Our first day on Adderall...I think I may be becoming a fan

[MamaSheep]

And first let me just say, if your input isn't supportive I need you NOT to post it right now. Thank you. :grouphug:

 

I am not a huge fan of using psychoactive drugs on kids. But ds is on one for his anxiety, and now we've started dd on Adderall for her ADHD. I've dragged my feet and tried other things, but we've gotten to the point where it seems the wisest course is to at least give it a trial run. Yesterday we met with the doc and picked up the scrip and today I have her the first dose.

 

I'm actually amazed at differences I've seen already. She got dressed--the FIRST time I asked her. I gave her a list of several instructions, and she remembered ALL of them and did them. She sat down to draw and instead of zipping out a scribbly pencil drawing and then running off, which she usually does, she drew me THREE pictures in one sitting, all of them drawn in pencil, then colored in carefully with crayons. One even had a caption. She asked me how to spell some of the words for the caption. I was able to give her three or four letters at a time, and she remembered them all until she'd written them. (Normally this is a process of dictating one letter at a time, often several times before she gets it down.) She was also more willing to guess at what letter(s) might come next than she usually is, and just seemed less flustered at the whole prospect of writing something. Her handwriting was neater, and arranged much better on the page.

 

Then we sat down this afternoon to read a book together. She was much more focused, followed the lines of text better, got distracted less, and was able to find her place again without my help each time she stopped reading to make a comment. She was less intimidated by big words and more willing to at least TRY to sound them out. It was really quite amazing. Usually we've had to do our reading before lunch because she's so scattered in the afternoons.

 

Medication has been a hard decision for us. But after today I am starting to feel less like an evil mad scientist using my 7 year-old daughter for chemistry experiments using controlled substances.

 

Breathing deep. This may be a good thing after all.

[Greta Lea]

We've had great success with some meds (not all).

[MamaSheep]

We've had great success with some meds (not all).

 

Thanks. I'm not even sure why I posted this on here. I guess I'm just feeling the need for reassurance or something....sigh...

[Ottakee]

We had the same dramatic difference here as well. Just think, if she had diabetes, a thyroid disorder, or other medical disorder you wouldn't hesitate to give her medically indicated medication. With ADHD medication is often indicated and can make a tremendous positive difference.

 

Also, look at it from HER perspective. Now she can get dressed the FIRST time you tell her (no more her being nagged, yelled at, etc). She can sit to draw pictures (sense of accomplishment) and likely her social/family interactions will be better as well.

[MamaSheep]

We had the same dramatic difference here as well. Just think, if she had diabetes, a thyroid disorder, or other medical disorder you wouldn't hesitate to give her medically indicated medication. With ADHD medication is often indicated and can make a tremendous positive difference.

 

Also, look at it from HER perspective. Now she can get dressed the FIRST time you tell her (no more her being nagged, yelled at, etc). She can sit to draw pictures (sense of accomplishment) and likely her social/family interactions will be better as well.

 

Thanks. And you're right. Honestly, I think one of my hang-ups with this is that until a year ago she was (in my mind) "the normal one", and "the easy one"--in contrast to ds who has been "difficult" from the moment he was born. Actually, from about 3 months before that. I think there's a part of me (a fairly unhealthy part, admittedly, and I'm working on this) that's feeling sorry for itself because in all these years I've only managed to produce two chldren (I always wanted a large family, but that is not to be) and they're both defective. It's a ludicrous way to feel. They're both incredible people and I am constantly amazed at their intelligence and creativity and uniqueness--really and truly. I feel privileged to be their mom. There's just a part of me that longs for them to be whole and well, and admitting that medication is needed (and I honestly believe it is the best thing at this point) kind of rubs it in that they are not entirely whole and well. So I think I'm doing a little grieving along with being thrilled to see such a positive response right away. It's an odd sort of way to feel.

