hi everyone, I am sure you can all relate to what I am feeling now as tears run down my face. My sweet, compassionate and smiley boy was diagnosed with ADHD Innattentive type yesterday. Of course, we are happy that we are finally getting an answer besides "he is a late-year, left handed boy, he will catch up". We have been getting that answer to our concerns for 5 yrs. He is in a new school now and his teacher brought the issue to us before we had a chance to talk to her. We followed her advisce and have done all the doctor routes. The difinitive diagnosis came down yesterday, and it confirmed all our fears. Michael is not hyperactive at all, in fact, he is quite the opposite. He is gentle and passive, and quite bright. There certainly aren't any learning disablities, he just can't focus on his school work or anything else for that matter. We don't know what to do now. We don't want to put him on meds, at least not yet. We want to try behavioural therapy without meds first. If the meds become necessary, we will investigate further.
Does anyone have any stories about how their ADHD Inattentive tupe kids reacted to meds? Which meds were used? What side effects did your kid suffer from? Do the benefits outweigh the negatives?
Any help would be really great!
Thanks, and this is a great forum. ↓
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| Name: taybry | Date: Jan 6th, 2007 4:46 PM |
| Hi, My daughter was diagnosed with the inattentive type in third grade. Her teacher used to have to "wake her up". She can do the work but it was struggle and the quality of work was poor. We took her to a therapist for a little bit, then tried meds. We tried Metadate first, wasn't too happy with that after a while. Then concerta, that made her jittery and the "let down" period was hard. The one that we have found the best for us has been the daytrana patch, we put in on right before school and take it off after school. The dosage is lower, there is no let down period and the lack of appetite and weight loss is not and issue. I like it becasue I can control how long she has it and I don't use it at all except for school days. Its not "in" her body so I don't have to wait for it to get out of her system like other 10 to 12 hour pills. But please check into the feedback systems and other non med avenues first. It sounds like he could really benefit from focusing excercises , they make programs you can use on your computer for that and I know where I live they have neurofeedback programs. We have just found that for school the medications have really improved her skills in the classroom and she knows it too. Good luck in your search, if you have any other questions , you can email me at [email protected] ↑ |
| Name: Yawmom | Date: Jan 7th, 2007 12:51 AM |
I applaud you for trying things before turning to drugs, some jump right on the drug "cure". We didn't medicate until he was 10 and then it was just for school.
There are some excellent books out there also, they can help with raising kids.
I'm not sure what the "inattentive type" you refer to because that's basic ADD. They get lost or sidetracked by anything. Can't focus when they should.
I think with parents working together things get accomplished. There are alot of kids that have busy little lives that there's not enough bonding time. Kids need that and love it.
My son wasn't ADHD either. When you have set routines then the kids can focus more and get more done.
Have "helpers", a drop chair for homework, chore list they can refer to, organized bedroom (although it doesn't stay that way), more or less a rigid set up so that it comes easy for them.
Dressing in the morning--pick out 2 outfits he can choose from in the morning to speed things up.
Read up on the net, do a search there are alot of great ideas out there to help your child out.
Just becasue some kids can't focus doesn't mean they are dumb, quite untrue. I had gotten a list to inspire my son of great people who had ADD - did you know Frued had it? Sly Stallone? Quite a bit of people he can look at and realize all is not lost. They need inspiration, and who but parents can give the best?
Take care ↑ |
| Name: teresa | Date: Jan 8th, 2007 1:38 PM |
| hye mike's mom, my daughter who is also 9 yrs old was diagnosed adhd inattentive type a littlle over a year ago. our problems started in school with her grades and the inability to focus on anything. she was started on strattera which is a non-stimulant drug which last for 24 hours. she takes it at night because it can cause sleepiness in the beginning. she did have some stomach aches in the very beginning but it was very short lived and we haven't had any problems witht that since.i would suggest giving some type of medications because it really does make a big difference in thier focus ability. my daughter's grades have improved and she has no problems focusing at school now. she is also in behavioral counseling and i think both counseling and medications are needed. the behavioral counseling is more for her attitude and behavior at home vs. at school. my child behaves like an angel everywhere but at home and she does have trouble making friends, so i'm hoping that counseling will help with this. oh, and this medications does not affect their appetite or sleep. I hope i have helped some, good luck in making your decision. ↑ |
| Name: Catcorn | Date: Jan 9th, 2007 2:43 PM |
| Just to tell you i am in the same boat. My son was diagnosed with ADHD in December. The therapists are going to his school for a day to monitor his behaviour and see what is the best step to take for him as he may or may not need medication. I am due back to the hospital for the results the end of Jan and i will let you know how i get on. He has a few other problems and is already taking med for his epilepsy. I was releieved when he was offically diagnosed with ADHD as i knew myself he was not a bold child but seemed to hit out for no reason. He couldnt focus on some parts of school work but was diagnosed with dyslexia in November so this was also part of the problem with school work. ↑ |
| Name: Mikes mom | Date: Jan 12th, 2007 9:56 PM |
Thank you all for your feedback. We are not quite ready to start with meds but I have done hours and hours of research. Although I am frightened to death to put my son on meds, I am realizing it may be more beneficial for him in the long run, at least on the days and hours he is in school. He is a really bright kid with a great imagination and I don't want him to lose out on the potential God has given him. I am in Canada, and the patch is not yet approved here by the Canadian Drug Council, maybe by the time we are ready to walk that road it may be.
