Credit Jasper Greek Golangco
I’m the mother of a 9 year old little girl who has been diagnosed with ADHD. I’ve always wondered what it does to her brain, much less what the Speed the doctors (not to mention school) want her to take, is doing to her brain. She was diagnosed in 1st grade after being sent to the office 6 times in kindergarten.
Within the past two weeks I took my daughter off of her meds. Why? Well… because she’s 9 and she weighs 54 lbs. Or maybe because the medication costs approximately $150 and we don’t have insurance right now.
We have an IEP in place for my daughter and she gets help with her worst subject, math. But guess what? State testing is tomorrow and the school called me and asked about the status of her medication, and if she was going to have it for Maryland State Assessment. It was as if they basically want me to drug her up get her medication for her prior to then. And I told them I’ve never been keen on using the medication and I don’t like it at all. I told them I don’t know what to do right now because I don’t have the insurance but I understand that she can’t necessarily focus like other kids and she’s distracting everyone. So I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. The only thing is, she’s getting sent to the office quite regularly because she can’t control herself. I’m trying to encourage her by telling her if I get no bad reports, at the end of the week I’ll take her to pick out a toy or something she likes. I don’t want her to use this condition as a crutch.
Honestly, I feel that the teachers can’t handle these children and push the parents to get them on medication, and I don’t care how much research is done, we really don’t know what these medications do to our children. I know people who were on these medicines as children and they are not necessarily productive members of society. Medications used to treat ADHD are speed, plain and simple, and if you’ve ever done them (not that I have), you would know what it does to you. Supposedly it’s the exact opposite of what it does to the kids, but who really knows?!
So for now, instead of drugging up my daughter, I’m seeking out resources to help me learn more about this condition and how to handle her better. Here’s some resources that may help you, if you are in the same boat that I am in.
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[...] The Guilty Parent ? Blog Archive ? Drugging Up Children with Speed … By pricousins I?m the mother of a 9 year old little girl who has been diagnosed with ADHD. I?ve always wondered what it does to her brain, much less what the Speed the doctors (not to mention school) want her to take, is doing to her brain. … The Guilty Parent – http://www.theguiltyparent.com/ [...]
I must tell you, last year my son entered kindergarten. Within weeks we were in parent/teacher/principal/nurse conferences. This is a very proactive public school that genuinely has the child’s best interest at heart. We knew from previous behavior in pre-school that this day would come. My wife is a pediatric therapy clinic manager and speech pathologist. In short we recognized behavior in my son we knew at some point would need to be mitigated with drugs. We are blessed to have a pediatrician that is renowned for his perspective and treatment of children’s behavior issues.
Bottom line is my son was obviously not comfortable in his skin. He was always fidgeting, never able to sit in one spot for A MINUTE. “What are we gonna do next Dad, what are we gonna do now?” was his refrain. I was skeptical about drug therapy until the second day of his protocol. We were half way through the T-ball season his first, He always wanted to cut in line, bat first, become distracted, leave the field and go play somewhere else. On his second day of medication we had a T-ball game. My son was focused and excited to be in the game. He hit the ball accurately and played the game with gusto. He fielded a pop fly (caught it) then threw to 1st base for two outs. It was truly amazing.
At home he could actually sit and play by himself. He played with toys such as a build it train set & Lego’s and other toys that require thought and concentration. He had NEVER had the patience for such things before. In school his behavior improved overnight. He had patience to wait to be called on instead of blurting out. He could wait in line and take turns. He was COMFORTABLE in his skin for the first time.
Now at age 7 in the first grade he is a happy well adjusted little boy. Without getting into his meds and the minutia of dose and brand, I will leave you with this thought; please don’t sell medication therapy short. There are drugs that can help children (& adults) realize their potential. Due diligence is key. Be responsible, be investigative, advocate for your children, don’t write off opportunity to give them the life they were born to live.
I too am the mother of a nine-year-old girl diagnosed with ADHD. We tried ADD coaching (we had to pay out of pocket for this and it was around $150.00 per session) for a year. The coach finally recommended medication. My daughter too is underweight and this bothers me. We are on our 7th medication, the Daytrana patch, and it works very well. Prior to the Daytrana patch, she could not get her homework done in under 3-4 hours (she tested into the gifted program at school, so this was an attention issue not a learning issue).
