Hi, Laurels

My SS has ADHD, and I have definitely taken the lab course on that one.

How old is your SS?

Most doctors think that ADHD medications should be
tapered off in late teens. Some kids do fine slowing down and stopping medication in their teens. Some kids, like my SS do terrible when medications are stopped. My SS ended up doing terrible, and ended up with a DUI and failed out of community college. When he went back on medication, had regular appointments with his psychiatrist, and had some tought love, and he has done very well. He graduated from college on Friday.

I don't know about concerta specifically but...

Some of those ADHD meds stunt growth so not taking in the summer provides an opportunity for the body to grow.

"if they only need it for school" then not taking it on the weekends is ok depending on which one it is.

Some of them you have to work up a tolerance for in order for them to work properly like straterra ... they start with a lower dose with increasing dosage amounts over a 2 week period (if I remember right) And dosage has to be tapered off as well.

My son suffered seizures until the age of 5 so he couldn't take concerta and I can't remember the name of the other.
Because they caused tics and tremors. Which they associated with the seizures.

What I did with my son was put a sign on the back of the front door so he would see it every morning as he was walking out the door for school... I actually had 2 signs

Did you take your pill today??
&
Is it Tuesday?
Do you have your violin?

Hi southern and cawfe,

SS is 11 and is not in the process of being weaned off the medication. He's been on it for 3 years now and I don't think his dosage has ever been increased/decreased. He quite literally is like one of those little rubber bouncy balls out of a gumball machine: You throw it and it just keeps bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, and then some more.....until he gets home in front of the TV/XBOX around 3-4:00 and is occupied most of the night until he goes to bed at midnight. The new pediatrician actually gave my husband another medication for SS to take when he gets home so that he is able to focus on his homework! But husband won't give it to SS (easy for him not to do since he's out of town on business most weekdays)and most of the time, SS fibs and says he doesn't have homework to do anyway. I've walked past his classroom many times at school and have quite honestly gasped after seeing him hanging out of his chair, turned around talking and laughing at what's going on behind or around him. A friend of mine has a child in SS's class who told my friend he's constantly being reprimanded for talking, not paying attention, goofing off, etc. and eats lunch with the teacher a lot for breaking classroom rules. Unfortunately, my friend won't tell my husband and the teacher doesn't call him either so he has no clue and if I say anything, he gets mad at me.

What brought all of this up was a confrontation that I had with the new pediatrician who scolded me, the SM and NOT the legal guardian, for him not taking his medication everyday and that a child like SS should be taking it everyday. I'm afraid to broach the subject with my husband but I honestly feel the boy should be taking it everyday, too, and want him to take it while he's home in the summer.

cawfe, do you have signs everywhere? I used to but no one paid any attention to them anyhow so I took them down! I have SS sit in the car as soon as he's ready in the morning be/c while he's sitting there, he remembers everything he's forgotten and gets in/out of car at least three times!!!!!!

Straterra and Concerta work differently. Concerta is an amphetamine like Ritalin. Straterra is not an antidepressant. The reason that kids sometimes take their medicine only during the school year is that is the time that they have to pay attention and hold still. During the summer they can go out to play.

My step-son does best when he takes his medicine on a regular basis.

The only time I got involved in that was when he got his DUI, and I insisted that he be evaluated at a substance abuse center. It was the major blowup of our marriage, and it was the end of any relationship that I had with bio-mom, who resented my intrusion. It was a major show-down.

Sick of hearing my own voice.... so I know the kids are sick of listening to me... :-)

So yes I have signs everywhere ... Almost like artwork.

House rule = Homework is done right afterschool.

Then they can go out, go to friends, play video games. They have a snack sit at the kitchen table and do homework while I prepare dinner.

Why and how did the new doctor scold you? Did he call the house or was it as an appt. ..? You can't say something like you were offended by the doctor who called to say that SS wasn't taking meds daily and blamed you for it. Next time "that doctor" calls you talk to him.

With my son the key was school calling me to let me know what was going on .... his dad refused to "put him on something" ... So I had the school start calling his father. After a few calls to dad at work he was rethinking his decision against meds. My son is 15 now and not medicated ... still a little high strung but overall better behaved.