 

And yes, I totally would give a child insulin if it were needed, but I can't imagine being happy that it was needed. Maybe that's what I'm feeling--sad that it's necessary, even though I really think it is. One of the hard things is that unlike with diabetes, there's no blood test (or other lab test) that definatively confirms the diagnosis of ADHD, it's largely educated guesswork. (But like I joked with the doctor, that's how we roll at our house--mysterious and unconfirmable.) I'm glad that there are things we can do to help her. I'm just really bummed that she needs the help. And the fact that we're seeing such an obvious difference reinforces the fact that she does, in fact, need the help. I suppose one up side to this, too, is that this result pretty much confirms that what we're dealing with here really is ADHD and not some other subtle thing that will take us years and years to untangle. According to the doctor (after lots and lots of discussion about her particular set of symptoms and behaviors), she will probably only need the meds for a few years at most, and then will very likely--almost certainly but there are always exceptions--be able to function "normally" without them. So really, this is most likely a short-term problem, not a lifelong disability like her brother's.

 

I will be ok with this, just like I'm ok with ds and his anxiety meds (that he started on at about the same age dd is now, strangely enough). I'm just having one of those mixed emotion Mom kinds of moments over it today, I think. And her situation is all tangled up in my head with her brother's, for no good reason.

 

Maybe I just need a nap....lol...and to get my high school health teacher's lectures on the evils of amphetamines out of my head....sigh...

Edited June 15, 2010 by MamaSheep

[Lovedtodeath]

:grouphug:

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

[Mom2J112903]

:grouphug:

 

I know the feeling and understand how wonderful it is.

 

J was placed on meds for his anxiety and impluse control, WOW the changes, for the positive!

 

Now we *are* experincing a very real side effect of the stronger of the two meds. We just have to find some good immune boosting supplements because we do NOT want J to go back where he was without this med.

[MamaSheep]

Thanks for the hugs, you three. I think that's what I need most. :)

 

:grouphug:

 

I know the feeling and understand how wonderful it is.

 

J was placed on meds for his anxiety and impluse control, WOW the changes, for the positive!

 

Now we *are* experincing a very real side effect of the stronger of the two meds. We just have to find some good immune boosting supplements because we do NOT want J to go back where he was without this med.

 

I hear ya. I have felt that way about ds's meds.

 

And as it happens, we're actually in the process of a trial off meds with ds, but it'll be another 2 weeks or so before it's all out of his system. I'm hesitantly optomistic about that this time around. We tried this a couple of years ago (he didn't want to take it anymore and his doc said it was probably a good time to see where he was at drug-free anyway for evaluation purposes) and it was an unmitigated disaster. He actually wound up asking me if he could start taking the meds again at just about the point I was ready to give up and tell him he had to take it or else. He's been a lot more cooperative about taking it since then...lol. But back then you could actually tell when he missed a dose (the next day, strangely, not the day of) whereas now a missed dose doesn't seem to phase him. It's been several days now since he had any, and a couple of weeks ago I had the stomach flu and evidently the meds slipped the minds of the people around here who were doing breakfasts that week (who shall remain ...ahem... nameless) while I was mostly out of commission, and I couldn't tell any difference at all. So far, so good, but we'll have to wait a little while and see. There was a brief panic attack yesterday, but he worked through it in an acceptable manner in a reasonable enough period of time, and it wasn't any worse than the ones he's had while taking the meds. So we'll see. I am also interested to see if he loses any weight while off the meds. In his case that would be a good thing. But he's in there now playing very pleasantly with his friend. (He actually has TWO whole friends now, a circumstance that makes his mother practically giddy. But he only plays with them one at a time. Which is still good progress.)

 

In dd's case, weight loss is the side effect the doctor is most concerned might be a problem for dd. She's a little skinny-mini anyway, and when she was younger there was a stretch where we had to doctor up her food with butter and cream and Carnation Instant Breakfast to get her enough calories. The Adderall sometimes has an appetite suppressant effect, and that could be a problem for dd. But she's pretty compliant and will probably eat if I tell her she has to, even if she doesn't feel hungry.

 

Anyhow...thanks for the encouragement. :)

[MariannNOVA]

I am very happy for you.:grouphug: DH and I resisted meds for years. When we finally got to the child psychiatrist's office, the doctor was amazed that we had been able to go that long without looking into meds.

