My 7 year old daughter is on the verge of being diagnosed with adhd… we had a dr apt she fits the description and the dr wanted to give meds. She’s about to begin school again and I’m a bit apprehensive about meds fearing she’ll never get off then once she’s on… does anyone have any tips, advice, or suggestions that helped their child? Did you choose meds or an alternative such as diet or anything? I want my daughter happy and successful but Im just fearful meds will “change” her personality and her overall being. First timer with adhd, be kind.
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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. I am worried for my daughter with ADHD: Advice?
I’ve never been through this. I thought my daughter would be diagnosed but was told it was an adjustment disorder. Regulating emotions is not a strong suit in our family so not crazy surprised. I am with you on the medications. I’d worry about it changing “her” as in how she is or who she is. I’d give diets and routines and other methods a try first and foremost. Medications are a last resort option in my mind. I’m sure there are also different medications to try out and find the best fit for her. If you do go the route of medications I’d make it VERY clear you want to start with the lowest dose possible first. Some doctors will give a higher dose to start. That has always made me uncomfortable.
Really do some research i opted out of meds
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There’s no right or wrong path here. And it may even be a bit of trial and error to figure out what works best for your daughter.
I’m in the process of getting my child seen as well and held a view of medications that was particularly outdated. Try having a look at the adhd and sensory groups on fb. The parents there are so well informed ive found them to be really helpful in navigating aspects of parenting that I needed help with.
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Find a child psychologist. They can help you with treatment options. A regular Peds Dr shouldn’t be giving meds for that.
No meds for mine, run and play no sugar.
Coming from a adult that had undiagnosed ADD as a child. School was HARD. Everything was HARD. If u have the diagnosis, get her the right meds, don’t make her suffer.
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She can. They don’t do the addictive ones at that age
I went through if! I put my son on meds. He can focus while he is on them. I can see the diffrrence when he misses one. I dont regret it!
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We tried all the other things before meds, she was struggling, sad and wanted friends. She was getting behavior slips and she couldn’t control it most of the time. We started her meds in May and now she has friends, she’s able to keep her hands to herself, she’s passing her reading and math. She’s 7.5. We’ve know and worked on it since she was 4. She knows she’s different and that’s ok. Her personality is still the same sassy self
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This was my fear as well before I started my child on medication. She was 6. And unfortunately it is trial and error for these medications. You will have to find the right medication for your child. But I looked at it like this…if you had diabetes or high blood pressure …you’d treat it with medication. It’s the same thing with ADHD. You treat the symptoms just as you would with anything else.
But when my daughter came home after the first day of being on the medicine, after me telling her it was a super power medicine… she came home. Happy! Bc she could tell a difference that she could actually focus and do her work. Even a letter from the teacher saying how much of a difference it made for her after just 5mg of Adderall… the smallest dose. I knew I made the right choice. If I wouldn’t have gone thru with medicine she would most definitely suffer through school.c
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Struggled with this very same decision myself in regard to my son, I chose not to medicate. My son’s teachers said he wasn’t unmanageable. He is now 22 and I still question if I made the right decision. School was not easy for him, but I didn’t want to change his personality. Much love and prayers being sent your way
Hold off on medication, try other forms of medicine such as yoga, therapy, nature walks, healthy diet etc. pending what they prescribe it could really effect her daily mood, behaviors, more mood swings plus other side effects. This also could confuse her on how to cope with the situation she has, maybe have her educate herself on it let her learn about it. Best of luck.
My son is ADHD and I opted out of meds. Good diet, exercise, and routine have really helped. The biggest step for me as a parent has been to accept the challenges and change of perspective. You have to look at the world from their perspective and learn along with them how it is best for them to cope with their way of life. Ex- my son has a hard time focusing if he is made to sit still so he has an adult exercise ball that he uses for a chair. He can bounce while trying to focus on his task at hand.
The meds give focus and help with the process
Adhd is something off in the brain. Meds all the way, helps them feel normal.
If she’s diagnosed she should start with behavioral therapy and take it day by day from there. My daughter 6 hated going to school without taking her meds but we usually don’t have her take them weekends or days off school. It’s really whatever is best for you and your family and mostly what will help her most in life, I wouldn’t worry about addiction if it’s something she needs I wouldn’t call that an addiction
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Join a group for parents of ADHD kids. Very informative and helpful. Meds aren’t for everyone but can be incredibly helpful for others.
