What are your thoughts/experiences with medication for ADHD?
490685
Be sure you are dealing with ADHD and not other issues ADHD can be diagnosed when its depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) , Allergies etc. Work closely with your Doctor and don't think of the Meds being a cure all its therapy and work. Get a second opinion and if your not satisfied keep looking and if you need to get 20 opinions you might just find that # 21 is right.
852644
I AGREE WITH YOU TOTALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\nthey shouldnt be putting little kids on meds just cause there hyper! i have adhd too but im 13 and actually do need help for it cause i cant pass junior high without it cause im too hyper and cant focus on anything but i heard about moms wanting to put there 3 year olds on meds of adhd and thats just wrong! i think little kids are supposed to be happy and hyper or else there not normal the only reason i would be ok with them putting a kid under ummm probably 4 th grade on meds for that is if the kid is so out of control that there a danger to themself or others cause they dont think at all about whats dangerous thats like the only reason to put a kid under 4th grade or 5th grade on meds. wow im soo happy theres more people then just me that think this. thankyou maybe some parents with little kids will read this and take your advice. :)
1137506
I don't personally have ADHD, but my little brother and several other people in my family have it. I have seen that no, it does not affect people very much when it comes to their lives. My brother goes to school and is constantly running around, bouncing off the walls (since ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). The most problems I've seen with ADHD are disciplinary. ADHD makes you think faster than normal, and some people cannot always make the best judgement when it comes to getting into trouble or staying out of it. There are several medicines for ADHD, but alot of them have side effects of every kind. My brother was on a generic medicice for Ridilin and it caused him to get into more trouble. He'd fight alot more and didn't seem to care what happened to him. He is now 12 and has been on several different types of medication since he was 10. I'm not saying that meds are the only way to help someone with ADHD, but it's the easiest way, and more adaptable to any type of lifestyle, which makes it easier for someone to live a normal life.\n\nI hope this helped. Sorry I babbled on!
772079
I am older and can look back and see it in people I grew up with. I have ADD and believe an aunt of mine has it too. She is in her 80's. It has nothing to do with discipline. It is all brain chemistry. I am beginning to think that crack babies might just inherit it from their parents. To use crack, it would take a compulsive type person that is not quite right. The most maddening symptom for me has been my mind racing. I would think of a million things at once. Any antidepressant or Strattera helps with ADHD.
297869
I totally resent this question! ADD and ADHD destroys peoples lives! I am a sufferer and without my  medication I would be out of control! My brother has ADHD and because of this he has not a single friend! His life is ruined! without his medicane he would be destoroyed! And he's only 9! I'm only 13 too for petes sake!  And don't call it speed! These medicanes are legal cause people like you ruin it by taking it for your own amusement! Beside you know perfectly well why Marijuana isn't legal! My Dad smokes and its worst enough! Would you like to lose someone to something 50 billions times worser than that? This question upsets me very much! Your making a resourcfull helpfull medicane into an amusing drug that could be taken away to people who really need it!
498832
There is some growing research that suggests that there is a link between serotonin and ADHD.  Wellbutrin does increase available serotonin levels, so I guess it can be used to treat ADHD.\nThis study found that there is a "clinically and statistically significant effect of bupropion in improving ADHD in adults."\nhttp://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/158/2/282?maxtoshow=&HITS=&hits=&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=bupropion+ADHD&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
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.
959026
Caffeine is a stimulant, just like many ADHD meds.  I don't know about Concerta specifically, but Ritalin is actually a chemical derivative of caffeine.\n\nThe reason that stimulants help ADHD is that they increase the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the brain.  Epinephrine you might have heard of - it's also known as adrenaline.  Anyway, these two neurotransmitters are invovled in alertness and focus.  Higher levels help you focus better (ADHD or not).  Caffeine helps everyone focus, regardless of whether they have ADHD.  For that matter, so do the prescription stimulants used to treat ADHD.\n\nThere's nothing "metabolically different" about kids with ADHD, and caffiene is not having the "opposite effect" as it does on most people.  Caffiene improves focus and concentration for EVERYONE.  It's not acting as a sedative in people with ADHD, it's acting as a stimulant.  Stimulants increase the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine, which allow you to focus, and also improve impulse control.  It's the improved impulse control that lets you seem less "hyper."  For people who don't have any problem with impulse control to begin with, having more energy makes them more active, or "hyper," but it's not the same "hyper" as what's associated with ADHD.  The hyperactivity part of ADHD is more to do with a lack of impulse control than an excess of energy.  Stimulants fix that lack of impulse activity by increasing frontal lobe activity.  They do the same for people who don't have ADHD, but it doesn't produce a noticable change in behavior because they weren't deficient in it to begin with.
943868
finish the trial medications...  it often takes awhile before medications start to work, and different individuals repsond differently to different meds...\n\ni take the "he" in your question has ADHD, are you supplementing the meds with other supports?  all the research shows some form of behavior modification along with meds produces the best results...  if you haven't already, please ask you doc about getting some assistance with that...
372756
Ritalin.\nYes, it's a stimulant.  It is perscribed for ADD and/or ADHD. It's a narcotic perscription drug and is known to be highly addictive. I have lots of problems with it personally... too numerous to name at this point in time.  I don't like the stuff and I'd never give it to a child or an adult.
757314
ive been on several different ones.\nthey were never really like crack cocaine, although when i got off of them i started self medicating with other prescription drugs. \n\ni believe they are too quick to write the prescription before actually looking into the problem. as with all the kids with attention defecit disorder now. that is something else that is overly diagnosed. i wish they would realize that some prozac or celexa or ritalin or adderal isnt going to completely fix someones life.