 

The first one we used with dd we used with excellent results. It is sometimes a crap shoot as far as what works and what doesn't, but when you find something that works, you stick with it till it doesn't......abd then you try something else.

 

We are using Adderall right now for the twins - not the extended release, just plain Adderall -- for almost a year, and we are having great results.

 

Enjoy! Observe! Congrats! I know the feeling!:001_smile:

[Irishmommy]

:grouphug:I felt like God had given me my little boy back when we found the right meds for him. I know it helped my relationship with him IMMENSELY. Also, I can tell you from the perspective of someone who will probably always have to take a low dose of meds for depression, life is SO MUCH BETTER when you have the right meds for you. I used to just hate it that I wasn't "strong" enough to just get better, but now I know that with the meds I AM better. I am a better mom, a better wife and a better person than I am without them. Why would I want to go through my life not being my best? I am sure your dd feels that way too. And now you have given her the tools to be her best. She may not need them forever. This may be just the edge she needs to get a handle on things and to be able to start some good habits that she'll need when she doesn't need the meds anymore.

:grouphug:

[EKS]

We started Adderall at 12. Night and day. I wish we had started sooner.

[MamaSheep]

Thanks so much.

 

Y'all are making me sniffy.

[Geo]

Wow, this thread is perfect timing for me right now. Our youngest has adhd...well, not officially, but there is no doubt whatsoever. A month or so ago Ottakee said something like, "I think medication is indicated

when family relationships are at stake"...that sunk in hard. If what she said is true, we've been seriously negligent of protecting our family life. There has been so much stress trying to function without it. That comment gave me the push I needed to finish the application for state-assisted health care...our only option. I hate it (assistance) with all my being...but we're really struggling as a family. It's outrageous to imagine what life would be like if I didn't have to wrestle an alligator just to leave the house...or put his shoes on...or enter into conflict resolution for the 33rd time of the day-and it's only 3:00p.m. His sister hides from him by going into her room and locking the door. He stands outside her room and screaming and pounding on the door, "YOU HAVE TO LIKE ME!" :crying: He's hurting. We're hurting. We need help. I'm afraid he's showing signs of ODD...no, he is showing signs of ODD. Anyway, we've just been approved...I'm calling a pediatrician in the morning and scheduling a consultation, get the ball rolling...

Anyway, this thread gives me hope. Thanks.

 

Geo

[cjbeach]

No throwing stones here...I'm happy something worked for you!!!!

 

Might I ask what has worked for your ds's anxiety and at what age it was started? My ds9 Aspie needs *something" for anxiety.

[Tree House Academy]

I am envious. My son tried several ADHD meds and none of them worked for him. I never saw the positive changes you are seeing. I am so happy for you...and a bit jealous. :)

[MamaSheep]

No throwing stones here...I'm happy something worked for you!!!!

 

Might I ask what has worked for your ds's anxiety and at what age it was started? My ds9 Aspie needs *something" for anxiety.

 

I was trying to remember when he started. I think it was in 2nd grade, so he would have been about 7. He's now 13. He takes Prozac, but it's one of those things where what works for one child might not work for another, especially when dealing with autistic nervous systems. One thing we've noticed is that we have to get the dosage just right (fortunately we have a doc who trusts us to make adjustments on the fly). For a long time he took his Prozac in a liquid form, which made it easy to adjust up or down by a quarter or half teaspoon at a time. If the dose was too low, he still had major anxiety problems. If it was too high, it was like he totally lost his sense of self-preservation. His "ideal" dose went down gradually by quite a lot after we took him out of school. Then it went up again as he got bigger to about what it was at its highest point before (but he's about twice the size he was then too). It's been stable enough for long enough that he's been taking it in pill form the past year or so. Much more pleasant that way. And as I said, at the moment we're a few days into a trial off meds to see how that goes because we no longer see a dramatic difference if he misses a dose, or even a few doses in a row. But he might need to be on it for the rest of his life. Hard to say at this point.

