ADHD and Medication

[TheGhostlyPirate]

I am putting this in ?Chat? and ?Special Needs? as I?d like as many ideas and opinions as possible.
My DS (nearly 8) was diagnosed with ADHD a few weeks ago; he also has an autistic spectrum disorder. In fact it was during the diagnostic assessments with regard to the ASD that ADHD was first mentioned. Tbh I have always known DS was very active and that this was behind some of his problems with attention and concentration in school but I never thought of it in ADHD terms until it was suggested. On its own this activity is not a problem for me or the school ? generally DS is very well behaved apart from when he doesn?t understand a social situation or a task. Interpreting instructions is difficult for him so he has a one to one worker who helps him during lesson time with this. He is no longer leaving the classroom and progress is being made, however he is struggling with reading and the feeling is that his level of concentration and attention is so poor that learning key sounds is hard for him. The Educational Psychologist who was great thinks it possible that DS will learn better via whole word recognition rather than phonics but I digress.

Two weeks ago at a follow up appointment the paediatrician suggested trying medication for the ADHD. My instinct (which could be wrong) was to rule it out completely but having read much more and talked in great depth to the Consultant I am now about to give it a try. I think if DS was reading to a greater ability and with confidence I would not be doing this but I am at the point of desperation with the reading and I so want to give anything a try which might improve the concentration even a tiny bit. I don?t need my son to go to Uni or become a brain surgeon (inadvisable with his fine motor skills ) but I DO want him to read because without reading the rest of the curriculum is closed to him.

I am wondering if anybody has experience of these drugs, DS is going to be on 10mg of Equasym XL and I realise it is not going to be a magic pill but rather a possible boost to the other support he has.
Any good/bad experiences welcome ? or any other advice support. I plan to start the tablet on Sunday so I can spend a couple of days monitoring the effect before DS goes back into school on Tuesday.

I dont know about drugs but my son had ADHD and he benefitted enormously from removing colouring and artificial preservatives from all food and drink. Have just seen a research article in the BMJ that backs this up so if you do nothing else try this.

We have just started on the meds path with ds. He has LF ASD and ADHD as well as learning difficulties and further co morbids.

For the 1st week he took 5mg, moving to 10mg after a week (Wednesday). He hasn't been well (unrelated, I have been ill too) so it is difficult to know as yet the impact. He seems more focused (which highlights some of his ASD obsessions as he can focus more on his drawing). School noted some improvements in concentration before half term.

We were reluctant to go the meds route but I feel we have to give him as many life-chances as we can. Our consultant has been brilliant too and we are monitoring closely.

Thank you both for your replies. We are pretty good as far as food colourings go but I am not totally focused on this so he might be having more than I realise - will start checking labels again I think.

Thanks for the pointer about being focused more on the autistic obsessions. One of the reasons I was a bit concerned is that I have read somewhere that ADHD meds can make the ASD side of things worse. Will definitely monitor this (all assuming I can persuade the little bugger to take the tablets )

ds does not have the slow release tablets so we crush them and add them to drink. We checked this with consultant and pharmacist to make sure it is ok. We need to ensure he gets the whole dose so we can monitor and balance his meds.

I don't think the meds make the ASD worse but rather give ds the ability to focus and if allowed he will use the increased concentration on his obsessions. ds is revisiting some past obsessions but that can happen for many reasons and we always see changes over half term.

Hi my ds has just gone onto adhd meds,slow release 18mg concerta. It has been like someone opened a door for us all as a family, he can focus on things that interest him, complete tasks and enjoy his favorite hobbies without forgetting what he is doing. He has also been able to have success at school. Because the meds calm the child down it is then more possible for you the observer to see any ASD issues more clearly, it doesn't create them. I recommend following the doc's advice and don't read up lots of internet stuff its all scaremongering. If you don't like it you can always stop. One bit of advice is that the meds decrease appetite, give the meds early in the day so they wear off in time for dinner and prepare healthy meals and eliminate junk food. Stock up on yogurts, cheese strings, bananas and other favorite good nutritional value foods and let them snack when they want to. good luck!

Ds started on 10mg of the eqasym but we moved him up to 20mg within a few weeks.

the difference was dramatic.

He takes both pills at about 8am and they start to wear off by about 5pm. i like it that was as i was resistant to meds at all.

