ihave a 4 year old son who we believe may have add. after reading your question i am scared. i hate the thought of medicating him but we are at our wits end. c an you tell me the symptoms your son displayed prior to the medication? What medication is he on? i wish you and your son the best.

Quote

Generally speaking, ADHD doctors recommend waiting a few weeks before deciding whether a specific medication is working for a child with attention deficit. Nothing begins working immediately and it's impossible to control for diet, sleep, mood, etc. and make a final, absolute decision is just a few days.

That being said, the side effects of ADHD medication can be serious business. Sometimes, they do require parents to seek a new prescription or new dosage.

I would suggest reading a few of ADDitude's best articles about ADHD medication so that you can arrive armed with alternative ideas at your next doctor's appointment...

ADHD Medication: Say No to Side Effects

ADHD Medication 101: Attention Deficit Treatment Advice

7 Rules for Using ADHD Medications Safely

Sandi, you were asking about the symptoms of ADHD in children. There is a lot of great information about diagnosing and treating children as young as preschool on the ADDitude web site. We also offer a free report about treating ADHD without medication that you might find helpful.

Best of luck!

Quote

My son's behaviors included not looking us in the eye when we spoke to him, unable to sit still for more than a few moments unless he was watching tv or doing something else he enjoyed (he can put sand in a pail for 30 minutes), wandering away from group activities or refusing to participate (leading to being asked to leave to day cares so far) and just generally not paying attention. He also has pretty serious language delays so they might cause some of this too, but the day-care issue is a big clue.

I wouldn't worry about the sleep thing I described. The last two nights have been more normal. He did get up around 4:00 am but we walked him back into his room and he went back to sleep. He has seemed to be an early riser recently, sometimes waking up at 5:30 or 6:00 and lying down outside his room in front of the baby gate, and then usually falling asleep again, but he was doing this before the medicine too. The medicine can cause problems getting to sleep from what I have read, but I have also heard this may go away after a while, plus you can always try new medications. I wouldn't let that stop you from trying something if you and your doctor feel it is necessary. But get him evaluated, even if you don't want to use medication there are other things you can try to do with behavior therapy, and it will help once he goes to school to have an official diagnosis.

Quote

My son, now 10, has been on meds since First Grade. We started on Strattera which didn't help much, and then we put him on Concerta. His teachers saw a big difference. But by the end of the day, whey I'd pick him up from after school care, the meds were totally out of his system, which made it challenging to settle him down, do homework, get ready for bed, etc. His doctor recommended a natural supplement called melatonin, I would give it to him right before his bath and that would settle him down to sleep through the night. I know, another pill. I struggled with that notion for so long, but when you are a working parent, you need to do what you need to do. I also kept a log of his moods, so that I could discuss them with the doctor. Keep in mind, it took us a while to get the appropriate dosage that worked best. This will be an ogoing battle for you. My son is at the point of taking the highest dosage of Concerta and I'm not sure if it is working as effectively as it should. Keep the faith, don't give up.

[

QUOTE]Kara_MD said: We started my son on medication yesterday (Sunday). I did notice a difference - he would look us in the eye when we talked to him, listened better (although we still had to repeat things, but his language delay affects this too) and seemed to be able to focus more (or, could have been he just enjoyed the new game) and sit still a bit more, though still not to the point of a non-ADHD child. On the other hand, he was a whiny mess all day, asking for things and then getting upset and changing his mind, throwing a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat, things that are very unlike him, except when he is tired. On that front, he WAS tired - we had driven to an event in another state - 4 hours us in the morning, and 4 back in the evening. He slept for an hour and a half in the car, but then woke up and by the time we got home, he went to bed at 10:30 and woke up 6:30 as usual. Maybe not the best day to start the medicine. In any case, yesterday he fell asleep rather easily at 7:30 or so, woke up at 10:30 AND WAS UP UNTIL 4:00 IN THE MORNING! His day care provider said he was an absolute mess today, whining, wanting to be picked up, etc. - of course, they noticed no improvement in his behavior! Could the medicine have caused him to be awake like that? If so that is not going to work as my husband and I cannot survive on so little sleep. He is only 4 so it is not like an older child who may be able to handle the sleep issues better. My commute is an hour on high speed roads and I work long days, often coming home at 10:00 PM, and I am amazed I didn't crash the car this morning. Is this a side effect of the medication? If so, does it go away when he gets used to it? May a different medication not have this side effect or are they all likely to do the same thing? On the one thing he really needs something to treat the ADHD and we there will be a lot of problems if we can't help him this way, but on the other hand, the lack of sleep obliterates any benefit of the medication at this point. Can anyone offer some insight??

