My son has ADHD his Dad refuses to allow him medication for school.  Will my son make it without the meds?
479822
ADHD is a medical condition. Medication controls the SYMPTOMS of this disorder but it doesn't cure it. Some kids, like the one in my class with ADHD right now, actually do worse on the meds and have to be taken off. Then there are side effects. For other kids, medication has helped tremendously and worked well. The kind, dosage, and timing of the medication must be experimented and adjusted.\n\nWhatever you decide to do, medication SHOULD NOT be the only, or indeed the primary, means of intervention. You say he is not focused or organized. It is imperative that you find someone to help you teach your son skills and stratgies to help him cope with these challenges. You have the right as a parent to request special services for your son. That is, to ask under special education law or the American with Disabilities Act to have accomadations made for your son in the classroom.\n\nWhat kind of doctor diagnosed and prescribed medication? Hopefully you have the resources to take your son to a doctor who specializes in ADHD and related conditions. Other conditions mimic ADHD but do not respond to medication because they aren't the same medical disorder.\n\nYou may also desire to have your son tested for food allergens or sensitvities and monitor him for sleep disturbances. Also, increase the amount of physcial activity that he gets each day and limit the amount of computer games, video games, and television programs to less than 30 minutes a day. None of these things actually causes ADHD but in my opinion they may worsen the effects. \n\n\nTo sum up: it is not always necessary nor desirable to treat ADHD with medication though sometimes it is very useful. But medication should ALWAYS be paired with other interventions and therapy to work with the child.\n\nGood luck!
438135
get a 2nd opinion on the ADHD, it seams to be a lot of bull to me. doent matter how hyperactive or how little attentive someone may be, they concentrate on something. what ever that is can be used as a building block, i havent seen any of that stuff work. the meds just slow down brain function which is ultimatly bad for the entire body.
57923
acually Nick more kids get ADD everyday. There was this boy i know he was 8 when he got treated for it now he takes pills because he became out of control. (sorry to disagree)
205118
First of all, if your son's ADHD is not already being treated, consider getting him some treatment.  No matter what kind of school he goes to, he will find it hard to concentrate and therefore succeed.\n\nSecondly, people with ADHD can do many kinds of things.  Find out what your son's interests are as far as his future, and then find a program that fits those interests.  A local community college might be a good place to start.  Many people with ADHD go on into successful futures.  If your son didn't have ADHD, I suspect you'd be encouraging him to pursue something that interested him.  Why not do the same thing for him now, then?  I like the idea of checking with the office for disabled students.  They have special advisors that can help your son.\n\nI hope you and your son have a lot of success.
266839
I took my son's adderal and welbutrin.....and as a result I took my son off of it..       It messed  me   up...and I decided right then and there I didn't want my Child taking that  stuff....   Plus it caused him to have Heart Palpitations" and "anxiety" attacks..    He wasn't ADD  he was just High spirited and needed extra supervision........    that was when he was 5 now he is 13 and is still a handful   but    he is a good kid  with good morals. and I  am so glad I got him off his meds.   He doesn't even remember half his child hood.  You know I hope that the schools get more money for every kid they have that is diagnosed with Adhd or ADD.   Think about it and think about your Kid.
286370
I am not sure of this 100%. But you can take a look for yourself.\n\nI suffer from ADD. I have been on pills, but would rather just deal with it. Good Luck to your son.
459754
My son has Tourettes OCD and ADHD.  He is only 11 and is on Clonodine.  I am wondering if eventually it will not work for him anymore.\n\nI am curious what your neurologist has to say.  I have heard that it takes trial and error and sometimes years to find what works best.  It may be possible for your child to function OK without any medicine.  It will just take time to adjust to the tics and incorporate them into daily living. \n\nBlessings to you.  If you want to, please feel free to contact me through this site to discuss further.
418980
it is not just your son who needs to be seen through this\ncrisis, the whole family suffers .I have experience with my boy and adhd.\n\nin one way as he is only 14yrs old you still are in time to seek help\n\ni received so much support from a website  the link is below that i would recommend this to anyone in your circumstances.\nThere is a Dr who gives free medical advice, and loads of people to offer you the advice and support ,that you so clearly need.
1065221
It's not just you - I happen to agree also. When my son was in first grade the school started in on me to have him diagnosed as ADHD & "suggested" medication - turned out the child had a severe vision problem that normal screening didn't catch & he could not see! I stuck to my guns & told them no drugs, & no, he didn't have a behavior disorder - & I was right! \nEverybody wants a "quick fix" as you said - from everything to making kids behave to losing weight. Take these pills & you'll feel/look/act all better!! It's like Jack & the Magic Beans!! lol And it doesn't always work.\nKids receive little to no discipline at home, the teachers are so busy trying to keep their classrooms disciplined that they can't teach so they learn very little & with TV being the best babysitter on the planet, children don't develop attention spans anymore. They can't sit still & pay attention because no one taught them how to do that. Parents have got to start teaching their children self-discipline at home!!\nOkay, I'll get down off my soapbox now - but yes, ADHD is too widely used as a diagnosis to cover a whole host of ills these days. \nAll I can say is do what you can with your own children & hope other parents will begin to do the same with theirs.
