My son was diagnosed w ADHD combined in K. I changed his diet,exercised n used essential oils trying to avoid meds. Now in 2nd grade, he seems to b lost...not learning/comprehending n pretty much said he ll never get it n he must b dumb. 😭😭😭”there’s ur sign”moment. I was heartbroken... then to hear him say the neighbor won’t let him over cuz he can’t calm down n is rough with his toys. I do everything I can so he will never feel like he’s not wanted,not good enough. I make everyone play together or they don’t come to our house. There is no picking on siblings. I have 4 children. 3boys 9,7,5 and a 2yr Old girl. So my house is chaos most of the time. All The neighborhood kids come here or I take them with for hikes n playgrounds. everyone always needs something I NEVER get one on one time with any of my kids. N the boys only visit their father for a cpl hrs on the weekend.(we are great co parents,I have my ex’s stepson over all the time) My kids happiness is wat I live for. N to c my 7 yr old, the sweetest,most caring,comforting,biggest heart the one who pick me a flower every day ,in pain like this kills me. His pediatrician put him on methylphenidate 18 mg.(lowest dose). N he starts it tomorrow. He’s already thin n has trouble fallin asleep. He takes a multivitamin prescription but never had to swallow a pill. I made a secret pact with him that I would go on meds with him n that he gets milkshakes every nite before bed.lol I have appointment two weeks to b eval for adult ADHD I’m positive I have it just never knew it I’m 39 yrs old. Everything I’ve been reading,watching n listening to makes total sense of why my life is so crazy. So wish me luck tomorrow. I’m praying this helps him to feel like he fits in. Ps I’m in discussions for IEP n 504 plans. Thanks for letting me vent😂 no one understands our figiting ,intruppting,procrastinating,impolsive,off task minds.
NERVOUSE...7 yr old starting meds tom... - CHADD's ADHD Pare...
NERVOUSE...7 yr old starting meds tomorrow. Any tip,tricks,pointers basically wat to expect. Thanks
Sounds like your doing great. I gotta say, 18 mg of ritalin is a lot to start with. I'd cut it in half if I were you. My ped prescribe 20 to start and quickly realized that was too high a does to start with...even though she said it wasn't. I realized I needed to get to a psychiatrist who understands dosing. Don't mean to scare you, just be ready as 18 will make him bounce off the walls at first. I found it important to 'understand' what the meds are trying to do. Listen to Dr. Barkley's video..skip to the medication portion if you don't have time to listen to all.
Yeah I thought it was kinda high as well but the pediatrician said it’s the lowest dose. I wasn’t sure wat the dr would put him on so I was lookin into all the different one n most start at 2.5,5,10. I need to find a psychiatrist who deals w ADHD in my area. I will definitely
Watch video when the kids go to bed. He actually did really well today in school no side effects so far n was able to do his work. The teacher kept me updated throughout the day. He just did his homework w no complaints n even asked for more . It’s usually very difficult n I get frustrated cuz he gives up or don’t listen to wat he has to do. He seems less hyperactive n was able to stop one thing to do the task I asked without a breakdown n me tellin him for half hr. The hardest part was swallowing the pill this morning. They r small but it took him awhile n lots of tears to get it down. Thanks for advice
Theres a nice medication guide at the below link. I think you have to give them your email address to get. but it's a really great guide. Ritalin comes in 10 and 20 and higher, both of which you can cut. Sounds like she prescribed something else. additudemag.com/category/ex...
He’s actually on methylphenidate generic for Concerta. I’m gonna call her pediatrician tomorrow n c if we can cut in half. Thanks again
Ok, that makes sense. Yeah, you can't cut concerta. Concerta is a long acting type of methylphenidate. So, there are immediate release stimulants in the meth family and long acting. Concerta will last between 8-12 hours. So, your ped is right, she is probably giving you the loses dose of concerta. It has a soda release system, so some of the mg's reflect the stuff that helps release it. When first starting out, just to 'see' how they will respond, I liked using straight up immediate release Ritalin. This way I could gage what my daughter needed, and if it was too much, no big deal b/c it wore off in 4 hours. I guess this is why I like a psychriatrist over a peds doctor. Most psy I don't think, would start with a long-acting, until you understood how they respond. You really only need a month to see how they settle into a dosage then you can convert to a longer acting meth. These are all in the Methylphenidate family:
Brands: Concerta, Daytrana, Methylin, Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Metadate ER, Aptensio XR, Cotempla XR-ODT, QuilliChew ER, and Quillivant XR
There is another type of Stimulant, called amphetamines. Some folks do better with these and will metabolism slower. Again, trial and error.
Here's a blurb about amphetamines:
On a molecular level, Adderall and methamphetamine are very closely related. Scientifically, amphetamines are known as methylated phenylethylamine. Methamphetamine is double methylated phenylethylamine. The double methyl group creates the primary difference between amphetamine and methamphetamine. Chemically speaking the difference is small, but the extra methyl group in methamphetamine makes a big difference in the drug’s effects by allowing it to cross the blood brain barrier faster — which makes the drug much more potent.
