How many meds?

[Lando78]

Hi all, just wondering how many different meds your child is on. My 8yr old son, dx with ADHD and ODD-oppositional defiant disorder, is on 3 different medications right now. His doc is still trying to get the right combinations/dosages that works for my son.

[christelferrer]

HI Lando78,

I wanted to reassure you that it is normal that finding the right combo may take a while, especially in cases of ADHD with co-morbidity.

My son is 7 and takes 2 medications. He has ADHD, anxiety and ODD. In our case, it took a good 6 months of trying and missing before finding what worked.

What helped me is writing a daily journal, recording pros and cons of each medications over the course of a week or more (depending what his doctor and I agreed on doing).

Usually, you see if it working pretty much right away. 3 days is enough for a good assessment. Then I would share the results with his doctor—he is great I have to say.

Our son is on Sertraline in the morning (generic for Zoloft) and Guanfacine in the afternoon.

[Nikita2]

Hi. My 7 year son has ADHD and is being assessed for ODD and mood disorders. We are also doing trial and error since April and I believe we have some further adjustments to make. Currently he’s on Concerta in the mornings and Guanfacine in the afternoons. We just took him off Prozac since that made his aggression worse and was keeping him up at night.

[Barb_H]

Hi, My daughter is on two meds - one for ADHD and one for anxiety/depression. She is 14 years old. I think it's common to be on multiple meds, especially when there is more than one diagnosis. She has been on various meds since age 8.

One thing I've learned over the years is that the issues shift and change and then the medications may need to change as well. During grades K-3, the primary issue was hyperactivity. Although there was also distractibility, we chose to medicate just for the primary issue. Beginning in about grade 4, the primary issue shifted to focus and distractibility. She had learned to sit still for short periods of time, but she couldn't remember to bring the correct books home to do her homework. At that time, we changed to a different medication. In middle school, issues with anxiety and depression began and we added a med for that. It's a constant work in progress, whether you're finding the correct dosage or finding the med that works the best.

[Hidden]

I'm very new to this so others probably have more information than I do, but right now my daughter, age 11, almost 12 is taking 7 mg of Abilify for bipolar, depression, anxiety, we're still figuring that part out and 5mg of ritalin twice a day for ADHD inattentive type. She has a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner that we are working with very closely to monitor work on the medications.

[Onthemove1971]

Lando78-

Are you working with a child psychiatrist? They are the most skilled at being able to recommend the best dose and type of medication for your child. Every child is different in what they need and the dose is give. Most kids with ADHD need a focus medication ( if they have this problem) and a drug to control impulses.

Best of luck.

[susanv1994]

Hello, I too had those concerns when they were trying to find the right combo for my

son ASD, ADHD, & dyslexia (no meds for this) It can be scary, because the wrong meds can cause side effects. I read one answer that mentioned keeping a journal. We did that as well, plus we asked teachers to fill out a weekly report. Finally through some of my own research, (after our son had seizures); I found a non-stimulant drug that worked well. He has not been on meds for the asd. But that was our choice and now his.

You have every right to be concerned and if you are not happy with one doctor do not be afraid to ask for a second opinion. If your doctor is insulted because you asked for a second opinion, they are not a good doctor. I found the Autism Society helpful, they are not in the pharmaceutical companies pockets.

[Lando78]

Thank everyone for your reply. I have not been keeping a everyday journal but we have been keeping track of overall good and bad weeks when meds are changed.

Yes my son does see a psychiatrist for meds and psychologist. As all of you know, dealing with this is not easy and I DO appreciate all your feedback. We have been going to this psychiatrist for about 6 months now and thought we would be better further then what we are. We had a new development a few days ago when my son was saying he was going to all of us and himself, which is not new, but this time he opened his second story window. He wasn’t attempting to jump out but just standing in his room. We took him to local hospital for assessment under his doctors suggestion. They released him back into our custody and called to leave an update with dr and get immediate appointment in which he told us to do. He never called back so when i called 2 days later his secretary just gave a message from dr for us to take him and get admitted to a mental hospital in our area. Well that doesn’t sit very well me or my wife. First because he never spoke to my son on his actual intent or why he opened the window and second the 2 closest mental hospitals have had reports of abuse. Sorry this got long and I need to go but again thank you for your replies and for listening.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Lando78]

Thank you for sharing such personal information. I know when things are bad it is hard to imagine, but I have been today by many sources kids with ADHD get better with time. They gain maturity and learn better how to cope.. I hope out for these each time life gets hard.

Big hug and take care.