Anyone have kids with ADHD or ODD?

Momwasix

hi i saw your post and i have 6 kids 5 boys and! one! girl which my oldest 15 and my 11 have add and odd.They take concerta and serroquel. My oldest is taking 54 mg of concerta 200 mg serroquel. my 11 year old is on 36 mg concerta 100 mg serroquel. My oldest started at the age of 5 and my other son age 7 .I found out it runs in the family on my side they have different dads. So far the medicine has help them alot. They are able to focus and be calmer. I know that medicine seems to not be everyone favorite choice but how i arrive to this decision was nothing was working we did inhome therapy changing schools and diet. Nothing work but the medicine. Sometime supplements are necessary until a person can substain on thier own. His brain is still developing so he won't need it forever you can add me if you like.

swthrtsmrf

My son was diagnosed with ADHD at 4 years old. He is severely ADHD. We have had him on meds since diagnosing him. Did we want him on it? No. But did we want our child to function in school and home? Yes. So we did the back and forth of do we or don't we medicate. And the answer we chose was yes and while we do not like that he has to be on it, he has to be in order to function. You yourself have to make the decision for your child that you feel will work best for them. Just because the doctor hands over one time of med that will work, does not mean it will. We have went thru all of the stimulants except the patch and all of the non-stimulants in the last three years. My son developed side effects or he would outgrow the med as far as strengths go so we would have to switch. As you are starting out on this journey, you have to look at it as a new adventure in parenting. You relearn to parent your child in different ways as they grow older and change. And first and foremost you have to remind yourself that yes your child maybe diagnosed and labeled, but it is not an excuse for why they do the things they do, it is just a better understanding of it. And unfortunately they have to be diagnosed and labeled in order to get help for it. Try the meds the doctor has given, if you are deciding to do that. But keep in mind that you may have to change meds and or strengths several times before you find the one(s) that is the magic combination. And even after time, the magic combo may have to change. Oh and also remember that ADHD and ODD, etc is NOT a disease as someone said earlier. It is the way their brains are wired.

Now that I am done rambling, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want someone to bounce ideas off of. My son is 7 now, and like I said we have had a long journey on this path in life.

sarahrbraun

My daughter is 4 and my doctor told me to not be surprised when she gets diagnosed with adhd. With that being daid, Iam doing a lot of research now and once school starts, I plan on eliminating all preservatives and processed foods out of her diet, clean eating. I may go gluten free after that if necessary. I will see if that helps.

If medication is necessary, I will medicate. Here's why... my friend has adhd. He is 38 and was one of the worst cases on record when we were kids. He was actually one of the first ritalin trial kids. His parents would stop medicating during breaks and such. As an adult, he once told me that was the worst thing his parents could have done to him. He actually equates his parents stopping his meds as child abuse. He said when he was medicated he was in control of his body and mind. But when he was off the drugs, he knew what it felt like to be in control, and wasn't able to control his mind or body. He said being off the drugs wad torture because he had no control. Just something for parents to consider, the detrement you are causing your child by limiting when drugs are given. His words will always stick with me.

I HATE that some parents give their kids a "medication vacation" . My husband is a boy scout leader, and for years he has told me about these kids who are medicated most of the time, but the parents give them a "medication vacation" for scheduled camp outs or week long summer camps. They don't seem to care that someone else has to deal with their out of control kid for that time period! Hubby told me once about a kid that almost walked in front of another child who was shooting a rifle because he was not medicated and could not pay attention or remember the safety rules!

That being said, my 16yo is on 3 different psychiatric meds and he NEVER gets a medication vacation. If he accidentally forgets his meds for a day or so, I know there is a high probability that we WILL have an issue.The idea of him not taking his meds makes ME feel sick.

xynyth

My oldest has ADHD and after trying a bunch of different meds we have settled on concerta with a Ritalin booster in the afternoons. Focalin was awful! but it is a bit of trial end error to find what will work.

I was on Ritalin as a kid and my brother is still on it to this day. Also think about diet changes. Those have helped the most for my daughter. Getting rid of all artificial food dyes has been the most dramatic improvement. They really set her off and it lingers for days

Good luck!

Josie_lifting_cats

I have a child with autism and ADHD. Honestly, for us.. it was as simple as this...

If your child cannot function in school and home without being happy.. if the child is disruptive, if its something that bothered you enough to go to the doctor about it...

and you DONT put them on the medications.. then you arent giving your child the best life they can have.

