Can anyone give me hope by sharing positive experiences of adhd medication?

[coodawoodashooda]

Too much has gone on to post here but my dc is not being successful at school. It is awful actually. I've finally relented and agreed to adhd medication. Can anyone give me any examples of how this has worked for either yourself or someone you know?

@overthethamesfromyou

DS uses Straterra. Its been a good fit but it does take a while to kick in and they start at a low dose and then increase when they know its a good fit. Definitely worth persueing but I know what you mean about getting 19 yr olds to do anything

Thanks @SeaToSki.

If we ever get around to a medicine review with someone who can actually prescribe something else, I'll mention that (if I can go in )

@coodawoodashooda They start a low dose and monitor closely at first to tweak or increase the dose to what seems to work best. All children are different but the clinic teams are very good and very patient with anxiety and so on. They understand it's scary and will help with any questions. Sometimes you can keep a diary of meds and effects so that they can review easier, there are many meds as other posters have said but they are very careful in their advice and dosages. Really hope it works out well for you

You have all been enormously helpful. Thank you very much. How do you decide whether your prescription is the right amount?

My DS was closely monitored. We started at 10mg for a week and were meant to increase to 20mg for a week then 30. But he had severe stomach ache (we were warned of this) so did 2 weeks of 10mg before increasing and the stomach aches stopped.

He met the neuropedopsychiatrist every month to monitor height, weight and effect of the meds.

After 6 months it was then prescribed by his normal psychiatrist every month. We re in France and its a highly restricted medicine so the prescription is only valid for 48hrs etc.

We ve had to adjust the amount of melatonin and ive monitored his weight at home every week.

Ds' best friend has been diagnosed with ADD (no hyperactivity). He s been offered meds but his parents aren't keen (especially the dad). I told the mum that my biggest recommendation comes from DS who loves his meds. And that they can always try and if they don't like it you can easily stop.

DS started on meds when he was 7, he started on fast release so I'd pop in to school at lunch time to give his second dose as they'd only last a few hours. At this point we were seeing the psychiatrist every 2 weeks.

After a couple of months he was moved on to slow release meds and the monitoring moved to monthly. His weight dropped really fast due to losing his appetite but we tried to counteract that by giving high calorie breakfasts and dinners which helped. Took about 6-8 months to get the dose right. Too low and it didn't help at all, too high and he developed physical and vocal tics.

He's 14 now and doing really well, he is a typical teenager and argues against anything I ask him to do apart from taking his meds! Which is how I know how much they help. He doesn't take them on weekends or school holidays now unless he's got a day of concentrating and feels he needs them and this helps manage his weight perfectly. We have yearly check ups with the psychiatrist and his BP and weight gets checked every 6 months.

I was so apprehensive and quiet frankly terrified of medicating my 7 year old but I can honestly say it's the best thing I could have done for him. I see the boy he truly he is now and whilst he has other disabilities that impact his life, this is at least one thing we can control some of.

The right dose is the lowest dose that is effective.

So you start low, try increasing a little, see how you feel, maybe try increasing a little more, see how you feel, try reducing a little, see how you feel… you just find a balance. Since the stimulant medicines wear off so fast, each day is a new day.

Most kids can tell when the level is right for them, but its important to approach it with them from the perspective of a collaborative scientific experiment, so at the end of each day you sit down and chat about what worked and didnt work and keep notes (before the medicine has worn off!). Look at ability to focus and control impulsivity, hunger/eating, tics, sleeping, stomach aches, dosage timing needs etc. Then when you have tried something for a week or so you can look back and have some facts and data to use in your decision making. Also not getting locked into just staying with the first medicine prescribed if you do get annoying side effects, there are lots of varieties that all work in subtlety different ways and impact different people in different ways.

I didn't believe in them either (teacher) until I had a foster child who needed them. Without then she was aggressive and confrontative, she couldn't concentrate or access education.
When she was on it she could converse normally. Changed my whole view.

I’m an ex secondary teacher. I’ve seen many kids become much happier and much more focused and successful at school after being medicated for ADHD.

@DownstairsMixUp I also started meds at 34! I found that your appetite comes back - just make sure that you eat breakfast before you take your first dose. If I forget then I just drink coffee and then wonder why I'm feeling a bit feeble and dizzy 🤦🏼‍♀️.

Similarly, you can also forget to drink, so make sure you always have a bottle of water with you and pop some electrolytes in it so you stay hydrated. Again, I forgot and my skin went absolutely to shit before I sorted myself out.

My dd is all grown up now and a lorry driver. As a child he was diagnosed with ADHD at 10. He was always in trouble at primary school for not staying in his seat, blurting put answers, lack of focus in lessons etc. He went on to Ritalin on a blind trial at school so I knew which days he had taken it but school not told. School could always tell. He went on to Ritalin for term times. He went from third Maths set to top set within a half term. He was moved up in Science too. He started to enjoy school as the medication enabled him to sit still and focus more. He was on a reasonable dose and it did dim his appetite. I used to feed him a good cooked breakfast then give him medication. He would not eat much for lunch at school but by dinner time it had worn off and he was hungry again. He did lose a little weight and they monitored his blood pressure and height and weight. I don't think he would have got any GCSE's without the Ritalin.

