Medicating children for ADD.

[esdreturns]

My son is only 5 and having a very tough time in school (he's in K). He can't focus at all. Today was the follow-up with his pedi and he recommended a lose dose medication to help him focus. I want to do everything I can to help my son do well in school, but I can't help but think that he's so young to be put on meds. Does anyone have any experience with medicating children at this age? I'd really like to hear from people who have been there.

He's also going to be starting to see a therapist that specializes in ADD and learning disabilities (although the therapist was originally to help him deal with the divorce).

[verycontrary247]

I wasn't diagnosed or medicated for ADD until I was 16 and suddenly everything made sense. I wish I had been treated for it sooner.

I will say that 5 is pretty young to have high expectations of focusing though.

[mom2twoboys]

We started Carter at 5 years old. Best thing we did for him. Kindergarten would have been a disaster if we did not. We switched his medicine this year from adderal to metadate. He wasn't really gaining weight and now with the new medicine he is eating all the time and gaining weight.

[kris356]

Well, I will share my husband's story. My MIL refused to treat his ADHD with medication because she was crunchy before it was cool. He is super resentful of his mother and there are a ton of "what ifs". They have lukewarm at best relationship. He did terrible in school but is super smart. He decided to seek treatment in his 30s. He has a great job because he had some opportunities that he was able to make into something more. He is happy now but there was a ton of not so awesome before that and I was there for most of the ride.

So I am not saying to medicate now, but don't shut the door on something that could literally change everything in the future.

[marvine]

My DS wasn't quite that young (he was 4th grade), but it made a WORLD of difference. I, too, felt funny about putting him on meds. I tried some other things first (eliminating red food dye, adding in more protein, vitamins and other things), but at the end of that trial, he was still having issues in school, so I relented. A friend of mine told me that if he had high blood pressure, I wouldn't hesitate to put him on medicine that would help him to live a better life, and this medicine for ADHD for him was going to do be the same - help him to live a better life. I never thought of it like that and she was right. He used to ALWAYS have comment codes on his report card for "distruptive behavior", "Doesn't pay attention", "Distracts others". He hasn't had ONE of those this year! (He started last year in March, so we didn't see a ton of difference between when he started and school let out). Be an advocate for him, but know that it's okay and it will most likely help him to have a successful school career. (I felt a ton of guilt for putting my kid on meds and like people would judge. I still don't tell many people.)

[whattheheck]

My DS started ADD meds in first grade - so about six/six-and-a-half.

We started with Focalin but he can't swallow pills and gave me a hard time about eating anything I mixed the capsule into. We switched to the Daytrana patch which I love. One of the reasons I love it is because it is the only dosing method where you can use the medicine for less time per day if you want: you just pull off the patch about two hours before you want it to wear off. I don't have to wake him up to give it to him in time for it to kick in before school starts. DS knows he does better in school when he has his patch on, knows he can knock his homework out in <30 minutes if he does it before it wears off, gets in less trouble at school (which makes him a happier kid), etc.

Also keep in mind - once you start meds, you aren't committing to a lifetime of meds. You try it, you don't like it, you stop. Take it for a test drive and see what happens.

One other thing to consider that I highly recommend is seeing a pediatric cardiologist before you start the medication to get a "cardiac clearance" (that's why my cardiologist called it). It give me peace of mind given all the warnings on the meds.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Apr 19, 2016 10:23:47 GMT -5 mom2twoboys said:

We started Carter at 5 years old. Best thing we did for him. Kindergarten would have been a disaster if we did not. We switched his medicine this year from adderal to metadate. He wasn't really gaining weight and now with the new medicine he is eating all the time and gaining weight.

Similar situation here. DS1 (5.5 years old) has struggled with attention and impulsivity for years. I've always suspected ADHD but everyone disregarded me. He was struggling in kinder with behavior, social issues b/c of his behavior, focusing during classtime, etc. all this year. His teacher had made all sorts of accommodations for him like a yoga ball to sit on, squishy things to hold during class, a band around his chair to kick to reduce fidgeting, etc. and it wasn't getting any better...in fact, it was getting worse. It was so bad that DS1 was asking his twin sister, "Will you teach me to be good like you b/c I can't control my brain?"