Would you refuse a diabetic insulin? Its a disease, treat it.

Just my opinion, but my daughter was diagnosed when she was 5.. shes 15 now and there is NO way she could even consider college or hold a job without her medication.

I disagree with this statement. And this isn't anything against you, but my MIL medicated her two sons for everything under the sun - literally, they were so drugged up, and she was convinced they were ADHD/ADD/OCD/ODD/bipolar, etc. She was bothered enough by the fact that they liked to go outside and dig in the dirt, really, to go to the doctor.

Now my husband has two kids, a wife, a job where he has been very successful, and all she does is tell him that he could have been "so much more" if he "stayed on his meds", and has even said it's dangerous for him to be without his ADHD medication. He's been unmedicated for something like 14 years. He doesn't suffer ADHD, ODD, OCD (I wish, my house might be cleaner!), etc. Being a psych major, I can vouch for it.

So I think it's unfair to say if you are bothered by it it's obvious that there is a problem. Some parents are just bothered by kids in general.

That said, OP, use your best judgement. You likely know more than anyone on here about your child's behavior. I say go into anything and everything with this with an open mind, do a ton of research and reading, and find what works for your family.

Josie_lifting_cats

My son was just diagnosed with ADHD and ODD and they are wanting me to put him on Ritalin and Concerta. I am nervous and have my reservation about putting my son on drugs such as those. Anyone here have similar childrens issues?

What is ODD? Do you mean OCD? I'm not trying to be cheeky by asking. I think medication for OCD is a good idea. I've been taking it for two years and no longer have any symptoms.

ODD - Oppositional defiant disorder

OCD - Obsessive compulsive disorder.

ODD is a little more controversial - some mental health practitioners believe it's just a label to put on someone who stands up for what they believe in.

I have a kid that stands up for what he believes in. I would never medicate him for it - I would rather focus on him learning acceptable social rules but always standing up for what he believes is right. The trick is to make sure that he's good at heart and believes in the right things.

bkesecker

As a teacher, I think it is a shame that parents don't treat their children who have ADHD. I have seen some of the smartest kids simply flounder because of inability to focus. Would you withhold medication from a person with BiPolar disorder? Children with ADHD have a clinically diagnosed disorder that can and should be treated. You may need to spend a great deal of time working with your doctor to find the best medication and dosage for your child. It takes time and patience, but the reward in the end is worth it. Your child will improve in school, be able to function better at home, and his confidence and self esteem with improve. We all want the best for our children. Withholding medication will not allow your child to achieve his best.

jo1229

My son is 8 and was diagnosed with adhd and with some Asberger symptoms in Kindergarten. He has difficulties socially in school and has difficulties focusing. He's very smart and does well academically but he needs a paraprofessional near him to frequently redirect him to the task he's supposed to be working on. My husband and I absolutely do not want to put him on prescription drugs. We found a wonderful naturpathic pediatrician who ran tests, both blood and urine. We found out that our son lacks folic acid and B12. We have him on natural supplements and vitamins and he does much better. Look up Dr. Jarod Skowron on the internet from Harvest Park Naturopathic Medicine (www.naturopathicanswer.com) They are located in Wallingford CT. Dr Skowron is a professor at the Univiersity of Bridgeport and specializes in naturopathic remedies for ADHD and autistic children. He is nationally renowned and he is wonderful. They may be able to refer you to a doc in your area.

nicholawelch

I have a child with adhd and he is on methylphenidate. medicating him was the best thing for him as he is now less violent and much calmer. people always can tell when he has not had his medication. we were very wary about the medication but it has made a huge difference to him and us we have also cut citrus and artifical colours from his diet. As these things increase his hyperactivity.

miriamwithcats

I have a child with autism and ADHD. Honestly, for us.. it was as simple as this...

If your child cannot function in school and home without being happy.. if the child is disruptive, if its something that bothered you enough to go to the doctor about it...

and you DONT put them on the medications.. then you arent giving your child the best life they can have.

Would you refuse a diabetic insulin? Its a disease, treat it.

Just my opinion, but my daughter was diagnosed when she was 5.. shes 15 now and there is NO way she could even consider college or hold a job without her medication.

