As background, my 7 year old has ADHD and takes Ritilan for school and is taking another dose for camp. He doesn’t want it after school or on weekends. I can’t get a clear answer from him about why. In any case, we have major appetite issues - even when he’s off the meds he’s hardly ever hungry- even his sweets cravings have radically decreased. We are going for his 3 mo. check-up in a couple of weeks.
He has always been somewhat afraid of dogs and birds, but now he gets into a panic if there are any in the vicinity, even dogs on leashes. There were two dogs off leashes at the park the other day and he ran in the other direction and literally climbed up a fence. Several of his friends have dogs but he’s not able to try to get used to them (a couple happen to be jumpers, both big and small). He has had some pleasant experiences with cats and really wants one. Has anyone else had similar experiences? Thanks.’
fear of dogs
We all have our issues and fear of dogs isn’t uncommon among children. I’d want to work with that a little bit though as it’s going to be awfully inconveneient if everytime he sees a dog he climbs a fence.
do you know anyone with a wonderful dog? there are therapy dogs and an on line search might turn up an organization in your area that takes dogs to nursing homes. Those dogs don’t jump and are ultra friendly - they have to be to do their job and they could help him overcome his increasing fear of dogs.
My own son was frightened of dogs until we got one. We got an ultra friendly dog, ,very fragile and frightened from the dog pound, and nursing her back to health and comforting her turned my son into a ‘dog person’.
Cats are wonderful too and many are available for adoption. Some pet stores have older cats available for adoption and you could speak to the people as to which cat’s personality is the best for a young child.
Good luck.
reactions
It sounds like your son is experiencing side effects of the drug. He may not be able to describe them at age 7, but anxiety and low appetite are very common side effects. There may be others he can’t describe.
I strongly suggest you discuss with your physician another approach that doesn’t involve stimulants. It is pretty likely that the other stimulants (Adderall, Dexedrine, etc.) will have similar side effects.
Medication doesn’t work for everyone, even in the short term, and the side effects can be pretty significant. If you are interested in trying out strategies that don’t involve medication, there are folks here and on other sites that can help get you started. If not, please be very careful to observe the exact effects of any new medication and inform yourself of all possible side effects. You have to read about these, usually - a lot of doctors either don’t know all of the less common side effects or don’t tell you about them. I strongly advise consulting the Physician’s Desk Reference (at least) before starting any medication you are not familiar with. And talk to your pharmacist - they are generally much more informed about medication pros and cons than your average MD, IMHO.
Good luck!
fears
Thanks everyone for your responses. We very closely monitor my son’s behavior on and off the meds. Believe me, we didn’t start him on medication until after more than a year of educating ourselves and being satisfied and convinced by the different assessments he had done at school and outside, and our own observations, that this was the best course of action to take. Please note, I am not apologizing. No one makes this decision easily, and I can’t imagine there are that many cases where parents confuse high energy and activity levels with a physical inability to sit and/or attend and focus- across multiple situations. This isn’t all about making adult’s lives easier. Seeing your child suffer due to these inabilities is the impetus behind getting what is proper help for him. When we believe that the negatives are too much, or outweigh the positive effects we will stop medication. I have strong reservations about many of the other meds out there with regard to my son. It may come as soon as the next doctor’s appointment or not. I do appreciate all points of view, especially those based on experience.
Re: Child's Fears
You’d be surprised how differently each stim can work and their side effects. I don’t get it myself, they are all just stimulants, but I have seen it with my own eyes. Different brands are truely different for a lot of kids. But if it is anxiety, you are likely wasting time with this family of meds. Try non stims like anti depressents. They can also help anxiety and the depression that accompanies ADD and anxiety. Strattera, wellbutrin, paxil, prozac, zoloft, etc… Very Very nice treatments that are being used for soooo many disorders right now. Many of them have been around a long time and long term effectiveness and safety are well known.
Amy,
Stimulants can worsen anxiety in kids who take it. You should discuss this with your doctor and see what is recommended. Sometimes what is needed is a switch to a different stimulant or to a nonstimulant like Strattera.
Andrea