Bluejay,

Your daughter may or may not have ADHD. Unfortunately, there is not a blood test or lab test that can verify it one way or the other. (Certain brain scans can assist in determining if there may be problems but they are not normally done and are not perfected enough to be a diagnostic tool at this point in time). The history of symptoms is the recommended tool for diagnosis. However, you may want to get a second opinion and if so, try to find someone who is very knowledgeable about ADHD. Pediatricians and other doctors' level of knowledge and expertise on ADHD can vary greatly. I would also get some books on ADHD and read up on the condition and the symptoms. You may then get a better feel as to whether or not your daughter fits the criteria. In my opinion, hyperactivity is the least important symptom of the diagnosis because hyperactivity can occur for several different reasons that are not ADHD and some children are naturally more active than others. Even children with ADHD can sit quietly at times and behave under different circumstances. They generally behave better in a one on one situation or in an intimidating situation (such as dealing with doctors or authority figures) or with something that is new or interesting. It is when they are bored, that they struggle most with paying attention and behaving. Educating yourself about the disorder and getting a second opinion from a knowledgeable professional should help to determine whether or not your daughter does have ADHD. There are quite a few myths and misconceptions about ADHD and becoming educated about the disorder should hopefully make the situation much clearer, whatever the determination turns out to be.

Good luck to you, Elaine

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Boy I know how you feel. I have a son who is seven and I didn't know if I was going to make it past 3 with him. He was very violent, didn't listen, couldn't sit, hated preschool. It was a nightmare. I had to get 2 opinions on him before I was satisfied with the results. He was diagnosed by two different therapists. I am pretty confident with the results. I put him on ritalin and adderall at age 4 and I wil never do that again. Medicine is extremely bad for them. It is very hard on their hearts and I just couldn't be the one killing my son. Teachers and many others will tell you medicate, medicate, medicate. Don't you can go to behavioral therapy as a family and she can learn to deal with her problems and you can too. I am not going to say that it is easy and takes a few years but who said raising kids was easy. If you love your daughter you will get help and decide what makes her tick and what doesn't. My son is a wonderful boy now he is on the honor roll 2 years in a row. He is able to manage his anger and we are too. He is totally different. He loved going to behavioral therapy he thought it was fun.. The most important thing they taught me was that it had to be a tight ship at your house. Set schedules and structure is the most important thing you can do for her. The reason they get all in frenzy is because to much is going on and they rev like an engine. Make disipline and everything very labeled and very clear make lists post notes label from getting dressed in the morning to going to bed at night. The other important thing is to know everything you possibly can about the disorder and that will help. Good luck and I would be happy to help you through if you have questions. Dawn

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I would take your child to a child psychologist who will administer testing specifically for ADHD "traits". The pediatrician can prescribe the meds to you, but if they have not done conclusive testing, it is difficult to say if she does or does not have ADHD. Has the school asked you to test her? I knew from a very early age that my son was a prime candidate, however, luckily for us, our school was proactive in trying to come up with alternative options before medication. By 3rd grade he was not reading, but the school knew he was bright. The child study team did some observations and then they sent him for further testing. His IQ was very high, which is what they suspected! Halfway through the year, they put him on Concerta (36mg), he is now in 4th grade and is an honor student. He is still behind in his writing skills, but is grade levelin reading and is 1 grade ahead in Math. Medication for him was the best thing that could happen to him. He is old enough now to tell the difference. We do not medicate him on weekends, but now he is begining to realize his behavior patterns. I have read many books, articles and publications. Educate yourself!! We have our son on a balanced diet, and he has a very firm routine. This seems to help him..... GOOD LUCK!! Be an advocate for your child!

