First time posting here. Our son is 9 and in fourth grade. He was diagnosed with inattentive ADD last spring and has been falling behind in class and socially. We have been trying counseling and dietary supplements but we/he needs more help and are exploring medications. We have a doctor appointment scheduled for this week.
We are reading all the side effects of the different treatments. Have any of you had any side effect horror stories? Has the medication been worth the issues?
Are there any questions that you wish you had asked the doctor before starting medications?
Thank you for any input, our heads are spinning. Just trying to do what's best.
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Norcal_Flyfisherman
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Welcome to the group! One of the biggest issues for us was how long the medication last. Your child might need to take a second dose in the late afternoon.Medication has been life changing for our son. When we did experience side effects we just changed the medication.
Medication stopped 60% or more of the symptoms of ADHD.
Welcome! My horror story is that we delayed medicating for too long while trying all the other natural routes. Medication is not a fix all but once you find what works it improves quality of life so much for the child. And then you can get about implementing all the non-medication tools: parent coaching, IEPs, supplements, nutrition, exercise, podcasts and books (for the parents)
We were fortunate that the first couple of things we tried worked. We found that guanfacine worked super well for the emotional regulation and impulse control that was the biggest challenge for my son. Stimulants we use for focus and attention. Many people only use one medication and it often takes many different attempts to find the one that works best for your child. It’s challenging but once you get there it makes a world of difference.
Guanfacine is 24 hours and is a a non-stimulant that has to be titrated to get to the right dose. This works for many people if the side effects from the stimulants are too much. You can’t take breaks from it and you have to titrate off as it impacts blood pressure.
Stimulants like concerta, vyvanse and Dexedrine are time release and wear off after a period of several hours. Some people use booster doses to prolong the effects. Main side effects are with appetite and sleep. We had this issue in the early days but not anymore.
We initially tried guanfacine because of the side effects from Concerta which included loss of appetite, difficulties going to sleep and huge meltdowns after the medication wore off. After several years on guanfacine I find my son is able to tolerate the Concerta much better and at the age of 16 is able to determine when he does and does not need to take it. He is very attuned to what he needs.
Good luck with your journey. Tonnes of information in this group that was especially helpful to me in the early days.
You reminded me of my other horror story. My partner and stepkid got light headed with guanfacein. My stepkid even feinted on it.
On a good note; after being diagnosed at 38, I realized all the therapy I did didn’t help much until I was medicated because my brain was too busy to think about the teachings in the moment. It’s like learning how to fix something. Knowing how but not having the tools doesn’t help much. Having the tools but not knowledge doesn’t either. You need both for you to succeed.
Medication makes my son feel better. He lives in a world with overstimulation and sensory overload…the meds help to silence all the noise in his head. It has been life changing for us. We have had to try numerous different meds and/or doses until we found what works best. It will not fix everything, but it really does make life a little easier for our them!
Hi there, I have a 7 y.o. son with a genetic condition called Cri Du Chat and ADHD. Has had big struggle with focus and aggressive behaviors. We are on the lowest dose of Metadata (Ritalin) and it has been a game changer. He can't control what we are asking him to control at this point in his life. Don't be afraid to try the meds because you could be really holding him back from what he is capable of. Start on lowest meds and change if side effects are too much!
Inattentive ADD situation here as well. We were in your shoes a few years ago. In our case, Focalin was the answer and it helps substantially. I was like you and dreaded medication, but our pediatrician did a thorough evaluation and suggested we go this route. in hindsight I am so glad we followed her suggestion. Biggest drawback is a reduced appetite, but other than that, no symptoms and he can decide to take it or not depending on what is going on that day. It was a big game changer academically. He tends to take it during the week, but not on weekends, and the dosage can be adjusted as he grows so it's doing its job but never more than he needs.
when being given a medication, i like to ask how to contact doctor before the next appointment in case of side effects. I also make an appt about a month later. As for the side effect list, if even one person in the study started something, they have to include it in the list. They may have gotten that effect in other ways. If you are worried about one or two effects in particular, you can ask the % chance that people got that effect in the study. That may ease your worry.
If you’re really worried about side effects, ask for a gene sight test (if you’re in the US). Basically it takes cells from the cheek and meshes your specific genetics with every mental health med and will say which meds you will have adverse effects with through the liver.
My daughter had tics with one medication and somehow she is still having tics after stopping it more than a year later when she gets stressed. I may want to treat her anxiety first. My partner tried one stimulant and he got more aggressive with his ptsd. After his gene sihht, we found one with least effects but he still got agitated. He needs a booster mid day because coming off the med messes with his head. For me it took 4-6 medications to realize stimulants make me agitated (if you include extended release as well as immediate release). No stimulants work better for me. If your kid has a lot of anxiety already, I recommend non stimulant to try first.
From my experience, stimulants basically speed up your thoughts so you can process more and make better decisions. Nonstimulants have less anxious thoughts and so you don’t feel as busy in the brain. It helps you with just being, though many of the meds can give you fog brain or confusion in general, especially if over medicated.
Our daughter is 8 and has been on Atomoxetine (generic for Strattera) for 1.5 years. We have been really happy with the results. Like others have mentioned, medication doesn't 'fix' everything but it makes a big difference. The only drawback is that since it's a non-stimulant it takes 3-4 months for the medication to be effective so you have to wait a while. To be honest, I wasn't sure we could wait that long but I am glad we did. Her pediatrician had regular virtual check-ups with her/us every 4 months or so for the first year of being on the medication to check in and make sure things were going OK. Best of luck!
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