medication question

[jayncandi]

My child is on his first adhd medication.  He takes 5mg of ritilan in the am and 5mg at noon.  He seems slightly better after the first dose, but not much.  After the second dose he is even a little better but still not much and then seems to lose it around 5pm.  He also seems especially weepy and clingy after second dose.  Is this normal?  I am very new to this as he has only been on meds for about a week.
Also are there any "natural" things I could be trying along side the meds?  How about diet restrictions?  Of course I would love to see him succeed on the lowest dose of medication as possible so I am open to suggestions of how I can help him.  Thank you for any input you can give me.

[JoJo437]

Dear Sir/Madam

Sandman2 is exactly correct. Type of medication, proper dosage, side effects and benefits are patient specific, that is to say that every person reacts differently to the drugs.

I, too, am a bit surprised that he was initially prescribed Ritalin as this drug is generally considered somewhat obsolete in the overall gambit of contemporary medications. However, do not substitute your doctors advice without a second opinion from a qualified physician.

In closing I would only request that you please try every other alternative remedy before relying on drugs to treat the problem. Unfortunately, for the great majority of us drugs are oftentimes the only viable alternative to suffering the symptoms. Try green tea and cognitive therapy as an alternative to drugs in any event.

Please also remember that drugs are not the cure to ADHD/ADD, as there is NO CURE currently available. They are, in fact, only a management tool to be taken as a means of learning to live with this disorder and in my opinion, should under no circumstances be taken every day.

I take Adderall 30 m.g. 2x's a day but I only take it four or five days out of ten. I have an extreme problem with hyperactivity yet refuse to take anything unless I am in a work or social setting. Think of drugs as a means of a part-time solution. Good Luck!

[mamafessler]

My 5 yr old was recently diagnosed and she is on risperdal.  The doctor also had me make dietary changes over the past 3 weeks and that seems to help even more.   Talk to your doc about diet changes, I know it seems to help my lil girl.

[woozy]

it's very normal to have a "crash" in mood after the stimulant medication wears off. I don't know how one counters that..I ended up having to stop my medication because of it. I was basically near suicidal every day of week at the end of the day..I ended up taking 5 htp, an over the counter supplemnt and it has helped me tremendously. It's indicated for depression but I think it could maybe work for your son..go to revolutionhealth.com and read about it..plus there are lots of patient ratings on this site also for all kinds of medicine, over the counter, prescription, herbal remedies and even lifestyle changes. It's a great resource for people trying to research the best way to treat themselves and loved ones. Good luck