Does he get in "trouble" on his sports teams? When they say something to you about his behavior hand them dads number. You better talk to his dad about this stuff.

Did you ever consider taking your SS to a child psychiatrist? That's where we had the most success.

Cawfe, I agree with your logic. Have the school start calling Dad. When you shift the inconvenience to the decision maker instead of you, it can really make a difference.

southern, I think the boy needs to see a psychiatrist/psychologist too and have asked husband to arrange a visit on more than one occasion but it goes in one ear and right out the other. I often wonder if SS doesn't have something else that mimics ADHD. I think you said your SS had ADHD but saw a psychiatrist. Did it help him? Did they keep him on an ADHD medication?

Husband was out of town again last week. SS told me he needed meds. I said call your dad and tell him, which he did. When DH came home last weekend, I asked if he got in touch with MD and he said he hadn't but was just going to walk in during sick children visits on Saturday morning and request the Rx. I was furious and asked him repeatedly to call the office before he went in so when he didn't, I called and ended up on the phone with the doctor. After the conversation got a tad bit heated, the doctor got nervous and decided he better ask if I had legal guardianship so I gladly handed over the phone so he could blast DH.

SS had been placed on meds at his previous school before his father and I married so the teachers there called DH or called DH's mother and SHE did everything for DH and SS. Now at the new school, teachers tell me everything. I hand them post-it notes with DH's cell#, and then they never call him. Then I'm left holding the cat in the bag, it usually gets the best (or maybe I mean worst) of me, and when I finally let it out, I'm the liar and the bad guy.

Sleep apnea can mimic ADHD and even learning disabilities in children. Also, just old fashioned bad behavior can mimic ADHD.

My step-son is now 25. He came off medication at age 17. I was actually all for it, because I thought it had become a crutch, and I though he was relying on it too much, and using his ADHD as an excuse.

Well, 2 things happened at the same time. His DUI, and
some badly needed tough love by his father, (DH), and alcohol counselling, and going on back on Concerta, plus Seroquel. It made a huge difference (something or everything did) and he graduated from college this week, after 7 years, but he did it. He was able to go to a major University to finish his last 2 years. It has been much better, but like I said, several things happened all at once, but I do believe that the medication helped.
It was a good move to see a psychiatrist.

DH and I took SS for his follow-up yesterday and guess what? SS is to be taking Concerta every single day of the year, not just when he feels like it. And the dose will probably need increased when he goes back to school since he's getting older. I knew my hunch about the dosing was right. This new pediatrician seemed shocked that another doctor would advocate taking Concerta when the patient felt like it.

WOW~Thats a pretty crazy suggestion.I've never heard of taking concerta on an "as needed" basis.My SS was on concerta for a few months but it really didn't do much to help with "getting him to do homework" or focus in class.It actually made him more "whiney" than usual,and it virtually destroyed his appetite.He's on Adderral now and he is doing 100% better.

I also had to limit the amount of time he played video games.I noticed how angry and agitated he would get when he would lose and how "wound up" he was after he was done playing.I started doing some research on the subject and found some really alarming facts on video game use and children.There was one study in Japan by a professor who specialized in brain imaging.The results showed children who play computer and video games excessively will not develop their frontal lobes and may be more prone to act more violently as they grow up.Frontal lobe development is necessary for learning to control behavior, as well as for developing memory, emotion and learning.(things ADD kids are mostly lacking)

It showed the children playing video games were only using parts of the brain associated with vision and movement.That's also the case for watching TV.I mean i know its alot easier to let them sit infront of the tv or play video games,and keep them out of our hair.But for kids that have ADD or any other mental health issues,i think it does way more harm than good.Since these kids are already lacking in social skills its easy for them to become addicted to playing and children most at risk for problems appear to be those who spend excessive time playing video games - especially violent video games.

I let my SS play,but he has to "earn his game time".He gets 3 days a week (1 hour per day)Fri,Sat,Sun.If he doesn't do homework or whatever the case may be...he loses a game day.Its the only thing that he really cares if i take away,so it works out well.But i still monitor what he plays, and he isn't allowed to play any violent games.

Here's the link to that article.

