Would adhd medication make a difference in these circumstances?

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DS yr12 has just had an adhd diagnosis, also has dyslexia. Is finishing year 12 and mock results have been disappointing-DDE, essay subjects. He revised content but didn’t do essay practice, finds it difficult to focus, procrastinates, has executive function/planning difficulties so panics when planning and starting essays.

Would medication be a consideration at this point? Is it likely to help?

The other possibility is restating with vocational subjects but he isn’t keen to do this and I don't want to give up on him academically if it still could be a path for him. GCSEs were 7/6/6/66/5/5/5/5.

Thanks for any advice.

He did very well to get that set of GCSEs before any diagnosis..

My son was diagnosed in YR10. All his grades for his mocks went up a couple of grades after he was medicated. The meds just help him focus more.

So potentially they could help and are worth a try if he is willing?

DS struggles with course work and getting started plus motivation. So is going for more exam based A-levels I think. Normally gets a bit of motivation a few weeks before the exams and the meds keep him focused at school.

gosh that’s a really nice reply, DS been feeling very despondent, he feels that he is stupid compared to peers as results don't = input for him.

what does your son take, how long did it take to settle on the right medication and how do you know if they are working? Also, any side effects? He is quite anxious anyway..

he would be up for giving them a go.

Ah bless him. We had exactly the same. At one time he said ‘what’s the point in even trying when I don’t get the results?’ It’s heartbreaking.

However to ‘’mask’ it until this age and get a good set of GCSEs (when the whole system is against him) means he is bright.

The medication was life changing for us and DS was very much struggling before. He went up 3 points in science and moved up a set! He is far more focused (the teachers have commented on this).

He is on a very low dose of Concerta (18mg). They often start on this dose and move up but DS didn’t want to as he felt that side effects were manageable but I have friends whose children are on a much higher dose.

Main side effect is that it affects hunger. We try and get round this by having a decent breakfast and evening meal but he often struggles at lunch and that’s hard with a growing, sporty boy! He doesn’t take it at weekends and in the holidays. It hasn’t affected his sleep and his mood is much better when he is on the meds!

He didn’t want to take them at first! It took 3 months. I made the mistake of pushing him on the first day and he just said ‘nope’ so I had to leave it up to him. The school helped - teachers who had ADHD spoke to him about their positive experiences.

I hope this all helps. Do shout if you have any further questions. Your DS has spent his whole life in a school system that doesn’t work for his way of learning and despite that he has done well. It does impact their confidence and self belief though. Everything is so much harder for them.

Oh and learning everything I could about ADHD really helps. I had no idea what it was about!

It is worth trying medication. It helps some.

Finding the right medication and dose can take time, but if it helps it is worth it.

Some find stimulants increase anxiety but if that is the case or it is decided not to try them, there are non-stimulants to try.

We came very late to this for my DS. We managed to get him through titration fairly quickly starting in April. He ended up on 60mcg Medikinet and it did help him revise to some degree when he couldn’t at all before. It is definitely worth trying.

Another question-we now have a prescription for medikinet and ds deciding when to start (school hols or back to school). The leaflet says no alcohol and im wondering how other 17/18 year olds manage this? DS keen to socialise, how do teens navigate this with adhd meds?