Quote

Quote:

Doreen said:

My son is at the point of taking the highest dosage of Concerta and I'm not sure if it is working as effectively as it should.

Doreen, we've just moved out 9-year-old off Concerta because he was at the highest dose and it was like water! We were topping-up with regular Ritalin and getting better results. So we've moved to a Canadian product called Biphentin, which is a sustained release Ritalin and it's working like a charm, even with a reduced dosage.

Quote

Last edited by MamaTo2 : 25 Sep 2008 @ 12:00 PM. Reason:

We had the same issues with my son when he started taking ADHD meds. He was diagnosed with ADHD and started taking meds when he had just turned 5. The first medicine he was on was Vyvanse. It worked well in the morning but when it started to wear off I could swear he was possessed!!! The mood swings and the tantrums were bad along with not being able to sleep. And like you I am not a good person with no sleep. As per one of the other comments to your story, the doctors told us to keep using it for a couple of weeks to see if the side effects would get better. They did not. I would have rather him not been on anything than that medicine. Then we tried the Daytrana patch which had no effect at all. Now we are taking a very small dose (2.5 mg - half of the 5 mg dose) of the Adderall XR. It seems to just take the edge off the ADHD impulsive actions. As all mothers, it was a tough decision to put my son on meds because of the side effects. but some teachers and piers are not understanding of the actions of a child with ADHD. This year we have a very patient teacher and with the small dose of meds he seems to make and keep friends. I hope this helps and it lets you know you are not alone.

Quote

One of my son's had the same problem at first with irritability and moodiness at first when he started taking his medicine. we immediately changed his medicine and it improved. Now he takes concerta. On the other hand, my older son never did sleep very well. This is a side effect from ADHD because sometimes people with ADHD have a hard time shutting their brains off. The doctor suggested giving him melatonin. This is what your body produces to help you sleep. It is completely natural and non-habit forming. Melatonin works like a charm. You can get it at GNC or another health store. I buy the cherry flavor pill that you put underneath the tongue and it dissolves. We started him off on 1 mg every night to see how little he needed to fall asleep. We ended up giving him 3 mg every night. If you have questions about using melatonin, you should talk to your doctor about it. You should also consider putting him in sports. There are more and more studies out there that say giving your ADHD child "green time" or outside time will help. Also, putting him in sports will help him help him be able to focus on something, improve his social skills, and increase his self-esteem. lack of self-esteem is a big issue with children who have ADHD. I hope this helps you out.

Quote

I have a 7 yr old son that we have had on meds for year and a half. It is a very trying period to get the medication thing figured out. I am surprised that you diagnosed your son at such an early age. It was after my son started school that we diagnosed him. I have been to several Dr. and they have told me that if the child is not in school he does not need to be medicated. He just seems really young to be medicated. We give my son his medication during school only. If there is an event that will require him to sit still for a long period of time, then we will give him the meds. In the summer and vacations he is not medicated.

Quote

Quote:

Doreen said: My son, now 10, has been on meds since First Grade. We started on Strattera which didn't help much, and then we put him on Concerta. His teachers saw a big difference. But by the end of the day, whey I'd pick him up from after school care, the meds were totally out of his system, which made it challenging to settle him down, do homework, get ready for bed, etc. His doctor recommended a natural supplement called melatonin, I would give it to him right before his bath and that would settle him down to sleep through the night. I know, another pill. I struggled with that notion for so long, but when you are a working parent, you need to do what you need to do. I also kept a log of his moods, so that I could discuss them with the doctor. Keep in mind, it took us a while to get the appropriate dosage that worked best. This will be an ogoing battle for you. My son is at the point of taking the highest dosage of Concerta and I'm not sure if it is working as effectively as it should. Keep the faith, don't give up.