Thanks again for your feedback, any more suggestions or stories would be welcome. ↑ |
| Name: sandik1 | Date: Jan 23rd, 2007 1:02 PM |
Would you hold back on medication if the diagnosis was something 'normal' like diabetes or an infection? Of course not! Having ADHD is the same thing.
My son had no other symptoms other than his inability to organize anything. But, this was a severe affliction so, we needed to seek treatment. As with you, our son is not at all hyperactive. Just Inattentive.
He was about the same age as your son when we went through this. I thought that the medications would turn him into a zombie.
We went through trial and error finding the right medicaiton for him. Some did alter his personality in a negative way but, we just discontinued those and moved on to others. Some made him unable to focus on anything, some made him very angry (NOT his personality at all), some made him tired all of the time. With each one, I asked my son how he felt about that particular medication and his opinion was a big part of the decision on whether to switch to a new one or not.
Finally, we were able to settle on a medication (Welbutrin), along with behavorial therapy, that made my son feel as though he was more in control of his thoughts and actions but not 'foggy',
I now have a 15 year old that is still as sweet, compassionate and smiley as the one that we started out with (and maybe even more so).
He is very active in his own care and in finding those work-arounds that he will need as life skills. He could not be happier.
So, do not dispair, you are not at the end, by any means. I was able to keep my son and not surrender him to a 'drug coma'.
One thing that I will warn you about. Maybe you are already experiencing it. Since your son and mine have just about the same type of personalities, adults (teachers, especially) can read him as 'not caring' because he is so laid back and happy. I have (and still do) struggle with this every time we change teachers. Now, I start off each semester with a teacher meeting where I take my son along and explain to them that he DOES care, his personality just can overshadow the disorder. I have also explained to my son that there will be some teachers that will be a harder 'sell' than others. We are experiencing a teacher right now that is 'not buying' the premis that ADHD-I is real. When my son offers to re-do his missed schoolwork even though he will not receive credit, the teacher will eventually come around. That is just how life is going to be for him. He must learn how to compensate for that, too. That is going to happen to him all of his life and he has found that it is just easier to go an extra step than to wait for them to come around.
My son came home the other day and announced to me that he is going to enter JROTC, the Navy after graduation, have the Navy pay for a degree in criminology and then go for the CIA/FBI. So, that is the ADHD-I kid that I have!! ↑ |
| Name: Catcorn | Date: Jan 23rd, 2007 4:10 PM |
| Im from Ireland and have an appointment with my sons therapists on 29th of this month. I dont know if the medication over here will be the same as America but is there any meds anyone would recommend to avoid?? or would it all be trial and error. I had this with his epilepsy medication were we had to keep uping the measure so im back to square one with the ADHD now. ↑ |
| Name: Mikes mom | Date: Jan 30th, 2007 12:48 AM |
Sandik1 -- Thanks for your input. It is funny how you mentioned if he had diabets, we wouldn't forego medication, and we were just discussing that yesterday. My husband and I were both thinking the same thing. Your story gives me hope for my son. We have another appointment with the doc in about a month, hopefully, we will be ready to start on a drug therapy. The doc is not pushing us into it, like some do, and thankfully, we have been really lucky with the new school my son is in. In fact, it was homeroom teacher that brought it to my attention, before I even had a chance to talk to her about it. She did her university thesis on AdHD-I. How blessed are we? She is being really forward with the school board to make sure my son gets all the help he needs. I know that is half the battle. I am in Alberta, Canada and we have a great medical system here when it comes to kids.
