Adhd kid- should I medicate?

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Our Challenging Children (gifted, ADHD, sensitive, defiant)

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amother

Copper

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 8:36 pm

As a therapist, I've seen so many kids benefit so much from medication so I'm a bit biased Smile

It takes a while to find the best medication and correct dosage but it allows them to learn the skills they are missing. Also, keep in mind how much he may be falling behind academically. The earlier he gets on meds the less he'll have to catch up later.
Another point is that many children with ADHD suffer socially and it's not so easy to change how his peers view him. If they get help earlier it gives them a better chance of being successful socially.

amother

↑ Waterlily ↓

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 8:43 pm

[quote="amother Obsidian"]

amother Wallflower wrote:

Read the book finally focused by Dr James Greenblatt, it walks you through natural protocols that address the root causes of adhd.
In addition, you can try diet modification, treating Strep, yeast and parasites, craniosacral therapy, and classical homepathy.
You can expect a single supplement to work as effectively as a drug, but that doesn't mean that natural interventions don't work. They work if you address the entire picture. It's involved but so so worth it.
Is dd a mouth breather? Does she snore, have sleep apnea, have enlarged tonsils or adenoids, crowded teeth?[/quote]

If yes, then what?

Then they could be contributing to adhd symptomology and addressing them could reverse some of the symptoms.

amother

↑ Obsidian

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 9:58 pm

amother Wallflower wrote:

Then they could be contributing to adhd symptomology and addressing them could reverse some of the symptoms.

Oh wow interesting. Just discovered my older teen who has ADHD has enlarged adenoids/snoring issues but he's really protesting CPAP machine or surgeries and he's been refusing to try meds at all so we're pretty stuck.

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 10:04 pm

My husband has ADHD, medicated since he was 6. He will probably be on meds for life. And you know what? He's fine with that. I'm fine with that. I have seen him off meds for extended periods of time (during the big US Adderall shortage) and everything is so much harder and more frustrating for him (and me) without it. If you end up going the medication route, do it without a shred of guilt.

amother

Yolk ↓

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 10:04 pm

amother Wallflower wrote:

I know someone who did this, under the care of a medical doctor who follows these interventions. It barely made a difference for the two kids she did it with. She has ADHD herself. She suffered through school, her kids are really, really suffering because of their inability to meet the demands of a classroom, but she won't even hear about medication. It's sad. For anyone who does this and it's enough, great. Otherwise, please give your kids the tools to succeed.

amother

Peachpuff

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 10:10 pm

I too have a son with ADHD on meds. There is nothing like watching a kid actually be what he can be when he is medicated correctly
I also thought like you in the beginning
But I don’t know what I was fighting
Right now my son is a superstar and I credit myself for letting him have the help he needs even though medication is not a comfortable concept.
Everybody needs different things in life
I am so so proud of my son today
Be honest with yourself and open minded enough to be fair to your child, that’s all

amother

↑ Waterlily ↓

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 10:24 pm

amother Obsidian wrote:

They need airway informed orthodontic work.
Homeopathy can help.
Try a hepa air purifier in their room.

amother

↑ Waterlily ↓

Mon, Oct 30 2023, 10:26 pm

amother Yolk wrote:

I personally think he's missing some pretty big pieces as far as root causes for adhd are concerned, namely pathogens, chronic infections and brain inflammation. I don't know how much he discusses the gut health piece either. So while I'm not surprised that it isn't enough, to me that doesn't either mean that medication is the answer. There's a lot more to explore if one is so inclined. The book is a good start but pretty basic, not advanced.

amother

Mocha ↓

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 7:23 am

Hi, OP
I'm speaking as someone that went through an entire childhood with undiagnosed ADHD
I did the same
I sat in class and dreamed my way through every lesson
I was disorganized and dysfunctional
I was super smart and without studying, paying attention, or doing work I got 80s on every test
I suffered a lot
It was hard
Please get him help
Whether meds or something else
You'll be setting him up for life

ETA: Prizes and the like DO. NOT. HELP
He needs real help by proffessionals. I got myself help in adulthood and I wish someone would've done something when I was a child
Contests/Prizes are for neurotypical people. If he has ADHD then he is not neurotypical you need someone that understands an ADHD mind to help you

amother

Sapphire

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 7:54 am

We started my 6 year old on a low dose stimulant and I don't regret it. Only during school. It helps with self esteem too. When kids thrive it also affects emotional health.

amother

↑ Yolk ↓

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 8:50 am

amother Wallflower wrote:

I didn't mean this book specifically, I meant the concept of addressing all of these potential root causes. I don't know why people are so opposed to the idea of neurodiversity not being a reflection of something wrong in the body.

amother

↑ Waterlily

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:19 am

amother Yolk wrote:

If adhd is just a variation of normal, why the need for medication??

amother

↑ Yolk

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:24 am

amother Wallflower wrote:

If adhd is just a variation of normal, why the need for medication??