[

QUOTE]Kara_MD said: We started my son on medication yesterday (Sunday). I did notice a difference - he would look us in the eye when we talked to him, listened better (although we still had to repeat things, but his language delay affects this too) and seemed to be able to focus more (or, could have been he just enjoyed the new game) and sit still a bit more, though still not to the point of a non-ADHD child. On the other hand, he was a whiny mess all day, asking for things and then getting upset and changing his mind, throwing a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat, things that are very unlike him, except when he is tired. On that front, he WAS tired - we had driven to an event in another state - 4 hours us in the morning, and 4 back in the evening. He slept for an hour and a half in the car, but then woke up and by the time we got home, he went to bed at 10:30 and woke up 6:30 as usual. Maybe not the best day to start the medicine. In any case, yesterday he fell asleep rather easily at 7:30 or so, woke up at 10:30 AND WAS UP UNTIL 4:00 IN THE MORNING! His day care provider said he was an absolute mess today, whining, wanting to be picked up, etc. - of course, they noticed no improvement in his behavior! Could the medicine have caused him to be awake like that? If so that is not going to work as my husband and I cannot survive on so little sleep. He is only 4 so it is not like an older child who may be able to handle the sleep issues better. My commute is an hour on high speed roads and I work long days, often coming home at 10:00 PM, and I am amazed I didn't crash the car this morning. Is this a side effect of the medication? If so, does it go away when he gets used to it? May a different medication not have this side effect or are they all likely to do the same thing? On the one thing he really needs something to treat the ADHD and we there will be a lot of problems if we can't help him this way, but on the other hand, the lack of sleep obliterates any benefit of the medication at this point. Can anyone offer some insight??

Quote

Hi Kara MD, We have an 11 year old girl who has been on meds, Vyvanse, for over a year. She was diagnosed at the end of 4th grade with ADD/ADHD. We took the summer trying different meds, concerta and adderal xl. Both made it impossible for her to sleep and she was awake most nights long after we had gone to sleep. We tried each for one full week hoping that she would be able to get used to it and sleep. Neither worked. Now we are succesfully on Vyvanse which controlls her impulse and anger. She actually lets us hug her without shrugging us away.. We can see that she is calmer. She seems to be getting along much better with her peers, and behaving in school. I don't know if a 4 year old is truly diagnosable, however, I only wish that my daughter had been diagnosed at an earlier age than 10, I think she would have had a LOT more positive interactions with her peers. It has been a very difficult journey watching her not be included in birthday parties and social functions due to her impulsivity and acting out. Speak to the MD about switching meds and don't not take him off of them. There are other meds that work. Good luck.

Quote

Kara, you are not alone. I have a 5 year old who has been on medication for a year now. He was diagnosed with ADHD at 4 years old, he sees a therapist weekly and a psychiatrist who monitors his medication every 6 weeks. He started off with Ritalin and moved on to Ritalin XR but he continued having difficulty falling to sleep, often staying awake talking and singing to himself until 10pm. Then I switched to a new psychiatrist who specializes in children with ADD and ADHD. She is wonderful and spent almost 2 hours with us during our initial interview. She prescribed Focalin XR and melatonin to help aid his sleep at night. His hyperactivity, mood swings, impulsivity and violent rages were unbearable when he was not on medication. I spent countless hours researching the controversy of medications and alternative therapy options. But for us, medication has been a blessing. It has allowed him to focus on his school work, make friends, and let his teachers see him for the bright, loving boy he is, instead of struggling with behavioral issues and labels of being a difficult child. It doesn't mean that we don't have our issues once the medication wears off... that's just a reminder of how much it does help during the day. I keep him on it every day, year round, because he needs the consistancy and positive reinforcement he gets from making the right choices and thinking things through. I know that he is frustrated, scared and feels out of control when he doesn't take the medication or it has worn off and he has a melt down. I want him to have the best possible chance for success in school and in his social life and for us it means medication plus behavior management through therapy, lots of outside play time and sports activities too. It is a very difficult decision that each family needs to make, and keep re-evaluating yearly if it is still the right decision for you & your child. Wish you the best of luck.

Quote

Hi there,

Reading your thread made me join the ADDitude forum, so I could post a reply.

I can identify with the Catch 22 you find yourself in; you're damned if you do medicate, and your damned if you don't.

I have learned the hard way to listen to my intuition with regard to both of my kids (one of whom has ADHD, the other has Autism). We are the experts who live day-in and sleepless night-out with them, who know more than any other just how bad things get. Until you've lived it, I don't think you can fully know or appreciate just what a struggle it truly is, no matter how expert or empathic your Doctor(s) is. I believe that the medical field needs more Mom's who have raised kids with ADHD to truly understand the significant challenges we face.

Having said that, medication is what our son wants. He has been both on and off of meds, and knows that being off causes him to lose focus, to act before he thinks, and to act so poorly towards others that he risks losing friendships and family ties.

We have had our fair share of side-effects, including sleeplessness while on long-lasting Concerta. The Doctor prescribed Clonadine, which did help.

However, after 5 successful years on long-acting Concerta, our son disclosed that he was having both Auditory and Visual Hallucinations, which is an uncommon side-effect of all stimulant medications.