 

I hope you find something that will help. It really made a difference for ds to be able to stay in control enough to learn better coping skills and have some positive experiences with other people.

 

I am envious. My son tried several ADHD meds and none of them worked for him. I never saw the positive changes you are seeing. I am so happy for you...and a bit jealous. :)

 

Thanks. And I'm sorry to hear you didn't find something to help your son. That must be really frustrating! One thing dd's doctor said when we were discussing meds (at length) was that IF it really is ADHD (and there's no way to say for sure, there being no lab test) then the meds usually work. Often, if they don't work it's because it's something other than ADHD. I wonder if something like that might be the case with your son? Or maybe he just doesn't get on well with meds. I, personally, probably "should" be on a low dose of depression meds most of the time, but I haven't found one that will be friends with my system. The last one they gave me to try actually made me pass out at the lowest dose. Ugh!

 

It's such a tricksy, tricksy thing.

[MamaSheep]

Wow, this thread is perfect timing for me right now. Our youngest has adhd...well, not officially, but there is no doubt whatsoever. A month or so ago Ottakee said something like, "I think medication is indicated

when family relationships are at stake"...that sunk in hard. If what she said is true, we've been seriously negligent of protecting our family life. There has been so much stress trying to function without it. That comment gave me the push I needed to finish the application for state-assisted health care...our only option. I hate it (assistance) with all my being...but we're really struggling as a family. It's outrageous to imagine what life would be like if I didn't have to wrestle an alligator just to leave the house...or put his shoes on...or enter into conflict resolution for the 33rd time of the day-and it's only 3:00p.m. His sister hides from him by going into her room and locking the door. He stands outside her room and screaming and pounding on the door, "YOU HAVE TO LIKE ME!" :crying: He's hurting. We're hurting. We need help. I'm afraid he's showing signs of ODD...no, he is showing signs of ODD. Anyway, we've just been approved...I'm calling a pediatrician in the morning and scheduling a consultation, get the ball rolling...

Anyway, this thread gives me hope. Thanks.

 

Geo

:grouphug:

[WishboneDawn]

Congrats! Meds may not work for everyone but for those of us they DO work for they're a great gift. And speaking as the one on meds for ADD it's a great comfort to know that what's "wrong" with me isn't some deep character flaw but just a chemical matter that I can help rectify with a pill in the morning.

 

Kudos to you for taking that step.

[i.love.lucy]

Wow, this thread is perfect timing for me right now. Our youngest has adhd...well, not officially, but there is no doubt whatsoever. A month or so ago Ottakee said something like, "I think medication is indicated

when family relationships are at stake"...that sunk in hard. If what she said is true, we've been seriously negligent of protecting our family life. There has been so much stress trying to function without it. That comment gave me the push I needed to finish the application for state-assisted health care...our only option. I hate it (assistance) with all my being...but we're really struggling as a family. It's outrageous to imagine what life would be like if I didn't have to wrestle an alligator just to leave the house...or put his shoes on...or enter into conflict resolution for the 33rd time of the day-and it's only 3:00p.m. His sister hides from him by going into her room and locking the door. He stands outside her room and screaming and pounding on the door, "YOU HAVE TO LIKE ME!" :crying: He's hurting. We're hurting. We need help. I'm afraid he's showing signs of ODD...no, he is showing signs of ODD. Anyway, we've just been approved...I'm calling a pediatrician in the morning and scheduling a consultation, get the ball rolling...

Anyway, this thread gives me hope. Thanks.

 

Geo

 

:grouphug: I hope you get the help you seek. :grouphug:

[Windmilldreamer]

I remember when we got our two boys evaluated (different times) and put on meds. It was like someone had somehow slipped an extra split second for them in between the time they thought of something and the time it happened--and I was stunned at how often they made the right choice.

 

I also remember telling the doctor doing the evaluation that I thought the problem might just be my poor parenting, and she told me every parent who came in thought that. She said that they'd done a study where they checked and found that yes, parents of ADD kids were using poor parenting skills. So they divided the kids into three groups: Medication; Medication plus training in parenting; training in parenting. And lo and behold the parents who improved their parenting skills were in two groups: Medication with no training and medication with training. What mattered was the child being able to respond to what the parent was doing, and (at least in some cases) that can take medication.