Because the society we live in today doesn't offer too many options in terms of how we live our lives. Kids are expected to attend school for 10 or more years, just as a start. And it's very difficult to find a school where the child has the skills that match the expectations in that setting, to succeed socially and academically. Being unsuccessful, and aware of it, for ten plus years is devastating to a child's developing sense of self. And that's before we get into the skills necessary to manage a household nowadays, and earn an income. Obviously referring to the developed world. I believe that in less developed countries there is a lot more flexibility in this realm.

amother

Floralwhite ↓

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:38 am

amother Clear wrote:

Do not medicate without a full neuropsych eval. Kids space out for many reasons and it’s not always adhd. And medication is a last resort you don’t start with it.

More important then the evaluation is your own thorough research on adhd, how it builds toxic shame which later in life shows up as depression, addiction, broken relationships, rage, anxiety and the inability to function properly in life without major ups and downs.

You need to know your child. Wishing you hatzlacha.

amother

↑ Floralwhite ↓

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:43 am

amother Dill wrote:

That's not true.

I have 2 kids with adhd.

One was diagnosed with adhd, asd, odd, ocd and gad and taurettes (it wasn't stimming it was old fashioned bad regular nonstop constant tics. And it was HORRIBLE for her).
All that and it was insanity in my house.

We did not want to medicate becuase, where to start? Where to end? I felt like there is a lot more to this. She has a chill nature. So overall when things went her way, things were calm and we avoided confrontation at all costs.

We eneded up going the natural route.
Lots of vitamins, brain gym, craniosacral, ot, and executive functioning skills. Therapy for myslef how to deal with her. She learned to swallow pills at a very young age.
She took upwards of 6 vitamins at once.

It's 4 years later. At this point the only diagnosis she qualifies for is adhd (inattentive) and taurettes. This year is a very intense year in school, and we started her on a non stimulant.
She's doing beautifully bh. Still struggling in some areas. But really thriving in others.
At this point she iss "mechanach-able" for years I didn't feel like we were able to be her m'chanach because she was in such a state. But now she is finally in a state I feel like I can be her m'chanach. And she's slowly turning into such a mench it's mamish a nes.

So natural DOES work. But sometimes it isn't enough.

My other kid has adhd (hyperactive) too. We've been so busy and in such survival mode with her older sister she kinda was overlooked. But we started her on extracurriculars where she can appropriately give off some extra steam. Cranio sacral and brain gym, reflex, integration, ot she takes nac, methylated (because my oldest has homozygous mtfhr factor so we are treating and assuming she has too) B vitamins and some others.
Agape by awaken is amazing. It literally helped heal my oldest child.

Honestly, medicating her would likely have been easier in the long run, but it would have been a bandaid and then she would have had to deal with the side affects.
She's growing and developing beautifully. I do not regret one phone call, one sleepless night. All those thousands of dollars we paid in therapies (most of them were out if pocket
Some of them were 300 a visit) and vitamins. I don't regret all these vacations we didn't take and and our old house we never got to renovate. Other than basics ALL our money goes for this. And I don't regret it ONE BIT. I regret nothing. Because it gave us this beautiful growing self aware kind child.

Please give her a gift.

The gift of knowing that once she married and has children and may have to hold down a job too besides for the every day challenges of running a home…she should not feel guilty or ashamed of popping a stimulant.

Signed, a mom whose life was saved thanks to meds who has a happy home full of adhd positive energy and no more dysfunction.

Continued hatzlacha on your journey! You sound like a gr8 mom!

amother

↑ OP

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:45 am

Op here- bH he is doing great socially and I think he might be able to succeed with bribes!. That's what I want to try next. The point of this is that I don't know of he has adhd and I don't know what I'm actually doing to my sons body by giving him medicine every day. I would consider giving him a coffee before cheder though 😛

amother

↑ Floralwhite ↓

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:47 am

amother Wallflower wrote:

If adhd is just a variation of normal, why the need for medication??

Suffering is also normal. Right?

So should we try to help ourselves when we and the people around us are suffering?

amother

↑ Floralwhite

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:48 am

amother OP wrote:

Maybe send coffee in a insulated bottle…cold or hot…whichever he likes.

amother

Springgreen ↓

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:50 am

OP, ADHD meds are overall pretty benign. Ritalin has been around for years. (Yes, they improved it over the years.) It's not some sort of experimental medicine that we can't see what people who took it look like. Also, if it doesn't work for your son, after 24 hours it's almost out of their system.

If I were you, I'd make an appointment for a neurologist now. You'll probably be waiting a few months for your appointment, but you'll have it.

Try meds. I really don't think there's any harm in trying as I said above. See if it makes a big difference or not.

No, for a kid with a textbook case, I don't think you need the top-of-the-line evaluation.

Signed,
A mother with 2 kids diagnosed with ADHD on meds for school days.
My kids are doing SO much better with meds.

amother

↑ Springgreen

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 9:55 am

There's also a type of ritalin that is short acting and not slow release. Works for around 4 hours. He can take that in the morning and have his appetite back for lunch. Attent is better for full day, but the short lasting stuff can be such a bracha for a few hours of concentration.

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