Should I Medicate My ADHD Child?

The decision to give your child ADHD medication is a difficult and personal one. By no means is it the

only choice, but it's a decision that should be carefully considered before you accept or reject it as the

right treatment method for your child.

Do we have to consider medication?

No. There are other options for parents to consider besides medication. When our child was first

diagnosed with ADHD, the pediatric neurologist recommended that we first try Cognitive Behavior

Therapy or CBT. CBT differs from traditional therapy in that it focuses on giving children ways to cope

with the issues that bother them. The therapist will work with the child in their office and present them

with different scenarios that expose the child to the issue they are trying to address. The child will also

be given homework to do, with the intent of giving the child tools to cope with their issues. CBT doesn't

remain open ended, although the therapist will ask for a dedicated commitment for a specific period of

time.

While CBT helped our child with one of his co-existing conditions caused by ADHD, in his case,

generalized anxiety. It did not address the main symptoms that were causing his social and academic

difficulties, his impulsiveness and lack of focus. When he began to have more problems interacting with

his friends and continuing to get good grades, we knew it was time to try other options.

Which medication works best?

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all medication for ADHD. Each child responds differently to

different prescriptions, and it may take some time to determine which one works the best for them. The

introduction of these medications is a trial and error process, so it is necessary to keep a close eye on

the child to look for potential side effects.

The main medications that your doctor will prescribe include stimulants such as Concerta, Adderall,

Ritalin and Focalin, or non-stimulants like Strattera. We tried three different medications before we

settled on Concerta extended release for our son. The extended release medications that are available

today make it much easier for school age ADHD children to take medication without having to make

multiple day visits to the school nurse. We give one tablet earlier in the morning to our son and he is set

for the day. It may also take time to find the right dosage as well, as small jumps in milligrams can make

substantial behavioral differences.

Should I expect any Side Effects?

As with any stimulant based medication the doctor will want to make sure that your child is free of any

heart related problems before he/she starts the medication. A typically healthy child should not have to

be tested, but our son had been experiencing chest pains (related to Asthma) so it was necessary to

have him see a pediatric cardiologist and to have an EKG and stress test to clear him before we began

the medication.

Once on the medication you will want to watch for any side effects specific to the brand of medication

your child is on. Some common side effects are decreased appetite, trouble sleeping and decreased

growth rate in the first year of taking the medication. Rarer side effects can include aggression or

depression. All symptoms should of course be reported to your doctor who can determine if the

medication should be stopped or changed.

Do the benefits outweigh the side effects?

Each case is of course unique, but for our son the difference in his behavior was startling. We

purposefully did not inform two of his teachers that he had started the medication. Both came back,

unsolicited, to ask what we had done to our son, that he was a different child in class. He paid attention

in class, had an easier time with his friends, and the three-hour marathon homework sessions of me

cajoling, threatening and yelling became a thing of the past.

And while our success story is a happy one it did not come without its problems to overcome. Our son

had difficulty sleeping at first. He wouldn't eat anything during the day and at 9 at night would become

voraciously hungry. In the very beginning, he would have rebound effects coming off his medication at

night and become extremely hyperactive as the medication wore off.

We stuck with it and figured out how to make it work. He began taking Melatonin at night to counteract

the effects of the stimulants, and sleeps better because of it. We keep a jar of peanut butter and jelly at

the ready at night for when his appetite returns, and have warned parents at sleepovers to do the same.

And the rebound effects rarely appear any more as his body has adjusted to the medication.

As I look at my son as he sits quietly at the kitchen table doing his homework without my direction, or

see his beaming face as he reports a 99 on a math test, or just have him come home from the bus having

had a good day, I know the decision to have him take the medication has proven worth it. For the others

of you out there, I say hang on, help is out there, in whatever form is right for you.