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.
Doctors usually say that children have the opposite reaction to stimulants than adults do. I do not believe that. For the one thing, most 10 years olds are nearly adult size these days so that if body weight has anything to do with it then that argument is no longer valid. The other reason i doubt it is because my daughter was placed on a similar drug when she was 14 years old. She was as big as me by then btw. She became dangerously violent within a very short time after starting the medication. She remained that way until i finally put two and two together. I told the doctor and he stopped the medication. (Once it is started you should not stop it suddenly without the doctors OK). It sounds obvious now that the violence was correlated to the use of the meds, but it was a confusing time in which i was very desperately worried about her as i'm sure you and your wife are now. But you must fight the doctor and your wife on this. There has got to be another way. In my daughters case the problem just resolved itself in time. She never did perform very well in high school. But now she is in college and each semester she seems to take it a little more seriously and try harder. That is the best hope i can offer you. I wish you luck on this.
It was a backhanded quip at what someone's nutritionist told them. They said that their nutritionist doesn't recommend it, but like a dentist, a nutritionist doesn't have any authority to prescribe it.
I haven't read the three hundred posts before me, so this may be repetitive. Ritalin is definitely worth considering seriously. People who doubt that ADD and ADHD are real phenomenon simply do not know what they are talking about. Colitis is hard to diagnose; that is not a once-and-for-all argument against ever taking stomach medication. ADD and ADHD, as with many chemical brain conditions, are difficult to diagnose, and no doubt they are overdiagnosed in contemporary culture, but that does not make them unreal. Both of my kids have ADHD. ADD and ADHD can MAJORLY interfere with a child's quality of life, and that does not just mean failing to live up to parents' perfectionist visions. There is a difference between boredom, high energy, and ADD -- but you already know that or you wouldn't be posting here.
That said, Ritalin is hit-and-miss. It is very effective for controlling ADD and ADHD, but it can have significant side effects. We have opted not to use it for the time being after some short trials. It was a spectacular success in helping the kids cope with their conditions, but the side effects (wide and various) were noticeable, so we stopped. Ritalin is short-acting, so a brief trial is not that difficult. You will find out very quickly if it works and if it has unwanted effects.
Getting multiple opinions from trained professionals is always a good idea -- certainly better than seeking opinions from anonymous posters who know nothing about chemical brain disorders.
Did your pediatrician send your son for a battery of psychological testing to determine if, in fact he does have ADHD? Like you, I was opposed to my daughter being put on medication. However, our pediatrician will not prescribe without an extensive three hour test being done by a trained psychologist. Is your son displaying the symptoms: inability to attend, impulsive behavior, lack of organizational skills, etc? Also,are these symptoms the norm for describing your son's behavior, and not just random infrequent occurrences? I support the use of medication when it is truly needed, and it has made a world of difference in my daughter's daily behavior, and schoolwork. However, I would insist on the evaluation. Truthfully, a pediatrician isn't really qualified to diagnose this disorder without the assistance of a psychologist.
'Read up on it. Some kids DO need Ritalin. But the vast majority of boys who are put on it are just...boys.'
Absolutely!
No, children with ADHD often can attend to things like TV and video games. These are items the child wants to focus on, so an unconscious extra effort to do so is occurring. Children have short attention spans. However, some have ADHD. It is manifested in activities that the child doesn't want to attend to, like school, and chores. Terry Bradshaw has ADHD. How did he attend to the task of reading defenses from the pocket, which requires extreme focus? Because he wanted to.
By the way, there is a great misconception about ADD and ADHD. Not every kid who has the condition is a brat or spoiled or otherwise lacks discipline. In fact, there are a great many children, like my own, who are truly gifted students and achievers. It's all up to the individual child. But look at everything else first.
Ritalin = methamphetamine
the question is, is he ADD, and if so is medication the best thing for him?
based on your description -
"Fidgets a lot."
- could very well be ADD just based on this. you have to use your judgement and honestly decide if his fidgeting is just a "normal" boredom response or a sign that his brain just isn't "working right" compared to others his age.
"Worst subjects are reading comprehension, writing, answering questions based on the reading..."
possibly a sign of ADD, indicating that his brain has trouble holding too many "boring facts" at the same time (which is what so-called "reading comprehension" tests measure).
I'm assuming that your child can read something that he's interested in and comprehend it just fine, and he only has trouble on the "tests". If your child can read what interests him with no problem, then he doesn't have a reading-comprehension problem, despite what any "test" says.
I suppose it's possible that medication could help him score better on r-c tests, but that's definitely not a reason to put him on it - who cares how he scores on r-c tests as long as he can read?
"Very charismatic, loves a crowd. Will be a salesman or politician."
Fantastic! good for him - probably the best reason to medicate a child for ADD is that ADD children can have terrible social lives. As long as your child is well-adjusted socially, you probably don't need to medicate.
Anyway, I know you can't totally describe your child in a few paragraphs, so let me add this:
Ritalin can work wonders. You can start with a very small amount and notice the effect. If the effect is bad, you stop.
The main thing is, if you medicate, do it for the child not for the teacher. If the child is happier, if he can do things he couldn't do before, that's a good sign.
Medication can do things that diet and excersise just can't. Don't be afraid of medication - it can work miracles.
But if your kid is happy the way things are now, I'd be wary of putting him on meds.
I am glad we are in agreement.
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Our six year old has had behavior problems and many have suggested drugs to control him, but we refused. When we changed his diet to cut out sugars, red dyes and dairy products, the change for the better was immediate. This week, my wife has been visiting her mother, who doesn't believe that diet has any influence on behavior and has been giving him stuff we won't allow anymore, and my wife says he has been a terror all week. That indicates to me that diet does influence behavior, especially in kids. Try exercise too. When my kids stay cooped up in the house all day, they do not behave as well as when they have some outside play time. They have been inside almost the entire time they have been visiting my mother in law, and that means that eventually they start destroying stuff and fighting with each other.
No tin foil hat required. As ADD & ADHD are recognized and listed mental disorders they WILL be denied the right to purchase any firearm. That's little clause is almost every state's gun laws.
The APA now has over 20,000 listed mental disorders which can be used AGAINST you at anytime in any court to deny one gun ownership. Heck sometimes you don't even get to go to court, you get a letter from the state. "We understand that you've been diagnosed with a mental disorder - turn in your guns NOW."
And is it any coincidence that Hildabeast is pushing for MORE kids to be put on Ritalin and have school nurses hand the stuff out like candy? I don't think so.
Can you recommend another Dr?
I have two friends with 'problem' children. One was put on the track team and the other on a gymnastics team. Both did very, very well once directed to other intensive physical activities.
Of course, I am not expert. But the person that told you to get a second opinion from a doctor that does not like Ritalin is very good advise. A second opinion is always good advise.
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