245154
I also have ADD.  I was told when I was 7.  I have been on medication ever since.  I am now 24. \n\nI also just graduated with a dergee in special education.  \n\nIf you have any questions or just want to talk feel free to email me at teddybear_1829@yahoo.com
343522
Be careful with the meds. There are non-drug alternatives for ADD/ADHD treatment. One I have heard great things about is biofeedback, sometimes referred to as neurofeedback. Try a Google or Yahoo search on the those 2 words.
1073480
People who don't "believe in" ADHD have never lived with it - either by having it, or loving someone who has it.  Even when you think you understand it, it is still very frustrating.  \n\nMy son showed early signs when he was in preschool, which we didn't pick up on until his kindergarten teacher expressed her concern about him.  We spoke to our pediatrician, who recommended a psychologist.  The psychologist met with us, and communicated with his teacher about her observations.  Even after the initial diagnosis, we were still skeptical.  The doctors prescribed a low dose of medication, which we gave him, but we didn't tell his teacher.  We wanted to see if she would notice a difference on her own.  A few weeks later we had a conference with her and she couldn't stop telling us how happy she was for our son.  (On the 2nd or 3rd day at school after starting the medication, she was praising him for something & he mentioned taking a pill that morning.)  We verified that he was taking medication and she said that his days were 100% better. L\n\nLooking back on his life, this diagnosis makes a lot of other things make sense...like when he had an operation & they gave him medication that was supposed to mellow him out & it did just the opposite...and why drinking Mountain Dew calmed him down instead of making him go crazy.\n\nSure, there are those out there who have behavior problems that use being "hyper" as an excuse for not functioning well in society.  But people who are properly diagnosed do have a very REAL condition that can be treated with whatever method works best for them (medication, dietary, etc.)
256587
Please do not listen to martinamagrace.   ADD/ADHD is not an imaginary disorder.\n\nyes there are side effects to medication.  the effects on people are different as no one is the same. \n\n\nThe syndrome Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) defies a concrete definition. There are no blood tests, brain scans, or psychological tests that definitively diagnose it.  Not all Attention Deficit Disorders display the same exact symptoms.  There are many combinations of cognitive and behavioral problems that may exist.  Symptoms of this syndrome may include: Poor impulse control and internal self-monitoring, attention inconsistencies, chronic procrastination, the need for instant gratification, poor organizational skills, hyperactivity and hypoactivity, poor peer relationships, poor concept of time, and the need for highly stimulating activities.\n\nEven though the syndrome Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) defies a concrete definition, children should not be left to flounder with their difficulties when there are treatments available that will help.  Failure to treat ADHD carries significant risks whose lifelong consequences are well known: Failure to get an education, poor self esteem, substance abuse, and antisocial behaviors that become habitual and can contribute to failure at life. \n\n ADD/ADHD is not an imaginary disorder.  It is a chronic developmental disorder which is genetically based.  It is not a learning disability, but can co?exist with learning disabilities in approximately 25 to 33 percent of those diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.  There are studies that have found that stimulants are the single most effective way to treat this disorder.\n\n People are understandably squeamish about ADD/ADHD and medicating children who are otherwise healthy.  When the public deals with issues concerning children, they don’t want to believe that ADD/ADHD is a real problem that requires medication because it is often treated with Ritalin which is a controlled substance.  Unfortunately, there is no type of medication that will cure ADD/ADHD.  The use of medication to treat it, however,  is very controversial.  \n\nPeople seem to be worried that children will abuse the medication or that the drug will make them lethargic which is a major misconception about Ritalin.  Ritalin is stimulant which increases brain activity, enabling those with ADD/ADHD to control impulsively, regulate behavior, screen out extraneous stimuli, and increase attention span.  This may appear to calm the ADD/ADHD person while over?stimulating those who do not have this disorder.  Most people who need medication, that is with abnormal brain function, do not abuse it; however, the potential for abuse is always there.  \n\nCollege students cramming for an exam and professionals preparing for a presentation are turning to Ritalin.  They obtain Ritalin by telling doctors that they are having problems paying attention.  This kind of abuse is dangerous.  Ritalin affects a normal brain differently, and it can make you sick.  For the person with normal brain function, there are many potential side effects including elevated blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, agitation, headaches, and insomnia.\n\nAnyone who watches the news knows that more and more people are being treated with Ritalin and other stimulants, and the treatment rates vary widely from one community to the next.  Many people come to the conclusion that doctors are simply drugging healthy children into submission.  Skepticism is justified.  Consumers can be led to think they’re sick when they are not.  Ads may encourage them to blame poor discipline or lack of accomplishment on a disease, perhaps even consider getting disability compensation.\n\nThough most research supports the belief that ADD/ADHD is a brain-based disorder, more specific and detailed criteria needs to be established to diagnose someone with this dis
514791
Make sure to find out what it is.  In NH 1 out of 4 students are medicated and don't need it.  You say it is not ADHD, do you know what it is.  research more in to it.  worst come worst.  Take your kid for walks before school.  Teach him responsibility.  Get him a puppy.  tell him to walk it and brush it be for school ever day.  A puppy has the energy to keep up with a five year old.\nYour right with choosing medication free.  Your son can't get in the army if you are on Ritalin be for the age of 12.  They are also now finding the cause depression that can lead to suicide.  My brother is on some thing now, do your research.
685091
Get a doctor to prescribe the medicine they give to people with Attention Deficit Disorder.  You will also do better on your tests/exams if you take it before them too.