Medication help

[Mommalad]

Hi everyone,

Im a mom to a 10 year old boy who was recently diagnosed with ADHD the inattentive type. Our son also has high functioning autism and I suspected ADHD for a few years but it was recently diagnosed by a neurologist. We are so new to the ADHD world and there is so much information out there that it’s hard to keep up sometimes. Im so happy I found CHADD.

My sons biggest struggle right now is staying focused. He absolutely hates school. He thinks its boring and has a hard time engaging. He seems uninterested in going and learning. His grades are okay and his teachers tell me that although he has a hard time focusing and completing work sometimes, he’s still able to finish and doesn’t seem to fall behind academically. Socially, is another thing he struggles with but he is so nonchalant about it and says he’s an introvert and genuinely loves to be alone and in his world. Although he does have a few friends at school. We are in the process of an IEP right now and he’s in the 5th grade but I worry a lot for the future especially middle school.

I notice it takes him a long time to do his homework and he tells me his brain cannot focused on one thing. He also has a hard time remembering things and completely 2/3 step directions.

Im considering medication for my son but I am very nervous because I don’t know too much about the different types and what he would need. I plan on bring this up to his neurologist next time we see her. Im also open to trying a natural approach to this. I would love any suggestions you guys have for me. If you have a kid who has the inattentive type, what kind of medication/ naturally approach helped?

[Pinky03]

Hello, I'm Verónica and I'm going through the same situation as you, my son is 7 years old and he's having a very difficult time concentrating at school and he still says it's boring, he has no problems relating but it's difficult. to face this. I would still like to know if anyone has used any medicine or natural methods to help. It is a difficult path but we are not alone.

[Onthemove1971]

Thanks for joining the group. Children with ADHD benefit from having 3 tools. Medication, an educational plan and therapy.

When children take medication they usually take a stimulant and or a non-stimulant. It's important to have the correct type of medication, the correct dose of medication and the medication is taken at the correct time. Each child's body react differently to medication. In general stimulants help with decreasing impulsive behavior. Stimulants help with mood and focus. The goal with medication is to have the fewest side effects that decrease the symptoms. It is amazing to see how much medication can help.

The educational plan is very important to help decrease the issues your child is having, like using audio to support learning. Getting extra time to do assignments and getting the teachers notes to help them understand the material presented. It would help if you learn about accommodations and modifications.

There are many types of therapy, play based, one on one, etc. This helps to teach them coping skills to deal with the symptoms they have.

If you have time you can read over older posts from the group. Anything you are struggling with the group has most likey talked about.

Again, we are happy you have joined us. We are here any time you need us.

[Mommalad in reply to Onthemove1971]

thank you for your comment. Definitely requested extra testing time and extended breaks, and movement breaks since he does like to walk a lot.

I am going to discuss all of this with his doctor.

My son doesnt really have impulsive behaivor and is actually extreamly calm and sometimes unmotivated. Does that mean he wouldn’t benefit from stimulants?

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Mommalad]

Impulsive behavior can be physical movement, but it can also be excessive talking, unable to control oneself in decision making. It's like not thinking before doing.I would ask your child's doctor about the stimulant medication, since I do not have an answer. But what I can say is for our son medication has made at least 60% of his negative actions go away. Then when the medication is out of his system the symtoms return. It is hard for him to see the difference but we know when he has taken his medication.

Best to you!

[Tiredagain1]

Look into Atomoxetine (generic for Stratterra brand) and discuss with your doctor; dosage is weigh-based so adjustments are needed with weight gain or loss; it's been helpful for our son.

[Mommalad in reply to Tiredagain1]

thank you so much. Im reading a lot about it and seems like something like something that would help my son.

[Tiredagain1 in reply to Mommalad]

I'm praying that it helps.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Tiredagain1]

Medication dose is also based on how fast the child metabolizes the medication.

[Tiredagain1 in reply to Onthemove1971]

Yes, and there is a test from GeneSight (genesight.com/) that helps understand the interaction of the person's genes and the meds.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Tiredagain1]

We have not needed this type of test and I will say every professional ( at least in Western medicine) does not recommend this type of test. With a great child psychiatrist we managed well with type, dose and timing.

I will say that with time my perspective on what medication works best for our son, has changed.

Finding what works for your child is what to strive towards.

Best to you!

[Tiredagain1 in reply to Onthemove1971]

OK, I am not advocating for the testing. Just sharing knowledge in full transparency.

There is no need, and honestly no room in this crazy world, to get defensive or accusatory. We are all trying to help each other. If you cannot stay positive and share politely, please stay out of the conversation.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Tiredagain1]

No defensiveness here, just sharing also. Team workHave a great day..

[HoldingonLou]

My child was helped by taking aderall but every child is different. It did make his stomach hurt and took away his appetite. Having him work on homework for 5 minutes at a time really helped him. A lot of breaks involved but only way he got things done.

[Mommalad in reply to HoldingonLou]

I feel like we are constantly doing that. Taking breaks in between assignments and homework. I know medication will probably be our next step since he is voicing how much his brain struggles to stay focused.

[Mamamichl]

have you heard of a genesight test? It basically does a dna test (like a paternity one with the swab) and mixes it with eachof the mental health meds. It will list out how much adverse effects the med is with the genetics of the person. My partner and I both did this and it was so helpful. It helps our doctor know where to start with meds so we don’t do multiple months or years of testing to figure it out. I’m on my first week of meds and I can actually be here in the moment and just breathe.

Also, look into ABA therapy. It may help him socialize more.

I work in education and am glad you reached out to the school. They take learning about your kids skills seriously when assessing them for an iep. You can ask for less homework or none even on an iep. We do my kids homework only on the weekends. You can also request smaller assignments or extended time on tests.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Mamamichl]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had a friend that went all the way through Grad. School and never had medicine and ehen she tried it she was blown away by how "calm" he body was she was not racing any more.

[Mamamichl in reply to Onthemove1971]

I finished magna cum laude in my BA. I was denied certification only because of how stressed I was in a kindergarten classroom. I did well in 4th grade though, and am doing ok with certification where I grew up, when I lived 2k miles away for 20 years

[ChallengeMeeter]

I'd definitely bring it up with his neurologist, and unless you have researched particular drugs that you think are a good fit, I'd go with the neurologists recommendation. It's frustrating, but trial and error is the name of the game when it comes to medication and getting the correct dosage. Don't lose hope! When you find the right one it's literally life changing! I just accepted the fact that it's like dating, sometimes it's love at first sight and other times you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince.

[MeganWilsonss]

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