ADHD Meds

[ny96]

DS (9) has been on Ritalin for the past year and is currently taking a 20mg extended dose, sometimes with a 10mg dose in the afternoon. The Ritalin has been working ok, but he has had a few issues (see post a few months back about leaving aftercare without permission). We went to his well child a few weeks ago and his doctor wants him to try Concerta. I’m not sure why, other than it may be better with helping him complete his schoolwork. I now need to renew his prescription and he has both Ritalin and Concerta prescriptions available. Which one do I choose?

[mrsGreeko]

I’d go with the doc recommendation here. My DS has been on Concerta since he was diagnosed with ADHD. It works good enough for him. He still has his moments. In any case he’s on 54mg, which I think is the highest dose. This article explains why one over the other might be better, maybe that will help you understand the doc’s reasoning: www.additudemag.com/concerta-ritalin-adhd-medication-comparison/

[ny96]

Jun 23, 2022 13:56:42 GMT -5 mrsGreeko said:

I’d go with the doc recommendation here. My DS has been on Concerta since he was diagnosed with ADHD. It works good enough for him. He still has his moments. In any case he’s on 54mg, which I think is the highest dose. This article explains why one over the other might be better, maybe that will help you understand the doc’s reasoning: www.additudemag.com/concerta-ritalin-adhd-medication-comparison/

Thanks, I trust his doctor, but I suspect his doctor also has ADHD because he jumps around a lot in his thoughts so I’m never quite sure what to make of his recommendations or why he’s making them.

[secretagent]

My child takes Concerta. We had tried Ritalin after a couple of months but they did better on Concerta so we moved back.

[luckystar2]

Concerta is extended release. I’d probably go with dr’s rec and at least give it a try. Concerta was the first thing our dr recommended to try.

[docholly]

I would go with the Concerta. It worked very well for my son and had a full 12 hour impact.

He developed a rash from it (they think), so we switched to a similar drug with another ingredient (Vyvanse).

He takes 20 mg, and it works well too.

[CrazyLucky]

DS is on Concerta. It was the second one we tried and he seems to do well with it. He started on 18mg, now up to 27mg.

[pooh8402]

Jun 23, 2022 14:17:36 GMT -5 ny96 said:

Jun 23, 2022 13:56:42 GMT -5 mrsGreeko said:

I’d go with the doc recommendation here. My DS has been on Concerta since he was diagnosed with ADHD. It works good enough for him. He still has his moments. In any case he’s on 54mg, which I think is the highest dose. This article explains why one over the other might be better, maybe that will help you understand the doc’s reasoning: www.additudemag.com/concerta-ritalin-adhd-medication-comparison/

Thanks, I trust his doctor, but I suspect his doctor also has ADHD because he jumps around a lot in his thoughts so I’m never quite sure what to make of his recommendations or why he’s making them.

If he has ADHD himself, then he's probably very well versed in management of it.

My kids' pediatrician has ADHD and I trust him a lot. He trained me in my pedi rotation and I learned a lot from him. I have ADHD myself and sometimes jump around in my thoughts, usually when my med has worn off near the end of the day but it doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about when discussing treatment plans with my patients, you know?

If you are unsure why he is making a recommendation, just ask!

[ny96]

Jun 24, 2022 15:37:32 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Jun 23, 2022 14:17:36 GMT -5 ny96 said:

Thanks, I trust his doctor, but I suspect his doctor also has ADHD because he jumps around a lot in his thoughts so I’m never quite sure what to make of his recommendations or why he’s making them.

If he has ADHD himself, then he's probably very well versed in management of it.

My kids' pediatrician has ADHD and I trust him a lot. He trained me in my pedi rotation and I learned a lot from him. I have ADHD myself and sometimes jump around in my thoughts, usually when my med has worn off near the end of the day but it doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about when discussing treatment plans with my patients, you know?

If you are unsure why he is making a recommendation, just ask!

I do trust him and I have asked for clarification and gotten a bit of it. The med change seemed to come out of the blue and was brought up shortly after a dosage change that I admitted we hadn’t worked into our regular routine, so that’s why I’m questioning it a bit.

[pooh8402]

Jun 24, 2022 17:14:32 GMT -5 ny96 said:

Jun 24, 2022 15:37:32 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

If he has ADHD himself, then he's probably very well versed in management of it.

My kids' pediatrician has ADHD and I trust him a lot. He trained me in my pedi rotation and I learned a lot from him. I have ADHD myself and sometimes jump around in my thoughts, usually when my med has worn off near the end of the day but it doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about when discussing treatment plans with my patients, you know?

If you are unsure why he is making a recommendation, just ask!

I do trust him and I have asked for clarification and gotten a bit of it. The med change seemed to come out of the blue and was brought up shortly after a dosage change that I admitted we hadn’t worked into our regular routine, so that’s why I’m questioning it a bit.

Maybe he suggested a med change because you hadn't been able to work the dose change into your routine. So changing the med might help with the scheduling/logistics.