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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
If you get a chance, you might want to check out this link. Hope it's of some help.
81 posted on 08/27/2004 12:12:05 PM PDT by mewzilla
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Comment #82 Removed by Moderator

To: Nov3; Joe Republc
Nov 3 -- Right on target with that diet stuff. Here's a link you'll probably appreciate:

Ancient Dietary Wisdom for Tomorrow's Children"

I eat only natural fats (butter, lard, etc -- NO canola/soy/cottonseed oils, hydrogenated or not, not a drop), and take a tablespoon of codliver oil per day, plus I sharply limit sweets and emphasize meat, fish, raw-milk, kefir, & low-starch vegetables. That diet, plus some excerise (a bit of running, a bit of Matt Furey's combat conditioning) keeps this ex-ADHDer feeling great.

83 posted on 08/27/2004 12:13:39 PM PDT by Rytwyng (we're here, we're Huguenots, get used to us)
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To: Hard Way
I wouldn't put anything past the gungrabbers. Any excuse will do, and they seem to invent more and more all the time.

I know of the "no military service" rule because a buddy of mine's son got zapped by it when he tried to join the Marines. A damned shame, too, because he would have been a very good one. Ironic, because the selfsame government that refused his offer of service is the same one that mandated his Ritalin use in the first place.

84 posted on 08/27/2004 12:14:46 PM PDT by Joe Brower (The Constitution defines Conservatism.)
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To: Joe Republc

i would suggest taking your son to a good child psychiatrist. there are newer and safer medicines than ritalin that would probably be tried before ritalin.
i take ritalin and it works pretty well for me, but an up-to-date child psychiatrist would probably first use one of the newer medicines. i would only discuss this issue with a competent child psychiatrist--they are the ones who are most familiar with these medicines. all the rest of us are amateurs, and most of the advice here is just people's personal opinions.
(I'm a psychologist but i'm not up to date on the newer drugs.)


85 posted on 08/27/2004 12:15:04 PM PDT by drhogan
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To: Marysecretary; Joe Republc
Diet can help. Sometimes a child is allergic to something, too, that causes severe reactions. I saw that once on TV. The child was fine until he ingested something with red dye and then he went right off the wall.

This was exactly the case with me except my color was FD&C Yellow number 5 and carmel coloring in Coca Cola.

86 posted on 08/27/2004 12:15:24 PM PDT by SwankyC
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To: Joe Republc

No experience with it myself, but I hear Hannity and Boortz rail on about how dangerous it is all the time.


87 posted on 08/27/2004 12:16:13 PM PDT by jojodamofo
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To: Joe Republc

I say NO to ritilin.

I have been told by Dr.s that I am a sufferer of Adult ADD. I do believe it's a real disease (not sure if disease is the right word but can't come up with another..) It explains a lot about the types of problems I've had all my life, especially as a child.

But here's my take on ritilin. When my son was around the same age as yours, they decided that he too suffers from ADD and they wanted to give him ritilin. I was not happy with this but went along with it for a few months..

Here's what I discovered.. it does help people focus. But it does so because its basically speed.

I am an ex-drug user with lots of experience with various types of speed. One day I decided to take some of my son's ritilin because I wanted to see if it would help me.

Guess what? I had the exact same feelings that I used to get from speed, even meth, back in my druggie days. Speed is a funny drug.. It causes one to hyper-focus on pretty much anything that is in front of you. Thats why kids are able to stay more "on task" while on it. It seems to have a calming effect because it's low dose and because you're so focussed on whatever it is that you're doing - homework or video games, it doesn't matter - people think its working.

Look at his diet, limit his sugar. Teach him tricks to use on himself to stay on task. I've learned (the hard way) to do this and it works.

Most ADD people are actually very intelligent.. its just that they have a hard time thinking about just one thing for any length of time.

Imagine sitting in a room with 10 TV's on at full volume and tuned to different stations and try to absorb just one of them thats showing something you're really not much interested in in the first place and that's what ADD is like.


88 posted on 08/27/2004 12:16:29 PM PDT by Trampled by Lambs ("Making Al Gore regret inventing the internet, one post at a time")
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To: PaulaB
men..thanks for that..only people with ADD/ADHD children should reply to this post...

Yeah! Screw those who are ADD/ADHD themselves or had siblings with ADD/ADHD. Forget it if your spouse was ADD/ADHD. And those in the sciences or medical field, GO AWAY!. < /sarcasm >

89 posted on 08/27/2004 12:16:33 PM PDT by CyberCowboy777 (Veritas vos liberabit)
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To: HawkeyeLonewolf

"This has got to be the most logical solution EVER!!!

