Ritalin-has anyone tried it?

[SPACLINE]

We finally got a diagnosis today for ds1 whos 6.They decided on ADHD & lower scale ASD.They also suggested a months trial of ritalin(not sure of spelling)to help him concentrate while at school.I never thought this would come up as when I mentioned ADHD to GPs in the past they always said oh no hes not hyper(they dont live with him!!).So I never read up on it & know very little about it.Has anyone else tried it & did it work?Why does it seem to have bad press?

My friend's child was on ritalin for several years. She heard there could be side effects to the drug ( which I dont know much about i'm afraid) so she decided to take him off the drugs but let him think he was still taking them by introducing a vitamin supplement instead. She told the school he was still on the drug as they were worried that his behaviour would change if he wasn't taking ritalin. The result was he was still the same, so she said she has her doubts if the drugs really did work and they fact her ds and her family and school just like think they worked. Although she said the condition appears to have got better the older he gets. She still has problems but not as bad as when he was younger. I know if was in your postion I would give it a try. Hope this helps Larsxx

Spacline - my ds (6.5) was diagnosed nearly a year ago with Aspergers and ADHD. I had read all the bad press about Ritalin (you got the spelling right) and made a decision not to give it to him when it was suggested I trial it. I spent a couple more months mulling it over whilst having an awfully behaved child in my house (he is upstairs now, screaming and throwing stuff around and banging his toy hammer on the furniture). After one very bad tantrum, where I got hurt and spat at in the face at the autistic group I go to, I decided I would trial it. I also spoke to my now childminder who had experience of her ds ADHD (he is now 18), and she told me that it was worth a try in her opinion.

It was the best thing I ever did - for me and my ds! He was certainly on his way to being excluded from school (in his first year) as they couldn't cope with him at all and I was always being out of work to deal with the aftermath...broken noses, cupboard doors being pulled off their hinges etc.
Since he trialled it, we cannot do without it. It gives him the brain space to deal with people, situations and school work on a different level. He would not be in mainstream school at all without it. I agree that it is a worrying medication - there is a website which says there are alot of deaths from Ritalin over a 10 year period - obviously the use is alot higher than in the UK - but some of this surely has to be scare mongering! With regular checks: height, weight etc, I feel he is monitored well.

He is also on Eye Q, and obviously needs it as he reverts to being violent if he misses a few tablets. But with anything, what goes up must come down and as Ritalin is an amphetamine, he definitely experiences a down. He has trialled Concerta XL (1 a day time release capsule) and it just didn't work for him at all, even though it is similar in structure to Ritalin.

I will try and find the name of the website which has 3 stories "for" Ritalin and 3 "against". It may be a little scarey to read, but it is ultimately your decision and even if you do trial it, it may not have the desired results.

Good luck with whichever decision you make, but personally having had to take responsibility of deciding, which was very scarey, I feel I made the right decision for my ds.

Thanx 4 the advice,I probably will do the trial I just need to know everything first
I noticed Chocol8 & maryz both mention Eye Q.I bought a bottle of this from Tesco after seeing something about it helping the brain function,like a vitamin for the brain or something??,on This Morning.I used a 1/4 of the bottle,had to squirt contents in both sons drinks & hope for the best,& then got fed up.I think I didnt really know what it would do & didnt think it would do it anyway so I just stopped it.So what exactly does it do & should I give them this as well?????& can you get it free(I paid about £8 for 60 500mg capsules)Ds2 has ASD by the way (no communication,in his own world).

You can get Eye Q in liquid form which is about a pound more, but worth it - apparently there is also a cheaper version with a higher dosage in one I have seen called Eskimo Kids, but don't know what that is like. My ds takes 4 Eye Q a day and is used to swallowing the capsules (i am very lucky).

Have a look at the blue folded sheet in the box of the Eye Q (if you have one) as it explains the function of it on there. Re: is it free - I had to take ds to docs this morning and asked if I could get a prescription for Eye Q, but even though it has been known for other docs to prescribe it, mine said he hadn't heard of it and was unwilling to help me as he didn't know anything about it. I argued a bit about it and said that I will just have to continue paying out £16 a month for something he seriously needs (he is aware from ds' paediatrician that he needs it).
There is a older link further down which covers Eye Q and asks if it works.

Sorry, I should have said:

Your doc may prescribe it after you have tried it out and also, what I do is wait til they have a 3 for 2 offer at Boots and get one free. I stock pile it as it has a long shelf life - usually 2 years I think.

