ADHD Meds | Imamother

amother

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 10:56 am

Hi my daughter will probably start meds soon. Can you share what has been good for your child and not good? Please tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly.

amother

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 11:30 am

zohara568 wrote:

I started ADHD medication, as an adult. It was life-changing. I really wish, that I had access to them as a child.

Which medication has worked well for you?

amother

Orchid

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 11:36 am

Coming from someone who's DH has been on meds since he was old enough (prob around 7). Adderall turned an already awkward boy into a nightmare monster and made that year of school terrible for him. Well, more terrible than it already was. I don't know what else they tried but in the end a combo of Ritalin and Concerta (I guess to get through school days) worked the best. After we got married he did away with the Ritalin and is only on Concerta. Even though he can have bad days while still medicated, they're worlds different from when he's off it completely.

And OP, please don't forget to address the mental health issues that often come with. This past year DH finally started taking an antidepressant and the difference in his life and our marriage has been incredible.

amother

Quince

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 11:37 am

It was lifechanging for my child.

Some tips:
start slow and build up. Your dr will probably do this.

There are so many types and it's trial and error to see what works for your child.

Long acting affects some kids negatively, some need to do short acting and then short acting again.

Feel free to ask specific questions...

zohara568

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 11:40 am

amother OP wrote:

Which medication has worked well for you?

I have been on Concerta and it has been super helpful for my ADHD. My husband has had disastrous reactions to ADHD medications, whereas I have been stable at the same dose for over four years. I feel that ADHD medications are very unique to the individual and their brain structure. Sometimes they work great, sometimes not so much.

amother

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 1:12 pm

zohara568 wrote:

Thanks for sharing. I’m keep hearing about the trial and error and I’m just scared about it. She’s young.

amother

Chicory

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 2:43 pm

I’m dealing with the exact same thing now OP. Will hopefully be starting meds with my dd8 soon. I’m nervous but I’m hopeful that it will be good for her.

amother

Lightgreen

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 3:38 pm

Only good experience here. I have 3 DS on meds. Two older ones take Focalin. They have long days in Yeshiva so start with XR and take a big extra later in the day. The younger one takes Quivalent. It is a liquid XR drug. Its a great option for those who don't swallow pills. We Bh got it right on the first medication and didn'tneed to try others. We slowly increase the doses as their days get longer and they grow. I hope you find the right drug quickly and easily.

amother

Smokey

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 5:06 pm

My daughter has been on medication for many years.

The medication was a big help in the school years and since.

Now that she is an adult with ADHD, she does what she wants and has insisted on reducing her medication by quite a bit and it has made a huge negative difference to her behaviour.

amother

Stonewash

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 5:49 pm

Daytrana patch was a miracle for us. Only problem is that it's not covered by most insurances and is hell expensive. We weren't successful with the focallin and Ritalin pill form. I find transdermal to work better as it gets absorbed into bloodstream without passing the digestive system.

amother

Eggplant

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 5:56 pm

My son is on Adderall and Zoloft now. Long acting. I found that it helped him focus and succeed in school. However he still struggles with being bored and sitting still. His appetite got very bad over the year. I started giving him magnesium and it had helped his appetite get better. I would recommend the book finally focused.

His doctor wants to switch him to Concerta.

amother

Denim

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 6:00 pm

Focallin. Started of low does, increased it over time and as child grew.
Been great for controlling ADHD, but downside is lack of appetite until dose wear off, so need to keep weight in check (that are growing), and kept awake at night until dose wears off. Have combat that with some melatonin to go to sleep.

amother

Papayawhip

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 7:05 pm

amother Stonewash wrote:

We have also seen success with daytrana. She did ok when she took oral but she didn’t like the pills so she wouldn’t take some days. Also, taking pills late was an issue with sleep, with the patch she just takes it off at bedtime. (B”H our insurance covers it)

BTW they recently came out with a generic daytrana patch (insurance made us get it). It works fine, but we found it wore off sooner/did’t last as long. Our doctor just got insurance approval to go back to the name brand.

amother

Steel

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 7:13 pm

There is a genetic test called genomind that your doctor can do to steer you in the right direction. It tests all the genes the child has and will tell you which drug will have least side effects and how it’s metabolizes etc

amother

Bronze

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 7:20 pm

I find it very important to start out by a great doctor. They should be there for the beginning stages while your figuring out what works best and what dose. When you stable for a awhile you can switch to lesser of an expert if it's cheaper or more convenient.

Hatzlacha, hope you see positive changes quickly

amother

Chicory

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 7:37 pm

amother Denim wrote:

Those are my two worries…my DD is tiny as it is, so I’m sure the appetite will be an issue. Also, she already struggles to fall asleep at night…I feel like this might not be the easiest situation to pin down!

amother

Denim

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 12:24 pm

amother Chicory wrote:

You have to trust your doctor. B"H we have a great pediatrician so did not need to go to a specialist (yet). Started off on a low dose of focalin - which is metabolized quickly. Had the right affect for ADHD but is out of system in 6 hours and can eat 2 suppers!

amother

Chicory

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 1:05 pm

amother Denim wrote:

Right. I normally would work with my pediatrician but because of the aforementioned concerns and the fact that my daughter has both ADHD and anxiety, we decided we need to go more specialized and it makes sense to pay out of pocket for a psychiatrist. Working on booking the appointment now.