How does inattentive adhd change?

[Laura3456]

My DS 10 has inattentive adhd - at the mild to middle level i would say. I appreciate all cases are different but i am wondering what the next 8 years hold ? He is on medication that works really well for us and we don't really have any major problems with him - only quirks. Our Pschyatrist who is an ADHD specialist says his level of inattentiveness may stay the same or he may snap out of it. He said about 50% of his patients no longer need meds post puberty. I have never read on the internet about anyone snapping out of it post puberty. He is not overtly hyperactive at all - appreciate its internalised with the inattentive sub type!. Thanks.

[anirush]

My grandson's psychiatrist says the same thing although his way of phrasing it is that in late teens they sometimes learn to manage their ADHD without medication. He is 15 and on meds. If he forgets them he gets incredibly silly and makes rash decisions.

My daughter stayed on medication through her first year of college but then took herself off with mixed results. She never really did well without medication until late twenties.

[Laura3456]

Many thanks. We are on med holiday now as we do t use during school holiday but our psych seems to want to also take a break for first few weeks of term to see if he can cope without. Whereas I don’t. I feel important he gets off to a good and unstressful start each year.

[Eclecticentric77]

Hi there, I have inattentive ADHD and was not diagnosed until my mid 20s. I thankfully was able to get treatment, small dose stimulant medication, along with supplements that help out the neurotransmitters people with ADHD have low levels of/fight off the negative side effects of stimulant medication (increased heart rate/blood pressure, medication crash, oxidation build up etc.). This allowed me to get my B.A. in Psych. and is helping me complete Grad School in order to work with the ADHD population. From my research, along with my experiences working Inattentive types, the transition into puberty is quite difficult for a lot of people with ADHD due to the lowering of the brain's reward system (Dopamine and Serotonin), along with other neurotransmitters we struggle with. The inattentive symptoms can and often times do become more strenuous during adolescence. Issues with motivation, apathy, lethargy, brain fog, time management, issues staying asleep/falling asleep, moodiness, and sadness are some of the most common issues inattentive ADHD clients mention to me. Due to this, grades tend to suffer as well in school for a good amount of inattentive types. The inattentive subtype of ADHD is a lesser known subtype of ADHD, and because of this I have made a youtube video series on the struggles inattentive types face throughout the different stages of life. I also published a book on inattentive ADHD. The links are in my profile bio incase you're interested. Hope this helps, and best regards.

[bdhb96 in reply to Eclecticentric77]

Thank you!

[bdhb96]

Hi Laura3456,

This great video has plenty of examples of what things may be like for your DS in the next 10 years. m.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZrZ...(Not working as expected?)

It also explains the brain science and why meds are part of helping solution.

Hope it helps.

[Laura3456]

Much appreciated