Just to let you know that Boots have EyeQ on 3 for 2 at the mo. So it will only cost you £20 instead of £30!

Hi...Thomas is 10 and has been on Methylphenidate...the chemical name for Ritalin- for 3 years. His drug is called CONCERTA XL and is basically a long acting drug which saves him having to have a tablet at school.

When he was diagnosed there was some doubt whether he had ADHD or Asperger's...and it was my idea to try the drug. Basically i was told that if the part of the brain that makes the child keep Attention & Concentrate is not functioning properly then the drug will actually stimulate that part only- so it therefore allows the brain to work as it should. I say this because it sounds odd with a child that may be lively to stimulate them further!!!!

Thomas sounds like your son- he was not 'Hyper'- just easily distracted ....in america they call it ADD instead of ADHD- as it is accepted that HYPERACTIVITY is not always present.

I could go on for hours.... but will try to sum up the past 3 years.

He was started on a 5mg dose twice a day- of Equasym. (this was because ritalin was only in 10mg). We did not tell family/school and we plucked up the courage one day to start.
In thomas it takes about 30mins to affect and an hour to be very noticible....you can crush the tablet and add it to a drink if you want a faster intake!

During a visit to his nans she commented that thomas was quieter and looking around more at what was going on. We then told her about the tablet.

School commented after 3 days that his hadwriting was improved and he was less 'in your face' generally...we didn't tell them for a week more to be certain.As we were only giving him this does at 7am it was worn through by 12 they kept reporting that he seemed calmer in the mornings but still on the ceiling all afternoon- that is when we told them. then we arranged they dose him at 12- so he even came out of school calmer!

Over the next year we kept going and the difference was amazing- he did not look 'odd or spaced out' and often if we forgot he'd ask for tablets!!

What i love about it is it is not like a lot of drugs where you have to take it everyday without fail and if you want to stop you have to wean it down to avoid withdrawal symptoms

so when you do the trial no harm in 2 or 3 days then miss a day,,,,it is so quickl in and then out the system that you really can tweak timings etc right down to perfection - like party or shopping trips... so you give the tablet 30 mins before the activity then by they get there it's working quite well...try to avoid no later than 6 pm as this will mean a child awake for all hours

Now,sleep may already be an ussue for you -Thomas ubnable to lie still etc till midnight before equasym...and after it got worse-1am sometimes...so last year the Paed prscribed the hormone MELATONIN which regulates the body clock. He takes the 2.5mg capsule 30 mins befoer bed- and is begging to sleep within 60 mins...the nice bit about this is that it is nothing like tranbquilser/sleeping tablet....so if a change to sllep patterns is a problem ask the diagnoser to try melatonin to.

Now we ar 3 years onb and he varies from 18 to 36mg daily....however the high does severly ruduced his appetite and made the sleeep worse again....so we are seeing what 18mg is like fornow.

only i regret is askking what would have happened if he had not started this drug- what would school have done to manage him....and maybe statemented,,,,whereas now we are told he manages too well to be statemented,,,,,so we are even cosidering stopping the drug to see what he abilities are at schol

Go for the trial- it can stop at any point- and be warned about the sleep and if needed get the MELATONIN!

Good Luck

Mrs Forgetful, when Thomas went on Concerta, were you given an info pack and accompanying tapes?

no tape- but some info explaining how it was designed to dose 4mg initially then after 4 hours 7mg then after 4 hours another 7mg.....in our home the first few hours each day can be the worsed so i wished they done it a 21mg and then a simple 3x7mg doses...they do a 28mg one now

My DS has ADHD. He started off on ADs (Tofranil and Triptizol) first because his Dr said he was too anxious to take ritalin. They worked but he grew out of them & eventually got ritalin which he had to take at 8 am & 12 noon. The lunchtime one meant he had to leave class & the school got funny about the security angle (it's a restricted drug).

He's been on Concerta for the last year, so he only gets one dose. I've read all the cr*p about over-prescribing, but I've also read case studies about what happens to these kids as teens if it isn't controlled. I know when my DS hasn't taken it because he is off the wall & won't be reasoned with. School also notice when he has "forgotten". The difference between the medicated version & the non-medicated version is incredible. He is almost human on Concerta.

what tallulah says is so true- my stepson was diagnosed at 12 - by then he had a reputation at school- he was started on ritalin at 14 after 'all else failed'- but was too late- by 18 he was in prison after theft etc......he was judged as being easily lead and ignorant of consequences-I cannot take that chance with my son- I wish i could lead 2 lives....1 with the drug and 1 without....and see the outcome then rewind back and take the 'best' path...however as aparent i have decided on behalf of my son what is best for his wellbeing- and i hope i am right.

