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598237 tn?1225643472

WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT TO MEDICATE THEIR KIDS WITH RITALIN ETC

having a child with adhd / autism and a brother with the same. i am concerned that people want to medicate their children with ritalin etc. can anyone tell me why they need to do this - as i have never felt the  need to.....
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Avatar universal
I'm sooooo tired of hearing all these people saying it's ALL the teachers fault or you're not being a GOOD PARENT.  Some of these parents should come sit in the class ALL day not just an hour smiling at how cute their child is.  Teachers don't send home bad reports just because your child is a LITTLE rambunctious or gets out of their chair a few times a day.  NO, teachers don't want your child to be a zombie or medicated into oblivion.  It's sad for the teacher to see a child who cannot sit still for even short periods or no matter how hard they try cannot comprehend what is being taught because they can't focus.  If medication helps a child be able to listen and absorb what is being taught then thank God there is such medication.  All you ORGANIC fanatics if that works for your child then GREAT but don't beat down parents who choose to use medication to help theirs!!  Most parents Educate themselves, deliberate on whether or not to medicate, and sometimes beat themselves up if they do.  YOU'RE NOT A BAD PARENT IF YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE YOUR CHILD MEDICATION TO HELP THEM FOCUS!!!!
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
   Probably not a good idea to invite someone without ADHD to try stimulant meds (unless you are in the military and it is necessary to stay awake while flying, etc).  However, if you do have ADHD then there is not the risk of addiction.   As the medical community says :
      "Stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin, Cylert, and Dexedrine, when used with medical supervision, are usually considered quite safe. Although they can be addictive to teenagers and adults if misused, these medications are not addictive in children. They seldom make children "high" or jittery. Nor do they sedate the child. Rather, the stimulants help children control their hyperactivity, inattention, and other behaviors."    From Psyc Central   disorders/adhd/adhd.htm#adhd11
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2 Comments
For real? My daughter has been prescribed 20mg. I am completely hesitant on giving it to her. I myself am also taking concerta 54mg for ADD. Ex. I have to reread a sentence about 4 times over to understand what I just read because I had 100 thoughts run through my head even though I was looking at every word and even saying it out loud but not focusing on the word itself...if that makes sense. So my 8 year old has a very short attention span and it does affect her academically (she is in grade three but her brother in grade two is much more academically inclined) and at home. She is more aggressive towards her siblings but not in way I am concerned, she still loves them and has her better moments of being the eldest; but she is also obese for her age. She is bored very easily and eating is a stimulant for her, quick, easy satisfaction. I'm just afraid to see a different little girl, I think it would make me sad if she was in a sedated state of being. I know this wont be the case because I am also medicated with this stimulant but still, as a mother its conflicting :/
Also I do take my medication as prescribed for as long as ever, I've never abused it so yes it does do as expected.
Avatar universal
The only thing I'd like to invite parents to do is to take the medication themselves for 2 weeks before giving it to their kids. We're talking here about a drug which directly stimulates the nervous system, akin to cocaine, or opium more precisely.
Beyond the stricly medical question, and I believe reading everything on here show some parents have very justifiable reasons for going there, there's the entire moral standpoint of whether or not it's okay to, basically, put a bullet in a six barrel gun and spin the wheel on our kid's heads. Because like it or not, it's basically what this drug is. You don't know how it will affect your child, just like you don't know how someone taking acid for the first time will react. It could greatly help or greatly worsen their condition and regardless, the impact will affect them for their entire lives.
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Avatar universal
i was diagnose ADD when I was 40--given ritalin, which didn't seem to help.  eventually given vyvanse for ADD and because psych thought it might help my depression.

I can't believe the the things I was getting done!! We lost our medical insurance and my husband didn't want me to go off of it, so we payed $150 dollars a month for a couple of months--then eventually had to change to something generic and short acting---didn't work as well.

I have chronic pain, and my medications make me sleepy, one psychiatrist told me that they use stimulants to counteract the effects of narcotics.

I recently tried the cheap/generic approach again---and have been struggling to figure out why my fatigue has been getting progressively worse---and I can't concentrate to save my life.   i am waiting to pick up my new prescription of vyvanse right now.

