ADHD Medication: Can Your Child Go Without?

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Hi- I dis-agreed with the merits of the article and I posted my comments as such. Now I see that my post has been deleted. If US News wants only post one-sided opinions, then you should post a disclaimer stating that. Thank you. For the record, my comments were blunt and candid.

Greg of IL 9:01AM January 16, 2009

Spotted this MD Psychiatrist,on two PBS Specials. He has 3 out of his own 5 kids with ADD. He has written books on ADD and on the Brain in general, and preventing or delaying Alzheimers ...he is dismayed that "Psychiatry is the only profession that does not look at the organ it treats." To date he had done over 50,000 Spect scans of brains normal and injured, including his own, which he shows before and after treatment results for various "mental disorders". He believes in using natural, physical, nutritional and medications as interventions depending on the problem needing treatment. He is a well rounded, intelligent, clinician with no ego. He is having a new special on PBS April 22, 2009 about the Family and the Brain. Watch it.
I am hoping the whole country reads all his books so we can get our brains in their best condition and be an even better country, family, citizens.

Michael of FL 11:29PM January 15, 2009

Here is a little advice I can give to you parents who are in the beginnings of treatment for your child or frustrated with your current treatment. I experieced the same problems with my youngest son who is now 8. The rages when coming down, the zombie mode, we had two years of trial and error with different medications. The one thing that hadn't been addressed was his anxiety. Anxiety can mask itself as ADHD if gone untreated and is severe. In our case we were dealing with both ADHD and anxiety. After not being able to get into our first choice of pediatric psychiatrist, we spent 2 years and 3 practices, trying to find the right combination of medication and therapy. Thankfully, while at the end of my rope, I begged the practice that we are currently with to see us. This one also being the one we wanted to go to in the first place. After a pediatricians referrel and the proper diagnosis, we were on our way to a better place. It has been a little over a year now, and with the proper supervision of a wonderful psychiatrist and therapy support, the whole family is in a much better place. Yes, we face continuous challenges, but we are all on the same page with therapy, treatment, medications, and familial understanding. I knew my youngest was ADHD when he was only 2. But the early learning program would not confirm what I felt. If there is a family history of ADHD, that raises the likelyhood of a child having it. In our case, I am ADHD and my husband's brother was. It runs on both sides far and wide, which is likely the reason why I have two boys with it. I ate right, took my vitamins, didn't drink, smoke, or use any chemicals while I was pregnant with both boys. We didn't go to drug therapy right away, but only when everything wasn't working. I do not regret putting the boys on medication. The quality of life they are living now, far outweighs any of the negatives. Go with your gut, get a good psychiatrist, and know that from a woman who was 34 when first diagnosed, I wish there was this kind of help for me when I was a kid. My life choices, self esteem, and academic achievements suffered because of it. My husband's brother took the road of self medication, which led him into a life of alcohlism, drug addiction, and eventually the taking of his life. He was 29 years old and a father of 2. He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 16, but refused treatment. Tell me know, what road do you want your child to go down? I knew even before he died that I would not allow my boys to go down that same road. I will never regret the choice to medicate. I know what the alternative is for some. I realize this ia very personal decision. Just remember that, this is about the best interest of your child. Don't make your decisions based on what others might think. Find a good doctor, involve the school system, and study everything you can on ADHD. I did, and do everyday, as a mother and a special education teacher in behavioral disordes.

LIsa of IA 9:39PM January 15, 2009

I have 3 children; oldest, 14; middle, 12 1/2; youngest 7.
My oldest is diagnosed with ADHD, for his hyper activity. He is a straight "A" student that has an amazing memory.
My middle was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD, because of her struggles in school. She can not retain information and has trouble focusing.
My youngest, well...I went to his parent/teacher conference right before Thanksgiving. When I arrived, I was ready to pound my fist and stomp my feet; to tell his teacher I would be "darned" if I was going to put him on medicine also!
Instead, it was brought to my attention that she thought he might have some perceptional vision problems. I thought "What?...O.K." So, I started doing research on Visual Perception problems and symptoms. AMAZINGLY, the symptoms of visual problems are the same symptoms of ADHD/ADD.
I had my youngest's eyes tested and sure enough, he has to go through 40 weeks (6 days a week) of therapy. Once a week we have to see the therapist and 5 days a week, we as parents are in charge of giving him the "therapy".
I am going to also pursue having my 2 older children checked. It is an amazing thing!
Think about it, if it takes a child two minutes to focus (with their eyes) on a matter, by the time they are focused in their teacher has erased it and moved on to something else. Therefore, don't you think that as a child you would think that there was no point in trying to focus at all?! It is no wonder they "wiggle, squirm, make noises and are disrupted"!
Please consider having your childs eyes examined! Oh, yeah, and another thing, even though your child may have a 20/20 vision; they may still have visual problems!

concerned mother of OH 9:16PM January 15, 2009

The smartest thing I did in regards to my son and his school issues was obtaining the services of an Advocate. My Advocate goes to all of the IEP meetings and makes sure all of the guidelines and his needs are being met.
One thing I learned that it can be the teacher, some teachers and children just do not "click". It definitely is not a "one size fits all".
I tried several different ADHD drugs for him and they didn't work, he was like a zombie and when he started coming down from the meds he would start raging and he never raged before. His issues are more learning ones. He would wonder or fiddle when he was supposed to do anything that involved reading or writing.

