A.d.h.d meds?!
Question: A!.d!.h!.d meds!?
my daughter has a!.d!.h!.d!. and is currently takeing concerta!. It doesnt seem to work as well anymore!. we have a docters visit friday!. what is everybody else useing and works long term!. She is 8 years old!. we have already tried ritalin !.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Perhaps it's the dosage that doesn't work any more!. Over time, my daughter's dosage goes up and down!. Lately, her 27mg has been insufficient and she had a hard time concentrating and sleeping!.
We tried using 36mg in the past but it turned her into a well behaved zombie!. Now that she is bigger and weighs more, we tried the 36mg again and now she is in control of her concentration but without the zombie!.
In case you didn't know, Concerta is time-released Ritalin!. If you have issues with Ritalin, you need to ask the doctor about medications that do not have it!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
We tried using 36mg in the past but it turned her into a well behaved zombie!. Now that she is bigger and weighs more, we tried the 36mg again and now she is in control of her concentration but without the zombie!.
In case you didn't know, Concerta is time-released Ritalin!. If you have issues with Ritalin, you need to ask the doctor about medications that do not have it!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Oh, I'm there with you!. My son has been diagnosed with everything under the sun!. If it has an acronym associated with it, he's been diagnosed as having it!. He's 7!.5 now and was diagnosed at 4!. We've tried everything!. He's currently taking two, in conjunction with one another, it seems to take the edge off, however I'm afraid he will never be totally relieved of the symptoms!. He is taking Strattera, which is a med for ADHD, that is a non-stimulant like Concerta, or Ritalin!. He also takes Risperdal, which is generally prescribed for bi-polar disorder, however it is being prescribed in conjunction with Strattera as a method of attacking the wider spectrum of the symptoms!. Good Luck, each child is different, and will react differently to med's!. It's such a battle isn't it, we just want our children to feel good about themselves, love themselves and have some sense of normalcy in their precious little lives!Www@Answer-Health@Com
My 11 year old is currently on Adderall and has been for the last year or so!. I find it works well compared to the Ritalin she used to be on!. Adderall is a long acting med, kind of like Concerta!. I don't think they are exactly the same though!. With ADHD, it's trial and error!.!.!. Good luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com
I was diagnosed aged 8 and was put onto Ritalin!.
I took 20mg in the morning and I think it was 5mg or 10mg at 2!.30
I suffered no side effects from it and carried on using it untill I was transferred to a different Doctor!.
I was changed to Equasym, which I also had no ill effects from (other than a loss of appetite)!. I took 20mg in the morning and 10mg at 2!.30
When my dosage was raised to beyond 20mg in the morning I was swapped to Concerta XL!. I took one 36mg pill and one 18mg pill in the morning and a 10mg pill at 4!.00pm
My dose is now the highest it can be at one 36mg pill and one 18mg pill and one 5mg pill in the morning, one 5mg pill at lunchtime (2!.00) and one 10mg pill at 4!.00!.
It could be that your daughter is metabolizing the drug quicker or that she has simply grown and the distribution of the drug in her body is less concentrated!. She may simply need her dose to be spread out during the day!.
Here is an extract from a very informative book which, saying from experience, I suggest you read!.
"Medication- Practical Prescribing
Prescribing stimulants- sample regimes
There are many possible ways to prescribe these medications!. For your interest, here are some examles of the sorts of regimes that we use in our practice!. Parents should follow the regime their practitioner prescribes!.
STIMULANT THERAPY- TROUBLESHOOTING
The prescribing doctor will advise how to fine-tune the medication to avoid any problems!. Here are a few suggestions we give to the parents in our practice!.
~BEHAVIOUR REBOUNDS AS LEVELS DROP
Add an additional small dose, for example, at 11!.00 am or 3!.30 pm
~THE YOUNG CHILD OF THREE TO SIX YEARS WHO METABOLISES THE DRUG TOOQUICKLY
Give four small doses each day, for example, 8!.00 am, 11!.00 am, 3!.30 pm!. The first dose of the day should be slightly larger than the rest!.
~BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN THE PLAYGROUND
Take the midday tablet at the beggining of, or half an hour before, the lunch break
~IMPOSSIBLE EARLY MORNING BEHAVIOUR
Give medication on waking!. An additional small mid morning dose may be required to maintain acceptable behaviour until lunchtime!.
~DRUGS CAUSE DIFFICULTY GETTING TO SLEEP
Suspend or reduce the 3!.30pm dose!.
If this is still a problem, reduce the midday dose!.
~APPETITE REDUCTION AND WEIGHT LOSS
Give drug with meals!.
Reduce or stop afternoon dose to alow for a large evening meal!.
If weight and appetite are still a concern the total dose can be reduced or a different drug used!.
~HOMEWORK HASSLES
Give a 3!.30 pm dose
~EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE, OVERFOCUSED, TEARY
Halve the dose!. Suspend medication or change medication!.
When symptoms are mild, some medical practitioners suggest that you persevere for three weeks, which often allows time for most problems to pass!.