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I’m simply going to give my own motherly experience with this. It’s only what I’ve witnessed. I have two children with ADHD. I was extremely apprehensive with medication. Especially at a young age. Both of my children were diagnosed at different ages. One at age 5, the other at 14. My older child said to me after she started medication “I wish I would’ve asked for medication sooner. Everything is a thousand times better”. It’s been life changing. The struggle that came with ADHD and school was the size of a mountain. The medication has allowed my children to have the ability to learn. For us that’s a win. It also greatly reduced if not completely got rid of anxiety in them as well. I waited until my kids could advocate for themselves and when they had all the information and were educated about medication, they both chose it and it has been phenomenal.
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My son has been on meds for his ADHD since he was about 5 and he is now almost 13. It doesn’t effect him in a bad away honestly when he takes his meds his grades improve he gets better reports from his teachers. And he isn’t doped up honestly it just mellows him out enough to focus but he is still is fun energetic self just able to control it a little better
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I feel this deep in my heart. My son was in 2nd grade when we noticed so many behavior changes in him. From being unable to keep his hands to himself, mood swings, irritable, poor grades, he wouldn’t pay attention yet he knew all of the stuff being taught.
His teacher recommended we have him seen by the dr. We found a specialist and our fears were confirmed. We also didn’t want to medicate. But let me tell you it was the best thing we could have done for him. The medication combined with diet changes made a drastic change. His grades improved over night. His impulses were regulated. This isn’t to say we haven’t faced hurdles. Lack of appetite, stunted growth, rebound headaches etc… but his self esteem is so much better. He isn’t labeled the troublemaker. He wasn’t, he just didn’t know how to control the symptoms. The medication gave him a useful tool to excel and now he’s in 7th grade, straight As, in an accelerated program called GEMS. Some advice: get rid of the processed food. If she doesn’t have an appetite, feed her small portions and snacks that are well rounded. Lots of water, be ready to provide Tylenol for rebound headaches. Make sure to give foods high in omega 3. Red dye is a trigger and so is boxed Mac and cheese. Research and talk to other parents going through this. Don’t automatically assume medication will be bad, speak to drs get second opinions. Advocate for your child, you’ve got this momma. And I’m not all cases is medication necessary for life.
Just think about those adults who have add and adhd and it’s gone undiagnosed and are currently suffering those symptoms not realizing there’s a solution and help. Ask for slow release and start at a low dose, if you have a good dr they will help guide you through it and not force anything and be willing to change up meds and doses.
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The meds are literally supposed to change her AND some people never get off medication because they NEED it
My daughter had the same issue, I’m big time against medication for children but finally after 2 years my ex wife talked me into it and now she is doing so much better in school. It’s a tricky slippery slope but she will most likely grow out of it. They have lots of different kinds that aren’t so strong. I still don’t like it but I want her to be successful and what she takes really helps her pay attention.
I be have adhd my kids do as well but early on I used many alternative methods never medicated my kids . I had to go on medication and it helped tremendously I was against it but it helped . I had mine in sports , clean eating and cognitive behavior therapy and activities. Being a single Mom therapy helped a lot . I have a MS in Psychology alot of my research was done on adds and adhd . Make sure before meds she goes through the testing these drs who prescribe meds without the diagnosis paperwork and testing are terrible . Those meds can hurt those who don’t need it . Read . Having an organized home and peace helps alot . We did yoga as well. Exercise is huge .
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All 3 of our kids had ADHD. Meds were a godsend for them while they were in school. They outgrew the need for them as they got older and learned strategies for studying.
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I have ADHD. I was diagnosed in 2nd grade and put on medication. I’m now 26 and still on medication. I tried to get off when I was 20/21, tried for about a year and It was AWFUL. I had to get back on them to feel normal. I love who I am and how I feel emotionally when I’m off of them, but mentally, I cannot do it. My advice-- if she gets good grades, can (for the most part) focus, and do what needs done, DO NOT put her on medication. As a child, I know I was very hard to deal with, but as an adult, it’s the worst feeling having to depend on meds to feel like a person. If you can… for the sake of your daughters future self, keep her off❤️
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If she needed insulin would you be worried she’ll never get off it? Her brain needs what it needs. If you can’t make your own brain chemicals store bought is fine. I have ADHD and my life is hell without my meds.