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I'm in the same boat with alot of you. My 7yr old has adhd. He hasn't been "professionally" diagnosed but everyone who knows him knows he has it. The teachers and principal at his school have urged me to try drugs and I have to say NO NO NO!!!!! I have researched very deeply into the issue of weather or not to try drugs and it is NOT worth the risk!!! The drugs the doctors are handing out like candy are NOT thouroughly tested. They are treating our kids like lab rats. They don't even know what the long term effects are. The human brain is not fully developed untill the age of 30 and I think it is a horrible mistake to throw chemicals into a developing brain. I know you're at your wits end and quite frankly so am I, but there are other methods that don't involve drugs. Please do your children a favor and do some research yourselves. The doctors get all kinds of perks from pharmacutical companies to test these drugs on your children. And that's exactly what they are doing. Why do you think they have to keep trying different dosages and drugs? Sorry I'm going on a rampage, but I feel very passionate about this issue. I belive these drugs are going to hurt our society in the long run. Many great minds and inventive creative people were belived to have had some form of adhd or asphergers and if they were drugged to suppression as children where would that leave us? Please don't take the easy way out.

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She definately needs to be tested by a doctor who specializes in add/adhd. Not just her regular doctor. There are many, many natural alternatives to choose from. The drugs cause a lot of unpleasant side-effects, plus long-term health risks. Check out Vaxa's ATTEND for ADD/ADHD at: www.attentiondeficit-add-adhd.com.

Mother & grandmother of add'ers

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As a guidance counselor and nurse my advice for you is that you should consider having her tested independently by a psychologist. The psychologist will test for learning disabilities and will also be able to rule out ADHD or confirm that diagnosis. If your insurance is a problem or if you prefer, you can ask the special needs department at your school to have her tested due to learning concerns. They can use a school psychologist to test her to determine if she has any specific learning disabiliities and also give the teachers a questionairre to determine if they are seeing signs and symptoms of ADHD during the school day. Then you have the answers you need to look at "other" medications that will assist her to listen and sit still during the school day but when she is home, she will no longer be impacted by the medication. Good Luck. Quote:

bluejay003 said: My daughter was "diagnosed" with adhd on december 5th. I don't know if I'm satisfied with the diagnosis though. My daughter has always been very active ever since she was younger like the terrible 2 stage. She had tantrums when she didn't get what she wanted, especially when out at a store. She got a little worse after her brother was born when she was 3 1/2. She started school in september and they teacher told us she couldn't sit still in class and always seemed like she was "lost" when asked to copy something from the board. The school suggested getting her tested. They wanted a hearing test as well to rule out a hearing problem. Her hearing was fine. So we made an appointment with a pediatrician AGAIN. (First time she was at a pediatrican's office, pediatrican said she was fine and your typical child-that was summer of 2007) This time pediatrican sat with us for 45 minutes and did one of those behavior surveys and said she needed to be on ritalin--That didn't sit well with us..For one, how are you going to diagnose her without doing any kind of tests? She took ritalin for a couple weeks 20mg twice a day. That calmed her down so the pediatrican tried her on the 12 hour release. That made her more hyper then I've ever seen her. To the point where she failed her vision testing at school. So the pediatrician prescribed dexadrine. Some days it works okay then other days it doesn't do too much for her. There's not much change between her taking it and not taking it. When she takes it, she sits and watches cartoons and doesn't want to do much of anything else, not even play with her brother. She doesn't eat hardly or drink all day. she is whiny, tells mean things, cries for no reason sometimes. She is definately not the same child anymore. She's lost weight from not eating. She doesn't look healthy at all. We didn't give her any meds this weekend (doctor said she doesn't have to take them when she is home) The only behavior change was that she was louder. She ate, she played with her brother all day instead of sitting around in front of the tv. She was fine. Tolerable for sure. Unlike some days when she is medicated. School secretary said she noticed changes in her as well. She goes and sits up on the secretary's knee to be rocked at lunchtime==that's new for her. My husband and I don't really know what else to do. Getting her pediatrician to do anything is hard. It took her almost a week and a half to do a bloodwork requisition that we requested to rule out anything. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it possible she is not ADHD and it's something else? When we went and had her bloodwork done-from the 1 1/2 ride there and back and the 1 1/2 in the waiting room, she was perfect. She didn't act up once. I'm getting frustrated with the situation because some days I feel helpless. What else can I do for my baby?