You're doing a great job, mom, and don't want you to feel isolated. We have been using Concerta for years. We started at 18mg when our son was about your son's age. We were against the meds at first, but sometimes it is a course to try. Definitely sounds as though he qualifies for an IEP. This will spell things out for the teachers and accomodations must be followed. Will be looking for updates on how your son is progressing. Sounds like your taking positive steps toward results. Good luck.
Hi, when my son was taken meds I had to watch how it affected him. The first time he was like a zombie and didn't smile or laugh and went back for an adjustment and he did fine after that. Just be sure to monitor how he is doing by asking the teachers to send a report on for the first month on how he was in their class and you see how he does when he comes home. The hardest thing is when people don't want them playing with their kids because they say the to rough and you fine the only kids that want to play with them is the kids that act the same and you feel like they are to rough. It's a long hard role to play but hang in there. Unfortunately for me when my son got in his teens he didn't want to take his meds and this led to behavior that led him to prison when he was 18 and he had a son that is now with ADHD and ODD and I'm living this all over again.
Yeah that’s another reason why I choose meds. I can c things goin in that direction as he got older. I always joked we r gonna need bail money for this one...Hopefully he will continue to take his meds as he gets older but if he decides not to it not gonna force him. Lots of prayer for u n ur family
Thanks it’s nice to hear from ppl who understand cuz I’m driving myself crazy trying to the best thing for him.
i think you're doing a great job as i myself debating wether i should give my daughter meds or viitamins as a single mom it's hard making decisions on my own and have a few relatives that tell me not to give her meds.
18 mg seems high to me but I’m not a dr. They usually start low and increase. My 6 almost 7 yr old is on 5 mg of Focalin which is a methylphenidate medication. 10 was way too high for him. I would recommend getting a pediatric psychiatrist if you haven’t already. They are better with the meds than the pediatrician. I’m familiar with the neighbor thing btw. Only one house in the neighborhood will let my son over. The one across the street flat out told my daughter she could come but not my son. He was standing right there and started crying. It was horrible! Sounds like you are doing a great job!
You can't cut the methylphenidate ER 18 mg in half. It is a time release system (the equivalent of 5 mg three times daily of the regular methylphenidate tablets - 5 mg per dose is not too much for a second grader) with a coating of methylphenidate on the outside that releases immediately and a hollow tablet with methylphenidate as a gel on one end and an osmotic pump (absorbs water and expands) on the other end. If you cut it in half, you either get the pump (no medication) or the methylphenidate that gets absorbed all at once instead of over 10 hours or so. And the shell comes out the other end (if you look - my wife commented once about it when our son was much younger).
Checking in to see how things are going? Thanks for being willing to try medication. I hope your child has a positive outcome.
Oh I can empathize with you so much. My 7 year old son is so desperate to have friends but usually ends up getting sent home or alienating other kids due to his behavior. It breaks his heart and mine for him. He sometimes tells me thinks he is the worst kid in the world 😢 But we started medication ( metadate CD 20mg) over the summer and it really has helped. He still struggles socially but I have seen some improvement and his school behavior is night and day better. His teacher this year is thrilled to have him in her class. I wish you the best as your son starts medication and as you continue to navigate his ADHD.
As far as tricks- I did notice his appetite took a big hit. He basically doesn’t eat lunch at all. So we have started having a huge breakfast before medication in the morning, a snack after school and have pushed dinner back later so the medication has worn off. This seems to have helped as his weight is stabilized.
You’re doing great mom!! Prayers for strength to you and your little one. He’s perfectly and wonderfully made just as he is. The meds may help but be sure he knows he’s awesome sauce!
Maybe something here would be helpful list.ly/list/1hOV-parenting...
I don’t know if you’re serious about the milkshake before bed but if so, one thing you could consider is this product called Natural Calm. You can get it at CVS. It’s magnesium which is supposedly really great for kids with adhd. It promotes restful sleep. I take it too because mag I supposed to help with cramps (like Charlie horses) and the guy at the store said if you work our hard, people take it for recuperation. Anyway, the lemon raspberry flavor tastes good. It’s easy to make, the powder dissolves instantly And I’ve been calling it the nighty-night lemonade.
My heart goes out to you. And just know you have support here. My son started on medication a year ago, we went through several and if anything it worsened most of the symptoms due to being tired in the Meds, or too out of control in his own feelings, and 6 medications later we’ve switch our parenting skills, environment and are now no longer doing medication but CBD oil and nuerofeedback. Though it’s only been 2 weeks it’s been a tremendous change and the results are worth talking about. He’s able to calm down quicker when upset, he’s more manageable playing with other children and feels better about himself overall. We started with a holistic approach, went to Meds, and we’re losing all hope so we went outside of the norm and been doing the CBD natural oil and nuerofeedback twice a week and I can finally see results! It’s something to consider. Good luck to you and if you’re not satisfied with the Meds I can give you more information on our techniques we’re using ❤️
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