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If she had diabetes, would you give her insulin? Please don’t let her suffer. She can come off the meds if she wishes she gets older. You can give her brakes on weekends and holidays. Don’t let her struggle. I was that kid growing up and it was horrible
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My daughter has been on meds for about a year and a half now. Her personality is the same as before. She’s just not so wild and defiant. She started meds just before she turned 8. She’s much happier because she’s not getting into so much trouble at school or at home. Meds have been life changing for not only her but for us. I felt like the worst mom in the whole world because I just could not handle her before she was on meds. Some days I’d just cry because I didn’t know what to do. I hated the thought of her being on these meds so young, but they have been amazing for us.
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Guanafine is the best out there I was on this and the one my daughter will be going on or Ritalin or Adderall
A couple of questions I have: Did you & your daughter’s teacher fill out the Conner questionnaire, or did the doctor just talk with you and decide she’s ADHD? If the questionnaire was completed and an observation was done, which ADHD type is she? Medication isn’t the only option. My daughter, who was diagnosed with ADHD predominately inattentive type, has never been on medication, but on supplements. She’s currently on Accentrate. There are others out there as well.
But I’d definitely recommend your doctor go through the proper procedure of gathering information, before he just decides she “fits a description,” and diagnoses her. And don’t let Doc pressure you into giving her medication if you’re not comfortable with it.
My son could not concentrate in school and failed grade 1. He went on the meds and aced school after that. The meds helped him so much and when he was 18 he decided to stop taking them and he is now 30 years old with 3 sons and doing just fine.
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If you had a diabetic child would you give them insulin?
Just because adhd doesn’t present as a physical wound doesn’t mean it’s not there
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I followed my gut and did not give my son medication when they said he supposedly had ADHD, two different therapists have said they believe he is high functioning on the spectrum and he has been doing therapy and just matured a little bit over time. I am so glad I did not force medication on him…
I swear every other kid in his school was on medicine last year. I think half the time people just don’t want kids to be kids 
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If it works why stop
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We tried without meds for awhile. Then when we had so much trouble in school and him being kicked off the bus, we started. Took trial and error to find the right ones. He even made honor roll last year. You can tell when he don’t take them too. He’s been on them for 7 years now. He’s no different then he ever was, just has better focus. I’m hopeful we can work on getting him back off them though.
Look at equazen it’s a natural homeopathic medication for kids who have adhd that might help you a bit more and it’s over the counter medication
I think as long as you find the right medication, she will only benefit from it. I’ve seen kids that only do diet changes and even though that’s good my personal opinion is they just can’t focus in school to learn like they need to. No right or wrong answer you need to do what’s right for your family. Good luck!
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I was diagnosed at 14, once I started the meds I improved a lot in school etc… when I was finished school I stopped then no issue, but recently I decided to go back on them and they have helped me slot again.
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my daughter was diagnosed with adhd in the first grade she’s now in 5th we did meds for about 2 1/2 years only during school or when we had things planned we thought she would struggle with per her doctors orders by 4th grade we decided to try half the year without it and she did great so we are going about a year in a half without them she was on apitiseo horrible at spelling that. but i’m told they can grow out of it or they can learn to handle it without meds. as she gets older she calms down more and more so she is t so hyper active as she was.
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I have an ADD son. He started 1st grade, but will have to go back to Kindergarten. He is just not developmentally ready yet. We are going to try meds. We tried everything else before opting to medicate, though. I just want him to be happy and to enjoy school. Good luck, Mama!
My daughter is 14 and has been on meds for ADHD since she was 7… I think the meds work wonders for her. She concentrates more now than before. You can stop the meds if you feel they don’t help at any time with dr approval of stopping. Best of luck mama
My son and I are both adhd. I was diagnosed at a young age but never put on medication. My struggling to focus caused me extreme anxiety and held me back. When it became clear my son had it I didn’t want him to be on medication for the same reasons you mentioned but I gave in after a year. It changed his life instantly. A year ago my anxiety was getting crippling so I got retested and started medication too. I hate I waited so long. My career is better for it, I’m a better mother and my anxiety/stress levels have gone down tremendously. My son has fantastic grades and stopped getting in trouble at school. Get her the help she needs. You will both be thankful you made the decision.
