Seeking Moms Who Have Children with ADHD

I have a son who was diagnosed with ADHD when he was small. With the help of Ridalin and counceling we made it. He is now 27, happily married with 2 children of his own. My best advice is read as much about it as possible. Do not give him more resonsiblity than he can handle. If possible seek professional counciling that deals with these type of kids is really is helpful.

Good luck,
D. S

I am not a mom of adhd but my neice who I took care of and lived with through the process had it bad... We went through many different herbal and prescription medications. We found no matter which route we went they still had to be altered or changed as she grew. The best thing is to watch them closely and get familiar with how they act and if the change is dramatic or not. We found that when she was young she responded best to the generic ritalin. For some reason the real ritalin had more stomach related side effects. We had her also having the larger dose when at school and less when she was home. That way she could focus in school and still be able to let loose a little more at home where we could deal with her,. However when she got older she needed longer control and switched to concerta which she is now almost 20 years old has a full time job and is a student in college doing well. If you can find something that works it's well worth it in the end... Some children also outgrow this I hear she unfortunatley did not. but it does happen. If you have any questions about what all we tried and how it worked feel free to contact me directly. We tried I think just about everything out there at that time...good luck

Hi S.,

My oldest daughter, who will be 7 this month, began taking meds this year. We have tried several and have finally found the one that works for her. One made her sick, one made her agressive and this one works well. The teachers notice when I forget to give it to her without me saying a word. I do tend to think that ADHD is overdiagnosed and overmedicated, but for some kids meds are the answer. My daughter has friends this year, which is just one of the bonuses of her being in control of herself. It's been a rough 7 years, but I think we are getting there and she is doing wonderfully in school.

I don't know what specific questions you have but you can send me a message and I will try to be helpful. :)

C.

In a recent magazine from my company, I read an informative study about the effects of a natural nutrient called pycnogenol and how it reduced ADHD symptoms without side effects! I would be happy to e-mail you a copy of the article if you are interested in seeing how to manage your son in a natural way...

S.
____@____.com

I have a 13 year old 7th grader with ADHD. He's been on Concerta (he out grew the med) and he's now on adderall xr. He's been on that off and on for a year. I tried to stop the med which worked fine for a few months but he then hit a growth spurt and was having a horrible time with every day tasks in school. He's been back on it for about 2 weeks and is again doing great. I agree that ADHD is over diagnosed but in many cases the meds are a huge help. I said for years that I'd never medicate my son for it but he just couldn't stay on task once he got to 5th grade and he had to be more organized with switching classes. I feel that we have to do what we have to do to help our kids thrive in school and life and if medication is the answer then you should definately do it. He has had no side effects from either of the medications he's been on. Make sure you work closely with your doctor and your sons teachers if you're considering medication. Good luck!

I also have a child with ADHD. He is 9 and has been on Concerta for about 3 years. They keep upping the dose. I want to get him off the medicine because of the side effects, tummy aches and more anxiety for him. I heard of a natural alternative to medicine that have seen great results with ADD, and ADHD, its called NAET. We started it and stopped but were going to go back to it. It's a drug free cure to these disorders. They have a web site www.naet.com Good luck T. E

Hi S.,
I have a 11 year old that struggles with adhd symptoms. It took some experimenting and a holistic doctor to help her. She reacts to processed food like sugar and white flour and her body burns vitamin B's like crazy. I think you have received some great advice. I would just like to encourage you to keep searching until you find what your son needs. ADHD is a list of symptoms that can have various causes. Fixing the cause is well worth it. I know. FYI Sometimes it take the body a bit of time to readjust to big chemical changes like diet changes, ect. It took my daughter 6 months to fully see the results of our efforts. Don't get discouraged! Kudos on all your hard work.