 

Enjoy your new child.

[MamaSheep]

Today she came and told me, mournfully, that she hadn't noticed any difference. I pointed out that she had just finished playing happily by herself for a much longer period of time than she usually does because she hadn't gotten distracted by other things, and then had remember to put her toys away when she was done without even being reminded. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Hey, you're RIGHT! Um...does that mean I can have an extra half hour at bedtime?" Lol...leave it to her to milk it.

[MariannNOVA]

I remember when we got our two boys evaluated (different times) and put on meds. It was like someone had somehow slipped an extra split second for them in between the time they thought of something and the time it happened--and I was stunned at how often they made the right choice.

 

I also remember telling the doctor doing the evaluation that I thought the problem might just be my poor parenting, and she told me every parent who came in thought that. She said that they'd done a study where they checked and found that yes, parents of ADD kids were using poor parenting skills. So they divided the kids into three groups: Medication; Medication plus training in parenting; training in parenting. And lo and behold the parents who improved their parenting skills were in two groups: Medication with no training and medication with training. What mattered was the child being able to respond to what the parent was doing, and (at least in some cases) that can take medication.

 

Enjoy your new child.

 

I had to look and see where you live when I read the part I've highlighted in red. THAT is what dh and I told the child psychiatrist when we had our visit for the twins. He asked us what we thought was going on, we replied that we thought we were the worst parents in the world. He shook his head - he said he hears that so much but he is still surprised at it.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I also remember telling the doctor doing the evaluation that I thought the problem might just be my poor parenting, and she told me every parent who came in thought that.

:crying:Me too.:grouphug:

[Windmilldreamer]

Today she came and told me, mournfully, that she hadn't noticed any difference.

 

What's nice is that this may mean she's on the right dosage. Ideally you barely notice how the medication feels--you just behave better on it. Over time, my two boys are very aware that they function much better with medication.

 

I am the one (also with ADHD, but undiagnosed until I was an adult because my coping skills for academics are very good) who has had a hard time really believing that the medications make a difference. My husband has no difficulty in telling whether or not I'm taking my medication.

[MamaSheep]

I'm with you guys on the "I just thought I was a bad parent" bandwagon. Not so much with dd, but definitely with ds. I think one major contributing factor was all the people who poo-pooed my concerns about ds. I'd go to the pediatrician and he'd say, "Oh, you know, different kids develop at different rates in different areas. He's clearly extremely bright, and that may mean he'll challenge you win ways most kids wouldn't, but that's ok." And other parents would say, "Oh, all kids do [insert weird, annoying, "naughty" behavior]. All you have to do to make them stop is [insert favorite parenting technique]." And after a while I stopped thinking there must be something wrong with him, and started thinking that since NOBODY but me thought he had a problem, it must be me. I was just unable to cope with, and properly discipline, normal child behavior. I can't tell you how wonderfully, terribly bizarre it was when someone else finally saw it too, and was able to help me find the right place to evaluate him. And then when the evaluation results came back and there was actual scientific evidence that I was not the crazy person in this scenario I burst into tears...lol. It was so NOT all in my head. I was not a paranoid first-time mother. There really WAS something going on there that was outside the realm of all those darn parenting books. (And all those weird, "dysfunctional" parenting things I did because they were the ONLY thing that worked with this kid turned out to be on the cutting edge of "therapeutic" parenting for kids with autism. I was DOING a lot of the right things and thinking I was a bad parent for doing them. What a paradigm shift that was!)

 

Anyway, the point being that by the time dd came along I'd had a rather intensive hard knocks course in twilight zone parenting and was pretty well able to tell that whatever was going on was in HER head, and not MINE. And I had learned to trust that I did SO know what I was doing, in spite of peanut gallery commentary to the contrary. So THERE world!

