Anyone have a kid with ADHD?

[warcry]

The only good thing in my eyes about ADHD meds are they keep you skinny and you can sell them for $10 a pop.

wtf

[jcdogfish]

Every person reacts differently to medication. Our son (20+ years ago) was put on meds at the recommendation of the doctor/teachers etc. He did improve but we did not like how it affected his personality. We took him off meds against their wishes, put him in football, baseball and around the calendar activities. Also, moved to the country where he had room to move around, ponds to fish etc. Also, limited his carb/sugar intake. Don't know which, all or any of these made a difference but we never put him back on meds. Wouldn't you know it, he turned out to be a fine young man (now 33), married, 3 kids and a great job. Go figure.

[fishing66]

Guys, thanks for your advice. Ain't nothing like fishermen to help each other out when the going gets tough. Thanks again.

[getfished]

I got up this morning to see this thread. WoW ! Who knew so many of us are raising our own grandchildren ? And I have been feeling sorry for my self thinking I was the only one. I'm 61 and on disability. My wife is 62 and on disability. What I'm trying to say is we are on unintentional , unplanned income. We make do as best we can and try to keep our perspectives focused on gratitude. Not an automatic adjustment for me.

With that said we are raising my grandson who will be 11 next month. He came to us in 2012 at the age of 6 with a voluntary guardianship. His parents ( my son ) are not mature enough to care for themselves let alone a child. I went back to Kansas in 2012 when my mom passed and that is where we saw Corbin being subjected to plenty of experiences that were no OK for a little boy. His parents granted guardianship and currently we are in the process of starting to file for adoption. Like Bamaman , I am not looking forward to this. If adoption is granted he will receive SS benefits which will include survivor benefits in the event something should happen to both of us.


When Corbin came to us he was clearly showing a lot of wear and tear for a little 6 year old child. We had him tested very thoroughly which cost a pretty penny. After that, he has been in regular consistent counseling to process through his conflicts. The testing revealed that he is ADHD. It has taken a lot of trial and error to get just the right dosage and drug to help him to function appropriately. Currently one of his meds costs me $522 per month as the insurance won't cover it. I'm told he is required to complete a trial and error process of eliminating other more economical drugs before the insurance company will pay for this drug. Well guess what ? The drug he is taking is working and it has taken us 5 years to get to this point. So no ! I am not going to start experimenting with him a second time just to satisfy the insurance company. If I was inclined to try this again I sure as hell wouldn't do it right in the middle of a school year. He is functioning well all things considered.

This kid is challenging to say the least. He is in a 10000 places at once. Despite his family related conflicts and as a result of our steady counseling sessions he is doing well and appears to be quite happy and makes good grades. But it is exhausting to try to direct him. He might start out to get his laundry from his room and along the way be distracted several times.

His meds wear off about 4:30 pm so homework can be difficult. I have difficulty accepting the medication regimen but have seen good results . Without it my little grandson would be having too many failures and not enough successes.

[Hntrjohn]

I have 2 children that have adhd a son now 22 and daughter now 17. Both were diagnosed early and like you went through a lot of specialized doctors and tests. With my son I refused to give in to the medications in the beginning and tried everything else first but school still suffered. So we decided to try medication and see what happens. I will say there was a lot of trial and error with this and it took time took get it right. After trying numerous different drugs and dosages he ended up on Concerta. This is what worked for him it was fast acting and time released and wore off by 6 to 7 o'clock which gave time to get homework done. Now the biggest side effect was he never wanted to eat which we had to keep an eye on. Now he was about 9 when he started medication and by the time he got to high school things started to change and after talking with a therapist he start trying different things to get off the medication. So and to this day I still can't understand how he does it or why it works but in high school he started listening to music on an ipod first while doing homework. Then found it helped him focus which he tried this because the therapist said to give it a try. So then after after a battle we got it so he could listen to music during class to see if it would help and he hasn't been on medication since. I again don't understand it but for him it works and the boy can sit there with one ear bud in listening to a class and get every word. Now my daughter on the other hand is not so lucky. We have struggled for 10 years with no luck. We continue to have hope but it's truly a struggle for her. Medication works but we have yet to find one that doesn't turn her into someone different that she doesn't like nor do I. Every medication that seems to work seems to put her into a zombie state where she just seems to sit and stare into space and be antisocial. So for now we struggle and hope things get better or what I sometimes wonder is there may be another issue at play as well that has yet to be determined. I would not hesitate to try medication and with my son it was a school day pill and he never took it on weekends in the summer or on days off school. He stayed focus playing and being a kid and most importantly he had structured routine.

[sdendy]

Sent you a message.

[sc419795]

I had 2 boys who were ADHD. Both were on meds. That was years ago as they are now 28 and 25 years old. The older had some issues in his teen age years with attitude and behavior but finally straightened out. He received a Mechanical Engineering Degree from Purdue and even completed a Masters Degree. He is an engineer at an automotive company in Michigan. My youngest - maybe not as much attitude, but had issues. Flunked out of his first 2 years of college. After some tough love, he enrolled at another college and got a degree in Cyber Security. He now works in the IT Department at a Hospital.

The point here is I realize you are struggling with the best course of action. Listen to the doctors. Try to stay patient. Education yourself on treatment and options. Kids are pretty resilient and with some help and guidance, will find their way. Eventually they will learn how to listen to their body and in a lot of cases can over come it. Best of luck to you.

[BeeNix]

I've had quite a few foster boys with ADHD, I know when/if the psychologist finds the correct medication it changes the kid's life. They've been prescribed Adderall, Vyvanse and others I don't remember. Some of the meds make them gain weight, some kills their appetite. The 'right' one makes such an almost unbelievable difference. Good Luck!

[Fistacuffs]

Don't beat yourself up. I went through what your going now several years ago. Many children need medication and there's nothing wrong with them receiving a medication that will enable them to excel and benefit your entire family.

Both of my girls(10 & 12) have ADHD as well as my wife. My girls were diagnosed several years ago. We struggled with different meds and doses trying to find the right one... needless to say, it's frustrating, but once fixed, you will be amazed at the outcome. My oldest takes aderall extended release every morning and it's been great. She was struggling with academics and relationships (parents and friends). Once the proper dose and medicine was identified, she has flourished.

Now my youngest has tried many different meds and doses, without success. It was like clockwork, take her meds and became depressed. She would just mope around and cry, behaviors not typical with her. Eventually, we decided to stop her taking the meds. To compensate for the academic challenges, we have her hooked up with a tutor weekly for additional instruction. Needless to say, she squirms a lot and lacks focus on attention to details. Her docs have said this is quite common and have recommended arttempting the medicine after she's a bit older and larger in size. Apparently, smaller kids have more side effects from meds.

[MrClean41]

Fish Boys story is my story essentially,

I went to trade school and got 4.0's and never looked back. Only suggestion is find a way to keep them engaged and interested and no medication needed. Ultimately what got me motivated was the thought i was NOT going to be allowed to play sports if i didnt shape up. Also when i met my now wife, she was VERY smart and her parents flat told me if you want to be around our daughter you better shape up! Power of the patch i guess .

Good luck with your boy, right now both my girls take after their mom, and i can say i dont mind. Its very frustrating to go through.