Jill of FL 7:14PM January 15, 2009

Add ADHD to the list! When my boys were tots 50 years ago, our family doctor suggested they be enrolled in the local Parent-Nursery school. It was the laboratory for a mandatory class in effective parenting offered through the school district's adult education program. The three-year old who spoke in unintelligible complete sentences soon adopted the English language and is now known (and well-compensated) for his ability to communicate. His brother, who was probably an ADHD kid (formerly known as brat and worse) had a great variety of outlets for his large-muscle energy; both learned how to interact with their peers and other adults. Teachers said they could always tell who had--and hadn't--gone to nursery school!

Jill B. of CA 6:04PM January 15, 2009

As a parent, I agree with Kayla that hyperactive and inattentive children are all different and "one size fits all" handlings will never work.
Todd, however, is right when he states that ADHD, as a condition that cannot be proven using any kind of medical test, is being falsely promulgated as a known medical disease. This is not to say that kids cannot be hyperactive or inattentive -- only that these behavioral qualities should not be diagnosed as such.
ADHD treatment normally consists of some very powerful stimulant drugs, which mask symptoms while carrying with them potentially serious and permanently damaging side effects, including addiction.
Underlying reasons behind hyperactivity and inattentiveness can range anywhere from allergies to nutritional deficiencies to environmental toxins to an underlying illness to study problems to being just plain too smart for class.
It's not easy to find the right answer(s),a thorough search will eventually turn up your solution.
Drugs, however, can never be the answer, because while they appear to dampen the symptoms, they do not address the real problem and can lead to some pretty serious health consequences.
Best of luck to you, Michael.

Hank of CA 4:06PM January 15, 2009

I couldn't agree more with Kayla. The first comment is asinine, and likely from someone who's not even a parent.
The timing of this article could not have been more fortuitous. I have a 2 1/2 year old who is having enormous difficulty at school with transitioning between activities. He is a big behavioral problem, basically ignoring Time Outs, spanking, and rewards. My wife and I are desperately trying to get some help from the school district, but have been told he must be diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician or neurologist before the district will assign someone to assist. Unfortunately, most doctors are very hesitant to diagnose ADHD at such an early age. We are honestly pulling our hair out. Nothing seems to work. He is an exceedingly bright (been tested to see if the state could help, but fell into the normal range in everything except vocabulary and speech, where he excels and has the equivalent of a 5 year old's vocabulary). Like the first poster, I too am loathe to put drugs in him, but we are facing the possibility of school expulsion.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Michael Platt of NY 3:03PM January 15, 2009

First of all, a reponse to the previous comment: There is nothing that annoys me more than to hear someone make blanket statements about how ADHD should or should not be treated. Statements such as the one above leave parents like us feeling discouraged, ineffective, and insecure. Our children are individuals, with different personalities, learning styles, diets, educational settings, and home backgrounds. Each child has different body chemistry, too.
This article, by contrast, is spot on. It takes a sustained and coordinated effort from doctors, teachers *and* parents to find the appropriate treatment for an ADHD child. I've raised three ADHD boys to successful adulthood. Each child was different, and required a totally unique approach. I'm thankful that in our case, we had wonderful support from our boys' schools. Together, we developed strategies for homework and for 'life' that taught our boys to cope with their symptoms. They are still using many of the techniques today to help them in their careers and higher education.
Attention Deficit Disorder cannot really be 'cured'. It can be outgrown. It can be overcome. We can compensate for it, and make allowances for it. There is nothing anyone can do that will just make ADHD magically go away. It's a lifelong journey. But in the end, with patience and persistence and love, an ADHD child will grow into the wonderful adult he or she was created to be.
Kayla Fay
http://www.goaskmom.com
"Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet?"

Kayla Fay of NC 1:12PM January 15, 2009

these pediatricians that prescribe drugs for this "disease" should be called what they are: drug dealers...and the parents should be ashamed for putting this poison in their children....the sad part is that most of these people probably have college educations and are supposed to be intelligent.

todd of FL 10:23AM January 15, 2009