I was not hyperactive, I did very well in school until I got distracted by life--then my grades dropped.  My IQ is higher than average, but I am greatfull to have the medication to help me, even though it usually doesn't last 12 hours like it is supposed to.

i do not sit still very well.  I have rocked in a rocking chair or against a pillow since I was a very little girl----several years ago was the first time i saw "rocking" mentioned on a questionaire for ADD/ADHD.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
      Kind of weird that he has been diagnosed as ADHD if it only happens at preschool.  Clinical guidelines are very clear that it must be happening at two or more places.  Also guidelines are pretty clear about not medicating at such an early age until other measures have been tried.
   I have had various people ask about Synaptol and I have always replied to please let me know if it has worked for you.  I have never heard anything back.  I researched the ingredients a while ago.  Its a very "shotgun" approach.  And some of the 15 or so things are actually kind of dangerous, but there is such a small amount of them in the medicine that I doubt that they pose any danger.  Personal opinion is that it is a typical "shotgun" naturalistic approach that is designed to sound good while taking your money.  It is very expensive and I am fairly sure that if it worked, I would have read about it.   There are certainly other things to try first behavior wise.
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Avatar universal
While researching ADHD for my 3 yr old grandson, I came across this site, hellolife.net & it advertises Synaptol. It seems to have rave reviews. Hoping somebody might have tried it & waiting for some reviews, ya never know if the reviews on those sites sre real or not. Hope this helps??  KadensGran1963
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Avatar universal
My 3 yr old grandson has recently been diagnosed w/ADHD & possible bipolar. He ONLY seems to have horrible fits at school & has already been kicked out of 3 daycares for biting, hiting & just horrible fits that neither his parents or I see. He is a disiplined child & when he does get in trouble at home it seems no matter what you do, nothing helps. But to me it's just regular child disbehavior, nothing violent like the school says. Ive been researching different meds & have come across "Synaptol". Is anybody using it & does it really work as well as it says. Sounds like THE miracle all natural cure, but sounds too good to be true. I cry & pray for I dont want my grandson medicated up & have the life treatening side effects. It breaks my heart. PLEASE, if anyone uses Synaptol, plz let me know if its as good as it says. Thanx, Kaden's Gran!!
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
    Wow, a very powerful statement.
I do have a few suggestions.
   Your doc will start him out on the lowest dose and wait for you to tell him how it is working.  Keep in communication.  It is a bit of trial and error.
   Get the book,  "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley."  Its about 10 bucks on Amazon.  It will be very helpful for you.  And might have saved you some of the grief you have gone through.  The book also has a great section on 504 plans for school.
   Not sure what you meant by, "I will not inform the school personnel."  I can think of several reasons why that may not be the best thing for your child - but I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the statement.
   Please feel free to post - maybe start your own post topic - if you have any questions that I could help with.
   Oh, and lots of good homework/schoolwork suggestions on this site -
http://www.additudemag.com/search/keyword/Homework%20and%20Test%20Help.html
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Avatar universal
I actually feel very sorry for your son to have such an inconsiderate parent who obviously won't be able to give a good example of empathy and love to others who don't do things the same way as she does.  It's great that your adhd child does not require medication to be successul in school and other requirements in his life.  Unfortunately that is not the case for all adhd children.  Every child is different and every adhd child is different with varyinig severity.  My DS is 9 y/o.  I have tried everything.  Private school, homeschool, public school (only because we had to move did I change the type of schools, but each time I tried something new).  Every environment and school I was given the same feedback.  He is very distracted and not focusing in class.  He is very well behaved, not hyper, just adhd inattentive.  He plays with pencils, erasers, etc. instead of doing work including tests.  We have tried everything including behavior modification, punishments such as grounding from tv/video games, etc.  We've even tried tutoring.  Nothing has helped.  He is an extremely bright child, but is failing 3rd grade.  This has been going on since kindergarten, but I did not want to medicate my child so I've tried everything else to no avail.  We spend anywhere from 1-4 hrs on homework every night trying help his grades.  It doesn't help and is not fair to him to have to spend that much time on homework after school.  I can read a sentence to him and the immediately ask a question from that sentence and he can't answer it because he's "not listening" when really he is distracted.  I cannot continue to allow him to fail without giving him every possible opportunity to do better.  He needs help and our last resort is medication.  We are starting that this week.  It was the hardest decison we've ever made.  I've cried to the point of snubbing, especially when I went to the pediatrician's office and picked up the prescription.  I feel like a failure, but let me tell you that deep down I know that's not the case.  Our family has given him all the love we could possibly given him.  We have exhausted every other resource available to help him.  Please do not judge parents who give their child medication.  It is a hard enough decision as it is without having to deal with negativity from others.  Because of people like you I will not inform the school personnel.  There are too many judgemental people and I think that's unfortunate because the more onboard everyone in his care is the better.  Please think again about your responses and understand that all children are different.  You are not the only responsible, loving parent out there.  Many responsible, loving parents have HAD to make the decision to give their child medication.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
      There are a lot of adults who are able to medicate only when needed.  They take a standard Ritalin which lasts 4 hours max.  You will probably have to experiment till you find the right dose if you tried this.  The trouble with XL's (or the good thing depending on your view) is that they last all day.  Thus they can effect things like food intake, etc.   Its wonderful if you are in school all day, but usually not needed in the workplace (depending on your job).
    I would find a good doc.  Look for one that specializes in ADHD if possible.  You might also want to check out web sites for adults with ADD so you can get a feeling how others handle similar problems.  Try this one -
    http://jeffsaddmind.com/
    Hope this helps.  Please post if you need any more info.
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Avatar universal
Why should I have to medicate? I didn't ask to be born with this.
I tried medication, and yes I am much more focused whilst medicated. It feels brilliant to be appreciated at work for a change. But I also lost loads of weight and could not stop smoking. In hindsight, I wish I had found out more before taking them.