Great post!"


Thanks! :)

Shockingly, there are some parents in this thread who've bought into the myth of ADHD/ADD (since it's yet to be a proven biological disorder) and still insist on drugging their kids.


90 posted on 08/27/2004 12:16:42 PM PDT by Blzbba (John F'in Kerry - Dawn of a New Error.)
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To: Joe Republc

Oh heck, marajuana will do just a good and at a much lower cost.


91 posted on 08/27/2004 12:16:44 PM PDT by Hunble
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To: Joe Republc

Your son sounds just like my child entering 4th grade. He struggled and the teachers did not help the situation. I did find the book "overcoming underacheiving" a great help. If you will take the time to read it, there is a lot of information that will help you decide if your child does need further work up regarding the ADHD. There is a section in the book that gives a testing method you can try between home and school(which requires the help of the teacher every day for at least a month) but it will give you a much better picture of what your child may be struggling with. You should also ask the school phsychologist to administer a couple of tests to determine his impulsivity response. You may be surprised by the results. I believe that education is the first most important thing you and your wife can do. Diet may help some, especially stopping the sugars and white flour, these do cause changes in the blood sugar that can cause problems with concentration. Physical activity a must, it increases the endorphins that will help him feel more at peace and happy. Sleep is a must, and most of all, take Proverbs chapter 1 verses 1-7 and pray these words over your son with his name, saying: your sons name will know wisdom and instruction...etc. Try this for the month of september and see if there is a change in all of you. I pray you will be able to find God's will in this.


92 posted on 08/27/2004 12:17:41 PM PDT by truthingod
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To: sc2_ct

You're right.

Nowadays, any intelligent kid with little patience for droning slacker teachers is put on mood-altering drugs.

It's one of the ways for the system to fight it's main enemy, human nature.


93 posted on 08/27/2004 12:18:05 PM PDT by headsonpikes (Spirit of '76 bttt!)
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To: Joe Republc
Does he go to public school? This is a very big factor because the teachers, often female, want little boys to act like like little braindead drones in class.

My wife's best friend has a 9 yearold who is very very hyper. He is homeschooled by the way. He is extremely skinny yet very strong for his size. Neither his mouth nor his body ever stop and he will say rude and goofy things though he is very bright. His mom will smack him all the time and the poor kid can't control his behavior or his mouth. She finally decided to medicate him, as little as possible. The difference was amazing and he was able to sit and learn and interact. This is an extreme case, most cases don't need the drugs.

94 posted on 08/27/2004 12:18:44 PM PDT by biblewonk (neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own)
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To: Hard Way
Suppose current Ritalin use precludes future firearms ownership.

Don't give the bastards any ideas.

95 posted on 08/27/2004 12:19:05 PM PDT by Rytwyng (we're here, we're Huguenots, get used to us)
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To: Fierce Allegiance
In properly diagnoszed cases, it corrects an imbalance that is not affected by diet.

Of course the number of cases properly diagnosed is probably about 1% of all diagnosed cases.

96 posted on 08/27/2004 12:19:30 PM PDT by HawkeyeLonewolf (Christian First, American Second (Conservative Anti-Smoker))
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To: Joe Republc
Before you put him on medicine, please try long distance running. Most ten year old boys can run a mile, but try to get him up to 5. Running may give him the focus he needs, and it doesn't take any special athletic ability other than general good health to build endurance.

All of my boys needed a lot of exercise growing up. They were all pretty good athletes, and played a lot of ball outside. But when one of them would be laid up with an injury, my wife would absolutely be tearing her hair out. Their teachers would inevitably complain about them in the classroom.

Running won't hurt him and it just may help.

97 posted on 08/27/2004 12:19:38 PM PDT by old and tired
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To: headsonpikes
Nowadays, any intelligent kid with little patience for droning slacker teachers is put on mood-altering drugs

I think that was my problem!

98 posted on 08/27/2004 12:19:59 PM PDT by Rytwyng (we're here, we're Huguenots, get used to us)
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To: Joe Republc
Click here for www.chadd.org

That site may also be of some help :)

99 posted on 08/27/2004 12:19:59 PM PDT by mewzilla
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To: Joe Republc

For a second opinion you might check out an optometrist who specializes in vision therapy. They generally work with kids who are having problems in school. My son was greatly helped by such a doctor without the use of drugs.


100 posted on 08/27/2004 12:20:12 PM PDT by Slyfox
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