We took him off after several months, and since we homeschool, we were able to emphasis the behavioral aspects of his condition. Actions had consequences. He is long over his symptoms for the most part, but still has hyper-focusing. But he's still a "kid" and still has a lot to learn.
My point is that medication can work, but isn't always the answer. We had some *very* tough years there, but he's a terrific young man. We found that sugar had a remarkably negative effect on his behavior as well.
Oh, and both his dad and I have been diagnosed as well, and used medication for a time. It helped me focus, but made me very snippy when coming off the medication, so I decided to forgo it.
Frankly, the only reason I'm even considering it at this point is because sometimes he seems like he's having difficulty socially. He has such trouble controlling himself that it's obvious that one grandmother favors his little brother. The other grandmother clearly doesn't like to be around him when he's having troubles. I really can't blame her, she's almost 80 and being around an incredibly hyperactive five year-old isn't easy even for us "younger" folks" (*whew* found a way to consider myself "young"! :) )
I have found, too, that sugar is causes big problems. Unfortunately everyone from his Sunday School teachers to grandmothers think giving a piece of candy is OK. They don't think, either, that everything from the soda pop or Kool-aid or jell-o they want to give him is laced with sugar. Sugar literally turns him into a completely unmanagable child. I've tried removing all sorts of other foodstuffs from his diet from meats with nitrates to artificial colors to even limiting dairy products. It's amazing the various combinations I've tried to find a solution.
I'm still leaning against medications but there ARE times when it's tempting to have a child for whom I don't have to be constantly on edge whenever we leave the house.