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I can sympathize w/ you. My daughter displayed the behaviors you mentioned. Coping with the behaviors can be daunting at times, often frustrating, for child and family. My son has Autism, daughter ADHD. Please don't rely on the opinion of one doctor -- esp. not a pediatrician. Most pediatricians don't have the training or experience to really know the business of ADHD or any of the other neurologic disorders. You/your daughter need to see specialists (in ADHD and related neuro disorders). This would include a Pediatric Neurologist (check at the Children's Hospital near you -- inquire); Child psychiatrist and/or Child Psychologist (who has particular expertise and experience with ADHD and/or Autism spectrum disorders); and other behavior specialist. Only an MD (ie, psychiatrist, neurologist, pediatrician, ...) can prescribe meds. Medications aren't the answer -- you really have to take a holistic approach. The right pill may take the EDGE off some of the "symptoms" (inappropriate or objectionable behaviors), but it WON'T SOLVE your child's ADHD. You need help w/ managing her behaviors, teaching her how to listen & learn, etc. If you can, get help at her school too; but getting help -- the right kind of help -- at school will be very difficult unless/until you have your daughter evaluated and tested by experts/professionals who really know their ADHD/behaviors/interventions. Word of mouth is one way to find out -- seek out an ADHD support group in your area as one place to look. You can do this online, through google-searching. Also, check at your school district's website, and find your local school's (or district's) Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). The SEACs are comprised of parents in the area who have children with a variety of conditions and disabilities. They us. have monthly mtgs. which are free and open to the public. You can learn a lot by attending one, and also network with folks and gain more contacts and information pertinent to you/your area. Hope this helps. Sounds like you're on the right track though. You know your daughter better than anyone else. Advocate for her and look out for her best interests.

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I want to add that my son (high-functioning Autism) has ADHD-like symptoms. Many children with an autistic spectrum disorder have similar ADHD-like behaviors/difficulties. Autism and ADHD are neurologic disorders. I don't like institutionalization in pillform. I don't like giving my son medications to "control" his behavior, on many levels and for different reasons. My son took many different kinds of meds. from the time he was 3 yrs. old. B/c he couldn't communicate effectively, I was unaware of the side-effects he was experiencing when he was younger. As he got older, he was better able to communicate what was happening. He had been experiencing hallucinations. He was robotic, his feelings were blunted, and, he didn't laugh anymore; he lost weight, and didn't eat much. He wasn't himself. The meds really didn't help him very much at all. Be aware that children w/ a neurologic disorder may not be able to decipher what they're experiencing when they're very young, and also may not be able to effectively communicate w/you about it. Please go to outside professionals/experts. I hate to say this, but you really can't put your trust in the school system to do what your daughter needs, or to give you much help, until you have your child thoroughly evaluated and YOU become your child's expert first. You are your child's best advocate. If you need more support yourself in this area (w/getting the right kind of help for your daughter at school... like a 504 plan or IEP) look for an advocate -- a child advocate who has experience w/ ADHD and issues in your school district -- to help you. Many advocate on a volunteer (not for pay) basis. If your daughter is having learning difficulties at school (difficulty reading, doing Math, etc.), you would want to have her tested for that as well. A neuro-psychologist who specializes in testing/evaluating for learning difficulties would be someone to see. You could have some types of testing done through your school's special education department (if they're willing/able), but it is by far best to have the testing and evaluating done on the "outside" -- by expert individuals who aren't politically connected to the school system in any way. Besides local children's hospital, also check out local universities which may have special programs or research in ADHD/Autism/neurologic disorders. Ask questions. Dig for information.

