Well…long story. We got off to a rough start. First, thank you to those who have kept my “oopie” in prayers"! This has helped more than any other treatment he could receive!
So…first day he was sent home at 1pm, tummy ache, felt like puking, didnt eat lunch, was kind of zombie-fied. But once he came home, he ate the rest of his lunch and sat to do his homework - without breaks - for 40 minutes. Thats completely unheard of for him, he usually needs a break every 3 to 5 minutes! But he got agitated as the medicine wore off around 5pm. Same on Thursday and Friday but on Friday, he had a total meltdown as the meds wore off. I thought to myself OMG what am I doing to my poor child. But during the school day, he did not fidget and squirm incessantly in his chair and was able to pay attention and attend.
He doesnt get medicine on weekends and this morning I gave him only half the dose. I KNOW this stuff is either too strong or the wrong medicine. After I sent him to skool, I called his doc who told me to give him the reduced dosage for the rest of the week and see how it goes.
He had a GREAT day today! Focused. He read. He did his writing assignment which is his worst thing to do. No fidgeting, no squirming. No meltdown, at least not yet (fingers and toes crossed). If it keeps on this way, he may actually become comfortable in his own skin.
Please keep him in your prayers. Its a tough time for him but he;s getting thru it like a real champ.
As a teacher who had 3 pupils with ADHD in one class I can honestly I prefered them without the drugs. It was as if their personality had been taken away. Keep trying to get the lowest dose possible... There are so many side effects...
Hopefully the low does will still take the edge of the ADHD but let ur lil one keep his character...
I really meant to post this in Parenting, maybe it could be moved over there?
Dulhan, thank you also! You're so right....and the concern you have is exactly why I delayed the decision to try medications for so long...(he was 5 when it was first suggested and he's 8 now). If there is a medication that can help him feel "comfortable in his own skin" to the point that he can sit and pay attention without the need for constant and incessant motion then thats great. But if the price is turning him into a zombie or giving him meltdowns as it wears off then thats absolutely too high a price to pay.
So far, it seems like the reduced dosage is a pretty good answer. Actually, he was given the lowest dosage of metadate that they make so I have to open the capsule and scoop half of it onto a spoon for him to take. Not an exact dosage for sure! But I get as close as I can....and so far so good but am keeping a very watchful eye.
Mama I am so sorry for your young son. It must be so hard for you to make the decisions that are balanced. I do pray for your son and you and your family.
I am so sure you must have heard this advice but in case you havent...you should include omega 3 in his diet. And the best way to take is via seafood as well as flaxseed (linseed). Flaxseed can be sprinkled on his porridge, soup, salad, included in breads muffins.
wish you all the best!
Edit
I also thought about yoga. It has helped children with autism and learning disabilities. It calms the mind and helps concentration. I feel bad that he has to take such strong medication. A child in our extended family suffers from fits and he too takes extremely strong meds. Sometimes they cause him to hallucinate.
wow thank you all so much! First, yes he's been getting Omega oils 3-6-9 since he was about 3. And they actually do help. Yoga we've not tried as yet but I've heard such good things about it that its pretty high on my list...he had tap-dancing classes and loved it but we stopped last year because he's getting to the age where he'd get totally picked on about it.
Maroush, the medication that he was taking is called Metadate. Its basically Ritalin in a time-released form. The doc and I both though that strattera would be a better bet for him but we both felt that he'd not be able to swallow the pill which is required (with metadate you can open the capsule and sprinkle it into a spoonful of applesauce but strattera must be swallowed whole and not chewed). Anyway, the metadate isnt working well. He does have improvement in attentiveness but not that much...and he no longer eats lunch and we're spending 90 min on dinner instead of 30...so we stopped the metadate today and will return to the doc and ask to try strattera.
Good news is that when he was on the full dose of metadate, he was able to swallow the capsule so this will open the way for him to try strattera. Metadate is a stimulant and it seemed too strong for him. Strattera is a "non-stimulant".
We'll give it a try and see what happens for a week or 2 and then thats it. If it works then thats great. If it doesnt well we just keep on keepin on. He's my beautiful sunshine boy just the way he is and will do just fine in his own happy way. So no matter if he's a NASCAR tire-changer instead of a nuclear physicist yeah? As long as he's able to stay as sunshiny and happy as he is then thats all I could ever ask for.
We stopped giving him the metadate which is a stimulant medication. The reduced dosage helped him focus a little bit better but his appetite went down the drain and when it started wearing off, he'd still get a bit agitated. The price was too high.
We just started strattera this morning. This is an ADD non-stimulant and will take about 2 weeks before we know whether it helps or not.