Would you put your child on meds if he/she had adhd??

Question

The only thing that really bothers me about my 10 year old adhd daughter is that she does not listen. I ask her to do something and she hit me right in the face with this --What did you say? Or I'll tell her to vacuum her floor and I go look 2 hours later and it's not done. She say she forgot. But her teacher say it's getting in the way of her work at school. I'm new at this adhd. So, someone help me with this question. Thanks

Answer 1

I would try a diet for ADHD kids forst but I am not against medication. It sounds like it would be a good idea if it is effecting her learning

Answer 2

I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), and I'm one of the children of the 80's that took Ritalin.  I don't think it helped me and neither did my parents, so I only took it about 3 years.  I still have the disorder but I learned how to deal with and haven't taken anything in 20 years for it.  My advice is to explain to your child what's going on.  That there is nothing wrong she just has to work a little harder than her classmates.  It's what my mother did and it made a WORLD of difference for me.  I don't feel drugs are the answer now, but there might be something to help her concentrate now that can help get her back on track, then she can be taken off the medication later.

Answer 3

Ditto Ryans' Moms answer. Doctors are WAy too quick to push the pills for this. Behavior modification therapy and possible change in diet. Read up on the latest literature on this subject...make it your business to know the latest techniques and research.. This is a tuff one. It will require patience and dedication from ALL parties involved.

Answer 4

I think it would be a tough choice. On one hand, meds can do wonders to your child. I know myself because my older sister has ADHD and after she took meds, she is perfectly normal. On the other hand, meds can be a hassle to pay for, to remember to remind her to take, and to get prescriptions. It's your own decision. I, myself, would go for medication.

Answer 5

I agree with Melissa. My son  is 8 and has ADHD. I wish that I was able to home school, but that is not an option for us. I was really skeptical about medications. I have tried several for my son. Some meds seemed to help and some meds really messed him up. Right now my son is going to a special school. Although his psychiatrist has said that children who are not put on meds early so that they can learn to function in society have a lower success rate  than children who are medicated,  I have elected to not use meds. The school that my son goes to will support whatever it is that I decide. This is comforting, since the world that we live in today, I feel , seems to have less of a tolerance for children and there behaviors. When you try medications you have to keep a close eye on possible side effects and any unexpected changes in there behavior. It has been a year now since my son has been off meds and his grades have improved. I wonder if perhaps the 3-4 years that he was on meds if it helped at all or if he just needed time to mature a little.

I think that teachers today are too over loaded and are not given the rescources and training needed to handle the variety of learning styles that our children have.

I had many of the same symptoms as my son when I was a child and even though my mother dragged me from one doctor to the next, changing my diet and trying everything she heard of, I was not medicated for more than a week or so during my childhood. I have survived I do not have a criminal record, as some doctors have implied awaits my son unmedicated. I don't think that there is anything wrong with trying meds, initially it was necessary, my son was very violent and needed to be restrained. Behavior therapy, a strict set of rules and routine has made a big difference for him. He is emotionally delayed and in time I hope that, like me, that he will continue to grow out of the many behaviors that have held him back.

Perhaps you should investigate if your school district will cover the cost of a private special school, mine does and it has really made a differance for my son. There are many services available for children with behavioral issues.

I think that there is too much pressure on kids to be normal and the same. We are all individuals and derserve to be accepted for our quirks. There are many famous minds out there that were not medicated and although to the world they may have seemed strange they have suceeded being who they are.

Answer 6

If they helped, yes. Without hesitation. There is nothing virtuous about denying a child the medication their body needs to function properly, whether they are an insulin dependent diabetic or ADHD. I really don't get this modern fad that doing the opposite of what the doctor recommends automatically means that you know better than him.

That said, you have to have the right drug for the right child. If my child was put on a drug which didn't help, or which had unacceptable sideeffects, I would go back to the doctor and tell them we needed a different option.

In your situation, maybe you should try getting your daughter's attention before you ask her to do something? My son doesn't have ADHD but he does tend not to listen - I always start off with "look at me" and only give him the instruction when I know he's listening properly.