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I sympathize with you as I have a husband and a 9 yr old daughter who are both ADHD. There is a lot of information out there and it can be overwhelming but I must ask you if your child needed insulin, which has side effects would you say no? Many of the meds ADHD children take are VERY well tested. Ritalin has been in use for 20 years. I am not a big "give em drugs" person but I know how they can help if given the right dose and the right meds (NOTE the word used is medicine not DRUGS. ADHD is a brain chemistry illness and is a group of symptoms more than a specific illness. While one medicine is wonderful for one person it may not be right for the next person because our brain chemistries are different. My husband cannot take Dexadrine because he becomes mean as a snake. My daughter cannot take Adderall because she throws up but both can take other medicines. Also remember that meds are not a magic bullet that you give and every symptom is eliminated. Study after study has shown that behavior modification ALONG with meds is the most effective treatment. When using medicine you need to check dosing during growth spurts and puberty as these things can change the effectivness of the dose. Don't let teachers or others medicate your child into a Stepford kid. Choose a behavior and medicate to correct that. "Normal" children have issues and teachers and others deal with those. As to your child not seeming out of sorts at home or with you, off the medicine- I must say we learn to tune out and tolerate our ADHDers way more than others. Unfortunately the others are who they will have to deal with in the real world after they leave us. We are here to help them learn to deal with themselves and the world around them in the most effective way. I always tell people to try everything to help your child and that does include medicine. Remember the way these meds are with non-ADHDers is NOT the way they behave in their brains. The meds are the chemical bridge that let self control and concentration drive smoothly through their brains.Good luck in what ever you choose just keep an open mind.

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Ritalin has been around for a long time and is one of the most researched and tested drugs. I am not aware of any long term health risks but I can tell you what long term effects have been found. They found a reduction in auto accidents, drug abuse and cancer, particularly breast cancer. Ritalin is used in coma patients to help them come out of a coma sooner and is given to astronauts to counter the effects of the anti-gravity medication which makes them groggy. The Ritalin keeps them alert.

Just because one individual had a bad reaction to a particular medication does not mean everyone else will. My daughter is allergic to penicillin but I wouldn't tell everyone else they should avoid using penicillin. The risks of not treating ADHD can be much worse. Be careful where you get your information from. Stick to professionals knowledgeable about ADHD. The media is not a responsible source of information most of the time. You can also get more information from www.chadd.org Chadd is a national organization promoting education and awareness of children and adults with ADHD.

Elaine

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My daughter has severe adhd and she is now 20 years old. My pediatrician did the same test. However, in addition she asked for two to three of her teachers to fill out a survey and had her go to a psychologists to confirm her suspicions before subscribing medication. I was lucky that my pediatrician did this, but speak up, say you would like a second opinion and if you don't know one I bet your pediatrician or school can recommend one. Throughout my daughter's elementary and middle school years, I had her re-evaluated two more times by different psychiatrists and one more time in high school. And the diagnosis was the same. My biggest advice to you, is to become very knowledgeable in this area. I have had to become a very strong advocate tnrough my daughter's life. We've tried homepathic methods (which for my daughter did not work, however has worked for others.) My daughters' special ed teacher has a son with ADHD and he was able to control it through vitamins and diet. I followed her directions and used the same supplements and she was with my daughter every day to coach me through this process and after three weeks, we both determined that it didn't work for her. Today she has graduated with a regular high school diploma and is attending a community college. We still have struggles and I know it is going to take her longer to obtain her degree, but I can look back and say that all the struggles were worth it and still is. Good luck.

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It can be very difficult to receive a diagnosis like this for the first time. My son struggled through elementary school for a variety of reasons, mostly anxiety and organization. He would do well in small groups but get lost in large groups. It wasn't until a 5th grade teacher mentioned the possibitlity of ADD. At first I was shocked, but then after research, it all made sense. We went to his pediatrician for a diagnosis, and she confirmed it. We also did behavioral surveys with all of his teachers to confirm that his ADD was affecting his ability to perform at his potential. I was glad for this diagnosis because I was able to finally understand what I needed to do to help him succeed, both in school and at home. It also made me aware that I have been living with ADD all my life! If you would be more confortable, a second opinion never hurts. But don't think of a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD as the worst thing. People with ADD or ADHD are some of the most intelligent and creative people out there!

