Elle,

You said that you have stayed away from meds because of the side effects you heard about. Not everyone has problems with side effects and if you have a knowledgable and experienced ADHD doctor, he will be able to help you with your concerns. There are also newer medications that have come out recently. My son was on Ritalin at age 10, then Concerta when it came out. Other than some appetite suppression, he had no serious side effects. And at 16, he is 5'10" which happens to be taller than his father (and me at 5'2") who never took ADHD medication until he was diagnosed at age 45.

My son and adult daughter are now both on Vyvanse. I was recently diagnosed as well and am taking Vyvanse. The only side effect is some appetite suppression. I was amazed at how much smarter I felt on the medication and what a difference it made. I am able to understand and comprehend things quicker and more thoroughly. I am better able to organize and prioritize, and my writing has improved since I am able to organize my thoughts much better. I only regret that I wasn't diagnosed and treated years ago.

You just might be surprised at the improvement you will see if you try medication. The risks of not treating ADHD are much greater and more devastating than the risks of side effects from the medication. If your son had to take medication for another chronic condition such as diabetes, asthma, etc, would you abstain because of possible side effects? The benefits far outweigh the risks.

Elaine

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Hi Elle:

I agree with Elaine that side effects are not a given for children who take ADHD medications. Many don't experience any adverse reactions at all - though it's true that you may need to switch drugs a few times to find the right one. I have included some great ADDitude articles below that explain more about ADHD meds and common side effects, but I think you should also consider some alternative therapies for your son (alone or in conjunction with meds): fish oil, dietary changes, behavior therapy, etc. ADDitude will be introducing a comprehensive guide to alternative therapies soon - in the meantime, I've pasted some of our best articles below. I hope these help!

ADHD Medications: Say No to Side Effects: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/957.html

ADHD Medications 101: Stimulant Strategies: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/718.html

About ADHD Children: ADD Diagnosis and Treatment: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/934.html

Fish Oil to the Rescue for ADHD Symptoms: Explaining an Alternative Treatment: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1684.html

Behavior Therapy: How It Promotes Discipline and Focus in Children with ADHD: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/860.html

ADHD Nutrition: Balanced Meals, Better Behavior: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3295.html

Exercise: An Alternative ADHD Treatment: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3280.html

I hope these help!

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My son was diagnosed seven years ago and we had nothing but problems with medications. I finally had teachers tell me that the meds made my six foot 185 pound seventh grader that he was too aggressive. What is a parent to do. Medicate him and make everyone afraid of him or don't medicate him and get nonstop emails stating that your child was tapping his pencil that distracts everyone. I finally have had my son pulled out of high school and have him participate in cyber school

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Hi, my sister has ADHD. she took ritalin for a year then stopped as it did make her feel a bit zapped of personality. However she is thinking of going back (life becoming chaotic again!). she has kids with ADHD. At school they both have been coping well at the moment but I'm sure its only a matter of time before school start to struggle with them. She is worried about ritalin as its not nice to medicate your child so that they fit in. Having said that she is desperately wish she had been dx as a child. She felt out of control of her brain the whole time she was at school. She had no learning difficulties but was always confused and in a slight panic that she had missed something. She never achieved her full potential and start to rebel a lot when She hit her teens. She would rather give ritalin a try than put her kids through years of unnecessary worry and stress. You can always come off it if it doesn't work. Hope that helped, PinkLisa

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In some cases medication is needed. I do believe Concerta saved my sons life (he was talking about killing himself by first grade) and we have not had any side effects. Its really just a matter of what medication and dosage works for your child. Fish Oil had minimal effect for Bren.

Other then that - We use a token system for behavior in our house and that works well. And its something you could use for all the kids so your ADHD child does not feel segregated. Instead of allowance my kids start our with 3 tokens (quarters). You and your kids sit down and decide what a token should be taken away for and what the consequence is when all the tokens are gone. At the end of the day/week...they can keep the money earned. For my son he has tokens taken away for major outbursts, back talk, and aggressive behavior. His consequences when all the tokens are gone are usually not being able to with friends that day or forfeiting his allotted 1/2 hr of computer time for the day. If he has all his tokens he may use 1 to gain extra computer time or time with friends. Each day starts new and tokens are taken away immediately after the behavior...... some parents like to give the tokens to the child and physically take 1 away when needed but my son would lose them all so I just taken them away verbally and keep a list.

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