607714
yes... But PLEASE PLEASE be careful when giving him Ritalin... or other ADHD meds...  There are non-drugs you can get from the health food store to help calm them so they can do better at home, school, or where ever.\n\nThere was a boy, age 7 when he started taking Ritalin.  When he was 14, he collapsed and died of heart failure, determined to be caused by taking the Ritalin for too long!!   PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!  There are alternatives to prescription drugs for this!!!
832827
Those previous answers were inadequate.  If you think the antidepressants are helping, then keep taking them.  If you do have to take them the rest of your life, then so what?  I am sure you would rather have energy and willpower to deal with your son than just give up.  A lot of people take these meds to stay "normal", and if you have to also, then so be it.  Your son needs you to feel like yourself, and so do you.  I say congrats for trying and thinking of him instead of just thinking about yourself.
1052120
My oldest daughter was the same way. I even came up with a plan where she took a sheet to school with her, and when she had homework or classwork, she had to write it down on this paper, and her teachers had to initial it so that EVERYONE knew what was expected out of them. We also stuck to a ROUTINE. Every day was just like the day before it, and we had to stick by that. She didn't do well at sleepovers, or anything that was out of the 'norm'. Bedtime was the same even on weekends, and we got up at the same time, even on weekends, too. We stayed away from caffeine, refined sugar, and food dyes. And she took St. Johns's Wort. You might ask your doc before you give your child any, but it helped Shealy calm herself down and sleep at night. Good luck...I know what you must be going through. The doc's seem to think Ritalin and Adderall is the cure-all, but you  if can deal with the energy levels, just let him play sports, or swim, or take up track. Anything to let off some of that steam in a positive way!  Long ago, my daughter was punished for her behavior before it was understood as well as it is now. She had one teacher who was so full of love, and she understood Shealy's needs and worked with her. Her assessement of my daughter was this: "She's not bad, she's BUSY!" God love Miss Eloise. She set the tone for how I handled Shealy from then on!!
763026
My 16-year-old is on Concerta and my husband is on Stratera.\n\nThat doesn't really answer your question, but I read the answer about not breaking your daughter's spirit. I know there's a lot of controversy about ADD, and I don't want to get into all of that.  But my husband wasn't diagnosed until a couple of years ago, while he was working on his master's degree.  Since I don't suffer from it, I don't understand it and didn't think it was that big of a deal.  But my husband went from struggling to making straight A's. He told me how amazing it was for him to actually start something and then finish it without being upset with himself for needing to go a million different directions.\n\nSo, basically I just wanted to say good for you, for caring about your daughter and looking for the right thing to do for her.
660583
I am 38 and probably the same age as your mom. In our days we never had the label of ADD or ADHD so we just did the best we could. And we did fine or so we thought. several years later they diagnosed the problem as ADD and ADHD. Sometimes it is hard for someone our age to realize that it is a problem and that something can be done about it. \n\nWe are also not too happy about the drugs that we are to give our kids either to help them with this problem. No parent wants there kids to have a problem or a sickness so sometimes they will ignore it thinking it will go away. Next time you go to the doctor, tell him about it and he hopefully will do something about it.
1168509
It is stressful sometimes but it is kind of a blessing. Parent might not think so but...... No one really understands a kid with ADHD. People make fun of u and everyones always nagging on you. I'm 12 also and i find it difficult at times. One good thing to do is to let him go out for allot of sports it harness energy into an activity and is also good for the body. It is also very hard to concentrate on allot of things. But on  the other hand i am a very bright person altogether. I would try to see if his school has a gifted and talented program at his school( if he is exceptionally bright). It is a class that  is for people who think outside of the box. Don't get discouraged though, it is said that people eventually grow out of it. Well i wish u the best of luck and if u need any info about it just e-mail me at blondandgifted@yahoo.com or at elmo_rox_818@yahoo.com My mom has a major in life Science and Biology. Well, good luck and God Bless!!
823343
I had this exact same problem in 7th grade.  Before the year was over I just stopped going to school and starting homeschooling.  Your are way ahead of me, though.  It took me years to get up the courage to go to the doctor to get on some medication.  I've been on meds for a couple years now and I still think about returning to high school for my senior year.... but I just don't think I could handle it.  Go back to the doctor and have him check your dosage, it took awhile to get mine correct.  Maybe you just need a touch more medication every day to help.  This probably did help much, but I just wanted to let you know that you are far from the only one out there having this problem. : )
545469
It's always a difficult decision to make when faced with ADD and medication.  I try to look at it from a quality of life perspective.  Does you son receive a lot of negative input from his ADD behavior?  IF he does then it might be worth it to do a trial on an ADD medication like time released Aderall.  You can stop at any time.  The drug will be completely out of his system in a day.   You want to give him just enough medication to for him to think before he acts not to be "doped up."   For kids who really need the medication, I've seen it change lives.  Lots of lives.  If he doesn't need the medication it won't change his behavior or ability to focus.\n\nThere really are no effective alternative medications.  Talk to your Doctor and consider the quality of life he currently experiences with out medication.  Good luck! =)