ADDitude Asked: Have you or your child ever taken a medication vacation? If so, how did it go?
We asked if you or your child have ever tried taking a “drug holiday,” or a brief vacation from medication. Here’s what you said.
ADDitude asked readers to share if the ADHDer in their family has ever taken a medication vacation. Here’s what they said!
We have our child take weekends off from meds. These are OK, but we definitely notice a difference in his behavior. -An ADDitude Reader
My son did a “med wash” last summer, and it was horrible. The psychiatrist said that he was the most impulsive child he had ever worked with. His medication was changed, and we saw a huge difference. -Amy, Arizona
I have gone on a med vacation, and my husband noticed that my racing thoughts and sensitivities create so much anxiety that I’m not good to be around. The joy in our home drops significantly when my anxiety and impulsivity are added to the challenges of raising a toddler and a preschooler. -An ADDitude Reader
One of my kids is fine with a medication vacation. My other child needs meds every day. He enjoys life more when he takes them. He is more loving, more interested in engaging with others, and less obsessed with computers. -Barri, Canada
I have never taken a medication vacation. Life is too good with medication. -An ADDitude Reader
My son goes off medication only for a day or a weekend. He eats a lot more then, but is more scattered and fidgety. We allow him to go off meds on occasion, but not on school days or when he has things to do. -Dean, Maine
My child has been on a medication “vacation” for three years. We never found a medication that helps his symptoms without giving him serious side effects. -Diane, Pennsylvania
No med vacay. Executive functioning skills are needed all the time, and the meltdowns without meds are not pretty. -An ADDitude Reader