Thanks again for your story, it is truly inspirational and good luck to your son. ↑ |
| Name: sarmorky | Date: Jan 30th, 2007 2:19 AM |
Mikes mom,
How does your son feel about being diagnosed with ADHD. I am taking a special education class, and in this class it talks a little about ADHD. My advice would be to find as much support groups or people as you can. Because you are not the only one in the same situation. ↑ |
| Name: Mikes mom | Date: Feb 13th, 2007 10:24 PM |
| Sarmorky - I have been receiving a lot of information from my son's school regarding ADHD groups and and getting in contact with these groups. My son is happy that there is a reason why he is so inattentive, he is happy that we are trying to help him and that is what really matters, his happiness. He is a great kid with real compassion and quite senstive, so I have been worried about how he would feel once he heard of his diagnosis. I think for him, it is a relief that there is a name for his condition and he is not the first kid in the world with this problem. We are continuing to work with educators and other professionals to get him all the help he needs to be a success at school and life. ↑ |
| Name: katiegbg | Date: Feb 15th, 2007 3:17 PM |
| Hi Mike's mom, it sure is scary when you first get that diagnosis, my son was diagnosed back when he was 6 - that's 20 years ago now, he has been on medication since that time and has done great - early on he had some appetite problems and was pretty thin through his early school years but he is all grown up now and rather than worrying about him being too thin he has to watch what he eats to avoid gaining weight. Really the meds used for add work as well with the inatentive kids as the hyper ones - if your child struggles academically they can make a world of difference - be careful not to judge before you have experienced what meds can do - a great book to look at is "Pay Attetnion" by Craig Liden, M.D.. - he's been my son's doctor for 20 years and treats hundred's of kids look for it at translationspress.com. it has a whole section on meds and lots of information on managing behavaior and learning issues. ↑ |
| Name: Mikes mom | Date: Feb 23rd, 2007 8:10 PM |
| An update -- Michael started Concerta yesterday. Could take a while to see a difference in him, I know, but after all the research my husband and I have been doing, we are confident with our decision, but still frightened. Uncharted territory for us. :) ↑ |
| Name: bravebusch | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 6:45 PM |
Don't be afraid of medicine. The harm that can be inflicted on your son if he does not get help/relief is enormous compared to any unknown potential risk from medication.
My 15 year old son has been on Concerta since before it first became comercially available (he was in a clinical trial study) more than 8 years and has no side effects other than being very hungry later in the day. His growth is not compromised - he's 5'11" and an athletic 185 pounds.
He has grown into a confident, compassionate young man. He gets his school work done - though it's harder when he waits till late evening and makes the A honor roll.
The change when he forgets his medicine is dramatic - and unpleasant. Taking Concerta makes behavior change much easier. If your son has been feeling "bad" for 5 years - what impact has that had on his life?
I remember how I cried the day my son was diagnosed. It was hard to accept he's not perfect. But now I am thrilled with the person he has become and I think his medication was a huge positive factor. ↑ |
| Name: aadis | Date: Oct 19th, 2007 5:58 AM |
| Name: mar 22 | Date: Oct 21st, 2007 3:33 AM |
| look up learning breakthrough program this may be of help to you ↑ |
| Name: mar22 | Date: Oct 21st, 2007 3:36 AM |
| also forgot to mention, push to get him a notetaker that take class room notes that will help him be able to keep his focus on what the teacher is saying, also see if he could right test and exams in a quite room with a reader, and have him sitting in the front row of the class room so hes not distracted by everyone in front of him. good luck ↑ |
| Name: David | Date: Oct 23rd, 2007 5:04 PM |
Hi, my girl freind sent me this. I have worked with children with ADD and ADHD a few times. I have had a lot of complements with puting the children, I worked with on B-Complex and Vitamins A&D or fish liver oil. Calcium should help if the child is over active. Other herbs that may help would be Labilia, or Valarian root.
A lot of times I will ask the parents to do something with the child that they find fun to do. A sport or something. In a lot of casses the child does great at that activity and can focus on the activity with no problem. If the child can focus on what they do enjoy. maybe the child doesn't enjoy what they are doing in school. Maybe try a new learning method.