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Go with the meds, it made a world of difference for my son and nephew. Their learning went up 95 percent. It let them focus and be calm. You’ll never know if you dont give it a try. Wish we had meds when I was a kid.
Good luck, hope you find what works for your child
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You can’t think of meds that way. If she were diabetic you wouldn’t say “oh I don’t want to start her on insulin bc then she’ll never get off”. Mental disabilities/illnesses are still disabilities/illnesses. If there is a med that helps, great, take advantage of it.
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My son started his first day today… I refused to do med for 3 years! After trying everything else I went to the doctor today and we will be trying the first medication for him that is non addictive. 
I really didn’t want to do meds but my baby boy is having a hard time and I will try anything if it doesn’t work I will not continue it so on so forth
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My daughter has ADHD and was on meds for many years. I believe a person has ADHD for life. We got rid of sugars and carbs long before seeking medical treatment as dietary restrictions were worse than worthless. They gave a false sense of hope that never materialised.
In addition to meds, my daughter also went to a psychiatrist every other week to help her (and me) identify appropriate choices in her daily life. With the psychiatrist’s help, we were able to get her school to move key class work and lessons such as math to those times of day when her attention span would be the greatest.
A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor. My daughter’s medications were closely monitored, she had frequent blood tests, and she had frequent evaluations to confirm the typical stresses of education and life did not affect her mental health or wellbeing.
You have to decide what is best for your daughter. I shared what I did. As an adult, my daughter is a go-to person for her company and she is an expert problem solver. She is an actuarial, keeping track of a lot of critical data. She found she no longer needed medication to help her get through her days. She still has functionality issues when there is a lot loud noise from multiple voices in the work environment as these affect her ability to focus but she can rely on what she has learned to mange her stress, regroup, and get her focus back.
This issue is about your daughter. If you can, put aside societal biases. No one, absolutely no one, needs to know how your daughter is working through her ADHD. You are not under any obligation to share this with family or friends. I suggest that you do not share this making an exception for only a very trusted few. You will want to discuss this with your daughter’s school particularly if her doctor has suggestions regarding her school work and assignments.
Girls with ADHD were very rare when my daughter was growing up. I don’t know if this is still the case. When I was in school, kiddos with ADHD were so heavily medicated, they could barely function. I believe times have changed but if you see otherwise, get another doctor.
My child diagnosed 30 years ago. Only medication if it helps your child to learn and be focused. If it impairs them sleeping. No afternoon pills. I did not give on days off or summer. If a really good doctor there should be plenty of labs done. And medication monitor too. There are other ways to help but takes dedicated teachers and parents working together. It’s hard work but necessary to help your child.
My adult son has ADHD and ADD and I would not Medicate him . Big mistake for school and raising him . I , too , was scared . He is doing very well
Since he is on the medication. Please listen to your doctors advice
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My son started at about that age. I only give him the meds during school. No weekends or breaks.
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Like you don’t lie these medications
My grandson had drug problems later on
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It depends on what meds the doctor puts the child on. I know Atterol is amphetamine and has lots of side affects including getting hooked and turning adolescence into drug addicts
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I have family members with this diagnosis and my 4 year old is diagnosed with this - my son is to young to give medicine right now will see when he starts elem but all you can do is try it and if it helps you will know! If they really have adhd then this will be good for him to help him balance and life! My nurse told me it’s important we treat this - because when they get older they will self medicate with street drugs I believe most addicts have adhd! You know if they really have adhd because uppers affect them as downers. Also my cousin who is on this his 8 and they started him with a low dose and later noticed when they needed to higher it! Also the nurse did tell me we will know or the person will know know when it’s time to get off it - when they are older they can always get off!
Living with untreated ADHD is awful as a child, you’re often in trouble, confused, overstimulated, and eventually depressed. It takes more than medication though. It takes a family that becomes educated and invested in understanding the way the child thinks and learns. It takes trial and error, lots of parental advocacy, and soooo muuuch patience. It’s cognitive and behavioral therapy to find/create ways to navigate everyday life that will be ever changing and evolving as your child grows and matures.