He is now on Strettara and Adderrall, and in his words is about a 9.5 out of 10 with regard to focusing and controlling himself.

Before the Adderall was added, our paediatrician wanted us to wait 6 full months for the Strettara to take it's full effect. Those months were a living hell. I had reached a point where I could no longer separate my son's behaviors from him, as they were so pervasive. In tears, I admitted to both myself and husband that I was at the point where I no longer even liked him. This was so painful, and such a significant and shamefilled loss. I was ready to consider Foster care, as I didn't think I could keep parenting him.

Instead, I thought we would try and add the Adderall, and not wait any longer, as had been recommended by the paediatrician. We are now back "on course" with our son. I like him again. I don't think about Foster care.

Our society is quick to villify ADHD meds as a "quick fix" for lazy parents, and other such crazy notions. Those people who are most vocal, most certainly have not lived our lived experience.

Be kind to yourself, and listen to your intuition. You are faced with a most difficult task, which will have imperfect results. There is no "quick fix", but medication, the right medication, the right dose, the right timing, can keep families together. I dare the public to criticize that.

Quote

Some of you people are unbelievable! Who are you to say a child is too young to be diagnosed? It is only a disorder when it starts impacting your life in a negative way, and if you are 4 or 5 years old and can't control your impulses to the point that other children don't want to play with you and have no friends, or you can't learn in preschool or have functional family relationships (as was the case with my son) then you need help! It's not just for school -- ADHD affects every part of a person's life, socially and emotionally. My son's life has turned around completely since he started on meds. People need to truly understand what ADHD IS and how it affects one's brain. I love to read people's comments and their judgements toward others about medications, and I really wonder how educated and informed they really are about ADHD. I would recommend reading "Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents" or "Driven to Distraction" by Edward M. Hallowell. These doctors are both experts on ADHD and clearly and simply explain the mysteries and myths of ADHD in terms anyone can understand. It's enlightening! I have two sons with ADHD and I am ADD myself. We are all medicated. I wish my parents had known what I know about all of this so they could have gotten me some medication. Maybe I would not have struggled my entire life in school and at work. Maybe I would not have suffered from insomnia for 40 years until I was finally diagnosed, shortly after my children were. I can't blame my parents....they didn't know. But NO ONE should make a judgement about medicating a child until they have walked in those shoes. People ask why there are so many more children with ADHD nowadays. There aren't! We always had it, it's just that nobody knew. Think of how many people are walking around out there struggling in life because they are undiagnosed. Think of how our lives would have been different if we had had the "help" that we needed. Giving your child a stimulant medication for ADHD is no different than medicating an underactive thyroid. Why wouldn't you do it if it will help your child? Lou is correct about Melatonin. It's completely natural and a known fact that people with ADHD often have less of it in their bodies than other people and are unable to regulate their body clocks on their own. Melatonin has greatly helped my son, who used to roll around in bed until well after midnight unable to fall asleep, even before starting medication. Now he falls asleep easily and stays asleep all night. My children and I all take Concerta. We've been through the generic Ritalins (XR, LA) and Concerta is the "smoothest" -- by that I mean that the "rebound" (the nasty moodiness that happens when it wears off) is hardly noticeable. I feel the best on Concerta of all the stimulants I've tried. My older son takes a combination of Straterra and Concerta, because he can't tolerate large doses of stimulants -- it gives him headaches. Go to a pediatric neurologist if you are having trouble with meds. What better doctor to manage a "brain disorder" than a brain doctor? Make sure your neurologist "believes" in ADHD, and knows a lot about ADHD, different meds, and their side-effects. Believe it or not ( and they wouldn't come right out and tell you this) many doctors don't believe in it, and are super conservative about meds.) Do what you believe in your heart (and your gut) for your son and don't let misguided comments of others question your judgement. For your child's sake and future happiness and success, don't give up on the quest to find the right treatment for him. He will thank you for it someday, believe me.

Quote

efter seeing what a change with my oldest son, I have the opinion "don't knock a drug until it is tried" as how people react can be 360 different experience from person to person. my son is more awake now and I love having him back how he was when he was 10 years.. it is not the solution for my youngest kid, but if there was something for him. hell I am all for trying it.. working in the medical industry we have come along way from the dark ages of medications to mental illness. please take a chance so you don't have regrets later..

Quote

Different medicines have different results in different individuals. Sometimes, the use of learning tools and focusing aids can make a difference that is non-invasive.

For more information about such learning tools, please visit www.readingfocuscard.com.

Quote