Advice on Meds

[careerSquirrel]

Hi All

I am new on here so please be gentle…

my 14 year old was diagnosed aged 10 but has never taken medication. This was my choice and I believe the right one. He has thrived at school with great support in place and adaptations.

He has ADD so isn’t adverse to risk taking behaviours or doesn’t display any hyperactive behaviours. He does, however, struggle with physical tics which are really getting him down.

He has reached a point where he has asked to consider medication to help him focus and to help with tics.

This is a road I have always resisted so I am fearful to medicate my child.

Can anyone relate?

It has been suggested that I look at Clonidine as a mild but effective treatment for ADD / tics

It does say this has a sedative ingredient and I don’t want him to be spaced out as he isn’t hyperactive.

Any anecdotal advice would be great.

[Knitting20projects]

Another option might be the extended release guanfacine. In the USA it’s called Intuniv XR. It can be used for ADHD & tics. Short acting guanfacine has to be given multiple times daily which can be a nuisance with school and activities. I know there’s an extended release clonidine which in the USA is called Kapvay, but I don’t know much about it. Our son (autism, ADHD) is on Intuniv XR as a second medication for ADHD in addition to a stimulant. It takes longer to see an effect on the ADHD & has definitely helped with some impulsivity and emotional regulation components of ADHD. In our case our son needed a stimulant also but I think has severe ADHD partly because of having mild autism also. We had his blood pressure checked several times as he started the medicine and increased the dose. He’s on the dose 1 step above the starting dose. I hope this helps!

[careerSquirrel in reply to Knitting20projects]

Thank you for this. I’m based in UK so I will definitely discuss these medications with GP

[Onthemove1971]

Welcome! We are so happy you have joined the group. We are always here for you and hope you find the support you are looking for.

The medication journey can be satisfying and frustrating.

Here are a few things..

When given you find the proper type.. the best dose and the best timing the only thing you could see is a child without the symptoms. While there could be a few side effects most are mild, like decrease appetite.

While I have no experience with Tics, when our son takes his medication almost all his symptoms are not around. The best part is he barely knows he has taken anything.

We were told by a child psychiatrist that medication takes away 60% of the symptoms.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes and we hope you have great success.

[Sustaci]

If this medication improves his life, so let him try it. I believe that he will benefit taking medication. He needs to learn and study now. Imaging he becomes 20 and you say I wish I would have let him take medication because he is really behind mentally and in behavior. I do not know your son and his situation but these specialists have studied a long time and have seen many patients. If his psychiatrist is a good one, you had better trust him.

[Knitting20projects]

PS Tics can definitely cause social difficulties like embarrassment for kids, particularly teens. Hopefully you’ll find something that helps him feel better about the tics and isn’t sedating. You shouldn’t feel like an ADHD medicine changes his fundamental personality. It might help him function more easily but if you’re seeing he’s “a zombie” or “a totally different person” then that’s nobody’s goal! Best of luck.

[MaudQ]

It’s a good sign that your kid has asked you to consider medication: it means he’s self advocating and trusts you. The best person to ask about medication is a psychiatrist. Finding the right med is a trial and error process and everyone is unique, so type, dose, timing are all personalized. For most people with ADHD, stimulants are calming and work quickly and effectively, which is why they are recommended first. But there are also non stimulant meds and some SSRIs like bupropion which can work. I myself have ADHD and am on a stimulant. I was shocked at how much better I felt when I started the medication - I had been stressed out my whole life and had no idea because it was my normal. My kid is on Adderall and Guanfacine - stimulant and non-stimulant. The first med she tried made her too irritable so her psychiatrist pulled her off it immediately and we tried the adderall which worked. These drugs don’t stay in the system for very long so it’s easy to move on and try a new one. Neither of us ever felt like a zombie. If anything, it’s the opposite because we’re less constantly stressed so we are happier and more engaged. We were slow to start meds too - I think everyone is. But something to keep in mind is that we all only hear the bad stuff about medications because feeling fine is boring. No one starts a post just to tell the world that the meds are working and they went to the grocery store with their kid and it wasn’t a problem 😊 So my advice is that the easiest solution is often the best and to try (I know it’s hard in the UK) to find a psychiatrist you trust and who listens to you.

[careerSquirrel]

thanks so much for your testimony.

I need to add that my son isn’t hyperactive. We had a great talk last night and he said that he feels like his mind is a motorway in rush hour. So much noise, movement, thoughtsetc. He also said that he feels like he is sealed in an envelope in class, having to sit and listen.

So yes I think we are at the point when he would benefit fro medication.

Here in the UK, we are referred to a Paediatrician who makes decisions regarding medication and reviews on a regular basis.

I guess the tics are a culmination of stress and anxiety caused by ADHD and living in a world where things are not built for neurodivergent people.

[amewhit in reply to careerSquirrel]

I think I would try a stimulant first - if he hates it - easy to switch. The non-stimulants can cause drowsiness and often have to be paired with a stimulant anyways, and they take weeks to work. Stimulants would calm his mind - and address the issues he is describing. He will notice the first day! And sounds like he will be able to describe exactly what it feels like - which is so helpful. I would try Concerta first - but obviously speak to a psychiatrist!

[im-blue in reply to careerSquirrel]

Hi,I'm from the US and late diagnosed as an adult with ADHD. I made it most of the way through school with fairly good marks until high school where I really had trouble retaining all the information. This was especially true once depression took over since socializing was my worst subject in school.

My diagnosis was primarily inattentive ADHD, which I mostly agree with all the daydreaming I did (still do). The brain I was given works very fast, but unmedicated I find myself double, triple and quadruple checking my work just to achieve average quality. I might read the same passage a few times before being able to retain information so that it's available to use right away. My memory is great and I can retain so many details, but information can get stored in something that feels like a home on the Hoarders show and I can't always find it again when I really need it.

I just got turned down for a promotion to a different department at my company due to some performance issues before I got my meds figured out. I wanted to start fresh where I didn't have the baggage, but reputations are what they are. My peers that started around the same time at this company have a much stronger standing than I, besides probably making much more. Now, I'm trying to claw my way back to up to front of the class for when the next opportunity comes.

Then there is emotional dysregulation, ADHD feelings can be strong like a tsunami and overtake your sense of reason. This leads to broken relationships, lost jobs, overspending and risky investments. I'm not saying your son absolutely needs meds, but if not then therapy or someone he can really open up to would be critical.

[careerSquirrel]

Thank you so much for this. I assumed stimulants were used for children who needed “calming down” so to speak. My son wouldn’t need that but I am very interested in your comments on the use of stimulants

[eva2022]

I suggest reading ‘Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medication for Kids’. It put my mind at ease.

[Knitting20projects]

He might not have physical hyperactivity—it sounds like he has mental hyperactivity. That’s very common in ADHD & often is missed. It often leads to people being diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD instead of combined type.

[careerSquirrel in reply to Knitting20projects]

Yes that’s exactly what’s happened

[Knitting20projects in reply to careerSquirrel]

Mental hyperactivity is pretty disruptive to studying, homework, listening to the teacher, etc. And pretty stressful to live with. It’s what physical hyperactivity often changes into between childhood and adulthood. You might ask your child’s doctor if they think trying a stimulant first is worthwhile. I know he has tics, but the improvement for him in his overall ADHD symptoms might be worth it. At least worth a conversation so you all feel well informed about your options. Best of luck!