 

We tried just cutting down on distractions and working in her peak focus times of day and and learning some coping strategies, but that wasn't enough so here we are at meds. And they seem to be really helping, so I'm feeling more confident that it was the right decision, even though I have been chewing my nails (not literally) over making the decision.

 

I think you're right, Dreamer, that the dosage is a good one for her. It's the lowest dose available, which is nice for her mother's nerves. I mean--we'll keep an eye out and adjust if necessary, but I will admit I like that it's not a high dose.

 

So I'm feeling pretty good about it today. Tonight she sat for a long time drawing a comic strip. She has not put that much time in on any drawing before, I think. She's always had this incredible imagination and storytelling ability, but this was the first time she's really gotten a story down on paper beyond a few scribbled (but highly expressive nevertheless) stick figures acting out one scene of the story. The comic strip shows some of the adventures of a girl named "Seeya" and her cat, "Stick". Seeya is mad at stick because Stick has been playing in the toilet and clogged it up. Again. Then Seeya goes to bed and dreams about the ocean, where a giant squid is trying to eat her. As she's sleeping, that naughty Stick is doing something with the toilet again in the background. Seeya gets up in the middle of the night to use the toilet (meanwhile Stick is sleeping and dreaming of eating their pet goldfish). As Seeya wields a plunger, a skeleton pops out of the toilet, shouting "HIIIIII!" And Seeya screams! (And dd bursts into a fit of giggles because Stick slept through the whole thing.)

[Misty]

I'm glad to hear this as we are starting to consider meds too.. As of yesterday, I now have 3 daughters diagnosed with ADHD (and Asperger's) and learning disabilities. They are not working to their potentials and the psych who did the neuropsych eval on my 9yr old yesterday said they (my girls) are not going to work to their potentials until we put that last piece of the puzzle in.. medication.

 

We have already exhausted every other resource available.. diet, supplements, and behavior therapy, etc.. And they have gotten MUCH BETTER on these things.. We just need that last piece of the puzzle now and we'll be all set!

 

Yesterday, my 9yr old was diagnosed with Asperger's (again), ADHD (predominantly innattentive), and learning disabled with main issues being slow processing speed and mild dyslexia. She also has a diagnosis of figure-ground auditory processing disorder.. So she has MANY obstacles and I think it's not fair to her to not at least let her try a stimulant med and see what happens.

 

And I used to say I would NEVER medicate my kids!! Then I had kids with ADHD and OCD. :tongue_smilie:

Edited June 19, 2010 by Misty

[MariannNOVA]

And I used to say I would NEVER medicate my kids!! Then I had kids with ADHD and OCD. :tongue_smilie:

 

I used to say the same thing......then I had twins with ADHD.:tongue_smilie::tongue_smilie:

[jelbe5]

Just want to encourage you. I worked as a social worker before children (BC). I worked with mentally ill adults and then with children in a therapeutic day school. When the correct meds and dosage were used it was amazing and, for the individual and the family, a life-changing, positive thing.

 

Seeing this made me more open to the idea of medication for my son who has autism. And it has helped.

 

I take medication for asthma . . . the current, new meds have revolutionized my life, again for the better. When meds are indicated for other problems I am a firm believer that they can be a true blessing.

 

Adrianne in IL

[Elinor Everywhere]

We started Adderall at 12. Night and day. I wish we had started sooner.

 

We had the same experience. I was resisting all drugs and just figured between my son's unwillingness to behave (or so I thought) and our parenting skills, we were on a collision course. By the time he was 9, I was in tears by Friday afternoons - homeschooling was so draining and we were looking at schools because I couldn't take it any more.

 

My dh wanted to try drugs, but I was adamantly opposed. After seeing me cry several times (I'm not a cryer at all), he said he would make the appointment himself. Knowing that ADD drugs were stimulants, we did a test run and gave him an espresso one morning before school.