Here is a link that might be useful: Video games and Kids

My SC play video games so much at BM's that when they are here they would rather just play outside even in the rain. They never had outdoor toys basketballs hoola hoops any time anyone bought them something it was a video game. I bought outside toys starting april. They have a huge tote on the deck of outside toys. In the winter I bought all kinds of board games. I have to beg them to go play a video game on some days when they are "bored". There's 3 of them so they can pretty much find "someone" to play with if not I'll sit and play.

And I agree with dcubana that they do make children more violent/frustrated I notice it more with the SS9 he gets really frustrated and violent playing if it doesn't go his way. If I hear him yelling at the game it gets shut off. No "game" should make you that angry. SS11 gets violent/ frustrated but he is that way about everything not just video games.

My oldest step son ... has adhd ... he was put on meds for a while but it changed him so much that it was like he wasnt even the same person...After a short time we took him off the meds and never put him back on any... it was kind of scary watching a med change a child that much... We have to work three times as hard to keep him on task in school etc.... but it is worth it... and it makes him feel less like an outsider now that he doesnt have to take medicine

Hmm I am all about the playing outside ...fresh air and exercise (with a little bonus of getting some house work done :-))

Video games are for rainy days or in the evening after everything else is done...

We had to take SDGS's games & TV in his room away except on weekends IF he has done his homework all week and behaved in school. When he first came to us 3 1/2 years ago, all he wanted to do was play games. He got insanely mad if we asked him to do ANYTHING else, even eat. Finally I had enough, and on Sunday nights, the games come upstairs and go in the closet until Friday night if he's had a good week.

mom_of_4- I totally understand. My son was also put on meds when he was only 5.They told me he couldn't go back to school unless he was put on them. I was naive' at the time about my rights as a parent at the time, so I agreed to it. He literally changed into another child. He was totally in another world, quiet as a mouse. I caught him one day rocking himself, behind his bed and that was it! It just scared me to see him acting so strange. It also destroyed his appetite-it would take me hours to get him to eat a few spoons of food. I fought for 3 years to change his placement, but after he was finally placed in a private school-nobody ever mentioned the medication again to me.

I am not an advocate of medication, and i strongly recommend that parents try other alternatives before even "thinking" about putting their children on them. Unfortunately, some children are a lot worse than others and "need" the meds to help them at school. I think it depends on the severity of the childs problems and how much they interfere with their every day functioning.

For example-my son was really hyper and had a very short attention span. He is 13 now, and you can't find a calmer kid! He likes to read, play basketball and he can definitely keep himself focused on an activity for long periods of time. IÂm really glad I didn't keep him on those meds.

Now with my steps its not that easy. Unlike my oldest, who outgrew these issues by the time he was 8.My steps are 10,10, and 6.They have very short attention spans, they are extremely whiny and emotional, (cry at the drop of a dime on some days) they are impulsive, they are veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hyper...they have a hard time sitting still for over one minute at a time. They are very easily bored, and lose interest in anything they do after 15 minutes-so they need to be constantly redirected to "find something else" or given suggestions on what to do. They forget everything all the time,and their memory is horrible.

I have made many, many adjustments in our home, and with their schedules. I've found better ways to address the "specific behaviors" that best fit their own individual needs. I have a lot of structure in our home, and there are strict rules that have to be followed. Aside from that, I always take the time to spend some alone time with each one of them. All of this has made their behaviors much more manageable and our living situation much easier for everyone.

Unfortunately, they struggle at school-since the environment there lacks the level of structure that that require. Their school's only way of addressing their behaviors is by either suspension or detention. We have and continue to fight to try to get them into a setting that they can flourish in-but it hasn't been easy task. Although I would prefer to not have to put them on meds at all, until they are placed in an appropriate school setting its our only option...Schools are not usually very willing to place children in out of district private schools, when you have multiple children-it just makes things even harderÂ

My son too, did the quiet as a mouse leading to the rocking thing ... it was almost like he was a zombie... To me, meds are not the answer... I think our society in general relies too much on meds to resolve our problems.

He does have significant problems in school... public school is the only option and for where we are they are not always a wonderful option.. However, we always try to meet and choose the teachers for the next school year and find one that actually cares and is willing to do a good job for him... Also, the thing that always works for me and what I tell his teachers is when his mind is elsewhere or you ask and question (sometimes its a simple question but since his mind has already moved on he cant answer it ) ask for eye contact and repeat the question.... Eye contact always seems to work to get him back where he needs to be...

