ADHD Medication for 18 year old DS

[Villamaria]

Appreciate any advice / similar experience.
DS is 18, diagnosed ADHD last year, primarily attention deficit.
initially he did not want to take medication but now given his exams are looming and he is struggling with study, he wants to try the medication.
i am really concerned as his exams start in 6 weeks, what should he take , what dose etc.
we have gp appointment on Monday but appreciate any advice.

My DD has inattentive type ADHD. It takes a while to get on the right dose of medication and we paid privately until she was settled on a dose, then the GP took on shared care.
If has been completely life changing for her and definitely worth it.
There are different types of medication, some which last all day, some only a few hours. I doubt your GP would prescribe it. You may be better getting in touch with whoever diagnosed him.

Thank you, I will contact the psychiatrist who diagnosed him on Monday.
when he got the diagnosis he was adamant he did not want medication so we did not even discussed, my worry is now he is so close to final exams it is an awful time to be trying for the first time, but at the same time could make a massive difference.
I just assumed GP could prescribe so appreciate the info.

No worries. The medication my DD is on lasts about 8 hours, it’s not like a build-up medication like antidepressants or something like that. It’s literally in your system working it’s magic and then gone. If she’s not doing anything and wants a lazy day, she doesn’t take it. We did it all online, they sent a blood pressure monitor and we had TEAMs meetings every 3-4 weeks. They monitored her blood pressure and weight and upped the dose gradually until we got it right. She doesn’t feel massively different with it. It just enables her to study, work etc.

The GP won’t initiate and titrate medication. The psychiatrist will probably want another appointment first, too.

It may not be such a good idea to start medication so close to exams. Getting the medication and dose right can take time and some experience side effects.

Thanks all, appreciate all
the information, good to be armed with info xx

He will most likely get methylphenidate, so you could research that. There are two types: short-release and slow-release. He will most likely start with short-release on a low dose, see how that goes, taper up to the right dose and then get slow-release. I would try it out, even before exams. It can make a huge difference.

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/methylphenidate-adults/

Hi @Villamaria, just wondering what you opted for and how your daughter got on?

My son is 15 and diagnosed by the NHS a year ago but so far not medicated.

However, he has started saying he can't concentrate to do school work because there are so many thoughts buzzing around he can't focus.

He is about to start his final GCSE year so i'm thinking maybe now would be a good time to try something.

So, did you go for a medication @Villamaria, and did it help your daughter concentrate? Were there any other side effects?

Morning, was for my son and yes he did start medication, and immediately felt positive impact. He said before he would be able to study only for half hour then would need a few hours break, he was able to do 2 or 3 hour stretches no problem.
Only real side affect was his lack of appetite which we had to watch as he was already quite slim.
we had 3 reviews with the psychiatrist since i posted the message above and he made decision to stop medication after he sat his final exams. We can revisit if he starts college in September but taking a break for the summer.
our experience we wished we had started earlier to get study benefits but was better late than never.
also we are in Ireland and went privately to ensure all moved quickly but there was a large cost associated with that.

Thank you so much @Villamaria, and apologies for mt daughter/son mistake.

I'm really glad it helped your son for the time he tried them. Do you think it helped his grades?

I think we will try this for my son then and see if it helps him through his last year of GCSE's.

What medication did your son have in the end? I know there are quite a few but I'd be glad to learn a few names of one's that seem to work.

Thank you

Methylphenidate is the normal medication that they start on.

There are lots of different brands and dosages and it can take time to get it right. What works for one person may not work the same for someone else, so it's not really a case of getting names of 'one's that seem to work' as it's so individual specific.

There are also major supply issues. My DD (16) has always been on Equasym XR and there have been months where I have rung round 83 different pharmacies trying to get hold of her prescription and only managed to get a quarter of what was needed.

Now that exams are over, we're trying a different brand that is easier to get hold of.

I would recommend ordering a copy of 'The Parent's Guide to ADHD Medication' - it's brilliant and an interesting easy read and will answer all your possible questions.

For us, medication has been life-changing for DD and I cannot imagine the nightmare of exams without them.

At once stage in the Spring we couldn't get any meds and she was without them for nearly a week - cue calls and emails from teachers hugely concerned about her lack of focus and concentration. Second she was back on the meds it was all good again.

Thanks for all that info @OhCrumbsWhereNow

I'm really excited to get him started. He only got the NHS diagnosis 2 months ago, it's taken 6 years to get seen, he was referred by the school in Yr6!
He has struggled at school for 11 years now and can never, ever, concentrate. We have lot's of coping strategies and a good diet etc, but the exams are looming and it's time he got a little helping hand.
I'm hoping meds will be the game changer it seems to have been for your child.