Medication is only one part of help with ADHD, it’s not a cure, it’s just one aspect of calming your brain.
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I chose meds after attempts of other natural things. Cbt, therapy, routine one step directions etc. The meds helped my son so much. His anxiety went down as well. There is a stigma on medication and children. But just like an asthmatic needs an inhaler a person with ADHD needs medication.
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Diet can affect EVERYTHING! Please look into that before you decide on medication… the standard American diet is full of crap… it might help, which could keep you child safe from the side effects of the medications… I wish I had more knowledge before I subjected both my kids to meds… 
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My son was diagnosed at 7. I honestly waited for meds until he started having issues in school. My son is now 10 and I allow him to lead the doctor appointments since no one but him can tell the doctor how the meds are working and how he is feeling. He’s been on them for a year an a half. He went from getting all negative remarks to now being in the top of his class. I also have cut out all dyes and a lot of junk. That helps. I also have him in therapy that teaches him how to control his outbursts when his meds wear off. Over medicating is what causes the “change” my son is still is happy self and hasn’t changed at all other than he can focus better. He is still full of energy and never stops.
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My sister was diagnosed and as weird as it sounds coffee fixed it. At 6 years old she was drinking coffee every morning before school and it’d actually calm her down.
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We choose meds with 1 of our 3 children cause it was bad with him he needed the meds just to b able to speak a clairvoyant sentence without the med he couldn’t get words out his mouth he’d run them all together and u couldn’t understand him my daughter also is adhd but is non medicated I believe she has more control over the matter than the middle son does
My son is almost 9 and has combined add/adhd and we finally have him on the right medication regimen. Find the right support system and do what is best for your child
I would wait and only do medication if absolutely necessary. My son is adhd and had some issues in prek and kindergarten but he just started the 4th grade and he’s doing great. We choose not to do meds and he is like a different kid now. He still has his moments but he is able to rein in his emotions much better now. I would personally wait until she is older and go from there.
I was on adhd meds through out 4th-8th grade and I just stopped taking them and learned how to control my energy, but when I was on them I wouldn’t eat the 8 hours in school and a couple hours after school so about 10 hours then I would raid the fridge when they wore off
Meds. My son focuses better w/them. A/B student! He takes them in morning before school… wears off by 5pm. Sleeps well @ night.
I would think it would depend on how she is affected by it. We started meds for my 9 yr old at 7. We’re still trying to get things figured out though but they have helped some. I don’t think we have found the right fit yet. The first med worked really well for the first yr and a half and then she was suddenly getting sick so we had to make a switch. Still trying that switch out….
For whatever reason, red dye seems to make it worse. I’d definitely try eliminating that
My 4 nephews all are on some ADD or ADHD meds. It was the best decision for them. It helped them to focus and when they miss a dose they are absolutely wild, just uncontrollable hyperness, danger to themselves & each other and very destructive. The oldest is 13 now but as a young boy he was the one most affected. The 3rd boy is most like him in temperament and is almost 8. He would get into things and make poor and often dangerous decisions, like drug his 4 yr old lil bro out on the roof through the window and fell off. It was often like having hyper quads all In the toddler age until just a few yrs ago. They needed constant supervision and could not be left alone for even a minute. We don’t get to see them often they live 10 hrs away but they were always a lot at once. We love them but have lots of respect for their parents lol No one wants to med a child of course but the meds today for ADHD are so much better than they were years ago in 80s & 90s. My husband’s whole fam has some form of ADHD from his grand pa to mom & brother, several cousins & a few aunt’s & uncles. Most of the adults (other than the boys’ dad & my husband) have never took meds. A few cousins have but are adults, some of their kids do. My point is that meds don’t make their personality diff just help them to focus and calm down enough that they can listen and do school work or just not have multiple tantrums or be constantly in trouble or destructive. They are sweet boys and meds have been the best for them so they can be the best they can be!
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If you don’t want him on meds say NO!!! He may grow out of it! My 10 year old son works with a counselor from Beachbrook, and is on no meds!! I do not agree with the meds!! My 13 year old was on meds for a year and I said no way!! He was like a zombie! He didn’t eat, didn’t want to sleep, and lost weight!! It was terrible, we even tried different meds. I’ll never do that again to my children. God bless, hope you can figure out what’s best for your little one.