I was diagnosed at age 21, prescribed Concerta XL @ 34mg to start. On my second visit I was increased to 54mg. I had few visits with my doctor before she left work.
That was nearly two years ago and I am now trying to find help as I don't know what to do with myself.

I like having ADHD and there are loads of things that I miss about myself when on medication. I just wish I could focus more when I need to.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
   Or maybe if there were the current medicines available, he would not have had all the problems he had in his school career, and could have gone on to a top ranked university and achieved even more.  Who knows - its all relative.
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Avatar universal
“There was a boy who in his early teens was a bad student, failing in many classes. Thought to be bright and encouraged by his parents and uncles, the boy could not bring himself to pay attention. He dropped out of school and took long walks.“

Meetings were held. No psychiatric medicine was available. The boy’s personality changed not a whit. Nevertheless the boy became a legend.“

Yes, that boy was Albert Einstein. It is possible—in my mind, probable—that had psychiatric medicine been prescribed for the young Albert, the world would never have learned about relativity
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
Good golly, at least look at the dates.  Help people who care enough to post.  When you dig up things that are a year old, it just makes you look like you are preaching to the choir.
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757137 tn?1347196453
Like most teachers all you care about is the child's academic success. Your son is only six, and so what if he is a little rambunctious. He will outgrow it. Look at the whole child, not his report card. So a child is disruptive in class. A skilled teacher knows how to handle this. Sometimes the most intelligent children are the most rambunctious. but you would be happier with submissive robots. Often the child is taken to a psychologist or some sort of doctor because the teacher recommends it. You are not a doctor. You have no right to encourage the drugging of children. I am sorry you are doing it to your very young son.
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757137 tn?1347196453
So your son throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Children who consistently throw tantrums often find that mother will give in just to keep him quiet. Perhaps this is the problem with your son, except that others won't give in to him. Is the answer drugs or more thoughtful parenting?
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757137 tn?1347196453
What these children need is a good and attentive mother - not rilalin. Make sure their diet is healthy and that they have no physical problems, such as heavy metal poisoning. Make sure they do not have thyroid problem. Feed them healthy organic foods and cut out sweet things like sodas. When they get excited, stay calm. Do not drug them.
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Avatar universal
11 yrs ago i was diagnose with adhd borderline asperges and was at first put on dexinfetamines for the first yr after the diagnoses... then they sarted me on ritalin and i was worse then ever i became even more violent and disruptive and by the time i was 12 i felt as if this medication had a complete control over my life and so one morning i woke up and refused to take it my doc then put me on a 6 week trial and i havent looked back i have now been med free for 6 yrs and love it
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Avatar universal
I am 58 years old and am going on ritlali9n. I have tried it and it has changed my life for the better.
I have always had undiganosed ADHD. I have known it since i was a kid, but no one ever did anyhting baout it.