About 2 months ago, his kinder teacher gently suggested we talk to the pedi. We got an appt with the developmental pedi at our regular pedi's office. He did some tests, and diagnosed DS1 with ADHD-combined. He explained how we could try therapy but meds have been found to be as, if not more, effective than therapy and work much faster and at much less cost than therapy (when you find the right drug). 

We started him on metadate last month, and saw a HUGE improvement. It has been amazing--his focus and behavior at school is so, so much better, with great reports from his teacher everyday now (vs. maybe once every 2 weeks before). And, he's so much easier at home too. We did end up switching him to Concerta b/c the metadate was having a rebound effect and not controlling his focus enough, and so far, so good. And, he hasn't had any side effects.

I'd say try it. The good thing about meds is that you see the change within 30 minutes, and the effects wear off after 8-12 hours (depending on the meds). So, if you don't think it's working after a few days, no big deal. You can stop and try something else. But, I'd probably have him evaluated by more than just a regular pedi--like a developmental pedi--to rule out any other issues too.

[esdreturns]

Apr 19, 2016 10:43:53 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

Apr 19, 2016 10:23:47 GMT -5 mom2twoboys said:

We started Carter at 5 years old. Best thing we did for him. Kindergarten would have been a disaster if we did not. We switched his medicine this year from adderal to metadate. He wasn't really gaining weight and now with the new medicine he is eating all the time and gaining weight.

Similar situation here. DS1 (5.5 years old) has struggled with attention and impulsivity for years. I've always suspected ADHD but everyone disregarded me. He was struggling in kinder with behavior, social issues b/c of his behavior, focusing during classtime, etc. all this year. His teacher had made all sorts of accommodations for him like a yoga ball to sit on, squishy things to hold during class, a band around his chair to kick to reduce fidgeting, etc. and it wasn't getting any better...in fact, it was getting worse. It was so bad that DS1 was asking his twin sister, "Will you teach me to be good like you b/c I can't control my brain?"

About 2 months ago, his kinder teacher gently suggested we talk to the pedi. We got an appt with the developmental pedi at our regular pedi's office. He did some tests, and diagnosed DS1 with ADHD-combined. He explained how we could try therapy but meds have been found to be as, if not more, effective than therapy and work much faster and at much less cost than therapy (when you find the right drug). 

We started him on metadate last month, and saw a HUGE improvement. It has been amazing--his focus and behavior at school is so, so much better, with great reports from his teacher everyday now (vs. maybe once every 2 weeks before). And, he's so much easier at home too. We did end up switching him to Concerta b/c the metadate was having a rebound effect and not controlling his focus enough, and so far, so good. And, he hasn't had any side effects.

I'd say try it. The good thing about meds is that you see the change within 30 minutes, and the effects wear off after 8-12 hours (depending on the meds). So, if you don't think it's working after a few days, no big deal. You can stop and try something else. But, I'd probably have him evaluated by more than just a regular pedi--like a developmental pedi--to rule out any other issues too.

Your first paragraph is so familiar. His teacher has been really great with accommodations but it's not helping and he's getting worse. 

Thank you all. Reading the responses was really helpful. His pedi wants him to see a neurologist as well and I will definitely ask about the cardio checkup.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Apr 19, 2016 10:43:28 GMT -5 whattheheck said:

My DS started ADD meds in first grade - so about six/six-and-a-half.

We started with Focalin but he can't swallow pills and gave me a hard time about eating anything I mixed the capsule into. We switched to the Daytrana patch which I love. One of the reasons I love it is because it is the only dosing method where you can use the medicine for less time per day if you want: you just pull off the patch about two hours before you want it to wear off. I don't have to wake him up to give it to him in time for it to kick in before school starts. DS knows he does better in school when he has his patch on, knows he can knock his homework out in <30 minutes if he does it before it wears off, gets in less trouble at school (which makes him a happier kid), etc.

Also keep in mind - once you start meds, you aren't committing to a lifetime of meds. You try it, you don't like it, you stop. Take it for a test drive and see what happens.