 

It was amazing! He completed 20 spelling words in about 15 minutes, which normally took an hour. He was finished with school that day by 2:00, and prior to that he was working away after dinner. He loved it, and said it felt like "all the static had been turned down in (his) brain" and he could think clearly. I felt so bad afterwards - why didn't we try a stimulant earlier? He had been diagnosed with ADD, but I really didn't believe the doctor; I felt it was over-diagosed & any boy who was antsy because he didn't get enough exercise was labeled.

 

So untrue, and my son gets tons of exercise & very little TV anyway, so I don't know what I was thinking. We started 5mg of Adderall, and boy, what a difference. It sure keeps him on an even keel, lets him think clearly (his words), enables him to remember a sequence of instructions, helps him focus on reading & his other schoolwork, settles him down for a big task (like mowing the lawn), etc.

 

In the end, I felt bad for him that I didn't do it earlier. When we are not schooling he doesn't take the meds - he prefers a latte or an espresso, but during school times the coffee tends to keep him up at night (even though he has it at 7:30 in the morning), so we give him the Adderall during the week. Our relationship has improved dramatically, and I've been able to keep homeschooling him these past few years. What a blessing!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

:grouphug:

 

Yeah for a good first day!

[MamaSheep]

...He loved it, and said it felt like "all the static had been turned down in (his) brain" and he could think clearly. I felt so bad afterwards - why didn't we try a stimulant earlier?

 

This exactly what I was thinking earlier today--it's like there's less static in her head!

 

And why did I wait so long? Last spring when she was diagnosed we discussed options with our doctor, and he was thrilled to hear we were strongly considering adding her to our home school. (He's seen the differences in our ds from being at home.) He said that a lot of the time one on one instruction, especially in a setting where you can take breaks and run around a little if needed, is exactly the best kind of educational setting for ADHD kids. He was very supportive and enthusiastic. We said we were thinking about trying the change in setting without the meds for a while and see how it went, since her ADHD didn't really seem to be having much negative impact on her life OTHER than at school (because of things like her getting distracted and by the time she refocused the class had moved on to something else and she had no idea what they were even talking about anymore--which is less of an issue at home). Doctor P said he thought that was a great plan and pointed out that an additional benefit was that if I were working with her closely one-on-one it would give us a good opportunity to rule out its being some other problem masked as ADHD too, because I would be able to observe her very closely and see exactly what was going on with the academics. (Her ps teacher was not a lot of help--she LOVED dd and I think she didn't want to say anything bad about her. And dd is so easy to love. She's such a cheerful, bright child, and LOVES to follow the rules and help other people. So what if she wasn't learning to read? Or...y'know...write?) Doctor P did say that we should keep medication in mind as an option, especially if the one-on-one setting with limited distractions was not enough to let her focus well. She's been kind of riding that borderline where she's making progress--her reading test scores did go up an entire grade level over the course of the year--but I still see her really struggling because of the "brain static". I kept thinking if she can plow through it enough to learn to read and write fluently, maybe she won't need medication. Now I'm kind of wishing we'd done the meds too. Or at least added them in around Christmastime or something. Better late than never, though.

 

And the med trial with her is still going swimmingly. She remembers to take her dishes to the kitchen without even being asked. She remembers where she put things down. She puts her toys away when she's done. She's drawing detailed pictures, and she actually asked if she could read for a while in bed before she went to sleep last night. It's AMAZING! And she's still just her cheerful little regular self. And as far as the appetite suppressant bit, I'm thinking that's not going to be a problem. She's actually eating better now than she did before because she can focus on her meal long enough to actually eat it. She's also going longer without asking for snacks--I would guess because she's actually eating a full meal at mealtime. I used to wonder sometimes how someone could live on three bites of toast and one of eggs at breakfast, followed by five grapes and two bites of sandwich at lunch and then rearranging her peas at supper.

 

Her brother, on the other hand, is definitely showing the effects of being off his meds. I'm really hoping that in another day or two he'll decide on his own that he wants to start taking them again. Anxiety and OCD levels are definitely on the rise. Sigh.

[Mommyfaithe]

We had the same dramatic difference here as well. Just think, if she had diabetes, a thyroid disorder, or other medical disorder you wouldn't hesitate to give her medically indicated medication. With ADHD medication is often indicated and can make a tremendous positive difference.

