ADHD Mental health center or pediatrician??
My son is 5. He was diagnosed with ADHD. His doctor has tried 2 different drugs on him, and he has had little side effects on the last drug.She is going by what the teacher is saying on the forms.She took him off the meds all together.His teacher says he cant do his work without help from medication.I was wondering if a mental health center can monitor him bettter on medication than his pediatrician.
My sons teacher is wonderful. We talk at least once a week about how my son is doing.When he was on Aderall she let me know how he was acting"zombie like" and she didnt like that at all, so thats when the dr. lowered the doseage.
i’ll see about the patch. Im not leaving his dr. all together,Just with the ADHD thing.
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9 comments
ape2016 on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
I would be very hesitant to go along with the teacher on this.
My son is autistic with adhd and he did terrible on meds. Like a drooling zombie.
I took him off and found teachers, therapists and a school system willing to try alternatives to doping kids to make their job easier.
I would definitely recommend seeing a specialist on this, because the would be better able to determine if meds are necessary. Also, in all these cases adjunct behavioral therapy is a must.
In the meantime, try to conference with your sons teacher and principal about alternatives for your son when he needs help.
For instance, my son, when he is overexcited, can see his therapist for a few minutes and bounce on an exercise ball while he practices his spelling or math.
Good luck!
Jerry BO on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Please call with any problem, Anytime:
Girls and Boys Town "National Hotline"
Phone: 1-800-448-3000
Email: Hotline@girlsandboystown.org
Joe S on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
I would try a different teacher. She sounds like she just doesn’t have patience. You need a second opinion from a doctor who specializes in adhd before you start your kid on meds.
Leinad177 on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
if its reasonably serious, a mental health center can monitor him, but if its not that serious, i suggest that you get another teacher and another pediatrician, because they both dont seem to know what they are doing
Jacob Adam Litchfield™ on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
I go to a mental health center for Depression and ADHD. They will check in with you when you first start the meds every week. Pediatricans aren’t best for that though. It’d be better to see a psyche. If the meds don’t work they will take him off slowly then try him on something else. But to answer ur question yes a mental health center can monitor him better.
noitall on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
yes, I’d go with the MHC. IMO ADHD is overdiagnosed and used to control kids who are too young to have developed self-control. figure out ways that your child can get lots of physical exercise to burn off all that energy and help him learn to sit still and focus for short periods of time, building up gradually. teachers want a bunch of compliant kids in their classroom, not energetic individuals.
1024 on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
You need a psychologist or neuropsychologist to monitor your son, NOT a GP or pediatrician. Has your son had any formal evaluation, or did they just throw meds at him? Please ask your GP for a referral to a doctor that specializes in child psychology and/or ADD/ADHD.
This is an awesome site that you will probably find very helpful:
http://www.ldonline.org/
They have a referral page of ADHD specialists by location – take a look at that. Your son’s school may also have some ideas as to specialists.
pgd on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
You might consider keeping a written drug diary for your child in a notebook. Your child is with you 24 hours a day (so to speak) vs 1 hour or less at the doctor’s office once a month or far less frequently. Parents are often the best resource for monitoring their children vs others who have far less time, even motivation, to do it. A med for ADHD works for some of those with ADHD, not all of those with ADHD. In some cases, the right choice is to be med-free. Good luck.
michellelm2 on August 31, 2011 at 12:54 pm
My daughter is 10 and was diagnosed with ADHD when she was in 1st grade, we started medication in 2nd grade. I went through my pediatrician for medication and the diagnoses, I did however have to do all the research and convince him that I wasn’t just one of those moms with a misbehaved kid but with one who truly had this problem. My daughter like your son was on Adderall, it worked for a little while, but she also had the bad side effects, she didn’t eat and lost a lot of weight(her teacher would tell her if she was hungry to go ahead and eat whatever snack she had whenever she wanted because they were so worried about her not eating), she became a very emotional child one minute laughing next crying for nothing, couldn’t sleep, etc. Then we came across this new medication last year, the Dytrana Patch, this has been our saving grace. This patch has not lead to my daughter loosing sleep, appetiete, energy, it does give her all the focus she needs to excel at school, she is doing the best this year than she has in any other year of school. I however went to my periatrician with this, I researched it and went to him and asked to put her on it. I am lucky that our doctor listens and gives me a chance to present my case so to speak and he will say ok lets try it out, but I want to see her in 1 month. He will also only prescribe meds 1 month at a time I have to go and pick up prescription each month from their office. Now he only checks every 3 months, but when she was first diagnosed it was once a month. You could go to a mental health clinic but you will loose that personal relationship of a doctor who as known your child since birth. Either way you choose, you need to sit and think and do what will be best for your son. Please though check out the Dytrana Patch, it is so wonderful….Good Luck with your son..