I know a number of people who have been very anti ritalin- and tried everything (which may have given some slight improvement- eg fish oils) but then decided to try ritalin (or more commonly concerta). In all cases they said they wish they'd tried ritalin earlier.

The stuff about overdx of ADHD and over prescribing of ritalin annoys me. Everyone who works on the ground with children with ADHD says it is under-prescribed in the UK.

Not surprised your GP's didn't pick up on it- they're generally not that good with ADHD/autism etc (and not knocking GP's- mine is great).

If you're still there, Autymom, try this thread.

Hi guys am new to group I have a daughter 5 diagnose with ASD,ADHD,OCD,SPD,Dyspraxia,Epilepsy and although I do n ot dispute any of the dx I have a problem she has been on Ritalin just 10mg since June and it has been our saviour but recently her script changed from Ritalin to METHYLPHENIDATE hYDROCHLORIDE AND THIS CONTAINS LACTOSE AND MY DAUGHTER IS CAESIN INTOLERANT CAN ANYONE ADVISE ME DOES RITASLIN HAVE LACTOSE ION ???? sorry aboy tpe but had typed too much to delete when I realised had typed in wrong face !!

Ref Melatonin be careful it can have the exact opposite effect both of my daughters are scripted for it and it sends both of the hyper

Would also like to apologise for spelling errors but got a bit carried away in asking for help don't have many people to turn too so get exicited at the prospect of talking to someone

Jimjams - !

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Don't know anything about lactose but we tried ritalin ONCE a few years ago and my son just sobbed and was very upset so we immediately stopped. He has been on risperidone for the last year which has been great. Maybe try looking here for more info on the ingredients druginfo

autymom, please tell me more about melatonin sending yours hyper, I suspect its doing the same to mine!

Hi everyone I managed to sort out my daughters ritalin she was in fact given the wrong meds by the GP they are infact very different drugs and have totally different ingrediants which is why she was totally off the wall I know that Ritalin gets bad press but with my daughters very complex diagnosis it really has made such a difference to her quality of life.
Ref Melatonin it makes my girls hyper but I know lots of kids with autism which drugs often have a total opposite effect due to their very different metabalism and the way their systems process the drugs neither of the girls have a sedative which is why we only see maybe 2 hrs sleep a night between them !!!!! We get about 10hrs a week sleep between the three of us

Hi, could someone give us a rough idea how their kids were at a young age?
We have three kids, the eldest being my step-son who we think suffers from ADHD. He has been hyper and quite hard to control from the moment i met his dad four year ago. He used to run round like mad, wouldn't do anything you asked him, i thought at first it was just the inital reaction of me and his dad getting together but as time has gone on and he has got older (now 6) his hyperactivity has turned to being more violent and outspoken. When he was four he tried to strangle his younger sister (who was 11 months old), he was always taking things of her like juice and buscuits and kicking and punching her, throwing toys at her head. the worst thing was that he seems not to understand any dangers. He went through a faise of climbing on our toilet, standing on in the sink to get to the bathroom cabnit to get a cup and sneak a drink. god only knows what would have happened to him if he had fallen or the toilet or basin had cracked.
He has threatened to kill me and his dad, i could go on. he is seeing a nurse/therapist who thinks it is more behavioural/communication difficulties that he has rather then ADHD. It isn't helped by the fact that his biological mother is trying to get access to him (not that i'm against mothers in general having access to their children)but from day one she showed no ineterest in him at all, and we have recently found out from our son that he has accused her of sexual assualt.

so some information on early stages of ADHD would be very helpful.

a worried mother

Stevensmum, can't answer about ADHD but who is this nurse/therapist? I think you need to see a developmental paediatrician, not let someone who sounds less skilled make guesses. What does she think behavioural/communication problems mean too? Quite possibly on the autistic spectrum or something else with a real name instead of this vague "diagnosis". Can you see your GP and get a referral?

stevensmum, only a qualified child psychiatrist (or similar) can make a ADHD diagnosis. I was trying to remember what specifically my DS was like when he was younger (he's almost 15). He didn't sleep- being awake until after midnight, then up again at the crack of dawn. He was very violent & once thumped DS3 in the mouth during a car journey "because he annoyed me". It tended to be mainly the do now- think later behaviour, together with a total lack of social skills.

Sorry, this isn't much help. What a dreadful mother- I can't remember what my children were like when they were younger! Is this old age creeping up on me?