And trust me, I know all about fighting ... especially with schools... I'll be d***** if my children will suffer because some teacher or school admin. doesnt want to take the time or energy to do what they should be doing... they see my face all of the time.

I myself have ADHD and am on Adderall XR. I was started on Concerta in the begining but found that it had too many highs and lows. I would be up in the morning and crashing by noon. They are finding out more and more about ADHD and ADD every day. It is normally an inherited trait.. (even if the parent doesn't know they have it..:) Because everybody reacts differently to it, some are overly hyper, while others are consistantly sluggish. There are no boundaries when dealing with ADHD.
My youngest son whom is four obviously has inherited this trait from me... :( However I so far have refused to medicate him. If it becomes to big of an issue in school I will consider it. However one thing you may not realize is that diet is a huge part of ADHD and ADD. Think about it... this is inherited, yet have you ever heard of our Grandparents taking medication? Did they even know what ADHD was? No the reason it is becoming more and more common in todays world is we are a nation of fast food, and premade meals... In these meals are many additives, one of the most common additives is Yellow 5... Yellow 5 is the WORST thing for ADHD people. Trust me, try an experiment... Feed the child a dinner of Boxed Mac and Cheese..(extremely high in yellow 5) The next day you'll definately notice that he/ she has a bad day.
Now I am a realist and understand that we all can't make everything from scratch. But if you would just start watching lables a little, cut out a little of the yellow 5 and try to keep as many home made meals as possible it will help. I would reccomend looking up diets for ADHD people and trying to follow it for awhile. See if it doesn't make a difference, expecially if he is on and off his medication.
From my personal experience going on and off my meds is too hard on me. Emotions run wild and I tend to get nothing accomplished. So if his father chooses to not have him on his meds, definately attempt to keep track of his diet.

I agree with the moms who say medicine is a last resort. My older sd was on and off meds when I met her. My husband was against the meds, but the mom and school insisted she needed it. So my husband would give her meds sometimes and not others (which was pointless) The mom said that when she had visitation my sd was unmanageable, and she would even tell my sd she needed medicine to behave(which really p***** me off). Because when we stopped the meds my sd would get in trouble and say "its because I do not take medicine anymore"

Since I am a teacher and deal with many students with add/adhd who are not on medication and in a regular classroom I have some experience. I had my sd stop taking his medicine for the summer when my husband and I first moved in together. I finally saw a normal child again who laughed and ate! I worked with her each day on school stuff during the summer and I did that with the other kids too so she did not feel punished! The school said that she had a short attention span, but the funny thing is that we asked them the difference from when she was on meds and they said on meds she would concentrate for 10 minutes at a time!!! So they expect us to medicate a child so they can get 10 minutes of work out of her at a time!?!

In communicating with her teachers the last few years we started a behavior chart and at home we would reward her for days when she stayed focused at school. At home we set a timer for homework and she gets rewarded for getting the work done correctly in the amount of time. (sometimes I cheat with the timer a little if I see she is really working hard so she has a little extra time). In the last few years she has shown tremendous improvement in school, and at home she is an absolute joy! I would say she is probably the best behaved of our 4! And she has also started to grow (she is still the oldest in her class, but the shortest-we think the meds kept her from growing for a while) It has been a tough road, and she still has her problems focusing at school sometimes. But, I agree that keeping her focused at school is the teachers chosen job and as long as we keep seeing improvement academically we see no need to medicate her! For her the bad effects of medicine outweighed the good.

Absolutely, meds are not always (and I think most times) the answer.

And, despite what most people believe schools and teachers can not force you to put your child on meds. They can say what they want but it has been my experiance that when they push meds so hard they are really looking for a way to get out of doing the job they are paid to do. For example; my sons 1st grade teacher (the reason he was originally put on meds but then quickly took off by us) she and the pricipal proceeded to tell us that they didnt have time to deal with children like him so we would need to teach him at home..... needless to say he is at a new school and doing quite well without the meds and with the aid of a teacher (and us ofcourse) that cares.