I totally agree with this except I have one huge reservation. Many doctors misdiagnose a child as having ADHD and ODD when they REALLY have Bipolar Disorder (a mood disorder). If a child has Bipolar disorder Ritalin and other stimulants make it worse and harder to control over time. Bipolar Disorder looks different in children than it does in adults. They tend to have mixed states where they are hyperactive but depressed. They also are much more oppositional. There is a great book, The Bipolar Child, by a husband and wife team, the Papalos. They also have a lot of information online. Before you start your child on medication, get their list showing the difference between ADHD and Bipolar symptoms. There are some pretty easy to spot differences. Like a child with ADHD will break things accidently, but a child with BP will intentionally break things. I had early onset Bipolar disorder as do my three sons, so I am very knowledgable about the subject.

sarahrbraun

I have a child with autism and ADHD. Honestly, for us.. it was as simple as this...

If your child cannot function in school and home without being happy.. if the child is disruptive, if its something that bothered you enough to go to the doctor about it...

and you DONT put them on the medications.. then you arent giving your child the best life they can have.

Would you refuse a diabetic insulin? Its a disease, treat it.

Just my opinion, but my daughter was diagnosed when she was 5.. shes 15 now and there is NO way she could even consider college or hold a job without her medication.

I disagree with this statement. And this isn't anything against you, but my MIL medicated her two sons for everything under the sun - literally, they were so drugged up, and she was convinced they were ADHD/ADD/OCD/ODD/bipolar, etc. She was bothered enough by the fact that they liked to go outside and dig in the dirt, really, to go to the doctor.

Now my husband has two kids, a wife, a job where he has been very successful, and all she does is tell him that he could have been "so much more" if he "stayed on his meds", and has even said it's dangerous for him to be without his ADHD medication. He's been unmedicated for something like 14 years. He doesn't suffer ADHD, ODD, OCD (I wish, my house might be cleaner!), etc. Being a psych major, I can vouch for it.

So I think it's unfair to say if you are bothered by it it's obvious that there is a problem. Some parents are just bothered by kids in general.

That said, OP, use your best judgement. You likely know more than anyone on here about your child's behavior. I say go into anything and everything with this with an open mind, do a ton of research and reading, and find what works for your family.

Not to be funny, but sounds like your MIL was the one who needed medicated!

I always knew there was something not quite right with my oldest son. Starting at age 2 or so he was having violent outbursts over minor things, to the point where we would have to put him in a bear hug/hold to avoid injury. By age 6 he was having issues in school. We did our research, then went to the doctor with our findings. I had a book on ADHD, written by a psychiatrist who realized in medical school that HE had ADHD, and I had highlighted everything in the book that pertained to my son. I had notes from school and babysitters outlining behavior he had that was different than his peers. My doctor flipped through everything and confirmed our suspicions. We played with his meds for 5 years, and at age 11 he was dx with PDD-NOS ( later changed to Aspergers), and at age 14 he was dx with mood disorder-NOS ( I had asked that he be evaluated for bi-polar and IED).

IMO it is important to not run to the doctor and demand medication for every little thing, and doctors need to refuse to medicate for things like ADHD, etc until they have thoroughly evaluated the child. I was taken off guard at the time, but my son's second psychiatrist ( who specializes in ASD) asked me at the first appointment "what makes you think he has ASD?" and even after I had told him that my son was diagnosed by both a school psychologist AND a psychiatrist at mental health, he spent about an hour going over my son's whole history. I now understand that he was evaluating if my child had an issue or if it was in MY head.

juliecat1

My oldest is ADHD. I did the diet, dye avoidance, etc.... They helped for a while. But as she got older, she started having real issues socially. It was too much for her friends to handle. And she started falling farther behind in school than I was comfortable with. So she's medicated now. MUCH different. She's only on concerta during the school year. I'll out her on it all the time if and when she wants to.

miriamwithcats

ADD / ADHD is pretty well know & talked about but i didn't see anyone address ODD. i think its been confused with OCD.

if your son has ODD you really must have your hands full. when a young child has ODD, its an awefully hard disability to live with. (((hugs)))

my nephew is 9 and has ADHD & ODD. just last month my nephew broke his mother's eye socket in one of his fits of defiance. He has a mobile therapist that comes to the house once a week and a TS (social worker) that also spends 10 hours a week with him. in addition to these services he too takes BOTH these meds you mentioned. without them we'd be helpless & he'd be in a children's hospital of some sort. he needs them. i have faith that you will find the best medication fit for your son too.

