Our 12 yr old Adhd son began grade 7, in Sept and is doing really well. As a matter of fact I’ve sent him to school at least once a week without meds. He’s presently taking 36mg of Concerta. We’ve noticed a positive change in maturity over the summer, gradual nothing major, but improving none the less. Maybe its a gradual dose of hormones which are helping with majurity issues. He certainly does not want to stand out anymore, and is very conscious of embarrasssing himself. In past Septembers, He always had his hand up, monopolizes conversations etc…,but his new teachers say this is not happening.
The problem is that he still is very forgetful, disorganized, takes forever to get assignments done, sometimes homework etc. Concerta is not for him- no appetite, can’t sleep, increased anxiety etc… We live in a small place and our Ped moved away. Our Ped felt our son was high functioning with some anxieties, and obessive tendencies, but since they were not interfering with his life to just play them down.We saw a new ped yesterday who is about the only other one in our area with extensive adhd experience. Our son never takes meds during the summer or w/e, because as he’s matured he is not disrupting family life like he did when he was younger. Also I don’t like the fact that he does not sleep or eat when on meds. This new ped thinks our son should be on Adderall xR, 7 days a week. He said our son is anxious, and sensitive and has low self esteem. And that I am not doing him a favour by only giving him meds a few times a week. He feels side effects can happen because meds are not consistently given . I AM SO CONFUSED!!!!! How can two peds be so different???? I am not comfortable with meds to begin with and like everyone else WISH my child didn’t have to take them. But am I doing my child a dis-service by not giving him meds 7 days a week??????Also what have other peoples experience been on Adderall xr ?????
Re: Very Confused- HELP!!!!
Ive been on both sides of the fence myself with weekends and vacations.
Strattera was nice as it takes away that option-you MUST give it daily. If your child misses 3 days in a row, you need to go back and “ramp up” again. So you dont HAVE to make that difficult decision
However, for my 7th grader, it didnt control the impulsivity as well as the AdderallXR and we are back on that
We are on a slightly lower dose than last time and it isnt disrupting his sleep as much
It really is a painstaking series of finetuning attempts and there doesnt seem to be another way
My son never had the behavior issues-just space cadet ones-but as guest mentioned, the behaviors change even though the root cause doesnt. By the teen years, even the most ADHD kids have stopped running across desktops but that doesnt mean they dont talk excessively, tap their pencils, use the restroom 3 times an hour, etc
Also, for my son impulsivity shows in his classwork. Off meds he is quick to circle the first answer without bothering to read the rest. On meds…much better. He tends to overfeed his fish and once cut his hair(hacked would be a better word) These too are lack of impulse control in a less hyperactive ‘maturing’ sense
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The problem is that he still is very forgetful, disorganized, takes forever to get assignments done, sometimes homework etc.[/quote]
As children with ADHD enter adolescence, many of their symptoms go “underground.” Overt hyperactivity and impulsiveness tends to be replaced by more internal impulsivity and, of course, the organizational issues and problems with producing work. Recent research suggests that, for the majority of people, ADHD is a lifelong condition and does not go away in adolescence as was previously thought. Your son might well benefit from medication, if one can be found that is both effective and has tolerable side effects. You might wish to ask your doctor about Strattera, which is a non-stimulant. In addition, even if you son had problems with Concerta, it does not mean that he will have similar problems with Adderall XR. People respond to medications in very individualized ways. Approximately 70% of children with ADHD will respond favorably to stimulant medication, although WHICH stimulant will be the one that works may be a matter of trial and error. I’m afraid I don’t know the statistics on response to Strattera. I do know that it has side effects similar to stimulants, although that again will vary from person to person. With Strattera you must take the medication every day. It builds up in the system slowly and becomes more effective over time. Doctors differ on whether stimulants should be given every day. Some feel that it is important to do so when the ADHD is affecting the child at home and at school. We do not give our child his stimulant medication on weekends unless he needs it for homework. We do give it to him on weekdays over the summer, even though there is no school work, because our dr. told us that he might have to be weaned back on to the medication if he stopped taking it for an extended period. It was true for us that the side effects decreased over time. but I know that isn’t true for every child.