I have tried Straterra and that is also great.

Riortalion works for some kids and that is great.

I am a teacher, special ed and I am for anything that works, even for me.
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Avatar universal
the school stongly suggested that i put my child on adderal during the day and zyprexa at night
we tried it, too many side effects
i am a ritalin suvivor, i was put on it in grammar school, i know the dangers, so i refused to drug my son
i ended up homeschooling, we have been doing this for a few months now
its working out much better than public school special ed.
i have several friends who have their children on speed, i just wont do it
most adhd patients need something to calm them down not wire them
all of the adhd meds, except for stratera have the same affect as cocain or diet pills
i just couldnt do that to him
i do not look down on people who medicate their children, my son actually takes a non-narcotic med for adhd and gad
i am just scared to give my child narcotics such as ritalin, concerta, adderal
but we all do what we have to do
i am sure none of us here thought we would have to make these types of descions when we had kids
our best is all we can do
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Avatar universal
I am not pro medication.  That is why I struggle with my 5 year old everyday...and it breaks my heart to see the frustration on his teachers face.  That being said..I still can not medicate him.  

I do however, find it pretty pathetic that some would come into this forum and ridicule any parent who chooses that option.  I do not believe it is a lazy parent or lack of parenting.  Every child is different and when you come in here and totally disrespect a mother and a child for midicating...I find it insulting.

That being said... I do not feel you can compare this to diabetes or cardiac conditions as ADHD will not kill you.  

Whether or not you choose to medicate your child is your choice.  Make that choice wisely and do not take any sh*t from anyone else....
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713780 tn?1229724775
I agree with many pple here we as mothers try and do whatever needs to be done to make our children feel comfortable every case is different my son takes ritilin-concerta-risperidone and seroquel he has adhd anxiety problems mood disorder which they are still evaluating and it might be bi-polar  phobia and insomnia and also has vocal tics some days more than others as a mother do people actually think that i want to have my son taking all these medications of course not however am i going to have my son jumping being disruptive being looked at by unknowledgeable people that think im not being stern enough or i allow my son to do whatever he wants just because they don't know that my son has a psychological disorder. That he is unable to be in a regular school and needs to attend a special needs school because regular schools don't have the trained faculty to handle children with ADHD among other problems some teachers don't have the patience to deal with children with ADHD and yell or send them out of the room making the child feel even more irritable and out of place so we can spend money building schools however what we need is more money to educate people about these problems and how to handle special needs children some parents dont have the resources to send the child to special needs schools however their are resources out there that will help you get your child in these special needs school. So you see we need to medicate our children in order for them to function accordingly every medication given is a trail in error as far as ritilin it only last in the system for 3-4 hrs it wears off. SO when you ask why do parents give their child medications such as ritilin it's so that the child can feel normal and not aggravate people so that he can get educated in school rather than getting off his chair it's so that he can learn it's so that he doesn't get labeled as that child that doesn't want to listen it's for many many reasons for those of you parents that are able to handle your child and your child is able to control himself without the medicines god bless if you dont get complaints from the school teacher awesome if your able to go out with your child and he listens and he is able to behave throughout the outing then more power to you all however certain children have more going on not just ADHD alone and we need do what we are adviced by our child doctor we can accept to do it or not to each his own. I will do whatever needs to be done so that my son feels comfortable and normal many children grow out of this disorder as they get older so i hope and pray for all those that are going through this that we will get to see that day GOD BLESS you all . My son tried adderall among other meds and it didn't work what works for some don't work for others again meds are a trial and error
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Avatar universal
Hi all,

Not every way is for everyone.  I was so against medication it is not even funny. Yes, some people have side affects from Aderrall others do not and are very successful.