Answer 7

My daughter is ADHD. I was torn between to medicate or not to medicate. In the end I chose the medication. This was after the long struggle of my child flunking in school, not paying attention, getting out of her seat, etc etc etc. Her ADHD was affecting her learning and her social skills. It is every parents choice which route to take. Make sure you talk to your doctors, teachers, and psycharitrist before you take any steps. Research the medication and the natural methods to see which works best for you. Know all the risks of the child taking it and the child not taking something and weigh them. Every med out there has side effects and every med can cause severe problems. Research what the chances of that is. My daughter has been on it for 3 years now. She now has friends, a teachers pet, and she is still somewhat struggling but she is passing everything.

Answer 8

I do have a child with adhd, and we do not use medication. I chose rather to homeschool him so that he would have time to mature on his own schedule without the damage from public schools. Several studies have shown that adhd is partly a maturity issue, and that as you grow older you develop coping mechanisms (and indeed, as adults, the ability to multitask is going to be great, I have two adult friends with adhd who are amazing!)

Ten is still pretty young for a lot of chores, don't beat yourself up. you might look at something like 'Chorepacks' from the Maxwell family, it's helped us with chores. http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products...

Answer 9

My answer is no - I would give ADHD vitamins and ADHD diet a try first.

Answer 10

My son is on ritalin 4 times a day and if he wasnt on it it would be one fit after the other and not listening... I have tried every other method before the meds but nothing worked... So yes i would definately put my child on meds... they will start her out with a low dose and that could help u alot...

Answer 11

I was a child of the 90's, but I always thought that ADHD was more of a crutch term, in many schools I would be termed as ADHD, but I just didn't care to do anything around the house.  

I would be told to mow the lawn, I'd say "yeah, yeah, yeah", and 3 hours later I'd still be in my room playing Madden, does that mean I should be on meds (and, yeah, to avoid punishment I would normally say I forgot the lawn mowing too)?  I still have selective hearing, we all do to a certain extent, at least your daughter gives you a sentance, my reply hasn't changed from the time I was 10, "huh???".  If YOU think that is the best route for your daughter, go ahead, but I can tell you, after years in public school fairly reciently, 99.9% of kids labeled with ADHD are just typical kids for this day in age, and do not need medications.  I am friends with a family with a kid who has that label, he has taken meds before and his parents are thinking about making him take it again for the reasons you listed above, I take this kid to games all the time, he is great when he is with me, but at home he is himself with a typical 12 year old attitude, I can't imagine the kid on meds for being normal, just many people haven't figured out that the definition of "normal" has evolved since the 70's and 80's...look at your kids friends before making any decisions for the medications.

Answer 12

It would have to be pretty severe for me to medicate my child.

Answer 13

I would not unless I have recieved a second opinion, a third opinion, a fourth opinion, even a fifth opinion.  If I KNEW my child had true adhd, I would consider it but I would research until my brain could fit nothing more.  I have seen sooo many doctors diagnose ADD or ADHD because a child is hyper, how many 5 year olds do you know that are not hyper?  They diagnose becaue a child does not pay attention in school or does nto want to do homework, I NEVER EVER wanted to do homework and I did not want to pay attention in school.  If a child is hyper, if a child does not do school work, if a child does not want to clean hosue is not a reason to be diagnosed with ADHD.  If I were you I would honestly get a few other opinions because it is being misdiagnosed constantly.

Answer 14

My son has ADHD and I dont know what I would do with him IF he wasn't on meds. I can see a difference in his attitude, behavior and overall demeanor if he skips his meds for a day...that is how important those meds are for him. He tries to control his anger, aggitation and inability to focus without the meds sometimes, but it only makes him more agititated and upset. So YES, try some of the medications prescribed to help your daughter out and she will also notice the difference in her behavior. It is sad that we have to do this but I really think some of the kids really need it.

Answer 15

I have a 10 yr old with ADHD.  We have been medicating him for 6 yrs now.  We have tried taking him off, but it makes it hard for him to focus and function at an acceptable and normal level.  I do agree in part witht he fact that a lot of kids are misdiagnosed and drugs are usually a docs first choice, but as long as you do your research and stay in control then you are not blindly following docs orders, therefore I say to the docs... push away, but I will say what my son will and will not have and if I am not comfortable with something than the doc needs to move on.