On Valentine’s Day my husband put her patch in a different place. I volunteered to help that day and watched her at her desk, she was fidgeting, trying to whisper to the boy and girl on either side of her, she was using the Valentine craft items in unusual and distracting ways, the teacher had to re-direct her to pay attention about 3 times in 15 minutes, the other children began to move away from her, give her a wide berth. In short, they shunned her throughout the party. The placement of the patch had made it ineffective that day. I went home a cried, it was so hard to watch my child be rejected like that. I thought about how it would be that way everyday for her if she weren’t on the meds.
I hope that your daughter fairs well, maybe she has outgrown the ADHD, I know that sometimes this happens, it hasn’t for us, but I know that it can. I truly believe in alternative options. In addition to the coaching, we also made dietary adjustments early on in her diagnosis. For us the medication works. She told me the other day how much she likes ballet, three years ago when we started the meds she was going to be kicked out of ballet, a class that she loved, because she couldn’t focus and she was getting in the space of the other kids. Her quote to me a few days ago was, “I love ballet and I want to stick with it until I can use pointe shoes.” The best of luck to you, one thing I have learned is that ADHD is really a journey, not a destination.
My daughter too is ADHD. She has been on different medicines since 1st grade. I do know that when I put her on the adderall she has losing weight and not growing. She was only on this medicine for about 2 months. I immediaetly took her back to her doctor and put her on the first medicine she was on and that was focalin. She seems to be better on that except for she “jumps and get really defensive about some things”. She used to be on the Daytrona patch and I loved it and so did she except for the fact that it would stick to her really bad. I too am at a loss right now. I have been looking into herbal treatments as well. I did not realize that your daughter was diagnosed with this.
Update: I took my daughter to the doctor yesterday and got her meds. Cost me an arm and a leg but it’s state testing time and she needs to focus. So I’ll keep learning and working with her until I can get her off of the meds.
I wouldn’t be too quick saying you want your child off the meds. They help, no matter what, if your child is truly ADD, then the meds help those neurotransmitters in the brain connect how they should. Taking your child off meds does not mean you are helping your child out. My pediatrician put it to me this way. If your child can’t see and needs glasses, are you going to take the glasses away on the weekends and tell her to try real hard to read without them, all weekend long? No matter how much you “bribe” your kid, she wouldn’t be able to see any better. You wouldn’t do that now would you? Just because you don’t want your child on meds doesn’t mean that you are “drugging” her up when you give them to her. It means you are helping her brain adjust and work better. The meds do not act like speed to someone with ADD. I know because I too take meds. I realized I had the sterotypical characteristics of an ADD adult, while researching the condition when my son was in 1st grade. 2 of my 4 kids have been diagnosed.
Overall, we have been successful using Concerta, and if we have an after school activity I have Ritalin 10mg boosters. My kids are swimmers and there is a huge difference in my daughters swimming if she doesn’t have a booster before hitting the pool. She stays focused & listens to the coach and keeps pace with the other kids. Without it she gets off track easily, swims slow, slacks at practice. I don’t feel guilty giving my kids the meds, because I know how they feel on them. If your child has self-control issues, or problems focusing, they more than likely just can’t behave by trying. They need extra help. I can honestly say that when I take my meds I feel more in tune with everything, and as for my kids, they are much better adjusted to the world around them when they can “see clearly”.
Angie- I highly recommend you do more research or find a doctor willing to explain to you why these drugs do work in children who really do have ADHD. I understand not having the money for insurance, but I think you are jumping to conclusions when you say the teachers can’t handle the children and that’s why they want them medicated. That’s the same as accusing me of giving my child medication because I don’t want to parent them.
My 9yo daughter has severe ADHD with tics, and her medication has saved her education, her social life, and her ability to function in society. She is at the top of her class and will be in the Gifted program next year.
There will always be kids who are so mild they don’t need medication, and there will always be kids who are misdiagnosed. However, if you read about stimulants and children with neurological disorders, you might have more peace of mind about using them, and less animosity towards others who believe in their power.
Diane’s last blog post..shine your light brightly
i have add and what the i have been giveing for my add has changed my life yeah we have some side affects but with out docters and the drugs they have giveing me i would have not made it where im going today