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Help me decide if my 10 year old should use Ritalin

Posted on 08/27/2004 11:41:39 AM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: add; attention; children; deficit; ritalin; school
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To: Joe Republc
Best of luck to you and your family as you work through this.

Best advice I can give you is to learn as much as you can about the diagnosis and the drugs.  That's what we did with our (then) 4-yr.-old son when confronted with this 10+ years ago.  The bottom line here is that the long-term impact of Ritalin on the brain is totally unknown.  That's why, after 50 years on the market, the PDR still clearly states this fact. Any physician who tells you that they know Ritalin is safe is not telling you the truth.  That's NOT what the PDR says.

An objective analysis of the ADHD diagnosis may cause you to question a lot of what you're being told.

DO NOT let school-based psychologists get involved in diagnosing your son.  That mistake cost us years of grief.

10 years ago, we elected not to drug our son and to keep him in the public schools.  It's been a long process, painful at times, but we've never regretted it.  He's 15 now, an honor student and on his way hopefully to a happy and productive life.  My wife and I are proud of him.  We're proud of us, too.

Resource on Ritalin safety and side effects:  Psychostimulants in the treatment of children diagnosed with ADHD: Risks and mechanism of action

201 posted on 08/27/2004 1:10:34 PM PDT by Al B.
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To: Joe Republc

I see a lack of disapline, an over controlling wife. When he was 2 did he tell you what to do? He is a result of two people who created this problem. Its not too late, tell your wife to back off and trust your instincts. The kid is probably a normal kid!


202 posted on 08/27/2004 1:11:03 PM PDT by Old anti feminist
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To: Fierce Allegiance
So you would not give an inhaler to a kid with asthma? In properly diagnoszed cases, it corrects an imbalance that is not affected by diet.

Who said anything about asthma? I'm saying ADD can be controlled by diet.

203 posted on 08/27/2004 1:12:20 PM PDT by zeebee
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To: meandog

Get back on subject- We are talking about ritalin and "add" not cancer,Heart trouble and TB.

But in answer to You I will have to say that a rubber chicken works better than MOST doctors do, all they care about is the kick-backs for the "drug of the month"


204 posted on 08/27/2004 1:12:21 PM PDT by ChefKeith (Life is GREAT with CoCo..........NASCAR...everything else is just a game!(Except War & Love))
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To: HawkeyeLonewolf
Mu point was it's easy for parents that haven't experienced this to judge medication very quickly....

He was looking for help not a debate....

people who haven't had to live with it want to debate it..people who have want to give solutions

Thats not nonsense
205 posted on 08/27/2004 1:13:21 PM PDT by PaulaB
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To: calenel
My 16 year old son was on Ritalin while he was living with his mother. He came to live with me at 15 at which point I took him off the stuff. As a result of being drugged into submission by his mother for 10 years, the kid had no coping skills and the emotional maturity of an eight year old. After a year he has made up a few years, but still lags behind and has difficulty with his peers. Don't put the kid on the stuff, it chemically retards them. However tough it might be on both of you, give him the discipline he needs now and take another approach to managing the problem. Have him participate in a sport and adjust his diet.

Excellent! There's nothing like raw truth and good sense to counter the propaganda of the multi-billion dollar (legal) drug-pusher industry.
206 posted on 08/27/2004 1:13:22 PM PDT by broadsword (Let's respect "holy" Muslim sites like they respected those giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan!)
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To: Gaffer

"Perform this test. Set your son/daughter down in front of the TV with a video game (whatever the new ones are) and tell him he/she can play on it as much as he/she wants.

If he is still there playing the same game in two hours, he doesn't need Ritalin."



PLAGARISM!!!

See post #11!!


207 posted on 08/27/2004 1:13:24 PM PDT by Blzbba (John F'in Kerry - Dawn of a New Error.)
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To: Xenalyte

That's always been sort of the way I looked at it. I think that the "disorder" called ADD isn't so much a disorder as a different way and pattern of learning that is just as natural as the so-called "traditional" manner. All through history there have been people who had trouble paying attention in class, and it wasn't until (conveniently) there was a drug available to take care of this trait to make things easier on teachers. In almost every case of ADD I know of, the tests/diagnosis was initiated by a "teacher".

When you look at the curve of learning methods and behavior, you'll find that a huge percentage of the population have this trait. I am sure that there is a nearly equal distribution of people on the other side of "normal" that have intense concentration and focus (i.e. the opposite counterpart of ADD). In addition, if ADD were a disorder, why would people with this "disorder" also by typically accompanied by above normal IQ scores?