One other thing to consider that I highly recommend is seeing a pediatric cardiologist before you start the medication to get a "cardiac clearance" (that's why my cardiologist called it). It give me peace of mind given all the warnings on the meds.

The bolded is true of DS1 too. He is so much happier on the meds now. He knows that they make him feel better and get in less trouble. He was starting to just not care if he got in trouble at school and punishments meant nothing to him b/c he was just constantly in a state of being reprimanded. Now, he says his mind feels so much better. I mean, he still has his annoying moments b/c he's a 5.5-year old boy but he's like a new and improved version of himself.

[cbwm1]

We started Will on meds at 5.

I was just diagnosed, at nearly 36 years old, two and a half weeks ago. I WISH my parents had done something when I was a child to help my ADD.

If behavioral modifications aren't working, meds aren't evil.

In fact, with Will, he went from not being able to write one word to being able to copy three sentences at a time in *one day* of being on meds. They made a life-altering difference for him.

Now, you might not find the best med right away (I am proof of this), but it's worth it to be persistent. Don't let him fall even further behind because of any preconceived notions you may have about medicating.

[esdreturns]

Apr 19, 2016 10:51:45 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

We started Will on meds at 5.

I was just diagnosed, at nearly 36 years old, two and a half weeks ago. I WISH my parents had done something when I was a child to help my ADD.

If behavioral modifications aren't working, meds aren't evil.

In fact, with Will, he went from not being able to write one word to being able to copy three sentences at a time in *one day* of being on meds. They made a life-altering difference for him.

Now, you might not find the best med right away (I am proof of this), but it's worth it to be persistent. Don't let him fall even further behind because of any preconceived notions you may have about medicating.

Wow, that's really impressive.

[cbwm1]

Apr 19, 2016 10:54:13 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Apr 19, 2016 10:51:45 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

We started Will on meds at 5.

I was just diagnosed, at nearly 36 years old, two and a half weeks ago. I WISH my parents had done something when I was a child to help my ADD.

If behavioral modifications aren't working, meds aren't evil.

In fact, with Will, he went from not being able to write one word to being able to copy three sentences at a time in *one day* of being on meds. They made a life-altering difference for him.

Now, you might not find the best med right away (I am proof of this), but it's worth it to be persistent. Don't let him fall even further behind because of any preconceived notions you may have about medicating.

Wow, that's really impressive.

The change really was remarkable. His teacher called me immediately to tell me, and she was even a bit choked up at what she was seeing from him.

[esdreturns]

Apr 19, 2016 10:56:50 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

Apr 19, 2016 10:54:13 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Wow, that's really impressive.

The change really was remarkable. His teacher called me immediately to tell me, and she was even a bit choked up at what she was seeing from him.

Aww that's so sweet. I can see B's teacher doing that. She really cares that's he is not doing well.

[cbwm1]

Apr 19, 2016 11:00:47 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Apr 19, 2016 10:56:50 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

The change really was remarkable. His teacher called me immediately to tell me, and she was even a bit choked up at what she was seeing from him.

Aww that's so sweet. I can see B's teacher doing that. She really cares that's he is not doing well.

Good! It helps to have a good teacher who genuinely wants to see him succeed.

Now you just need to help him, you know?

[buffalogal]

my son is the poster child for ADHD- his councilor last year said he expressed all the symptoms of the one type and most of the symptoms of the 2nd type

we started him on metadate last summer- so he was in between K and 1st and just 6 years old. we have been fortunate that his k teacher was also going to be his 1st grade teacher this year, so she got to see him 'in the raw' last year and now this year on the meds and could provide us with great feedback.

the 1st thing she noticed was that his writing was legible on the meds. I can see the difference when he does his homework- his meds have worn off and his handwriting is a mess.

back in November his teacher actually thought we had stopped the meds and at parent teacher conf. we decided to call his pedi and she suggested tweaking the dosage- from 20mg to 30mg. that was the only change so far and it's been working well since then.

we also have a short acting chewable he takes for the days he has tae kwon do after school. I'm not sure if those work as well- I think they are 5mg, and some days he is awfully silly/wiggly at tae kwon do.