 

Also, look at it from HER perspective. Now she can get dressed the FIRST time you tell her (no more her being nagged, yelled at, etc). She can sit to draw pictures (sense of accomplishment) and likely her social/family interactions will be better as well.

 

:iagree:

I am so happy for both of you. :grouphug:

It must have been a tough decision and you are a good mommy.

 

Faithe

[Elinor Everywhere]

(Her ps teacher was not a lot of help--she LOVED dd and I think she didn't want to say anything bad about her. And dd is so easy to love. She's such a cheerful, bright child, and LOVES to follow the rules and help other people. So what if she wasn't learning to read? Or...y'know...write?)

 

That is EXACTLY my son. He is now 12, always happy (annoyingly so sometimes), cheerful & happy to help (although he will sometimes pout if given a chore he doesn't want to do).

 

We adopted him when he was 6 (he is ESL), and for some reason put him into a K5 preschool thing. The teacher LOVED him - she kept saying how well he lined up, how well he put his toys away, how compliant he was. Well of course he was good at lining up and putting things away - he was an orphanage kid for crying out loud!! When I realized he'd spent an entire morning learning the letter "S", I pulled him out and added him to our homeschool. Of course, then everybody wanted to know how on earth the kid was going to learn to speak English without going to school. My dh said "exactly the same way our daughter did". That always got a nonplussed expression out of them! ;-) I mean really, aren't most kindergartners already speaking English when you send them to school?? :D

[Lovedtodeath]

Amy, I am following this thread. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

[MamaSheep]

That is EXACTLY my son. He is now 12, always happy (annoyingly so sometimes), cheerful & happy to help (although he will sometimes pout if given a chore he doesn't want to do).

 

We adopted him when he was 6 (he is ESL), and for some reason put him into a K5 preschool thing. The teacher LOVED him - she kept saying how well he lined up, how well he put his toys away, how compliant he was. Well of course he was good at lining up and putting things away - he was an orphanage kid for crying out loud!! When I realized he'd spent an entire morning learning the letter "S", I pulled him out and added him to our homeschool. Of course, then everybody wanted to know how on earth the kid was going to learn to speak English without going to school. My dh said "exactly the same way our daughter did". That always got a nonplussed expression out of them! ;-) I mean really, aren't most kindergartners already speaking English when you send them to school?? :D

 

:lol::lol::lol: I SO know what you mean by that. And so does ds--although his personality is more along the lines of a possessed Eeyore, so I think it bothers him more sometimes. (The possessed part probably has to do with his being off meds for a while, though. The OCD and panic attacks have finally gotten to him, though, and after a thoroughly awful day at church yesterday he decided on his own to go back on his meds. Whew!)

 

Amy, I am following this thread. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

 

So THAT's why I have had that funny feeling all day like I was being watched... :D

[Lovedtodeath]

although his personality is more along the lines of a possessed Eeyore,

And I know exactly what you mean by that!:lol:

 

So THAT's why I have had that funny feeling all day like I was being watched... :D

Lookin' good!;)

 

 

 

:lol:

[MamaSheep]

And I know exactly what you mean by that!:lol:

 

Lookin' good!;)

 

 

 

:lol:

 

 

Hope you're enjoying the show....lol. I was particularly proud of being able to figure out what was wrong with the oven this morning and which part needed to be replaced, and then handing dh the part number and convincing him he should call around, find it, and install it today. It helped to tell him I could not bake his birthday cake until the oven was working (though I think I could have baked it over at my friend's house in a pinch). Evil tactic, I know, but it got the job done. I'm just glad it was only a $35 part and was something he could actually do. In fact I think I could have fixed it myself but I thought I'd try to get him to do it since I didn't feel like going out and navigating a parts store and then toying around with something that involved electricity and gas. I'm such a GIRL sometimes.

 

Tune in next time for the ongoing drama that is my life. There's always something good going on around here...hee hee....not every wife can convince her husband that the first thing he wants to do on his birthday is appliance repair.