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Well it's now been 2 months since my daughter was "diagnosed" with ADHD. She;s been on ritalin, byphenton (8hour ritalin) dexadrine 4 hour release, dexadrine 8 hour release and now adderall 12 hour release. The byphenton made her more hyper then ever before. With all the others it's been the same results=calm and focused at times and other times in a screaming rage. Very aggressive at times, hitting, kicking, slapping her baby brother..Right now the adderall is 10mg over a 12 hour period...We are waiting to hear when she can get an appointment with the children's mental health department. It's very frustrating because wouldn't these medications help control the tantrums? Sometimes I think they're making her worse. When we go to the grocery store she goes absolutely crazy. (we can't take her there anymore) Is there anything else we should have her tested for? We spoke with the school principal and he said kids don't go to see the school psychologist until they are 7 years old. Occupational therapists at her school say she is doing fine. Today we had a meeting with her teacher. She told us my daughter asks to go to the washroom every 5 minutes then they find her out wandering in the halls like she forgets what she is supposed to be doing. (very scary) I dont want to have to medicate her. She doesn't sleep well unless somebody is with her all night so she sleeps in my bed at night. If she sleeps alone and wakes up and nobody is there, she freaks out and cries. I really need help, My husband and I are at our wits end. We can't seem to get any help.

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Bluejay,

I just read your update and two things came to mind. Sometimes, a child who has anxiety will get more hyper on stimulant medication so the doctor needs to evaluate her for that possibility. However, it is some of the other issues that are raising red flags in my mind. The tantrums, rages, mood changes (you said she is calm and focused at times, tantrums and raging other times), separation anxiety (has to have someone sleep with her and "freaks out" if no one is there when she wakes up) can all be symptoms of child onset bipolar disorder. Not to mention the aggression, kicking and hitting. Not many doctors are very familiar with the symptoms (they have some similarities with adult bipolar yet there are significant differences in children) and a significant percentage of children with ADHD have it. My nephew was diagnosed at 8 (he's 18 now and doing fine) after being tried on meds for ADHD and not having much success. He had tantrums and rages, hit and kicked, and was labeled as ODD. It took a while before they found what was wrong. He had both ADHD and the child onset bipolar disorder. But the bipolar disorder needs to be the priority if both disorders are present. I am not a doctor but I know two other children with that diagnosis and I have been reading a book on the disorder which is considered the book to read on child onset bipolar disorder. I got it from our library. I highly suggest you check out the book and see if it sounds like a possibility. It may not be, but better to be safe than sorry. The book is called "The Bipolar Child" by Demetri and Janice Papolos. My edition came out in 2006. If it sounds like a possibility to you then you need to find someone knowledgeable on the disorder, usually a child psychiatrist, or if you lived in Florida, my doctor has diagnosed and treated the two children I know of here. Does anyone in you or your husband's family have the disorder, another mood disorder, OCD or alcoholism? If so, it increases the possibility of child onset bipolar disorder. I hope she does not have it and I am wrong but it needs to be looked at, and if nothing else, ruled out as a possibility. I'll be praying for you and your family.

Elaine

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Not discounting the professionals that responded. Find a new pediatrician!!

My son began w/ritalin of 10mgs at 5 yrs of age. We moved him up 5 mgs at a time. He was also put into a double blind test to see if that was the actual challenge in the first place.

Too many pediatricians prescribe incorrectly 1st the dosage and 2nd the incorrect medications. I learned what some of the side effects were, asked questions regarding, tried to arrange things to work with my child as well as his day and side effects. He has been on Strattera for the past 3 yrs (he is 15 almost 16 now) and doing okay. If you are not comfortable with the way your child is responding to the medications. Go with your gut feelings. Don't be afraid to ask the Dr. how much he may know about ADD/ADHD and available meds, symptoms, treatments, etc. Ask the school for a psychological evaluation. NCLB (No Child Left Behind) law requires that the school do this within something like 30 days (and keep requesting until this is done). Your school teachers, psychologist, principal can be advocates for you with your pediatrician as well. Talk to parents at events, if there are children that have the same challenges, ask who their pediatricians are, if they would recommend them, etc. Don't be afraid to ask questions. And READ, READ, READ anything/everything you can.

