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Thread : Second Grader, may need ADHD medication  
16 Sep 2010 @ 11:28 AM
Rivers Join Date: Mon 20th Oct 2008
Threads: 4 Posts: 9
Second Grader, may need ADHD medication

I have a 7 year old son with ADHD, Tourette's, anxiety, SPD, and a sleep disorder (alphabet soup!). So, our med choices are limited. Stimulants may cause sleep to suffer, and my trigger his anxiety and tics. As of now the only medication he is on is Klonipin for sleep (and sometimes melatonin as well.)

His hyperactivity and impulsivity seem to be increasing. At the end of last year his teacher (at a school for children with ADHD and HF autism) subtly recommended we give meds a shot. I wanted to wait, because he was starting camp and didn't want side effects to hinder him, as he'd had some pretty bad experiences socially prior to camp. He'd been on Tenex to help with tics and ADHD earlier in the year, but the side effects made him tried/grumpy and not a very fun playmate.

I haven't spoken to the teachers yet, but we are about 2 weeks into the school year, and he has cried and complained about teachers being mad at him for not doing what he is supposed to. (That's the anxiety talking- very likely the teachers are not mad, but either disciplining or correcting, which is is sensitive to) At home he is like a rubber ball bouncing off of the walls and his emotions are all over the place.

I have an Rx for Straterra, but I am terrified to fill it. I think meds are needed for some just as they are needed to regulate diabetes, or other conditions, but for some reason I can't take that step and fill the Rx. I am scared of the side effects I guess. My boy is aggitated and restless at times, but he is still my boy and I have this fear that meds will change him. And I fear they will make him depressed- we have a strong family history of depression and suicidal thoughts. I'm just scared and needed to write this. I would love to talk to someone.

(As a side note I strongly suspect I am ADD (no H) and am thinking of seeking meds for myself- but don't have a fear of them... I guess because I have already tried antidepressants, and ds is still so little.)

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17 Sep 2010 @ 11:27 AM Reply # 1
adhdmomma Join Date: Fri 4th Jun 2010
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the medication decision

It is such a personal decision whether or not to choose medication for your ADHD child. You can read more about Straterra on ADDitudeMag.com here: http://www.additudemag.com/q&a/ask_the_add_medical_expert/1245.html. It is a different type of medication than the stimulants and is often prescribed for children with a tic disorder, since stimulants are known to increase tics.

The only way to know how your son will react to the medication is to try it. All medications to treat ADHD affect each individual differently.

In my own personal experience, we turned to medication for our ADHD son to help his confidence and self-esteem and to bring joy back into his life. Once we found the right medication, he was still the same kid but happier and able to achieve much closer to his true capability.

There are alternative treatments for ADHD as well. You can read a lot more about alternative treatment options here: http://www.additudemag.com/topic/adhd-treatment/non-drug-treatments.html

Hang in there!

Penny W., ADDitudemag.com & ADDConnect.com Community Moderator

ADHD Momma to Luke, age 7

creator of the Website {a mom's view of ADHD} @ http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com

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19 Sep 2010 @ 8:54 PM Reply # 2
Rivers Join Date: Mon 20th Oct 2008
Threads: 4 Posts: 9
Looks like it won't be Strattera

Thanks ADHDmomma for replying. I called the pharmacist to fill the Straterra, and remembered to ask what I forgot to ask the nuerologist- what form the med is in. Turns out as a capsule, it can not be split, and ds can not swallow pills.

I called the neuro back, and he said we could either try a Catapres patch or a Daytrana patch. Tough decision, since Catapres is so similar to Tenex, and ds did poorly on Tenex, and Daytrana is the stimulant and might mess with his Tourette's etc.

So, if anyone has any btdt advice, I'd love to hear it. After talking with family and teachers, I've come to the decision that we need to try something, it's just tough to know what to do.

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Last edited by Rivers : 19 Sep 2010 @ 8:55 PM. Reason:
28 Sep 2010 @ 12:21 AM Reply # 3
rossmom Join Date: Sat 25th Sep 2010
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additional info

I meant to tell you as well, that my son has autism and anxiety issues and thanks to the supplements that contain no sugars and no dyes and no gluten we are seeing success and are about to decrease his extremely low dose of ritalin now and completely take him off of Zoloft!

Regarding meds yourself....I can tell you what supplement I take that will help you cope as well! They are all natural and can't hurt either of you. I checked it all out with my son's doc!

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