I think “How to ADHD” is a really great channel.
She’s big into the science of ADHD, has done a TED talk, and written a neat “fish song”…but I thought this video might be the place to start.
Just google - adverse effects of ritalin on school age children, and that will be more than enough for you to make your decision
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Mine has it I tired meds horrible she has been without meds for years just constant redirecting them and help from schools and counseling helps YEARLY school IEP helps learn their progress and programs to help
Some illnesses require meds- if the illness is a lifetime illness then they will have to take meds for the rest of their lives. Listen to doctors, they went to schefor this stuff.
Try some dietary changes. It helps Mt oldest daughter.
I suggest you to tell your dr to do a gene site test on her. It tells you mess thats compatible with her body my son is 16 and was diagnosed at 5 I highly recommend it. It helps put her on the right meds instead of them just trying stuff
ADHD meds actually work to regulate the person so that one day they’ll not need meds or have the issues with adhd, the sooner you start her on the the easier it will be for it to get under control.
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My son was diagnosed at 7. He is now 16. We tried meds, but all had adverse affects. Stomach issues, mood changes, and sleep issues. We ultimately ended up checking his diet, getting rid of the dye, getting him on a rigid sleep schedule, kept him in sports and activities, and when expectations were made, we walked him through them. What that looks like-not just go clean your room, but:hey let’s go clean your room then stand there and give him very detailed steps on what “we” are doing, but have him do. He is 16 now and stays consistent with his bed time, and rides bike, does culinary, FFA, and helps us with his little sister. He thrives on routine. When school is out, it causes depression. Keep them busy. But not in a chaotic way. Hope that helps. It is manageable without meds.
We did meds with my son starting in kindergarten. It was like night and day. He didn’t participate at all and was all over the place. Put him on meds and he was raiding his hand sitting still, and participating. He got great grades. His 5th grade year he decided he wanted to try without for a quarter. He was in trouble constantly and grades tanked. He agreed and back on meds. Grades back up trouble stopped. There are so many meds out there. Keep trying until you find one that works right. He would sometimes go off the meds on the weekend and off in the summer. He said when he was older that it really helped him be able to focus and concentrate
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Meet Roman!
Roman is your average 8 year old boy. He loves being outdoors and has all the energy in the world. (I wish I had 1/2 of his natural energy!)
When Roman was 5 he was struggling with keeping focused at school. He wasn’t excelling like the rest of his classmates. He was falling behind. His little mind was always onto something other than what his teacher was teaching. After a lot of thought and consideration we decided to take him to the pediatrician with our concerns. They did a ADHD evaluation. My boy was in fact diagnosed with ADHD!
From that point they started him on medications. We had doctors visits every 3 weeks. We tried countless medicines. Nothing seemed to be a “fit”. When he was almost 8 they found something that seemed to help. After about 6 months he started having sleep regression and anger outburst. He couldn’t even control his own thoughts or feelings. He wasn’t gaining weight or growing he was 8 years old and 45 pounds. At this point I was done with seeing him suffer from this medicine and not being himself. I prayed. I cried. Just when this happened I was introduced to Tranont. I seen a testimony from Oksana about her son and his adhd. I decided along with my husband that we should at least give this natural method a try with Roman. We decided to take him off his medication and supplement with the plant based supplements. We started him on suthe and focus! (He says the suthe taste like horse per🤣 how does he even know what horse pee taste like?) even though he says this he takes it 2 times a day and if I forget—-he’s reminding me!
I am happy to say since May—Roman has gained 20 pounds! He is in control of his emotions and thoughts. And he doesn’t need pharmaceuticals to control his life. He is thriving. He is able to be himself and do all the things!!! He is learning at the pace he should be (even more so in reading)!
I’ve got my boy back. And he has himself back!