That said, if you have an actual diagnosis then and have exhausted all other avenues, then I would medicate if it were my child.  It almost sounds more ADD than ADHD though.  Treatments are a lot the same.  

I have to say that we have had our son thoroughly tested, even as far as to take him to a neurologist and have him tested for epilepsy.  We have ruled it all out and come down to the simple fact that it is ADHD.  I would not suggest taking the child out of school and homeschooling them.  These kids really really need socialization with peers their own age.  It really helps give them an idea of what is and what is not age appropriate or expected.  On top of the fact that although behaviour is usually the reason parents are getting the diagnosis they are, this is an intellectual issue.  These kids are very intelligent and if given the opportunity to focus -by taking medication- they will academically soar!  We have done all the research, we have done behaviour modification, tested food allergies, put him on a diet that excluded all red dyes and sugars etc.  We have a very very structured home environment.  But...as great as all that is, the fact of the matter is that these kids are missing something that the medication helps substitute for.  If you can get your daughter to focus, not only will she do better academically, she will be more apt to remember to vaccuum or hear what you say the first time you say it.  Keep in mind that even though some of that is indicitive of a 10 yr old... Imagine having a tv with 50 channels all playing at once in your head and trying to catch what your mom tells you the first time, or if you do catch it - do you hear her correctly and if you do... can you make it to your room before it is lost in the shuffle of all the other stuff you are trying to filter through???

Lastly... I always tell people... if your child had epilepsy would you medicate her?  It is a neurological disorder that in some cases can be helped with diet and plenty of sleep, but the true benefit comes from medicating.  If you would medicate for that, why would you not medicate for ADHD?

And as far as people dying from these meds.... I had an uncle die from a penicillin injection... are we all not going to take penicillin anymore??  Meds no matter what they are will have different effects on different people.  There is no harm in you consulting your physician and finding a med that you are comfortable with and trying it out.  If it doesn't work... then tell the doc you want to stop.  No biggee.

But if it were my child... I would definatly at the very least explore that avenue.  

I hope this helped!!!!  Good Luck!!!!

Answer 16

she sounds normal -how was ADHD determined?  consider behavior modification, a reduction in stimuli, counseling, parenting classes, a full medical physical, and a different type of school.

Answer 17

Don't even consider putting her on medication without a PROPER diagnosis from a pediatrician or psychologist.  Even then, take what they say with "a grain of salt".  

When my dd was 9, they tried to tell me the same thing at her school (no proper diagnosis, only a teacher's opinion).  I promptly removed her from school and we haven't looked back.  By the way, she did NOT have ADHD (after testing).

All too often, teachers are recommending these drugs simply because of their failure to reach all of the kids.

Answer 18

im adhd.

and on ritalin.

and its slowed me down like a mother ******.

forreal.

and im 16.

mmhm.

if i didnt take it, school would be much harder

Answer 19

I worked for 7 years as a Campus Supervisor for an Elementary School. We dealt with the Challenged, Severely Challenged, ADHD, Downs Syndrome, and combinations of disorders, and various children with various disabilities. Some parents that absolutely resisted the meds for their kids and the behavior problems that existed with their child caused great grief for all involved with the child as well as the danger level to the child, and the other kids on the playground. Not all disorders are dangerous either.But as a Parent you have to understand that all children have something to gain from being more calm, and mentally alert for learning. It is a great injustice to the child when they cannot perform well, and only has consequences, on a consistent basis. That is really not the way to deal with ADHD.

The child doesn't necessarily realize their behavior is far worse, they do realize the consistent consequence and being "bad" all the time, and wonder what is wrong with them.

This is very stressful for the child. Not all children are geared for the medication. Unfortunately, not all parents follow the meds schedule either. Then consider the damage to the child as being the drugs. I do agree if there was another working viable solution, do that first. But, I have seen first hand the difference in children without and then with the meds. HUGE HUGE difference in the way they look at themselves, and the way their peers look at them. Children don't always want to be different. They want to fit in no matter how normal or different, or special they are.