I can definitely say there is a huge difference when he is given a dose than when not. he is calmer, does what he is told without arguing, less impulsive/restless, more cooperative.

he has counseling at school but I am looking at outside family counseling to help at home.

[ijack]

Apr 19, 2016 10:20:10 GMT -5 verycontrary247 said:

I wasn't diagnosed or medicated for ADD until I was 16 and suddenly everything made sense. I wish I had been treated for it sooner.

I will say that 5 is pretty young to have high expectations of focusing though.

This, except I was 30 something.
I really wish that I had been treated sooner, my life would be so different.

[mom2twoboys]

Apr 19, 2016 11:17:28 GMT -5 buffalogal said:

my son is the poster child for ADHD- his councilor last year said he expressed all the symptoms of the one type and most of the symptoms of the 2nd type

we started him on metadate last summer- so he was in between K and 1st and just 6 years old. we have been fortunate that his k teacher was also going to be his 1st grade teacher this year, so she got to see him 'in the raw' last year and now this year on the meds and could provide us with great feedback.

the 1st thing she noticed was that his writing was legible on the meds. I can see the difference when he does his homework- his meds have worn off and his handwriting is a mess.

back in November his teacher actually thought we had stopped the meds and at parent teacher conf. we decided to call his pedi and she suggested tweaking the dosage- from 20mg to 30mg. that was the only change so far and it's been working well since then.

we also have a short acting chewable he takes for the days he has tae kwon do after school. I'm not sure if those work as well- I think they are 5mg, and some days he is awfully silly/wiggly at tae kwon do.

I can definitely say there is a huge difference when he is given a dose than when not. he is calmer, does what he is told without arguing, less impulsive/restless, more cooperative.

he has counseling at school but I am looking at outside family counseling to help at home.

We saw such an improvement on his writing too. He used to get so frustrated that he couldn't focus to do anything. He was very aware that he was different in that sense from most of his class. We are on 20mg of the methadate right now and I am so excited he can focus and eat at the same time. He was stuck at 39lbs for a year and now he is 43lbs.

[hopecounts]

DD is 5.5 and takes adderall for ADHD, it has made a world of difference.
She is less impulsive (thinks before popping out of her seat, I have literally seen her start to get up then rethink and stay seated since being on meds rather then popping up)
Improved ability to follow and complete instructions (take off your shoes and put them in the closet/put your toys in the basket and put the basket by the wall without getting lost mid process by ooh you/book/whatever that catches her eye)
And so on it has made her happier and made all our lives much easier.

[blanca]

My daughter was diagnosed with ADD in 2nd grade. We had her tested through the school and also had her see a private therapist as she was really struggling academically and socially. I was initially not sure about putting her on meds but her doctor told me that in girls especially untreated ADD can really have a negative effect on their self-esteem. She ended up going on metadate. She's now in 5th grade and doing awesome in school and has lots of friends and really enjoys school. I'm so happy we decided to try the medication. She goes to the doctor every 3 months for med checks to make sure she is gaining weight/growing apprpriately. We've had to increase the dose a couple times as she's gotten older. Good luck, it's so hard to see your child struggle in school

[buffalogal]

Apr 19, 2016 11:22:25 GMT -5 mom2twoboys said:

Apr 19, 2016 11:17:28 GMT -5 buffalogal said:

my son is the poster child for ADHD- his councilor last year said he expressed all the symptoms of the one type and most of the symptoms of the 2nd type

we started him on metadate last summer- so he was in between K and 1st and just 6 years old. we have been fortunate that his k teacher was also going to be his 1st grade teacher this year, so she got to see him 'in the raw' last year and now this year on the meds and could provide us with great feedback.

the 1st thing she noticed was that his writing was legible on the meds. I can see the difference when he does his homework- his meds have worn off and his handwriting is a mess.

back in November his teacher actually thought we had stopped the meds and at parent teacher conf. we decided to call his pedi and she suggested tweaking the dosage- from 20mg to 30mg. that was the only change so far and it's been working well since then.

we also have a short acting chewable he takes for the days he has tae kwon do after school. I'm not sure if those work as well- I think they are 5mg, and some days he is awfully silly/wiggly at tae kwon do.