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My son was diagnosed ADHD, O.C.D., O.D.D. and bipolar at 4 yrs old. At about 15 months I noticed things in him that I had seen in my nephew that also has ADHD. Then came the anger outbursts, the unbearable behavior issues and lack of attention. It got to the point both my ex wife and I were feeling defeated we didn’t know what to do anymore. She was in denial from when he was q5 months until 4 when she finally let me take him in to be evaluated. The doctor could hear him from in the hallway… walked in and saw how he was behaving and immediately told us to see a pediatric behavioral psychiatrist. We went to the appt and got the diagnosis. We started him on meds that day. We tried a non stimulant first but it didn’t make much of a difference so we asked for a medication switch. He was then put on adderall and omg he is a completely different kid! For the better! His anger outbursts are on rare occasions, he focuses so much better now, yes the meds have “stunted” his growth but he was a little guy before. There are definitely pros and cons to each medication. You need to do whatever is best for your child. For mine medication was the route to go. He is 7 now and thriving in school as well as his social life.
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I’ve been on meds since I was 6.its helped tremendously
My almost 7 year old daughter started Focalin xr for adhd in July…it was the best decision we ever made. It has not changed her or made her zombie like. She is still very bubbly, loving and talkative. But she can now look us in the eye when talking, can stand still to have a conversation and can focus while doing school work. She says it makes her feel better and her brain doesn’t go crazy anymore. It also is helping her sleep at night, she no longer has night terrors every night, she is not crying in her sleep or tossing and turning she wakes up fully rested and ready for school. We started her on 5mg once a day after 4 days we noticed no change so we moved her to 10mg and that’s what she’s been on since, we are thinking about upping it to 15mg because we noticed it’s wearing off earlier and with homework and extra curriculars after school we need it to last a little longer.
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I dont recomend starting her with the new school year . I try them on my son during school break to be there for any side effects or reactions. At least start on a 3 day weekend.
Stay away from red and blue dye foods.
Try giving her coffee. It has opposite affect.
Have u tried cbd instead of the other meds?
Magnesium complex and B12,vitamin D complex
I was on meds from that age and I’m not ok as an adult. I can’t cope with anything or clean, even finish my high school education at 25, I dropped out at 17 and have tried to go back. I stopped taking meds at 16 cause of how it made me feel. I needed someone to teach me how to cope with having adhd, not meds
I wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my 40s, and only because of getting my son diagnosed & reading how it presents in girls & women. Being somewhat overscheduled & getting tons of activity (would ride my bike for hours, run with neighborhood kids, took ice skating then dance, in every activity possible, etc.) helped me cope as a kid when we didn’t know about ADHD, but it’s a different world now, decades later.
With my son, his dad & I had to stand over him for hours getting him to do his homework. He was naturally very bright, but figured out in middle school finally realized he’d have to study to advance. We finally put him on Strattera & he became the perfect child, but he didn’t like it. We made a deal that if he kept his grades up he didn’t have to take it. He was also a bit overscheduled (routine & moving from one activity to another actually helped), played sports, & was involved in lots of activities. At karate & Boy Scouts others helped him to behave better.
We also had helpful friends and neighbors who pitched in helping to raise him & providing guidance and giving us a break from watching him like a hawk every moment he was awake. Many of his teachers were awesome too, helping to channel his energy & taming his impulsiveness, though he got in trouble a fair amount. We sent him to a small private school for elementary where he got a lot of personal attention.
He got a college degree in chemical engineering, joined the military as an officer (structure and routine but also overwork & unpredictable deployments) and just got married about a year ago. He’s a real success story, but it was a real struggle when he was young & we were exhausted between he & his (non-ADHD, but still challenging) sister.
It’s exhausting, but you can take him off meds after school and on weekends sometimes. May take a while to get the right dose & medication, but they can certainly help. It’s extra exhausting being a parent of a kid, but especially so when they have ADHD. The good news is we tend to be very bright, extremely creative, and can be outgoing, popular, and natural leaders.
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l Get paid over $109 per hour working from home. l never thought I’d be able to do it but my buddy makes over $14297 a month doing this and she convinced me to try. The possibility with this is endless.
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I come from the opposite end being a 45yo recently diagnosed adhd and asd. I wish I had been diagnosed and medication at a much younger age. My life wouldve been so much easier. Meds for me have been a game changer.
Jen I didn’t know love to you xo
I have contended for some time that ADHD is way overdosed. Are there kids, and adults, that need the medications? Sure. But more and more over the years I observed many kids being needlessly medicated. Between the medical field, pharmaceutical companies, it’s big money and the school systems follow along so the kids can sit like zombies.