My husband was dx'd with ADHD at the age of 35...can you imagine?  Parents out there are so lucky that society is now educated so children can receive the help that is needed.  Some children can do well on diet to control symptoms and others can not.

There is no way that is the right way for everyone.  Some people are opinionated and very stubborn and will not listen to the opposite side.  I know, I was one of them..

I stuggled and struggled and struggled some more before deciding to put my 5 year old on the same meds that my husband was taking.  He is on the lowest dosage.  I went from receiving 3 phones calls in a week from the Kindergarten teacher about my sons behavior to a daily progress report filled with sad faces.  Can you imagine..this child could do nothing right, his self esteem was low always re-directed - disturbing the other children in the class.  Finally after much convincing from my husband to at least try it...basically he said he had a rough life thinking he was wrong about everything and did not want his son to experience the same thing.  Oh, after much counseling, alcholism, impuslive behavior is when he realized what happened to him.

Anyway, without telling a single sole at the school or family members, over the thanksgiving day weekend we tried it, sent him to school...Nothing, no phone calls, my son WHO is 5 said I can sit still on the carpet now and pay attention for circle time.

OMG - this is the same child who in the super market would push the cart after me telling him to stop 5 times in row looked at me and said I dont know why I keep doing this when I turned to yell at him.

He went from 6 sad faces on his progress report to 5 smiley faces and 1 sad.  Granted of course he is not perfect.  His self esteem and confidence were immediately improved.

This posting is for the parent that doesn't know if they should try it or not.  I just wanted to share my experience as it is a positive one.  Please, I don't care if you disagree or not...I'm not here to debate..as I said I was once an advocate for no meds...but no longer.  People, find what works best for you and make your decision based on facts not opinions.  

Oh, one last thing I learned was that I kept the decision for putting him on meds to my husband and I....made it much more easier transition and evaluating without the negativety of others.

Good luck to all - No matter which way you go..I wish you all well. :)


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636562 tn?1223667445
Right off the bat : I never criticize parents for medicating their children.  I do not know the circumstances for each and every family, and have not lived with the problems they face.

That said, I never understood the issue of children on ADD medication before I started taking it myself.  I thought of it as any other type of medication that might be given to children such as cardiac medicines, diabetic medicine, psychiatric medicine, etc, and didn't think much of it.  I DID however think (and still think) that it is an overdiagnosed and overmedicated diagnosis of ANY age.  But that is not a judgement of anyone here or elsewhere....just an opinion and observation of mine.

But back on topic.....like I said, I never gave it much thought until I went on the medication myself.  I am 33 and was diagnosed 6 months ago.  I have been on Adderall XR for these past 6 months and have noticed things....side effects....that I don't hear talked about very much.  It has altered my personality, my motivation, and several other things.  I no longer have the interest and/or motivation in things that I once loved to do, there are friends that I have broken off contact with for no reason, and I have developed an obsession with plucking my leg hair (trichotillomania).  

Now before someone mentions things such as depression as a possible reason for my lack of motivation and interest in things I once loved to do.....this is entirely different,...ENTIRELY different.  It was as someone switched it off in my brain and I no longer care, I have suffered from depression, and believe me, this is a different feeling.  It's literally like waking up and finding that that you can't stand the smell of coffee after drinking it for 20 years.  THAT'S not related to depression....THAT'S something affecting your brain.  

And the trichotillomania, I've researched this on multiple websites and found dozens and dozens of people who report this....many (if not most), report that they pluck leg hair.  It's similar to what people who do methamphetamine (meth) experience....that constant skin plucking that leaves sores and scars on them.


Some of the potential side effects of these medications go far beyond physical symptoms such as nausea, sleepiness, constipation.....they ACT on your brain in ways that I'm not sure we understand just yet.  My brother-in-law's wife is on Ritalin and he says she has experienced similar things, but she's not noticing that they're happening.  She's not acknowledging that anything has changed, but my brother-in-law asked me if they could be possible side effects of the medication (without knowing what I had been experiencing).

So all I'm saying is to PLEASE take the decision to medicate your child very seriously and weigh all the options available to you.  If this medication can affect an adult in this way, it scares me to think what effect it might have on a young, growing, brain.
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