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BlueJay, The school CANNOT, by law, refuse a psychological request even in kindergarten (that's when many children are diagnosed). They are required by law to respond to testing and have your child tested via school psychologists, within 60 days of your request (keep copies of any and all correspondence with the school). And whenever you change schools, request again. When your child goes from elementary to middle to high school, each change, request a new psychological test to update records and psychologists, teachers, principals, etc.

Below is part of a letter from another forum member that I requested a copy of . These sections contain lots of information regarding what the school systems are required by law to follow in the NCLB law (that's No Child Left Behind — National law)

"...(in conformity with IDEA Regulations §300.307-311) based on several factors, including but not limited to his medical diagnosis of ADD/ADHD Complex and the predisposing fact that 75% of children with ADD/ADHD Complex have additional learning disabilities. We believe that these potential problems impair the academic functioning of [child's name], and should be addressed within the 60 days allowed."

Go to Ed.gov. There is a lot of information available that can help you in your request for the school to follow the law.

If the principal is not following the law, take it up to the superintendent's office next. The principal is uninformed. If they contacted you about your child, the school psychologist should also be involved. If they are telling you that they do not do evaluations until 7 years old, then take it to the principal and onward until you get an evaluation. Don't give up.

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I think you should take a second opinion. The medication truly affect the appetite. Your child may have and unhealthy look, I feel the same about mine. Make sure the doctor take a record of measure and weight of your child. Make sure your child is having the right dose (she may be a bit slow down). Help her with the right food ( here you can read about the protein food that can help), time scheduled, visual help, multivitamins, protein powders. Get a good terapist and the right help at school. I find it useful to pray. Ask for guidance and for the right profesional to show into picture. And talk, talk, talk about DDA. You're going to find references to the right professional in your local area.

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My daughter has now been on adderall for almost a month. Some days she is good, some days you can't even look at her the wrong way. She still has the tantrums. Screams when her brother looks at her toys, slaps him when she gets mad. She'll scream if she can't get her own way. When she gets mad she'll yell things like "don't beat me" or "you're hurting me" and there won't even be anyone near her. She had an appointment with the pediatrician today (same one) and I laid it all on the table. How her behaviour is up and down. She takes 10mg of adderall right now so the pediatrician gave me a prescription for 5mg of adderall and she wants me to give her a 1/4 of a capsule to go with the 10mg she takes. She said the only other option is strattera. She doesn't quite weigh enough for the lowest dosage of this. She weighs 41.5 pounds now. down 3.5 pounds since being on medicine. The pediatrician said with the strattera she would wake up in the morning one of 2 ways. She would be calm or she would be violent. I refuse to put her on this. She's been assigned to a worker at the mental health department . The pediatrician is suppose to call him today to discuss if her appointment should be rushed or not (otherwise she goes in april) The pediatrician told me she didn't know what else to do. There is definately something wrong with my child. Of all the medication she has been on, nothing has completely worked. Her teacher said she is "lost" most of the time. Like she has no idea what is going on or what she is supposed to be doing. She'll ask to go to the washroom 10 times a day then wander the halls. Last week she hid on the teachers and they couldn't find her for 30 minutes. Sent us all into a huge panic (she was hiding under the principles desk) but she doesn't know why when she was asked why she did it. What else could possibly be wrong with my little girl? I've read about APD-audio processing something or other. Could this also be a possibly for her listening/understanding? She is having a problem picking up on reading skills. She has a hard time recognizing words. What other conditions would cause the tantrums and meanness that she expresses (kicking slapping, etc)

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