When my son was young his teacher felt he had ADHD because he was finishing his class work well before classmates, at which time he would do things like rocking in his chair, crumpling paper. Or standing up. Turns out he was turning in his work, quickly and correctly. I told the teachers to give him more work, something to occupy his time.
As he got older he excelled at several sports and scouting but knew he had to behave and complete his work to participate. I was involved in all of this, which I believe encouraged him. It doesn’t have to be sports, music, art, and many other activities can be a positive influence. I was involved in his participation in his chosen activities and he excelled.
One example to show this was that one year he was excelling at football. The very next day after the season was over he and a couple of friends got in trouble on the bus, getting up, crawling under the seats, etc.
Sometimes just being active with your child, giving something they like to do as encouragement, and having the knowledge of misbehaving causing the lose of an activity will reveal your child doesn’t need drugs, it needs you being a parent.
My son is now 27, no brushes with the law, and has worked and excelled in the home important/construction field for over 10 years.
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l Get paid over $109 per hour working from home. l never thought I’d be able to do it but my buddy makes over $14297 a month doing this and she convinced me to try. The possibility with this is endless.
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It is definitely exhausting at times trying to find the right med for each child but when they do it’s like a breathe of fresh air. I was the same way about not wanting the meds to change my child’s personality but there are meds out there that will let them be them but a nice, helpful, better listener. Adhd meds are not addictive. You can definitely change the lifestyle, exercise, and overall things you do to help a child with adhd but most times they still need that little med to help their brain slow down and focus. A person once explained it to me as, “ it’s like the nerve in the brain firing rapidly over and over and never getting a break or slowing down but when they get the right med it’s like they finally get to take a breathe and relax, slow a bit. Every child is different and every child responds differently to everything, just take your time and try different things and see what works best for you and your child. You will be ok, and your child will be ok. Sending prayers for you both.
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l Get paid over $109 per hour working from home. l never thought I’d be able to do it but my buddy makes over $14297 a month doing this and she convinced me to try. The possibility with this is endless.
Go to This. https://IncomeGreat175.pages.dev/
I do meds with my son who was diagnosed ADHD in 3rd grade. He’s on focalin. It’s a time release med, so it’s literally just to help focus and wears off by the end of the day. It does not change the chemical balance of his brain. And he doesn’t have to take it on the weekends. Or in the summer. (Unless needed) I was apprehensive about putting him on meds too at first. But told the pediatrician up front, that if we do meds I did not want him on Adderall or Ridlin. So he suggested Focalin, and we started on a super low dosage and went from there. Best decision I’ve made for him. He can focus now, his grades went up. His confidence even went up! You’ve got this mama!
My child started in meds in 2nd grade. He’s 17 yrs old now and off of them. He understands his condition and knows his triggers so he knows how to control himself. It’s not a lifetime of pills if she learns herself.
My son was diagnosed this past December and I tired everything natural before putting him on meds! From cutting sugar and soda diet and other things! Nothing worked! But when he stared to have major behaviors at school is when I decided to! His ADHD is impulsivity he can’t control his impulses but now he’s on meds he’s doing so much better! He’s more focused and is doing so much better in school. I also have him in therapy cause they work with him on how to respond to things and how to work through problems! Both have been a life saver for me!
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Every kid is different. My son was put on meds at a young age. I was against it but trust the doctor. I was so lucky to have great teachers for him. Between my son, the teachers, doctor & us, we worked together. We did different things such as giving me task with steps. First it was two steps, then three & so on. After a year he was off meds & never went back. He is a adult now & fine
Take food dyes and addictive out of her diet. Make sure she gets enough of sleep. Also exercise. You don’t want her overstimulated
my 10 yr olds adhd and on meds u may be worried but going throu her not on them to on them rather her on them
Some kids on ADHD meds thrive. It helps their sleep patterns and helps them focus. As they grow, it needs constant adjustment which can be tricky. I haven’t seen them affect the personality of these kids. However, I have the kid who doesn’t respond well to meds, not even melatonin. The only thing we can really do is be supportive and understanding. Encouragement can help with focus, good sleep hygiene can help at night, writing things down can help with poor memory or communication skills etc. I’m not aware of any dietary changes, although I’ve had some say that energy drinks or caffeine helps (sadly doesn’t help mine).
No meds let her live
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