I can definitely say there is a huge difference when he is given a dose than when not. he is calmer, does what he is told without arguing, less impulsive/restless, more cooperative.

he has counseling at school but I am looking at outside family counseling to help at home.

We saw such an improvement on his writing too. He used to get so frustrated that he couldn't focus to do anything. He was very aware that he was different in that sense from most of his class. We are on 20mg of the methadate right now and I am so excited he can focus and eat at the same time. He was stuck at 39lbs for a year and now he is 43lbs.

we're struggling with weight too- he eats, he just burns it off.

also to the OP- I struggled with whether to medicate him- it is a tough choice. my husband was completely against it from the 1st time it was mentioned. I was more open, provided it was safe and that it was monitored. but I felt that I had to help him. poor kid could not even sit in his seat at school for 5 minutes before the meds. Yes he is still squirrely at times, but the reports I get back from school everyday are so much better, and I used to dread reading them. And now he bounces off the bus yelling about how many stars he got for the day- not head hanging low mumbling about how many he lost.

[esdreturns]

Thank you all.

Does anyone have their kids on one of the non-stimulant drugs? I have to say, the side effects for the stimulant ones scared me a bit. The one the pedi recommended is Quillivant and they mentioned you can get addicted to it (that scares me a lot because my Ex has problems with alcohol and so does my dad). I'm wondering if the non-stimulants maybe don't work quite as well.

[ijack]

Apr 19, 2016 11:32:04 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Thank you all.

Does anyone have their kids on one of the non-stimulant drugs? I have to say, the side effects for the stimulant ones scared me a bit. The one the pedi recommended is Quillivant and they mentioned you can get addicted to it (that scares me a lot because my Ex has problems with alcohol and so does my dad). I'm wondering if the non-stimulants maybe don't work quite as well.

Most stimulants are addictive to people who don't have ADD because it's more like a "high" for them. When you have ADD/ADHD and are on a stimulant it doesn't act the way you would imagine. Often times it quiets your brain and makes you calmer, it doesn't rev you up like it would someone without ADD. Does that make sense?

[auntie]

I would insist on seeing a psychiatrist. This is the specialty with the most experience with medication and interventions for ADHD and along with clinical psychologists are best for arriving a an accurate and complete dx. Sometimes anxiety, ASD, and/or LD issues can look like ADHD- there's a lot of overlap. Having his therapist do an in school observation might be really useful, too.

It would also be useful to ask your school to evaluate him to see if he fits an educational dx and qualifies for services and supports under Section 0504 of the ADA or an IEP under IDEA. Meds are only a part of the tx plan, it's great that his current teacher is accommodating him but it's best to get this in writing.

If your son has cardiac issues (you mentioned cardio) many of the medications used to treat ADHD may be dangerous (stimulants) or inappropriate (the central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist which would lower his BP) for him which is another reason to see a psychiatrist with a lot of experience prescribing for young children.

Good luck. Properly prescribed, the right medication can make it much easier for him to access the interventions put in place for him.

[esdreturns]

Apr 19, 2016 11:37:31 GMT -5 ijack said:

Apr 19, 2016 11:32:04 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Thank you all.

Does anyone have their kids on one of the non-stimulant drugs? I have to say, the side effects for the stimulant ones scared me a bit. The one the pedi recommended is Quillivant and they mentioned you can get addicted to it (that scares me a lot because my Ex has problems with alcohol and so does my dad). I'm wondering if the non-stimulants maybe don't work quite as well.

Most stimulants are addictive to people who don't have ADD because it's more like a "high" for them. When you have ADD/ADHD and are on a stimulant it doesn't act the way you would imagine. Often times it quiets your brain and makes you calmer, it doesn't rev you up like it would someone without ADD. Does that make sense?

It does! Thank you!

[auntie]

Apr 19, 2016 11:32:04 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Thank you all.

Does anyone have their kids on one of the non-stimulant drugs? I have to say, the side effects for the stimulant ones scared me a bit. The one the pedi recommended is Quillivant and they mentioned you can get addicted to it (that scares me a lot because my Ex has problems with alcohol and so does my dad). I'm wondering if the non-stimulants maybe don't work quite as well.