I have 2 boys that are ADHD. The oldest is 11 and started out on ritlin at age 4. When he turned 5 he was put on concerta that worked for him until just recently. He is in the 6th grad and was changed to Strattera. Right now they are trying to find the right dose for him as he is still having break through systems of the ADHD. We will get it right. Just remember that each child is different. Like my now 9 year old son he was put on the Adderal xr at age 5 then just this past year he got a tic and was picking at his nose so bad that he would have really bad nose bleeds. My youngest son also has bipolar and social phioba as well. He is on medications to help with them disorders as well. Another group that might help is http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ADHD-ODD-CD. There are parents there that have dealt with this longer then I have. They can give you lots of ideas and other helpful hints in dealing with the ADHD and teachers that don't want to work with your child with out medications as some time in his school caree you will run in to them. I hope this helps some for you.

Hi S.,
I had a doctor try to tell me that my now 15 y.o. had ADHD when he was only 3 and wanted to put him on Ritalin. i told him he was nuts.
I had my boy tested again when he was around 10 and the doc said yep, he has has it, its mild, it can be managed with medication.
So we tried Riatlin, we hated it. My son was a zombie. So I took him off of it. We tried Concerta about two years ago, it worked ok. It made him tired and he didn't eat.
My husband suggested sports. Got my son into Cross Country and took him off the medication, he did just fine. So long as the boy runs 2-4 miles every other day he has no problems. And our family doctor had no problem with this. I'm not saying sports cured him, but it has helped get rid of the excess energy so that he can focus. He's still my kid.

If you think your child has ADHD have him/her tested by two different doctors. Try a change in diet, use medication as the last resort. We are so eager in this culture to push meds and wonder why we can't cope with the slightest problems. Now some kids really do need meds and it helps them.
Try google or webmd.
Good luck
God Bless
W.

My Dad and I along with my daughtere have ADHD. I choose to treat with the natural treatment. WE take a tsp of Cod liver oil daily(they have flavors) and we go to the chiropractor bi-weekly. This website will give you alot of info on different treatments www.methylphenidate.net
People with ADHD need routine same thing everyday to help them cope. Go to the Library their is many books, one being called THe Omega 3 connection which helps with understanding what the brain needs.
Good LUck

S.,
My daughter is now 8 and was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 5. We struggled with whether or not we should medicate and finally decided to do so. She took Adderall XR which did help her but we felt that she lost her "personality" as well. We took her off of it over the summer and decided to see how it went without it. So far, she is doing well overall in school this year. However, we are keeping a close eye and are not opposed to re-starting medication if needed.

Here is what I will tell you. Unfortuantely, much as I love her pediatrician, we were given two choices... medicate or don't medicate. There was never any suggestion of alternative methods instead of or in addition to medication. So, I ended up doing a lot of research independantly to see what other modifications we should make as well. We have done several things that have worked. We do a lot of positive reinforcement as before we were doing a lot of negative reinforcemnet by yelling and getting frustrated with her when she would act out or get distracted which was causing more bad behavior (in my opinion).

When she is doing something well, even if it is as simple as sitting quietly looking at something or not arguing with her brother, I will say, "wow, you sure are being a good girl, thank you". When she does the simplest thing like gives me an answer to one math problem, I will be like, "oh my gosh, you rock! awesome job pal!" She thinks it is funny that I make such a big deal but she really likes it and it keeps her motivated and on task.

Another thing we have learned is to keep as much routine as possible. This is critical for kids (and adults) with AD(H)D. We do homework at the same time (as much as possible) every day. We do it after dinner so she is not distracted by hunger and one of us sits with her for the most part. There is often some type of reward waiting such as playing Webkinz or calling a friend. If it is a really tough assignment and I can see she is starting to lose focus I will let her take a break. We learned that the hard way after spending hours of trying to get her to focus when she just couldn't. The reward waits though until the assignment is totally complete.

On school days, I don't allow sugary stuff for breakfast or lunch. I try to give her protein and fruits and veggies instead. Although she does of course eat the occasional birthday cupcake etc. in school. I don't restrict that.

If I were you, I would go to the library and find a book that appealed to you and gave some suggestions about behavior modifications that you can use with or without medication. It is a lot of work to do these interventions but in the end it is worth it.

