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Medication for ADHD

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Next time I go to CAMHS we have to talk about medication for R's ADHD. I feel uneasy about it, particularly any long term side effects. There is also another problem. This child refuses to take any medicine at all. Not even calpol. We managed to get his first lot of antibiotics down him when he was 5 and a half and this took a lot of doing. I managed it by putting a Haribo (had to be Haribo) gum in his mouth and then giving the medicine, but since then he has refused calpol and ibuprofen by the same method. So even if I do decide we can try it, I dont think he will take it!

 

Anyone else have this problem?

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My ds has medikinet XL for his ADHD I was very reluctant as he is only 4 and it is not licenced for under 6's but it makes a big difference he will take the capsule but it can be mixed with yogurt.

 

The effects last about 6 hours and the few days he hasn't had it are noticeable. The real test will be next week when there will be a lot of disruption around him.

 

We are in our one month trial at the end we have to decide to continue, that will be a hard call, I'm thinking yes and use it when we need to such as social occasions, and occasions that will be stressful but not day to day.

 

It is such a hard choice.

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I think when it comes to deciding on Medication of ADHD it is a personal choice, no one can decide it for you or make you give your GS medication, it has to be because you generally feel he needs it to develop and to help him.

 

You wont know that until he takes it, even if he takes it depending on what the ADHD medication is can take time and close monitoring, first few months of medication is difficult to gage too, as you have to increase dose slowly and then make notes of any changes, In some medication for ADHD there is no changes for months so it depends on what medicaiton they are considering.

 

Researching ADHD medication can be scarey as there is many websites and other organisations that suggest the medication is dangerous or is not really helping ADHD in the long run.

 

It is a very difficult and personal decision to make, you could get further advice from ADDISS or National Autistic Society who have further information on ADHD with Autism.

 

I would ensure that there is a full physical medical before any medication is administered and once administered it is closely monitored both at home and school, including any after school activities.

 

I would like to see a lot more support for children with ADHD and AS/ASD not just medication, so behavioural support, educational needs assessed and then met, it is no good just depending on the medication if at the end of the day the child with ADHD+ can not cope in a mainstream education without additional support or provisions and where the parents do not get adaquate services to help provide the right management for challenging behaviour when associated with ADHD+.

 

If medication is to be considered ensure there is a full support package in all areas of his development and support for carers.

 

Too many childrens medication is the first to be looked at before looking at supporting the child in other areas, such as extra support in the classroom, 1-1 teaching, smaller groups, dietary needs, parents support ect...

 

J has been on ADHD medication and it did help him a lot with many of his ADHD symptoms however J lost a lot of weight and increased his ASD traits and no longer takes ADHD medication and so we use a multi range of therapies and interventions to help support him.

 

JsMum

 

 

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My daughter takes Concerta for her hyperactivity and she became a different child almost overnight. We were very wary of medication but agreed eventually to a 30 day trial - and it made a huge difference to her ability to learn in School. The concerta tablet is slow release so she takes only one tablet a day which lasts for 12 hours.

 

We were also concerned that she was a child who refused to take medication (vivid memories of chasing her round the house to take antibiotics) - however it has come to be a routine. At first significant bribary was needed - the tablet was taken in yoghurt or fromage frais and a sticker for each day added up to a present at the end of a week. However now it is so much a part of a routine that she merely swallows the tablet with water.

 

She has become so much calmer that we actually wondered if she still needed them these days - until we forgot a tablet one Saturday and realise that she was being really silly in the supermarket!

 

 

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HI, my son started Concerta XL for ADHD a week ago. He's on 18mg which I beleive is the starting dose. They wanted to put him on it last septemeber but I said no because I wanted to see how extra help at school changed his behaviour - its got worse though! Last week she TOLD me I needed to try it because she had heard he was't coping at school so we are giving it a go.

 

I'll let you know how we get on.

 

Its a very hard decision isn't it. She told me at that meeting that he wasn't going to change and would not get better so that and the thought of him being on meds really upset me for that whole week!

 

Anyway, going to post again about this subject now.

 

Good luck with your decision.

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As a primary teacher who has had quite a few ADHD children in my classes over the years, I'd say that you made the right choice, seeing how extra help panned out before accepting medication. However, I have found that the difference in children on medication is usually amazing. They have thinking time, they are more able to control their behaviour, concentrate and contribute to their class and their learning. They find friendships easier too. They become happier in school because they are more successful in everything they do, rather than it being an uphill struggle. It all seems to make sense to them - before it was just gobledygoop really because they couldn't stop, think and process the information they were bombarded with.

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