you all think thank you

[Lashaun in reply to Sarah-lizzy]

I was not keen on giving my son any medication at all but I was getting 3 and 4 phone calls a day saying he is disturbing class it was getting so bad that he was gonna get kicked off the bus and his school is very far and the point in had to take him everyday I had to do something so the medicine did help a lot but now it seem like it's not but if I was you I would talk to her doctor to see what works for you but if it is getting that bad you might have to

[Sarah-lizzy in reply to Lashaun]

Thank-you

[LalaG]

Is the school aware of his diagnosis? Is he on an IEP or 504 plan for school? That would be a good place to start. Does he have any services in place out of school like any kind of therapy? I agree about switching the meds. Kids brains are always developing and changing and with that, they seem to "out grow" meds that may have once worked. I would also suggest getting an updated evaluation to determine if there are any other factors present besides the ADHD like ODD or SPD. That can also help determine which meds may work better. I hope you find what he needs

[Lashaun in reply to LalaG]

Thanks for the info I will look into that

[Snaizy]

There are many extended release formulations available now so if medicine wearing off before the after school program is through is the issue, you should ask the school nurse to give him a “top up”dose in the afternoon and for your morning dose you should look into getting an extended release formulation. We had the same issue and my son just switched to a chewable “Quillichew XR” that lasts 10hrs. There is also a daily patch available that last 9-10 hrs. I would go back to your doctor and explore options!

[Larissa02]

I am the parent of a 13 yo boy and I have had my ups and downs with medications and schools. First. Get your son an IEP or 504 immediately. The IEP will provide more protection and they will try and convince you he doesn’t need it just the 504 but I am updating my sons 504 to An IEP next week. Secondly my son was on methylphenidate also in elementary school by 4and 5 grade I started to feel it wasn’t working and was wearing off also. I changed his medication at the beginning of 6th grade. Middle school has been HELL. Finally I realized the methylphenidate is the most responsive to my son and he is back on it at 36 mg. I have tried focolin Vyvanse and intuiv. Lastly, can you enroll him in a sports center after school program that provides transportation or martial arts? Schools don’t take adhd seriously and allow us to believe it’s more of a behavioral problem, but I have recently open a can of worms on my district about the treatment of my son. I am getting a behavioral intervention plan put into place. School counseling and updating his 504 to provide more protection. Kids with adhd and impulsive behaviors have such little control over their behaviors and are targeted by administration. I never stuck up for my son until recently because I knew he was wild. He is seeing a psychologist who helped me understand he knows right from wrong just can’t control his impulsive behavior. Medication helps but theirs more than medication needed to help your child

[floydwhite]

my son was diagnosed at 3 and was given low dose methylphenidate then however he is a VERY fast metabolizer. he also takes 54 mg of methylphenidate! he has a dr. who specializes in ADHD kids. he also takes a fairly new drug called aptensio. it works along with the methylphenidate but it works slower so that it is long lasting. also my son has ALWAYS taken Intuniv which is to control impulsiveness. i would try the intuniv first . then if you need the meds to last longer your dr. can also prescribe a "booster" dose which is a lesser milligram dose given mid day to make the meds last longer. this,is,what we weve done. currently we have added the aptensio to my son's methylphenidate and intuniv. hopefully this info helps

[123K]

I am in the same position with my son. He is 5 and he take the lowest dose of methylphenidate 5 mg three times a day. It does not work , he is currently on suspendtions for throwing things and kicking over things. I have heard good things about Concerta. I know another child on this med and it works for him. I know every child is different so i pray it works for my son. I

[anirush]

I have one child who has stayed on the same meds with tweaks for years and another we had to add mood stabilizers to keep the aggression at bay. IEP's are good but If your child is out of control they will not keep him from getting suspended.

[Danseuse]

Yes the medication wears off. In order to keep my son going through the afternoon I have him take a lower dose and quick acting methylphenidate after he eats lunch. So he takes a 40 mg extended release at breakfast and then he goes to the school office at lunch and they give him a 5 mg immediate release. He was taking a 10 but he now only wants to do 5. This seems to be working well. Hugs to you.