Also, there is a network called CHADD which is an excellent reource for familes and people who have AD(H)D.

Good luck and please feel free to e-amil if you have further questions. I certainly don't have all the answers but I will be happy to share anything I know.
M.

Go to bodyecology.com or corganic.com. They specialize in autism, add, adhd. Just get educated before you start drugging your kids.

J.

my son is nine and he should be on meds but i just can not bring myself to put him on it. but if i did he would go on adderall only because it does not stay with him all day. i want him to focus in class but not be gone the rest of the day. plus my son has a good teacher that knows how to deal with his adhd.

We tried Aderall (sp?) and it turns out that when we changed our son's (4) diet to Dairy Free/Wheat Free/Gluten Free we had the same if not better results than with the meds. We don't have the "let down" as the meds were wearing off.
Good luck!

I have a 9 year old with ADHD. I have tried various medications since he was diagnosed at 6. THe one that has worked the best so far has been Medidate CD. However I will tell you that every child is different so it really depends on the severity. DIet also helps. He gets eggs every morning for breakfast during school days and no sugar. No red dyes and I am trying to keep carbs lower because they turn to sugar too. From what I hear, lots of green veggies are supposed to help too.
L.

I have a nine y.o with adhd and odd. He was on adderall but had a hard time with taking pills. Now he is on a patch called daytrana. It seems to work best for him, he gets to take it off at 5 and all the meds are out of his system up to 3 hours afterwards. The best thing I see about it is that on the weekends your child can wear it half the time. So if you feel like you don't want him on meds during a vacation it's welcomed with this medication.

HI S...

I wanted to respond to your ADHD question....

You can easily avoid medication with a good purified , toxin free source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids....there is a lot of proven research and information re the benefits of this for ADHD and other many related topics... and because it is something our body does not make,,, we need to rely on the environment and it is one of the biggest deficiencies in all of us.. so it will benefit you and your kids in many ways.. unlike medications which are going to have a negative side effect of some sort , maybe many!
I can help you with the source and provide the research if you would like..
Shelley

Hi S.!
have you tried a change in their diets?? a lot of child respond to artificial flavorings/colourings. or have a lack of EFAs in their diet and need fish oils. kept them away from really sugary foods?

Good luck!! I hope it all works out!

I adopted 3 children with ADHD. All the meds work different for each child. You just have to try a med and see if it works on your child. It may take a while to determine if it is the right med for your child.
Good luck!
C.

Try doing a search on the internet for ATTEND. It is an ALL NATURAL ADHD remedy. My co-worker put her 14 yr old son on it and within a day his teachers were telling her about the HUGE difference in his attitude, concentration, etc. I also know that Vim & Vigor on Van Dyke just north of 23 Mile road sells it but when the stock it, it goes fast! Try it. Good luck!

I have 3 children (5, 11 and 17) who have ADHD to varing degrees, accompanied by other issues. The youngest is currently not taking anything (don't know when he will be). My oldest tried Concerta and Wellbutrin. The both worked for him but he didn't like how it made him feel. My middle child has been taking concerta for some time. It has been wonderful for her. She is able to focus and keep her emotions in control. She didn't have any of the side effects my oldest did. We also discussed Aderall with our doctor but never tried it (a friend did and it didn't work for her child). Let me know if you need anything more specifc. Good luck!

I have a 16 year old who has ADHD since 4 or 5. He is also blind and was diagnosed bipolar when he was 9. They first put him on Ritalin which I wish they never had done. That is what brought on early onset bipolar disorder. He has been on Straterra now for 6 or 7 years and is doing much better in school and at home. In addition to medication, you also have to do behavior modification. It has been tough but we have both survived. hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

My youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD in 4th grade (age 10). We started out with him on Adderal, but he had absolutely NO appetite. (He was already thin, and would not eat until late into the evening.) We then tried going to a non-amphetimine (Strattera), but that didn't seem to do anything. We now have him on Concerta. He is now 16 years old, and I have him on the lowest dose possible because when he was on a higher dose, he seemed to have side affects like picking (he would actually pick open sores on his arms), and his hands would shake. As he has gotten older, his maturity has seemed to help some (although at a slow rate). There are good days and bad days; without his medicine, his mouth runs non-stop and he can be too impulsive; doesn't think of consequences before acting. Our previous pediatrician was very helpful in keeping on top of things. He said any dose higher than 72mg. really doesn't help anymore than what the 72mg does does. I just upped my son's dose to 36mg at the beginning of the school year. We are going to see a behavioral specialist to reevaluate his meds to see if there is anything different that might be better. (We now have a new pediatrician and thought we'd try to go to a specialist at this point since he is getting older and I would like to get this managed as well as I can before he turns 18 and has the option of Mom not being involved anymore!) I did a lot of reading on ADHD and still read anything that I happen to run across regarding it. There are a lot of different medicines to try; trick is to find the right one for your child. Many can react different on each person. Takes ALOT of patience dealing with an ADHD child! Can be very stressful at times but down deep inside they have a big heart and need all the love, support and patience you can give!

I have a daughter with ADD who is now 21 and we have tried many medications. Some of the Medications made her suicidal, depressed and even hallucinations. The medications that she had trouble with is Adderall, & Dexitrin, (sp?) were the bad medications. The ritalin made my daughter thin as a bean and she was like a zombie. But it was better than the others then we tried Concerta - she thought it did something for it, I did not see it do anything for her. In fact she got bad grades and then she turned 17 she got violent and angry (not sure if this was due to medications, but she skipped her doses. We finally took off the medications, and she is doing well, she is a handful still but the side effects arn't worth it. We tried the counseling (big joke) the 504 action plan with the schools - bigger joke - teachers don't care about that. But my daughter and her 15 month old son lives with us because she can't function 100% on her own and take care of her child with our help She hasn't been able to keep a job, for more than 3 months at a time. i have another daughter who is 14 and she has no ADD and acts like any normal teenager! I do hope you find help for your son but I gave up on the system and the counselors.
T.

My son has been on Ritalin, the patch and a few others!
He is currently on Vyannese and it has changed his life around. He is currently a straight A student and loves school. He is happier on this medication and he has told us he feels good on it. And for a parent that is priceless.
Ritalin did not work through out the day nor did the patch. Vyannese is for srtritly ADHD and is time released throughout the day. It does however interfere slightly with my sons sleep but the positives outway this side affect!
Hope this helps!

My oldest (26 years) took ritalin and concerta. It helped for a short while and then he started having his heart race and panic attacks. He has since gotten off of medication and feels much better.

Have you tried dietary changes? I've seen some people that are in my Shaklee group talk about it being related to other things such as food allergies, nutritional deficits.

SOme of the Shaklee products these kids are on are: Vita-lea, GLA, lecithin, acuity, B and soy protein. You also have to watch out for harsh detergents and chemicals in the home. An interesting fact of one woman who does a lot of research on these kids is that most moms with ADHD kids use tide and bounce.

I have a 13 y.o. ADHD. He has been on adderral xr and it makes a difference in managing his neurological SYMPTOMS.
HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It just masks his underlying symptoms. All medicated children still continue to have the neurological issues that create the symptoms. And those symptoms grow year after year.
There are many people who are RECOVERING their autistic, ADHD, Asperger's, etc. children.
I urge you to visit
WWW.GENERATIONRESCUE.ORG.
There are many success stories and great info. your doc. won't give you.
Good luck!

Hi S., I have an idea you may want to try. Before you go the medication route, you may want to try a major diet change. Food can impact children's behavior significantly. You can try by eliminating as many processed foods as you can- especially atrificial food colorings, and all artificial sweetners. You especially want to avoid MSG- or monosodium glutamate which is toxic to the brain. a good quality cod liver oil- available at the health food store is calming and helps the brain and immune system. Please check out the Weston A. Price Foundation website- it has a lot of good information. Good luck. L. M.