That is a concern.

This is another reason to see a psychiatrist. There is a remote possibility of addiction with the stimulants. Most studies point to self-medication with a higher correlation of addiction for those teens and adults who do not get proper tx. Still, it is a bit of a gamble regardless which makes it hard.

IME, and I moderate a couple of SN fora, the stimulants tend to have the best results. The antihypertensives (Tenex, Intuniv, Kapvay, etc) don't seem to work as well. DS reported that it just made him so fucking tired he was miserable. Strattera is one non-stimulant with an ADHD indication. I hear mixed reviews. A lot of people need to discontinue it because of GI issues. It doesn't seem to be as effective as the stimulants and even when it is, sometimes it just stops being effective 12-24 months out.

[esdreturns]

Apr 19, 2016 11:38:33 GMT -5 auntie said:

I would insist on seeing a psychiatrist. This is the specialty with the most experience with medication and interventions for ADHD and along with clinical psychologists are best for arriving a an accurate and complete dx. Sometimes anxiety, ASD, and/or LD issues can look like ADHD- there's a lot of overlap. Having his therapist do an in school observation might be really useful, too.

It would also be useful to ask your school to evaluate him to see if he fits an educational dx and qualifies for services and supports under Section 0504 of the ADA or an IEP under IDEA. Meds are only a part of the tx plan, it's great that his current teacher is accommodating him but it's best to get this in writing.

If your son has cardiac issues (you mentioned cardio) many of the medications used to treat ADHD may be dangerous (stimulants) or inappropriate (the central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist which would lower his BP) for him which is another reason to see a psychiatrist with a lot of experience prescribing for young children.

Good luck. Properly prescribed, the right medication can make it much easier for him to access the interventions put in place for him.

He's also in the process of being evaluated in school. The pedi said he is going to contact the school as well.

I don't think my son has cardiac issues, I was just replying that that was a good idea to get it checked, just in case he does.

Thank you.

[esdreturns]

Apr 19, 2016 11:45:45 GMT -5 auntie said:

Apr 19, 2016 11:32:04 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Thank you all.

Does anyone have their kids on one of the non-stimulant drugs? I have to say, the side effects for the stimulant ones scared me a bit. The one the pedi recommended is Quillivant and they mentioned you can get addicted to it (that scares me a lot because my Ex has problems with alcohol and so does my dad). I'm wondering if the non-stimulants maybe don't work quite as well.

That is a concern.

This is another reason to see a psychiatrist. There is a remote possibility of addiction with the stimulants. Most studies point to self-medication with a higher correlation of addiction for those teens and adults who do not get proper tx. Still, it is a bit of a gamble regardless which makes it hard.

IME, and I moderate a couple of SN fora, the stimulants tend to have the best results. The antihypertensives (Tenex, Intuniv, Kapvay, etc) don't seem to work as well. DS reported that it just made him so fucking tired he was miserable. Strattera is one non-stimulant with an ADHD indication. I hear mixed reviews. A lot of people need to discontinue it because of GI issues. It doesn't seem to be as effective as the stimulants and even when it is, sometimes it just stops being effective 12-24 months out.

Thank you, that's really helpful. I had a feeling that was probably the case.

[auntie]

Apr 19, 2016 11:45:58 GMT -5 esdreturns said:

Apr 19, 2016 11:38:33 GMT -5 auntie said:

He's also in the process of being evaluated in school. The pedi said he is going to contact the school as well.

I don't think my son has cardiac issues, I was just replying that that was a good idea to get it checked, just in case he does.

Thank you.


Your prescribing physician can order an EKG ahead of prescribing. Most docs don't bother. For a brief  time when DS was in middle school, docs were insisting on EKGs for all children on stimulants as per AHA guidelines. 

[quesyrah]

(Lurker)

I would hold off on the meds until after you start therapy. My 6 year old kindergartner is seeing a therapist who works with dogs, lizards and horses and is amazing. We are already starting to see some improvement with behavior.

However, I would keep an open mind and if he's still struggling, try it. You want the best for your kid and struggling to focus isn't what's best.

Best of luck!