What do other MFP members have to offer about ODD- Oppositional Defiant Disorder

You are your child's best advocate. Ask tons of questions. Don't be afraid to research. Changes can be made. Continue the good fight. Good Luck! :flowerforyou:

ANYONE with a child diagnosed with ODD should investigate whether the child has ADHD or Bipolar Disorder. This is a very very common misdiagnosis. I took my son from Idaho to Chicago to see a pediatric psychopharmacologist to make certain of the diagnosis, since there were NO qualified doctors in Idaho. Bipolar disorder in children is not as common as ADHD so doctors tend to think of ADHD first and never explore the other possibility. Remember, they are taught to think horses, not zebras, but if your child is a zebra they could be wrong!

med2017

i think the pharmaceuticals are in control of the doctors in us.. instead of looking for an alternative they go the easy way and prescribe drugs... oh you feel sad? anti depressant. you have this symptom? medication. instead of looking at other remedies, cognitive therapy, counseling, herbal medicine. change of environment or life style etc.

its part of a nature for children to be young free happy overly excited. (obviously if its within normal range, if it gets to the point where no one can do anything then medication is the option, or locked up in the basement hehe <sarcasm>)

i know when i was out of line my mom send me to a corner or slapped me in the butt and i learned not to do it again. and im not saying i was a angel either. obviously i have no room to talk about raising children since i have none. but i think the worst that can be done is to spoil the child, let him have anything he wants and then when he demands for more give into it... then you see the problems coming along.
i know this because i can now compare myself to my cousin who was spoiled while i was not.

just a rant/ opinion.

i just think medications are overprescribed 100%. and the worst part is doctors and pharma companies are prescribing these medications without knowing the full side effects/affects, especially when it comes to mental health.


i give the most respect to parents who have to deal with insubordinate children or ones who do have actual ADD/ADHD, you are angels walking this earth

miriamwithcats

The Dr has told me that if I do not like how he is on his medication that we can always try something different, which was good. He also sees a social worker every week to talk and everything. I really appreciate everything everyone is saying. It is helping my thought process a bit more than it was 2 hours ago.

My son also see's a therapist every month for cognitive behavioural therapy...it's been working great!

Yeah they are wanting my son to start OT therapy and speech therapy. The Speech therapy because his mouth works faster than his brain and if he is passionate about what he is talking about then he has a hard time getting it out. the harder it is for him to get it out there the more frustrated he gets and he starts to hit himself in the face or jump up and down.

Mouth not being able to keep up with the brain could be the symptom "pressured speech" which is a symptom of Bipolar disorder! Our brains are going a mile a minute, so it is hard to concentrate at times, but that is different from someone who has ADHD and starts off with the problem of not being able to concentrate.

miriamwithcats

ADD / ADHD is pretty well know & talked about but i didn't see anyone address ODD. i think its been confused with OCD.

if your son has ODD you really must have your hands full. when a young child has ODD, its an awefully hard disability to live with. (((hugs)))

my nephew is 9 and has ADHD & ODD. just last month my nephew broke his mother's eye socket in one of his fits of defiance. He has a mobile therapist that comes to the house once a week and a TS (social worker) that also spends 10 hours a week with him. in addition to these services he too takes BOTH these meds you mentioned. without them we'd be helpless & he'd be in a children's hospital of some sort. he needs them. i have faith that you will find the best medication fit for your son too.

What do other MFP members have to offer about ODD- Oppositional Defiant Disorder

You are your child's best advocate. Ask tons of questions. Don't be afraid to research. Changes can be made. Continue the good fight. Good Luck! :flowerforyou:

My son has thrown a radio at my head, tried to beat me with belts, thrown a lawn chair at me, he punches, kicks, bites, scratches, headbutts, pinches, screams at the top of his lungs, and other things. The look in his eyes when he is like this scared me to bad. My son is not in there when he has a fit and his pupils are so dilated his eyes are almost pure black. I had to call the cops on him last time (per his social workers orders) and that scared me. Then when he calms down he feels so much remorse he practically begs me to hurt him the way he hurt me. It kills me to see him like that and he hates it too. I is always saying he wishes he can stop but his body won't let him.