Hope I could help. Good luck!
www.honeycombs.com ↑ |
| Name: Carrie | Date: Mar 13th, 2008 4:48 PM |
| Oh, my! I feel like I just read what is in my mind now! I can't wait to read the other responses you have to your question. I am just at the beginning of this long road. ↑ |
| Name: gumball | Date: Mar 13th, 2008 10:08 PM |
| att: reply to DAVID. good on ya david,.....i like your way of thinking!,....methods,.....thats what we need,.......ADHD is not a sickness,...desease,....or a disorder if u find the right methods to use to overpower and revers it into a positive condition "on your own mind u" and not meds. I find that most parents fear what they dont now and understand,....understand ADHD b4 u judje the condition as a negative condition. it wont hurt. read the topic i sent in : to med. or not to med. thats what i think about having ADHD,....attentive or inattentive. look at it with a diffrent set of eyes people, weve become too blind for our own good. ↑ |
| Name: concerned_mom | Date: Mar 14th, 2008 2:51 AM |
| Hi my son is 10 years old and got diagnosed when he was in first grade. He was on Concerta until last Friday I just couldn't deal with the side effects anymore.He never ate and never slept.I hate it! I found a website called www.treatingADHDnaturally.com and I think it is wonderful I'm gonna order the book. You need to look at this and read what this doctor says before you get to down hearted it is wonderful. ↑ |
| Name: Anna | Date: Sep 23rd, 2008 2:55 PM |
I have adopted three special needs children.
My 16-year-old son has been diagnosed with Intellectual Delays (formerly known as Mental Retardation), Autism, ADD, and Sensory Integration Disorder. My 14 year-old son has been diagnosed with Intellectual Delays, ADD, Sensory Integration Disorder, and Reynaud Syndrome. My 12 year-old son has been diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury, ADD, and Tourette Syndrome.
All three boys take Strattera for ADD, and we have seen remarkable improvement in their academic performance, as well as development of appropriate social skills. The 16 year-old takes 60 mg, the 14 year old was changed from 40 mg to 60 mg a month ago, and the 12 year old takes 80 mg.
With the aid of Strattera, the boys are now able to sit in school, listen, and complete their assignments with minimal assistance. All three are in Special Education, and have a classroom aide available to them in their resource room in addition to their teacher; however, since beginning the use of Strattera, their dependence on the classroom aid has dropped by approximately 50%.
I prefer to not medicate my children. I have seen their behaviors, ability to sit through church, and academic performance without their medication, and the improvement they have experienced since beginning their medication. My only regret is that we did not begin the medication sooner!
It is not fair to deny a child medication for ADD/ADHD and more than it would not be fair to withhold insulin for diabetes or medication for seizures, etc.
With the increased attention capabilities, reduction in conflicts on getting assignments done, reduction in frustration, and increase in self esteem, we have also observed negative behavior become positive behavior.
May you be able to do the same. ↑ |
| Name: Betsy | Date: Dec 25th, 2008 1:23 PM |
| Our son was diagnosed with ADD inattentive type when he was in 5th grade. We tried a variety of meds and several worked extremely well to help him focus. It made a huge difference in school. However he hated them and never would come to terms with ADD. He got into marijuana when he was 13 (his own self medication). He is now 23 and has had a history of substance abuse. He's been in and out of college and right now is fighting hard to stay on that path. It has been agony to watch him struggle, wishing for him to understand this diagnosis and find coping strategies that utilize all his many srengths while getting school accomodation that he deserves. I now doubt that he will ever to that. I hate medication but have really seen it work profoundly with "real" ADD (all types). I hope you find answers that work for you. ↑ |
| Name: floor | Date: Jan 23rd, 2009 3:38 PM |
Hi, my son was diagnosed the same 3 years ago. We tried everything and have now landed on medication as he was really depressed. He is coping now, but school will always be a struggle. He is the most compassionate, gentle, loving boy. Unfortunately this is not an important asset when you are a 10 year old boy, but I am sure when we get him through school, without too much stress, he will become a wonderful adult. Till then he will need all our help.
with medication he can now write on lines and more legible and focus for longer periods of time. He is also more aware of what goes on around him. The only side effect sofar is that he is not hungry at lunchtime, but he compensates in the evening.
Enjoy your wonderfull boy. ↑ |
| Name: Kam's Mom | Date: Jan 27th, 2009 4:59 PM |
My son and I go today to find out his results and are certain he is ADD Inattentive type.
How does behavior fit into ADD. My child
is 7 and so irritable at times we can hardly stand to be around him. Does the meds help in this area? Look forward to anyones reply.
