If child starts meds for ADD...

amother

Gray

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 9:16 am

After how many years would they try to take him off. I have a 12 year old with ADD. Its not terrible but meds will help him with learning. He does okay but has potential to do better. Also impulsive at times. If I try meds ...is it possible that within a few years he can get of? Anyone have a kid on meds and took them off and they were okay ?

amother

Tan

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 9:50 am

Afaik, meds don't permanently heal ADHD. At most they help him get through the next few years until his brain matures enough for him to manage his impulsivity better.

I would advise to get him some coaching or training while he is on meds to ease the process. Unfortunately I don't have specific resources to recommend.

amother

Pink

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 10:03 am

amother wrote:

I was going to say the same thing. Medication on its own will help the symptoms, but not the issue, so taking him off in a few years would likely put you right back at square one. My son is younger, he's only 8.5, but I am looking into play therapy for him. For his age it's still doable. For your son I would recommend a therapist who, like the other another said, can coach him and teach him the skills he will need to thrive without medication. Just keep in mind that not everyone can thrive without meds. Thriving and surviving, in this case, are two very different things.

amother

White

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 10:10 am

My 13 yr old dd has also recently been put on medication and doing very well on it B"H. I did hear that some kids whose cases aren't as severe CAN come off it after a few years and be fine, because they were simply "late bloomers" and their brains matured later/differently than other kids. Plus they picked up the necessary healthy habits and skills while on medication. Though I heard this from several ppl "who know someone," I'd also love to hear from a mother who can corroborate this.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 10:38 am

People don't generally outgrow ADD. Some people learn coping skills so that they don't need meds after a while, and some people need to continue taking them.

Many parents give their kids breaks from meds on weekends, holidays, and over summer break, so that the kids don't build up too much tolerance.

You know your kid best, so just watch his behavior and use your best judgement. Also, listen to what the teachers are telling you about class behavior. Some kids can keep it together in school, and then fall apart at home. Other kids behave great at home, but struggle terribly in school. It's nobody's fault, it's just how kids cope in different environments.

Therapy that emphasizes impulse control and executive function can be extremely helpful, especially as school work gets more demanding.

I still take Adderall on days that I have ulpan, but not on days where I don't need to sit and class and study. It really does help a lot.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 10:52 am

I have a brother who has adhd. sometime in highschool he stopped taking meds and hasnt taken it since. he is definitely still an excitable guy who lives in the moment. he is happily married with two kids. as he matured he learned how to control himself

amother

Gray

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 11:01 am

Im original imamother. ...over the years I have heard from rebbeim that he doesnt look in the sefer...acts immature sometimes and also calls out. Weird thing is it was never the whole year. He is going to speech for language which is helping a bit. If not for gemara and wanting him to be able to learn I dont know if I would medicate. Sometimes socially he doesn't get certain things. Bottom line is that the school never asked me to medicate him. Is there such a thing as very low dose of meds? Mainly I want him to be able to focus.

amother

Aqua

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 12:00 pm

If you try meds and they work for him, why take him off of them? As a relative of someone with ADHD, he says the meds helped him so much over his life that he is eternally grateful to his parents. He didn't want to stop when he stopped school! It's scary starting your kid on meds but if it helps them- wonderful!! (And if it doesn't, try something else!). But totally do it in conjunction with therapy with a qualified therapist (not some life coach!! Life coach means nothing, your neighbors dog can technically be one!).
Oh, and there are different doses... They aren't going to give the same dose to an 8 or 12 year old kid as a 250 pound person..

amother

Slateblue

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 12:12 pm

OP, why are you so concerned about taking him off at this point when he hasn't even started yet? First get an evaluation with a psychiatrist to diagnose and discuss treatment options. None of us can tell you how your child will respond to meds, the severity of his issues, or how he will mature. Bottom line is, you should do whatever it takes to help him now and in the future. If meds are required, so be it. Better to have a stable/productive teen and young adult on my medication than an unstable, unsuccessful, impulsive young man off of meds. Work with a good psychiatrist who does careful and frequent follow-up for best results now and in the future.

e1234

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 12:29 pm

I agree with the posters above

my dh is a adhd coach
He works with kids and parents to teach them skills and raise their self esteem -
He often works with kids on medicine and the medicine enables them to learn the skills needed so they possibly don't need it for life.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 12:45 pm

Of course you can get different dosages. I weigh 145, and I take a 5mg tablet and break it into quarters. My doctor says that it's such a small dose it's practically "sub clinical", but I am super sensitive to stimulants, and can't even have more than one cup of coffee a day. I found a dose that works with my particular system. You can't do that with extended release capsules, but with the hard tablets it's really easy to adjust to find exactly what you need.

amother

Slateblue

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 1:19 pm

amother wrote:

Im original imamother. ...I think I am just too nervous about giving meds. .and nervous about side effects. Can it cause any long term damage?

There are no long term risks or side effects associated with the typical ADHD drugs. You should know only have positive benefits, meaning a happier more well adjusted child doing well in school and at home.
Long term risks for a teenager who needs meds who does not get them are pretty scary. These may include serious risk taking behavior, experimenting with self medicating (ie. Alcohol, drugs), school failure, low self esteem, etc. Pretty sad. There are many OTD teens who have untreated ADHD due to parents reluctance in the earlier years. By the time the kids start showing the above behaviors, it is too late to start treating the ADHD and reverse the downward spiral because the kids are typically oppositional and resistant to treatment. It is best to start a kid at the early signs of needing meds and not allow the child the risk of failure as a teen.

amother

Papaya

Sun, Jan 03 2016, 7:44 pm

I had a child evaluated for adhd, and one of the things the psychiatrist said was that a sizeable percentage of kids with adhd outgrow it at puberty. I forget if it was 1/3 or 2/3.
It was one of the things that convinced me that I had undiagnosed adhd as a child. It was like a light switch was flipped for me, I had such a quick turn around. I was still missing those organizational skills I never acquired, and still struggle with today. But I was able to follow along and do well in class for the first time.