208 posted on 08/27/2004 1:14:06 PM PDT by sc2_ct (This is the way the world ends... not with a bang but a whimper)
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To: Al B.
DO NOT let school-based psychologists get involved in diagnosing your son. That mistake cost us years of grief.

I noticed this in my situation immediate. One of the happiest days of my life was when our WITCH finally retired when he entered 4th grade. Was a very happy day for me : )) We had to deal with this woman for 2 long years and if she was qualified in her field she wouldnt be in some small school district.

209 posted on 08/27/2004 1:14:18 PM PDT by alisasny ("I will leave no hampster behind" John F'en Kerry : ))
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To: zeebee

Some kids have chemical imbalances that diet will not cure. To say all kids with ADD can control it via diet is hogwash. It just may be those kids who benefit from the diet change had allergies to those foods (sugars, food dyes, etc. that represented the symptoms as hyperactivity or decreased attention span.

My point is that some kids need the medicine. to deprive them of the meds they need is akin to depriving an asthma suffer of an inhaler.


210 posted on 08/27/2004 1:15:54 PM PDT by Fierce Allegiance ( "Stay safe in the "sandbox", cuz!)
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To: ocos
First and for most my child is no longer on Concerta...we now homeschool to deal with his ADHD medicine free....and unless you have scientific proof (are you a doctor??) no Rit is not the same as Concerta...both do the same job ultimately but they are not the same
211 posted on 08/27/2004 1:16:34 PM PDT by PaulaB
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To: Joe Republc

Also read up on all the side effects. You may end up having to use 2 or 3 other drugs to deal with the side effects.

Ritilin is not a cure all and never will be. Perhaps it does work for some but I would think a very small percent.


212 posted on 08/27/2004 1:16:37 PM PDT by alisasny ("I will leave no hampster behind" John F'en Kerry : ))
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To: ChefKeith
What I want to know is how did this new "disease" of ADHD start only in North America in just the last fifty years?

Hmmm?

Ridiculous!
213 posted on 08/27/2004 1:17:20 PM PDT by broadsword (Let's respect "holy" Muslim sites like they respected those giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan!)
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To: farmfriend; ocos
The marines did not know about your son being on ritalin then.

From US Navy:

History of persistent ADHD is NPQ [not physically qualified]. Use of ADHD medication (Ritalin, Cylert, etc) after age 15 or current use of medication to maintain skills is NPQ, no waiver.

214 posted on 08/27/2004 1:18:24 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (That which does not kill me had better be able to run away damn fast.)
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To: Al B.

If I'm not mistaken I believe schools get a kickback on every kid they enter into a Ritalin program.....wouldn't be surprised if the same goes for any doctor suggesting a new patient.


215 posted on 08/27/2004 1:18:39 PM PDT by american spirit
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To: Joe Republc

ALSO it is very helpful to deal with the public school district by having an advocate with you at all times. Do you have a friend who is a teacher? These meetings are very nervewracking and you will need alot of support at them.


216 posted on 08/27/2004 1:18:47 PM PDT by alisasny ("I will leave no hampster behind" John F'en Kerry : ))
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To: Marie

I didn't say only parents who used the drugs..please reread my post

yes you have a valid place here


217 posted on 08/27/2004 1:19:35 PM PDT by PaulaB
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To: Fierce Allegiance
Some kids have chemical imbalances that diet will not cure.

Interesting. The drug-company-kickback-kings in the failed Shrink industry like to say this, but what are the tests for these chemical imbalances that call for Ritalin? Hmmm? Ever think to ask that? Well there AREN'T ANY.
218 posted on 08/27/2004 1:20:32 PM PDT by broadsword (Let's respect "holy" Muslim sites like they respected those giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan!)
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To: SauronOfMordor; ocos

I don't believe he used the drugs past the age of 15 but not really sure.


219 posted on 08/27/2004 1:21:25 PM PDT by farmfriend ( In Essentials, Unity...In Non-Essentials, Liberty...In All Things, Charity.)
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To: Old anti feminist
Get real ADD/ADHD does exist..doesn't mean we are lacking as parents...

We now homeschool him to help with the ADHD medicine free but others may not be able to do this and need help...

I am not an advocate for the medicine but each case needs to be explored by professionals
220 posted on 08/27/2004 1:22:27 PM PDT by PaulaB
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