My son takes medikinet XL. He started on the standard version in January, just to see if he had any side effects (he felt a bit nauseous the first day, that was it) then moved to this slow release version.

He only takes it on school days (so we don't see what effect it actually has) but there has been a huge improvement. He can concentrate, control his outbursts, focus on his work therefore it's of better quality. Since starting medication he hasn't been sent to isolation and hasn't had an after school detention.

I was very wary beforehand, really nervous about potential side effects- but it was definitely the right choice for him. Without it I honestly think we would be looking at exclusions by now.

His appetite is slightly decreased some days, but he is still gaining weight- admittedly very slowly- so we don't need to worry about that too much.

DS came home with another A* today. That’s the third this assessment period. Last year it was all D’s and E’s (wasnt taking his meds)

Really interesting to hear from adults on meds!

@MrsRobbieHart

DS came home with another A* today. That’s the third this assessment period. Last year it was all D’s and E’s (wasnt taking his meds)

That is absolutely amazing. Dont think we'd even get an E at the moment.

Echoing the success stories of medication already shared here. My DS has been taking concerta (27mg) for the last three years. Has transformed him and his life (and ours too!).

If you want to find out more about how it feels to have ADHD and the medications generally used in the UK, there's a great book The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines by Professor Peter Hill. I wish I'd read it years ago as if explains what's happening in the brain in a really straightforward way. I've found it reassuring when I began to worry about prolonged medication - ADHD meds don't linger in the system so they can be taken long term.

Good luck

@tothefareast80

Echoing the success stories of medication already shared here. My DS has been taking concerta (27mg) for the last three years. Has transformed him and his life (and ours too!).

If you want to find out more about how it feels to have ADHD and the medications generally used in the UK, there's a great book The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines by Professor Peter Hill. I wish I'd read it years ago as if explains what's happening in the brain in a really straightforward way. I've found it reassuring when I began to worry about prolonged medication - ADHD meds don't linger in the system so they can be taken long term.

Good luck

I will look that up. Thank you. I guess i have this ridiculous feeling that I've let him down. The amount of trouble he's been in...

@allfurcoatnoknickers

Meeee! Diagnosed this year at 34 . Textbook inattentive type that no one picked up at school, but despite that I went to Oxbridge, got a masters degree and also have a director role in a big non-profit.

However, all my coping strategies failed when I had DS, he was the straw that broke the camel's back - even though he was the easiest baby in the world.

I started Concerta at a very low slow release dose this February. I had to work with the psychiatrist on getting the dosage right for a few months but it has been life changing. I remember walking to the gym and suddenly realizing my mind was quiet. It was amazing.

I had some mild headaches and weight loss (about half a stone, but had a borderline overweight BMI before) but that's it. To quote another mumsnetter "I suddenly found an hour inside every hour". It's truly changed my life for the better.

I'm truly envious of this. How did you go about getting your diagnosis?

@coodawoodashooda Have you had a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD? I've dealt with many young people (mostly boys) with ADHD through work, some with medication and some without. Do you feel it's the only option open to you?

@secretbookcase I'm not in the UK, so I was just able to pay for a psychiatrist through my health insurance and get a diagnosis that way. I now just see a psychiatric nurse every two months for a blood pressure/pulse/weight check and a medication review. Medication costs me $14 a month.

If you could possibly stretch to a private diagnosis I would recommend it. You get so much help and support it's just life changing.

The assessment is pretty emotionally taxing- lots of questions and they really dig into your past and your family, so come prepared to discuss some uncomfortable memories/go all the way back to your behavior in primary school.

As I think I mentioned upthread, my ADHD is absolutely textbook inattentive type, and my psychiatrist was genuinely shocked that no one had ever spotted it before.

Our DS was diagnosed at 8 and his sister at 7 now 19 has been meds ever since. We have had a few changes and as he has grown the dosage has increased. ADHD is a spectrum and he is very high up on it, always on the highest does for his weight. It is absolutely vital that he is medicated, he con't function without it. He did get into a load of trouble this summer when at home without us. He hadn't had is booster meds he takes at 6pm and a friend persuaded him to take out my car - no licence and was stopped by the police! They thought he was drunk or on drugs because of the way he was acting and took him to a main police station 25 miles away for blood tests. By then he was completely off his head! There have been studies showing that a higher than normal % of inmates in UK prisons are undiagnosed/unmedicated people with ADHD. Many ADHDers are also very susceptible to becoming addicted to all sorts and/or self medicate with drugs and alcohol. So please, anyone unsure of how meds. would help their child think of the long term not just school and their ability to concentrate in class, socially ADHD can be devastating.

There have been studies showing that a higher than normal % of inmates in UK prisons are undiagnosed/unmedicated people with ADHD.

Having been through what I have with my DS this is no surprise at all to me.