starting adhd medication.....nevrous and worried....any good stories?

[LilTreacle]

That's it really.

Amongst the many approaches we can do ourselves like diet, routine, coaching and social stories etc. We have got to the point of realising that the main limitation to significant improvement is has is his impulsivity and over activity......we are hoping medication will help him slow down and think before he reacts, be able to take on board and use the lessons he has learnt along the way.

its just really scary to put a 6.5 year old on medication when its not a life hreatening condition. His day to day life, especially at school , is impacted and he is having more and more problems coping with his emotions and his reactions are becoming more assertive and even agressive, something has to be done to help him.

today he had a major meltdown at schoolthe worst ever to date, and we are just desperate to help him more.

anyone experienced these fist steps into medicinal support of their dc, and how did you cope?

Yes. And we've never looked back. Started learning at school, easier to manage at home, generally less stressed all round and happier, because I don't have to shout 'Stop that dangerous insert activity of choice mucking about' quite so much.

DS has ASD as well; without the meds we wouldn't have known cos he was too active to assess properly

Tbh, ADHD is life-threatening. Much higher rates of serious accidental injury, child abuse, and exclusion from primary.

Followed by much higher chance of drug/ alcohol addiction, prison, violence, self-harm, poverty.

Not much long-term data about adult outcomes in dc who are medicated but its a fairly safe bet that some things medication facilitates will help.

Like having friends, staying in school, learning to read, not being in A&E every 5 minutes, and having a mother who can still stand by bedtime. Avoiding family breakdown / being taken into care, or a young offenders institution should help too.

DD1 is 12 and after years of no help we finally started her on medication in September. The difference is already noticeable, especially in her schoolwork; her handwriting has improved more in the past two months than in the past four years. She is gaining confidence just from the feeling of being helped, too.

DS with meds is achieving academically, loves sports, has some great friends, and can participate well in society in his own way. He has a large bunch of ASD-issues too, which complicate matters, but from an ADHD point of view he's doing great.

There's a lovely kid's picture book Zak has ADHD So accurate that it made me cry. But happy ending

DD1 started on Ritalin at 6.5 too. She was a whirling dervish unable to learn and very hard work.

She came off it (her choice) in her teens, but then went back on it at A levels because while she is a bright girl she still has the attention span of a hyperactive gnat

She is now 21 and currently in her 4th year at a top university studying medicine.. in 18m time she will be a qualified doctor. Still on ritalin !!!

I have NO doubt that without medication she would not have achieved this. She is still an ADHD-er..always will be, but the meds allowed her to challenge her abilities. She still never needs sleep which will be very handy as a junior doctor!!!

No regrets here!!

Thank you for all your responses.

What we hope it will do is ref lected in what you are all saying.
I hope it is as successful for ds as it has been for you.
MARIA thanks for the rethink in how impactful ADHD really is to the individual as they grow older.......a sobering thought and not a path I would want to watch ds follow due to lack of help.

looks like its come just at the right time.....yesterdays shinanagins were a big challenge for the school and they may be on the verge of telling us this setting cannot cope......this medical intervention may be the thing that makes things tollerable for all (hopefully).

Well, the first morning on the lowest dose and ds is sat watching Star Wars.
yes, sat watching...not rolling around, dancing , turning himself upsidedown or getting fed up and asking to do something else.
something is different, that is for sure.
[Big grin]

Very pleased for you. Glad the reality check was useful. Hard to know how much is ok, and what is too much, when on-line. And (fingers firmly crossed) I think parents having MNSN & other supports is a strong protective factor

It may not seem immediately life threatening, but it's impacting the the quality of his life. The cumulative effects on his self esteem of having to struggle with so many things - and probably being told off a lot - can be quite damaging.

And as Maria said, it can be life threatening. The impulsive behaviour of a 6yo is usually quite mild in its nature. In a 16yo, that can involve fights, cars, drugs, alcohol & other risky behaviour. Teens with unmanaged ADHD are more likely than their peers to be disaffected, or even depressed.

With that in mind, doing everything possible when he is young to get a handle on the impulsive behaviour, using medication if necessary, is a much easier decision. DS1 barely functions without his atomoxetine.

And glad to see yesterday's update. How was your evening?

I'm interested to read this as I have started wondering about medication for my nearly 7yo ds.he has started asking for extra vit supplements as he is upset that he can't sit still at school. Good to great so many positive stories

Didn't want to start yet another ADHD thread so can I hijack please and ask everyone how long it took to get the dose/brand optimised?
We have been trialling methylphenidate for ADHD since September and had worked up to him on concerta xl 27mg but he was taking forever to fall asleep even though he does have 4 mg melatonin. We had a lot of unsettled behaviour at school for several weeks at the beginning usually involving attacking other chdren at break, but this had seemed to settle down.
So now he has had a week on equasym xl 20 mg and we have had a week of unsettled behaviour involving attacking other children!
There has been a lot of improvement and he has periods if the day whenhe can be so calm and focussed but there are still these sudden outbursts. Anyone experienced similar?