Help me decide if my 10 year old should use Ritalin

[Joe Republc]

My pedetrician has just recommended that my 10 year old boy use Ritalin.

The issue of Attention Deficit Disorder has come up every so often throughout most of his life, but this is the first time our pediatrician says it's time to try medication.

What questions should I be asking?

What do I need to find out?

Any good resources?

Thanks,

-- Joe

P.S. My wife is in a hurry to do this, now that the doctor says so. I'm not.... my wife and I had some strong disagreement about this last night ;) When I ask around, it seems like men are less inclined to go for this than women.

[coconutt2000]

ADD shouldn't be treated with medication unless it is really causing major problems.

Explore all other options. At least that is how I feel.

Sometimes I think enrolling a kid with ADD in a sport that requires them to pay attention helps... martial arts maybe?

[snooter55]

NO !
Snoot ;o)

[rjsimmons]

Ritalin is a schedule II substance, right up there with cocaine, morphine, opium, etc. Nastiness. Consult another physician before puting your child on this drug. It has lifelong consequences.
visit these websites to start your research (if you had not already begun).
http://www.sntp.net/ritalin/time_bomb.htm
http://www.healthysource.com/ritalin.html

[PaulaB]

What made the Ped say this? Trouble at school? What are his symptoms? My oldest son is ADHD and has been on medication in the past...let me know the symptoms and Ill tell you what I did and the meds we used.

[MattGarrett]

Ask Sean Hannity what he thinks of Ritalin.

As for me, they'll give my son Ritalin when they pry him from my head arms.

[Mulder]

Get junior involved in a physical activity (sports, karate, Boy Scouts, etc....) where he can put that energy to use.

Turning kids into zombies isn't the solution.

[PaulaB]

I agree..my son used Concerta for years...Rit was useless on him also...

[Question_Assumptions]

Make sure that you try other things, first. In particular, try eliminating processed sugar from his diet and (this one is important) make sure he's getting more than enough sleep (8-10 hours per night). Because the ADD mind races, people often think the child is too awake and needs to be sedated. Actually, the opposite is true. The mind is racing in order to stay awake. Ritalin isn't a sedative -- it's a stimulant.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

I would never give a child an addictive drug, yes addictive. Now if they prescribed Prozac or some similar drug I might go along with that depending on the child's behavior, but you haven't gone into that. Sometimes just keeping the child busy with extra curricular activity burns of the extra energy and does wonders.

[truthingod]

It is very important to remember the effects that ADHD have on a kid who is struggling with the everyday stuff. My son is 11 and we have resisted the idea of trying concerta for his ADHD, we have found that medication helps him be more calm, and at peace. Try to imagine what you would feel like if you had jolts of electricity going through your body every 30 seconds that seemed to interrupt your thoughts, memory, and just about everything else. That is what kids suffering from this disorder feel like. A trial of something like Ritalin could be an important step for your child's life. The thing is, the medication will only help with the feelings/physical issues. You must remember that this child has been dealing with these feelings a long time, he will need to be helped with the issues of organization, follow-through and over sight by you and his teachers. Address this now for the future.

[elephant]

My neighbors dog bit him during time with the dog. They took the dog to the Vet. and the dog put on Ritlan. The Vet said it would shorten the dogs life span. You decide! I am a woman and I would NOT put my child on this drug.

[PaulaB]

Sorry I disagree..it (concerta) didn't turn my son into a zombie...thats a misconception....maybe on some kids but ADHD children don't turn into zombies

[HawkeyeLonewolf]

NO
NO
NO
NO
NO

Think about this... from what I've heard if a child takes Ritalin, they are unable to serve in the military because they had been prescribed mood-altering drugs.

Ritalin (and Paxil, etc.) are vastly overprescribed in this country. I don't know what your child's problem is and don't read anything into this, but in most cases it's nothing a little discipline wouldn't cure.

[fml]

Since you asked, NO!

[Corin Stormhands]

Come back in an hour. If child is still playing, he DOES NOT HAVE ADD!!

Cute, but not accurate. It is PRECISELY the electronic stimulation of an ADHD child that can grasp his attention.

My son (who DOES have ADHD) can do the video games for hours on end (if we let him).

[Former Proud Canadian]

Don't do it. I can only reiterate the reasons already presented.

[PaulaB]

well said

[Aunt Polgara]

I am absolutely certain that my dear husband would have been a candidate for Ritalin if it was available when he was a kid. Until he became ill a couple years ago, he absolutely could not keep still.

I am ever so thankful that it wasn't available. Instead, the nuns in his grammar school took him out of the classroom and gave him real work to do, like helping in the school office.

It amazes me that schools seem to want to make kids (especially boys) sit still as punishment for misbehavior when they should be making them run laps around the schoolyard.

I haven't had a lot of experience with children on Ritalin, but the one I saw was turned into a zombie by the drug.

[Red Badger]

NO HE DOES NOT NEED RITALIN! FIND A NEW DR. THAT'S AT LEAST 50 YEARS OLD...