~AN ADD CHILD HAS EPILEPLSY OR INTELLECTUAL RETARDATION ( I apologize if this term offends anyone, it is used in a medical sense by the author of this book and is not meant in any way to offend or discriminate)
Stimulants can be given with care to the ADD child with epilepsy!.
Stimulants are occasionally indicated for use with the retarded child if the behaviour is grossly outside the normal for the child's developmental age!.
~INATTENTION CAUSES PROBLEMS IN ACEDEMIC LEARNING, NOT BEHAVIOUR
Medication is only given for school and homework
~BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS, BOTH AT SCHOOL AND HOME
Give medication every school day, weekend and holiday for as long as the benefits continue!.
~SCHOOL OR PARENTS FEEL THE BENEFITS HAVE GONE
Stop medication for one week, then reintroduce for one week, then stop again!. Observe what happens and make a decision
~LISTEN TO THE CHILD
Doctors must be sure that the child, as well as the parents, is happy with the effects (and side-effects) of medication" [1]
(I do not reccomend implementing ANYTHING stated here without first consulting your Doctor or prescriber)
I hope this helps, any other questions feel free to e-mail me!Www@Answer-Health@Com
I took 20mg in the morning and I think it was 5mg or 10mg at 2!.30
I suffered no side effects from it and carried on using it untill I was transferred to a different Doctor!.
I was changed to Equasym, which I also had no ill effects from (other than a loss of appetite)!. I took 20mg in the morning and 10mg at 2!.30
When my dosage was raised to beyond 20mg in the morning I was swapped to Concerta XL!. I took one 36mg pill and one 18mg pill in the morning and a 10mg pill at 4!.00pm
My dose is now the highest it can be at one 36mg pill and one 18mg pill and one 5mg pill in the morning, one 5mg pill at lunchtime (2!.00) and one 10mg pill at 4!.00!.
It could be that your daughter is metabolizing the drug quicker or that she has simply grown and the distribution of the drug in her body is less concentrated!. She may simply need her dose to be spread out during the day!.
Here is an extract from a very informative book which, saying from experience, I suggest you read!.
"Medication- Practical Prescribing
Prescribing stimulants- sample regimes
There are many possible ways to prescribe these medications!. For your interest, here are some examles of the sorts of regimes that we use in our practice!. Parents should follow the regime their practitioner prescribes!.
STIMULANT THERAPY- TROUBLESHOOTING
The prescribing doctor will advise how to fine-tune the medication to avoid any problems!. Here are a few suggestions we give to the parents in our practice!.
~BEHAVIOUR REBOUNDS AS LEVELS DROP
Add an additional small dose, for example, at 11!.00 am or 3!.30 pm
~THE YOUNG CHILD OF THREE TO SIX YEARS WHO METABOLISES THE DRUG TOOQUICKLY
Give four small doses each day, for example, 8!.00 am, 11!.00 am, 3!.30 pm!. The first dose of the day should be slightly larger than the rest!.
~BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN THE PLAYGROUND
Take the midday tablet at the beggining of, or half an hour before, the lunch break
~IMPOSSIBLE EARLY MORNING BEHAVIOUR
Give medication on waking!. An additional small mid morning dose may be required to maintain acceptable behaviour until lunchtime!.
~DRUGS CAUSE DIFFICULTY GETTING TO SLEEP
Suspend or reduce the 3!.30pm dose!.
If this is still a problem, reduce the midday dose!.
~APPETITE REDUCTION AND WEIGHT LOSS
Give drug with meals!.
Reduce or stop afternoon dose to alow for a large evening meal!.
If weight and appetite are still a concern the total dose can be reduced or a different drug used!.
~HOMEWORK HASSLES
Give a 3!.30 pm dose
~EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE, OVERFOCUSED, TEARY
Halve the dose!. Suspend medication or change medication!.
When symptoms are mild, some medical practitioners suggest that you persevere for three weeks, which often allows time for most problems to pass!.
~AN ADD CHILD HAS EPILEPLSY OR INTELLECTUAL RETARDATION ( I apologize if this term offends anyone, it is used in a medical sense by the author of this book and is not meant in any way to offend or discriminate)
Stimulants can be given with care to the ADD child with epilepsy!.
Stimulants are occasionally indicated for use with the retarded child if the behaviour is grossly outside the normal for the child's developmental age!.
~INATTENTION CAUSES PROBLEMS IN ACEDEMIC LEARNING, NOT BEHAVIOUR
Medication is only given for school and homework
~BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS, BOTH AT SCHOOL AND HOME
Give medication every school day, weekend and holiday for as long as the benefits continue!.
~SCHOOL OR PARENTS FEEL THE BENEFITS HAVE GONE
Stop medication for one week, then reintroduce for one week, then stop again!. Observe what happens and make a decision
~LISTEN TO THE CHILD
Doctors must be sure that the child, as well as the parents, is happy with the effects (and side-effects) of medication" [1]
(I do not reccomend implementing ANYTHING stated here without first consulting your Doctor or prescriber)
I hope this helps, any other questions feel free to e-mail me!Www@Answer-Health@Com