Confused Son Adhd???

hmcna · Apr 2, 2005

Well my child who is 10 was having few problems as far as focusing and remaining quiet during quiet time in class. Which to me seems like most kids. So his teacher recommended us filling out forms for the ADHD quiestionaire. So we both did and I took to his DR, so to make short he prescribed me Concerta. I did alot of research on all that medication for ADHD and I just can't bring myself to give it to him. I don't want my son exposed drugs. It has so many side effects, and he's not doing terribly bad at school at all. Am I a bad mom for not giving it to him? Will it really help, I was thinking of looking into natural herbal medicine instead. I am just confused looking for anyone who has been in my shoes.

Has your child been tested by any psychologists?

Has he seen a child psychiatrist?

If not.... i'd not be giving meds either.

And if i did, i'd consider trying Strattera, that seems to have the least amt of side effects..... i say this based on what i see, with kids, not the text books.

I work as a :nurse: with teens with behavior problems.

allnurses Guide · Apr 3, 2005

I would not give the medication yet either. He would need a full psychological workup and NOT with a regular doctor.

There is alot of controversy about ADHD. I'd definitely do alot more research. Seems like there was a nurse on allnurses who didn't give her child medication and tried other options and had a good outcome.

Try a search for ADHD on here.

steph

allnurses Guide · Apr 3, 2005

I remembered a great article from a few years back that should make you feel better about your son. :)

Thomas Sowell

August 23, 2001

Drugging children

The motto used to be: "Boys will be boys." Today, the motto seems to be: "Boys will be medicated."

Of nearly 20 million prescriptions written last year for drugs to treat "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder," most were for children and most of those children were boys. This is part of a growing tendency to treat boyhood as a pathological condition that requires a new three R's -- repression, re-education and Ritalin.

Some schools have gone to such extremes as banning recess, since boys tend to be boisterous at recess. Competitive sports are likewise banned or made non-competitive, sometimes by banning winning and losing. An aptly titled book, "The War Against Boys" by Christina Hoff Sommers, catalogs the amazing array of things that schools do to keep boys from being boys. . . . . . . . . . . . sex differences are created by society, and that maleness in particular needs to be changed by society, (However) a growing body of scientific evidence shows that boys and girls differ from day one, beginning in the womb, before society has had anything to do with them. . . . . .

Meanwhile, there are drug companies making well over a hundred million dollars a year each by selling drugs for "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." Knowing a good thing, they are now not only advertising these drugs to doctors and school officials, but are also trying to gain more widespread acceptance from parents by running ads aimed at mothers through such outlets as the Ladies Home Journal and 30-second TV commercials.

Yet how does "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" differ from just being bored and restless with the mindless stuff being served up in school? The question is not simply how does it differ in principle when diagnosed by high-level specialists, but how does it differ in practice when the term is applied by lower-level people in the local schools?

A large body of research shows that high-IQ students are often bored and alienated from school. These include Einstein and India's self-taught mathematical genius Ramanujan. Fortunately, there was no Ritalin around when they were children, to drug them into passivity -- and perhaps into mediocrity.

No doubt life is easier for teachers when everyone sits around quietly, not making any waves. But schools do not exist to make teaching easy. Moreover, some of the brightest youngsters have some of the strongest reactions to what they see and hear.

According to a study of gifted children by Professor Ellen Winner of Boston College: "These children have been reported to show unusually intense reactions to noise, pain, and frustration." Biographies of some famous people show the same pattern.

Einstein, for example, had tantrums until he was seven years old. In one outburst, he threw a stool at his tutor, who fled and was never seen again. According to a biography of the great pianist Arthur Rubinstein, he became fixated on his family's piano as a toddler and, whenever he was asked to leave the room where it was kept, he screamed and wept. When his father bought him a violin to play, he reacted by smashing it.

Too many parents have gone along when schools have wanted their children drugged. When some parents have objected, they have been threatened with charges of child neglect for not letting drugs be used to control their youngster's behavior.

Belatedly, in response to many revelations of the widespread use of Ritalin and other drugs in schools, some states have begun to pass laws restricting what school personnel and social workers can push parents to do. A new law in Connecticut will limit such medical advice to doctors. It's about time. That common sense restriction should be nationwide. Schools have too many busybodies posing as "experts."

Fun2, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2005

My 7 year old daughter is "full of energy". The only reason I'd give in to giving her medicine for it would be if her grades were compromised.

(Of course she hasn't been tested, nor have I received a reason to have her tested from her teachers.)

Why bottle up the energy we all pray to have? lol

leslie :-D · Apr 3, 2005

i agree w/the other posters.

get your son a work-up with a psychologist that specializes with add/adhd.

my dtr was dx'd when she was 4 yo (full work-up) and i've had her on and off meds, more often off the meds.

and yes, teachers use ritalin as their babysitter.

get advice from a pro and then you can decide from there.

the meds my dtr was on did control her impulses but also she lost her vivacious personality- she was very/too spacey and it broke my heart to see her this way. yet the reason i did start her on the prescribed meds is because she was suffering academically and socially r/t her add. that's when she was younger.

yet as she matured (she's 15 now), i've been teaching her there are consequences to her actions and it's up to her to try and control her impulses; and we strategized together. i won't even tell you how many teacher conferences i've had because of teachers c/o tiff's outbursts and impulsivity.

but there is a major difference between add/adhd and just normal age-related rambunctiousness.

please, get that referral to someone who specializes in this disorder.

and much luck to you.

leslie

fishbabies · Apr 3, 2005

I would also request some testing be done first, before giving him any drugs!