School was what finally tipped the balance for me. they said that he was missing about 70% of lessons ( he is at a SN school as he also has ASD too) as he would just take himself off as he coudlnt' concentrate.

the meds have meant that he is in class and focasing for 90% now.

I don't give him the pills at weekends and only if we are doing something that he will need to concentrate on during holidays. ( he is doing Armistace parade with the sea cadets so he will have his meds that day)

When he first started taking them we were very worried as he lost all appetite. this si incredibly unusual for DS.
But this only happened for the first week or so.

he complained of headaches for the first week or so too but this also has now stopped.

I think with any meds there will be a few stumbling blocks but i think so long as they ease within the first couple fo weeks then it is worth persivering. The change has been lifechanging for DS. He has jumped 3 reading levels in a year. (it had previously taken him his entire school life to get to level 4. Ds is now 10)

I was super reluctant. you can probably find my thread asking siilar questions actually. (i may have been mamazon back then)

Ds started taking Equasym a year ago and effects were instant. His concentration and focus improved considerably, and he was more 'reachable' in that he was more able to understand explanations I was giving him about behavioural expectations, and could accept constructive criticism that helped him make progress.

He had no side-effects to speak of, other than minor tummy ache in the early days and the occasional headache, both of which disappeared very quickly.

After about three months we trialled Equasym XL and he had awful side-effects. It wasn't so much like he was unmedicated, rather he became more anxious, concentration significantly worse, he was more emotional and easily upset. We went back to regular Equasym after a couple of weeks as XL clearly wasn't working for him. He's on 25mg per day (10 + 10 + 5).

We're now starting a trial of Strattera (atomoxetine) as we and his consultant feel he can get more benefit from medication than he is currently. So far it's going well, no side-effects to speak of. The aim is to continue with methylphenidate until the atomoxetine is fully effective (this can take up to six weeks) then withdraw gradually and let the Strattera take over.

I have to say, I always knew ds needed medication but was denied a trial by his NHS consultant for years. I probably should have pushed harder but I'm not sure it would have helped, tbh. Ds is now with a private consultant who recognises the extent of his ADHD symptoms and agrees that medication is necessary. It's made a huge difference to ds's life, he is calmer and more able to take part in life than he was before. Wish he'd had it years ago.

Good luck with it for your ds. You're right, it's not a magic pill but it does open up the child to allow him to be taught, which in many cases can be nigh-on impossible without it.

Wow - thanks for these really helpful responses. It's so good to hear other people's experiences - and yes I remember you GiganGORE as Mamazon.

I am starting the tablets tomorrow and will report back. I think if they help DS I will be over the moon.

Good luck Ghostlypirate!

Ds2 (asd/adhd) takes his with a small yoghurt; he is on 20mgs of Equasym XL. He can be a little irritable when the tabs are wearing off and isn't hungry when they are working!

It has made a big difference, he will sit down and read a book (or at least a few pages, I mean!!) and works very well in school.

Another vote of gratitude for equasym xl 10mg. Ds1 actually learned to read (having just memorised his books previously) within 3 weeks of starting it. We had some reading books off eBay and I had more time to teach him cos we were on holiday, but it was amazing.

He's now on concerta 18mg & like most other posters, he mostly takes it only on school days. Side effects were mild: initial tummy aches, he does occasionally seem a very little bit sad / subdued. But considering his progress at school and the knock on benefits on his self-esteem, it's very positive overall.

Thanks for the information about headaches. Ds is essentially non verbal but said "poorly" and rubbed his head today - even agreed to take calpol in a drink (and drank some of it!). Good to hear this maybe a short term issue.

We are only 10 days into taking meds and i'm really not sure as yet. He seems a little calmer and more focused to me but he is not very co-operative and more difficult to engage with. At his structured sport activity he is less compliant. It is early days and we are on a low dose. I will be interested to see schools impression of him next week as things become more settled.

hi everyone just looking for some advice on adhd medication my son of 6 has been diagnoiss with ADHD and they want to put him on Ritalin im not sure as this is all new to me i have been looking uo in internet about the drug and not sure as it has lots of side effects can any one advise me if they ave been through the same!!!

DS1 6yo not dx at the mo. suspected adhd/asd. But we've been told due to the drugs acting as an appetite suppressant he would probably not get them. I know someone else whose son has meds and it has made a world of difference.