since he was first able to walk or interact we have noticed strong symptoms of ADHD. it is many times more severe when in a structured setting with his peers. Also in crowds of people.
after being kicked out of two preschools both suggesting that he has adhd. He is now in a preschool for children with these sorts of issues. The psychologist strongly suggested that he needs medication so we took him to his pediatrician and she prescribed Ritalin. 5mg short acting methylphenidate 2x daily.
we have given it to him for about 3 days now and have noticed that when the medication wears off his mood seems to quickly swing from one extreme to the other. Also when he is on it, he seems somewhat depressed.
I am just looking for input form others who may have had similar experiences. Is he too young for all this? Should we just take him off the meds until he is older? I am concerned. Thanks
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donjonson
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My daughter 7 yrs was also started on medication 6/7 months back. I observed similar behavior of extreme mood swings when medication wear off and we felt she was depressed as well. However the mood swings reduced and faded away after couple of weeks. I am not advocating medicine, but you do not stress out for mood swing. The body needs some time to adjust with medication.
What exact signs does he show? I honestly think he is too young for medication but I'm not an expert, plus his dosage is very minimal. My son started Ritalin when he was 5 (10mg 2×/day, 5mg did nothing for him) and had just started Kindergarten because he was being physically and verbally aggressive with his peers and teachers. The medicine didn't make a difference at all, until I asked to switch him to a smaller class setting, 8 kids to 2 teachers versus 22 kids to 1 teacher. It has made a big difference. His side effect isn't quite depression, I've noticed that he likes to sit and shut off the tv's and anything that is loud or interfering with his thought process. When I observe him it looks like he is processing information in his head. Maybe everything that his brain is unable to process when he's not on his medication since their brains are like non-stop thinking and going. When the medicine wears off he does show some burst of extreme energy and some anger (ODD) but it could also be because the medication suppresses everything while they're on it that it strikes hard once they're off. My point is that there could be triggers around him that make him act the way that he does, such as large groups or over stimulated environments.
There are also articles on types of diets and foods that also help kids with ADHD. Also please remember that you are your son's advocate and voice. If you feel like it's doing more damage than good then ask to switch to something different or stop it all together. Only you know what would be best for him. And once he starts school you will probably run into so many issues but your son has rights and you have to make sure to express that as much as you can. I wish someone had told me this last year so that I could prepare myself because it has not been easy.
My 11 year old grandson wasn't started on medication until kindergarten. But by age for he was having horrible tantrums and anxiety issues. He probably should have been started on it earlier
My daughter was on Ritalin all through grade school and now has a master's degree. So it certainly didn't affect her brain. It's a hard decision on medication but it's also hard on the child to think he's a bad kid.
My 7 year old was diagnosed last year. We have him on Adderall XR (time released). When starting this journey our pediatrician told us we may have to adjust dosage and try different medications; that way we find what works best for him. From what you are describing, my gut feeling is you may need to try a different medication. The one we're on is water based and flushes out of his system fully within 8-10 hours. I don't notice any extreme difference in his behavior/mood once it wears off. However, in the mornings before he has taken it, he is a lot more moody and easily becomes frustrated and upset if situations are trying for him. We're doing our best to find a daily routine (I like him to eat a big breakfast before he takes it)....on days he's more irritable I have him hang out and play in his room until breakfast....reading, building with Legos, maybe a bit of iPad time. That way he's in a situation he can control his emotions easier and is set up for success. Talk to his Dr, give details on what's going on/how he's reacting to the meds, and see if there is a different medication you can try that will be a better fit.
My 6 year old son also has a 'rebound' effect after medicine wears off. We give a slow release in the morning then he gets a boost in the afternoon. Very evident he struggles right before that afternoon dose. I am not against giving my child medicine since ADHD is a biological disorder which is best helped with medication along with proven parenting tactics. However, I do wonder sometimes if the severe rebound is worse than going without it. You must experiment to see what works. We may try him off the medicine in the summer just to see. Remember that their bodies also change and grow so monitor things closely and always ask questions
Thanks for the advice. Just out of curiosity, have you notices your son build up a tolerance to the medication?
do you switch medications every month or so to help prevent that?
we are still less than a week in to giving him medication but I must say that I almost cried when we went to observe him in his preschool yesterday. He was able to sit and listen, pay attention, participate in class discussions, as well as engage in cooperative play with another little boy with legos for an extended period of time. I have never seen him do this before in my life. So I believe in the obvious benefit of the medication. But he is still very young and it is still very early in the process so I am trying to manage my expectations.
I also have questions about stimulant meds to a 4 year old......he will eventually need it for school, but for now, perhaps some behavioral interventions might be better. A pre-school with small class size or even a babysitter with only 1-2 kids. I would advise buying a book on ADHD and read the chapters about all the ADHD medications. Ritalin is a stimulant. This means that many kids experience a "let-down" or a "crash" as the medication leaves their system. Some kids can handle that crash and some have more problems with it. ADHD kids do also complain about feeling "flat" or depressed on stimulants....that's how they feel when their brain is "slowed down". Most kids adapt to this feeling and eventually realize that feeling more organized is better for everyone. My advice is to do your research on ALL the ADHD meds - stimulants, non-stimulants, etc.
I’m a walking book! Lol Seriously though, there aren’t many to choose from, IMO. It’s stimulate or non stimulant. I would hold off as long as you can, that’s what I did. Besides that, there are other meds but do be careful with the ones for “blood pressure”. My youngest went through 2 of those and then we found abilify, which has helped immensely!
My son has recently started Concerta, he just turned seven years old. Through our very long and arduous journey to help and support our son on how to manage his severe ADHD, we’ve come across a doctor named Russell Barkley, who is a professor of clinical psychology at the medical University of South Carolina.
He has many videos on YouTube that really teach you about ADHD, and what it means to have the neurological disorder, What deficits it entails and how to treat it. He is straight forward and does not tread softly with his videos.
One very large take away that I got from his lectures is that this truly is indeed a neurological disorder, and that as the brain develops without treatment, there are unfavorable changes to the brain into adulthood. ( my husband, who has severe ADHD, and has since childhood, struggles with this understanding, because it is a sad and scary thought. His parents had control over this, not him )
Taking medication actually acts as a neuro protectant. It allows the brain to develop as a “normal” Brain would. All based completely on clinical studies and science.
Here is his video about how medication affects the brain, and how the doctor believes early intervention is very integral:
I feel like I just read my own story! We went through something similar (being kicked out of school) and my son is also now in a school that specializes in students with his type of needs. He will be 5 in April and we are starting medication next week (Ritalin). When we asked the doctor about side effects etc he said what we can do is watch for the side effects and if there is something that is concerning or we don't like what Ritalin does to him we can always try a different med. Because the med is in and out of the system so quickly we are less fearful of it then we were when we first started exploring that route.
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