Thanks for your help. ↑ |
| Name: bre | Date: Mar 25th, 2009 12:09 AM |
| Hi my son was diag in 1st grade with the same exact thing!!!! Neurofeedback doesn't work!!! I haven't don e the meds either but I hear they are very helpfull but can cause cardiac problems!!!! I was told by my doctor to have him supervised w/a cardiac doctor if we ever decide to do the meds!!! best of luck to you its hard!!!! ↑ |
| Name: lexy | Date: Mar 29th, 2009 3:04 AM |
| Name: Jackie | Date: Apr 12th, 2009 6:01 PM |
| Well I don’t have any advice about the effects of ADHD mediations, but I do have some advice about simply learning to deal with ADHD. I was very recently diagnosed with Inattentive type ADHD and I am now 21 years old. I have always had people and teachers asking me if I had ADHD and I never, nor did anyone else, knew that I did. It is completely possible to live, manage without medication as I have done so, I suspect, for about 11 years. I do space a lot and can seldom ever get my mind out of “high gear”, but the only problem I see with this is that others consider it a problem. I am attending a highly prestigious private college and am doing very well. I’m not saying that ADHD is a blessing, but it is certainly not a curse. I have a very unique perspective on everything and am always looking to learn new and exciting things, as I imagine your son does as well. I believe that medication would only detract from my creativity and great outlook on life. Good luck with your son and your decision! Remember; just try to look outside the box, because if its not broken…don’t fix it!!! ↑ |
| Name: AussieMum | Date: May 22nd, 2009 11:13 AM |
Hi
My son was diagnosed with ADD Inattentive Type a year ago, and also has significant coordination difficulties. At the time, he was at a school where his teachers just thought he was being lazy - he's been reading since age 3 so they thought laziness was the only explanation for why he couldn't write very well and stay on task (not very helpful). He's now at a fantastic school where he has supportive teachers and in-class support. We also tried him on the Dore program (not sure whether it's in the US but it started in the UK), which is a series of tailored exercises designed to strengthen the cerebellum. It worked well for a while but then the program shut down in Australia :-(. It's still going in the UK. Now, he's experiencing real difficulty with impulse control and managing frustration, and a number of professionals who know him, and who I respect, have suggested maybe it's time to consider a trial of medication. I'm uncomfortable but also don't want to deny him something which could help, so we're going to a specialist who can give us some more information before we make a decision on trialling medication.
My question is - does anyone have any tips on teaching children with ADHD-Inattentive type to manage frustration, and also, does anyone have any guidance on how to talk to a child about medication?
My very best to all of you - it's not an easy path but we are all raising some very interesting, unique and precious children. ↑ |
| Name: Karen | Date: Jun 3rd, 2009 1:41 PM |
My Daughter was also diagnosed yesterday with ADHD inattentive type. At first i felt upset but then i thought of this in a different way....
If my child had a car or bike accident and this resulted in some brain related problem, would i not treat that? The answer is simple.. I would do what i could to help my child. ADHD, no matter what the type is usually a predisposed condition, what the medication will do is level out what parts of the brain are causing the confusion that leads to the inattention.
There are so many different options available. As far as if the benefits outweight the negatives... I feel that they do. If my child will always have problems with paying attention then i had to consider how much information that she is learning is actually being retained in the brain?.. To me if a little medication could improve her life, make her more confident in herself, and help her with learning, reading, and socializing... I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.
You will make the right decision for your child but having worked in the field of Mental Health for a while now, i have seen many positive results from medication. Keep in mind that the best part of your child's treatment will be your understanding and encouragement !!!
Good luck. ↑ |
| Name: tpsmom | Date: Jul 6th, 2009 8:37 PM |
| Hi! I'm new to the forum. My son was diagnosed ADHD Inattentive earlier this year. I, like many, hesitate to drug my child, but know that it works for these children. We are reviewing meds right now to determine which will help him the best. I am inclined to try the Daytrana Patch. Anyone have comments or feedback to offer? I'd really like to hear the pros and cons. Thanks! ↑ |
| Name: Stephanie Anderson | Date: Jul 9th, 2009 5:19 PM |
| Hi, I have a similar story of my own. My little girl who is now eight was diagnosed last year with adhd/innatentive type.Like you I didnt want to put her medication right away so tryed play therapy. She loved her counselor and it worked for a little while. As the school year went on she became very distracted. Homework took us two to three hours every evening. I couldnt imagine what she was going through if it was that hard on me how must it feel to her. I finely decided to talk with her docter. We put her on a low dose of focilinxr. It was unbelievable the change I seen in her. She actually told me herself "the medicine helps mommy". I knew I made the right decision. The dr told me that children her age are usually on 30-40mg. My little girl is on 10. I am so proud that we were able to get the exact help she needed. Home work is so much easier now. She has always been such a sweet little girl, now she is a sweet big girl that can tell me her needs. ↑ |
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