We had problems with our oldest son from age 5 up till age 9 in school- (he is thirteen now), all his teachers thought he had ADHD and wanted us to put him on medication.We resisted and tried several things such as herbal,special diets, etc. anything but medication. Until finally when he was in fourth grade, they said they wanted to bring in the special ed and have him tested- it ended up that his IQ was over 135 (at 9 years old)!!! Can you imagine if we would have just relented and put him on meds because the teachers couldn't keep his attention in class? He was bored! Now that he has been in middle school the past three years and will start high school this Fall, and has such a great variety of classes and is able to switch class every hour, he is doing great!

I don't blame you one bit for resisting putting him on meds- sometimes they push way to hard for that, and it may not be ADHD after all.

(Also a strict schedule and bedtime helped us with him too.)

allnurses Guide · Apr 3, 2005

I would also request some testing be done first, before giving him any drugs!
We had problems with our oldest son from age 5 up till age 9 in school- (he is thirteen now), all his teachers thought he had ADHD and wanted us to put him on medication.We resisted and tried several things such as herbal,special diets, etc. anything but medication. Until finally when he was in fourth grade, they said they wanted to bring in the special ed and have him tested- it ended up that his IQ was over 135 (at 9 years old)!!! Can you imagine if we would have just relented and put him on meds because the teachers couldn't keep his attention in class? He was bored! Now that he has been in middle school the past three years and will start high school this Fall, and has such a great variety of classes and is able to switch class every hour, he is doing great!
I don't blame you one bit for resisting putting him on meds- sometimes they push way to hard for that, and it may not be ADHD after all.
(Also a strict schedule and bedtime helped us with him too.)

See! The article was right - afterall, like it said, Einstein threw temper tantrums!

steph

LydiaNN · Apr 3, 2005

Don't take your son to just any child psychiatrist. It is absolutely essential that he go to either a developmental pediatrician or a child psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD and developmental disorders and has a lot of experience prescribing these meds and knowing the difference betwixt a transient side effect and one that may have lasting repercussions. Many of the initial reports on Straterra are favorable, but remember there is an FDA advisory on it, and it is very new. Some parents who have chosen medication for their children (myself included) have elected to stay with ones that have been on the market longer. Sticking with the devil I know, so to speak. A good doctor will work with your child to find the proper dosage, so that symptoms are controlled without sedating or otherwise affecting your child's personality. Titration is essential. I can't tell you how many parents I have spoken to have told me their child's physician prescribed the highest standard dose without any titration at all! This not only makes it difficult to assess whether the meds might have some benefit to your child, but also makes it dangerous to just stop taking them, too. For my son, we have found that taking a fairly small amount of Adderall has taken enough of the edge off his hyperactivity and attention deficit (which was measured at less than 5 seconds pre-medication) to make the other interventions able to work (working with him on organizational skills, charting behaviors, a counseling group, fidget toys, etc). We have found that the quality of his life has improved greatly with the help of his medication. He is able to maintain friendships, not cause a disruption at school, enjoy activities that demand an ability to focus and excel academically. I do worry about the long term effects of medication. His developmental pediatrician runs liver assays twice a year, and thus far, there is no negative effect. It is a tough decision, and it may be that you decide against it. I wouldn't discard the idea just because you've heard horror stories, though. I'd just make a list of pros and cons, and consider how I could address some of the cons, and then decide what to do. Having said all that, I would advise against trying any herbal remedies without checking with the same professionals I would consult concerning medicine. Herbal doesn't necessarily equal safe, contrary to what you might read on the Internet.

allnurses Guide · Apr 3, 2005

Mercy - all good points, especially the herbal warning.

steph

DecafMom · Apr 3, 2005

I take Strattera for ADD as an adult. It has made all the difference for me in school. I am amazed at how much clearer my thought process is and how much better my focus is. I am thankful that this medicine is out there and that I'm able to take it. I feel like a completely different person. I can finish thoughts now without interrupting myself, and even my sleep is less interrupted.

My oldest son was on medication when he was earlier, but it was for anxiety. I resisted the medication for over a year and it ended up being the right choice for him. He took the medicine for a little more than a year.

I understand your hesitation, and I do feel like your child needs further evaluation. I know there are other options for treatment of ADD/ADHD that have worked well for lots of people in your same situation. They include diet changes, behavior modification, etc., but I also know that sometimes medicine does work well.

No matter what your decision, have faith in it, and know that you are doing what is best for YOUR child. Don't let anybody convince you otherwise. We're all great moms!!

live4today, RN · Apr 3, 2005

Stevielynn.........Thanks for posting that article. I'm going to share it with my daughters. Teachers are always telling two of my daughters that their sons are ADHD just because their attention span isn't what the teacher wants it to be. They make good grades, but wiggle in their seats and can't stay quiet as long as the teacher thinks they should. One of my daughters has her eight year old on Strattera. The other daughter tried the med, but like many of you, she doesn't like giving her ten year old son the medication. My middle daughter was a very hyperactive child, and also very bright all through school. I hated the idea of her being on medication, so would find alternative methods to her high energy level.

The pediatrician that I used when my girls were small recommended I give my middle daughter a teaspoon of Paragoric at bedtime just so I could get some sleep since she was known for crawling out of bed and playing with her pull toys all night long in the dark hallway of our home at that time. She wasn't even a year old then. She never slept all night the first year of her life. This same daughter is the one who has an eight year old son on Strattera.

Teachers today want robots for students.......speak on command, raise your hand when asked, walk when told to walk, sit still (stay) when told to stay.... :rolleyes: Well...kids are NOT robots, and they shouldn't be treated like they are "a bother" to have around, or to teach while at school. I agree that there are farrrrrrrrrrr too many educators wanting their students on drugs to keep them in their seats, and keep their mouths closed most of the day.