That sounds like what I went through with my kids, and the black eyes, etc.

saustin201

I have a 7 year old with ADHD and ODD. He was disruptive during class, beating kids up on the bus and screaming in kindergarten. We got him tested, put on Vyvanse and he is now the best behaved boy in class according to his teacher. I didn't even realize he could read, but the first day I put him on the meds he was reading stories and writing stories. Before the meds he couldn't even concentrate long enough to read the title of a book. In 1st grade he received all A's and B's as grades. He's now going into 2nd grade.

This past summer we took him off the meds for 3 days (long weekend) to see if he had learned any coping mechanisms so he wouldn't need the medication. He hadn't and it was a complete disaster. He was back to his old ways of climbing my walls (literally), throwing temper tandrums and hitting his brothers and me.

However, keep in mind that the meds reduce his appetite to virtually nothing. I let him eat anything he wants to for breakfast- 3 bowls of oatmeal? Noooo problem. I do the same thing when the meds wear off at night. He did need to be put on an appetite stimulant because he'd lost about 5 pounds, but the appetite stimulant is working and he's regained that weight and he is still a stringbean, but my hubby (his dad) is also tall and thin.

We did try certain diets and taking sugars away and all that, but it didn't help. We tried everything before the medication and the only thing that worked was the medication.

After the meds wear off he can be quite a handful, but we just deal with it. I've been hit with baseballs, threatened with knives, and slapped in the face by rulers. This behavior is the ODD part. These come as complete shocks and out of nowhere. I am really rather concerned about his future. If he doesn't take his medication as an adult and he threatens people he could go to jail or prison so I am teaching him he has to take his medication no matter what.

Good luck and hang in there.

MelBee29

bump for later when i have more time to write my story too

b00b0084

My son was just diagnosed with ADHD and ODD and they are wanting me to put him on Ritalin and Concerta. I am nervous and have my reservation about putting my son on drugs such as those. Anyone here have similar childrens issues?

What is ODD? Do you mean OCD? I'm not trying to be cheeky by asking. I think medication for OCD is a good idea. I've been taking it for two years and no longer have any symptoms.

ODD - Oppositional defiant disorder

OCD - Obsessive compulsive disorder.

ODD is a little more controversial - some mental health practitioners believe it's just a label to put on someone who stands up for what they believe in.

I have a kid that stands up for what he believes in. I would never medicate him for it - I would rather focus on him learning acceptable social rules but always standing up for what he believes is right. The trick is to make sure that he's good at heart and believes in the right things.

There is a difference in standing up for what you believe in and beating the s**t out of me because I said something as simple as get ready for bed.

sarahrbraun

i think the pharmaceuticals are in control of the doctors in us.. instead of looking for an alternative they go the easy way and prescribe drugs... oh you feel sad? anti depressant. you have this symptom? medication. instead of looking at other remedies, cognitive therapy, counseling, herbal medicine. change of environment or life style etc.

its part of a nature for children to be young free happy overly excited. (obviously if its within normal range, if it gets to the point where no one can do anything then medication is the option, or locked up in the basement hehe <sarcasm>)

i know when i was out of line my mom send me to a corner or slapped me in the butt and i learned not to do it again. and im not saying i was a angel either. obviously i have no room to talk about raising children since i have none. but i think the worst that can be done is to spoil the child, let him have anything he wants and then when he demands for more give into it... then you see the problems coming along.
i know this because i can now compare myself to my cousin who was spoiled while i was not.

just a rant/ opinion.

i just think medications are overprescribed 100%. and the worst part is doctors and pharma companies are prescribing these medications without knowing the full side effects/affects, especially when it comes to mental health.


i give the most respect to parents who have to deal with insubordinate children or ones who do have actual ADD/ADHD, you are angels walking this earth

I think an important part of the diagnosis/treatment process is comparing the child to his peers. I actually did not believe the psychiatrist's dx of my child because she did not observe him at all before making her diagnosis. She flipped through the papers I had filled out, asked a few questions and said "autism". the school psychologist did all kinds of testing and observed him in various class settings, comparing him to his peers every 1min, and gave him an educational diagnosis of "emotionally disturbed". I told her that the psychiatrist has said "autism" and asked if that was consistent with what she saw, and she said it was...THEN I believed it.

Then a few years ago I was at an IEP meeting for the same child, and one of the school staff ( she did the social skills group, not sure what her training is) who did NOT have his file in front of her looked at me and said "does he possibly have a spectrum dx?"