If your daughter has been diagnosed and you are sitting on the fence, then look into herbal remedies, and diet. If after a couple weeks with changing those things, you don't see an improvement, then try the medication and see how that works.

Because of my experiences, I know the differences medication makes. I would put my kid on meds, to give them the advantage they deserve. Being normal is everyone's desire. Good Luck with your choice for your child.

Answer 20

my son is ADHD, and the inattention  and "not hearing" is totally normal for them.  The medication can help them focus. A really good book for you to read is called "driven to distraction". it was written by a man who diagnosed his own ADD in med school. He tells it like it is from both the patients and the doctors point of view.

my oldest son was a little different from all the other kids from toddler age. It wasn't until kindergarden that the symptoms started to really cause a problem. he was frustrated to tears practically daily. We started having the teacher chart the times he got upset and what he was doing when he got upset. we also had 2 babysitters (one the mother of an ADHD child) write notes about his behavior. We took all this with the book "driven to distraction" to the doctor so he could make his diagnosis. My son did much better on medication. we have changed his medication several times in the last 6 years as sometimes his body gets used to it and it doesn't work anymore. He was also diagnosed as being on the autisitc spectrum in 5th grade. If he was not on meds he could not function.

If your child needed glasses would you refuse to give them to her because you don't like kids in glasses? Medication for ADHD is like glasses for the mind...it helps them focus. You can get one called Daytrana that is a patch that is put on before school and taken off after school. the medication wears off within a few hours after the patch is taken off.

Answer 21

Has she been checked for food allergies? I would check her out for that first. Food additives, colorings etc... can also make kids do that. You may be able to control her diet and not have to give  her drugs. More and more specialist are seeing allergies as a cause for a lot of these attention problems.

Answer 22

yes

Answer 23

I think it is NORMAL for a child of 10 to be forgetful! Especially about chores and schoolwork!  But I'll bet she is fully alert about her favorite tv show, characters & actors...?

Get another medical opinion before you put your child on meds.

Who suggested it in the first place -- the school?

Answer 24

NO. These medications can be dangerous for a child's body. My cousin almost died (It ruined his liver). There are natural ways to help. Change her diet. Consistent punishment,  behavioral therapy. Anything but the meds.

Answer 25

I am a former teacher and an epileptic who has been on various medication for 24 years.  First, any medication you take for a long period of time can have lasting negative effects.  That should always be kept in mind.  This is going to sound silly, but have you taken any food with red dye out of her diet?  I have seen many kids have a lot fewer attention problem once that is taken out of their diet.  (go figure).  How is her school work being effected?  What does the teacher suggest?  I wouldn't use medication at home.  Ask a professional (ie teacher, etc) about behavior modifications that can be used at home over the summer.  Then re evaluate the situation before school next year.  Also, please remember, changing meds or their dosages can drastically change personalities so if you do need to use meds, hold on tight; it could be a rough couple of weeks.  Also, have your dr check your daughter's levels of medication in her blood.  My dr let too much medication build up and I became very sick.  My mother was the one who caught the problem...not the dr.

Answer 26

For school help I would have to consider it but just for not listening at home no I wouldn't medicate because most children test limits especially as they get close to teenage years.  How is it getting in the way of school work? Is she having trouble at school with sitting still and learning, is she disrupting the class? I would talk to her councler about it.

Answer 27

Definately sounds like she has it,guess you know that.

Cylert is a good med,my bf went frrom ridilin to that,it is a lot safer.

He has adhd if you would like to get more info on it from someone who understands it.

His mom used to tell him it was selective hearing,but it was not,he just  gets sidetracked so easeily,and cannot stay focused at all,you just need to know that it is not her choice to have this and she needs you to help her with it,maybe when you ask a question,ask her if she understands and if she heard you,and help her follow through with what you ask her to do.go to her room with her and direct her in what to do and stay there with her as she does each thing,at least until you can get her on the right meds.

email me if you want,my bf can give you more insight on growing up with it.

I have add,short attention span,and unable to stay focused.

But was never diagnosed,they just said I was lazy and not very smart