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Diet and ADHD, Have You Tried It?

Last Reply:

mom who needs advice

msjones23 posted:

My 5 year old son was just diagnosed with ADHD and anger problems he was prescribed ritalin (5mg) but I'm really questioning if I should start him on this medicine. His father doesn't want him to take it because he had a family member who had a very bad experience with it and he thinks that the same thing is going to happen to our son. Like any mother I went to family members and asked them what they thought and they keep saying don't put him on any medicines he's just a kid he'll grow out of it. i just don't know what else to do and I just need some advise. Any comments or advise that might help would be appreciated. What should I do ?

53 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:mom who needs advice<img src="http://img.webmd.com/community/images/confused.gif" align="top" border="0"> My 5 year old son was just diagnosed with ADHD and anger problems he was prescribed ritalin (5mg) but I'm really questioning if I should start him on this medicine. His father doesn't want him to take it because he had a family member who had a very bad experience with it and he thinks that the same thing is going to happen to our son. Like any mother I went to family members and asked them what they thought and they keep saying don't put him on any medicines he's just a kid he'll grow out of it. i just don't know what else to do and I just need some advise. Any comments or advise that might help would be appreciated. What should I do ?

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pmandell responded:

I would try the meds . is it short acting ? then it is out of system in 2-4 hours and you don't give anymore. It took us 3 tries so far to find the right med and are still working on the right dosage.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceI would try the meds . is it short acting ? then it is out of system in 2-4 hours and you don't give anymore. It took us 3 tries so far to find the right med and are still working on the right dosage.

countrygirl1345 responded:

My son was just diagnosed and we haven't talked about wich medications but there are others besides ritalin and for my son they are going to pair medication with therapy to deal with his anger and to teach him how calm himself down those are some questions you should ask your doctor about.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceMy son was just diagnosed and we haven't talked about wich medications but there are others besides ritalin and for my son they are going to pair medication with therapy to deal with his anger and to teach him how calm himself down those are some questions you should ask your doctor about.

momuv4girls responded:

HI !

Am concerned about the 'anger problems' ? What Dr. did your son see for this ADHD diagnosis ?

How does your son perform and do in school ? Is he in Kindergarten ? Does your son live with both you and his father ? What do his teachers say ?

There is a BIG picture with a diagnosis, and am concerned that most Dr.'s don't evaluate fully. A child psychiatrist is a specialty, and one who should deal with these types of medication and diagnoses.

If you are able to provide more information, then I may be more helpful. Thank You ! -Kathleen

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceHI ! Am concerned about the 'anger problems' ? What Dr. did your son see for this ADHD diagnosis ? How does your son perform and do in school ? Is he in Kindergarten ? Does your son live with both you and his father ? What do his teachers say ? There is a BIG picture with a diagnosis, and am concerned that most Dr.'s don't evaluate fully. A child psychiatrist is a specialty, and one who should deal with these types of medication and diagnoses. If you are able to provide more information, then I may be more helpful. Thank You ! -Kathleen

lkamama responded:

my 4 and a half year old was also diagnosed with ADHD and was also put on riddlen (5mg) he has been on it for a month and there has been no change in his behavior

Report This| Share this:mom who needs advicemy 4 and a half year old was also diagnosed with ADHD and was also put on riddlen (5mg) he has been on it for a month and there has been no change in his behavior

motherofrob responded:

My mother in law is still throwing digs at me regarding the decision her son and I made as a couple. Family members are not always the best people to turn to for advice on children. They love our kids and can't always admit that there are issues. Both sides of our family did not understand why we pushed so hard for our son when he was 2 and was totally uncontrollable. My happy ending to this post is that 3 years later my parents praise us,and our son, who has come so far that you would never guess he was the same child. We are so blessed. I would ultimately go with your instinct and discuss the decisions you make with his father. My husband and I were always on the same page and that helped to dispell some of the doubts that family had. We just could not sit by and let our son struggle and not be proactive. I would also suggest that you have some outlet for yourself and other children in the house. It is a crazy life and we try to be very open with our kids regarding what we are doing to help our son. Even my 5 year old knows that his meds help him feel better. I was surprised the other day when he told me that as I was talking to my mom on the phone about medicine. I also prayed and cried alot. Blessings.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceMy mother in law is still throwing digs at me regarding the decision her son and I made as a couple. Family members are not always the best people to turn to for advice on children. They love our kids and can't always admit that there are issues. Both sides of our family did not understand why we pushed so hard for our son when he was 2 and was totally uncontrollable. My happy ending to this post is that 3 years later my parents praise us,and our son, who has come so far that you would never guess he was the same child. We are so blessed. I would ultimately go with your instinct and discuss the decisions you make with his father. My husband and I were always on the same page and that helped to dispell some of the doubts that family had. We just could not sit by and let our son struggle and not be proactive. I would also suggest that you have some outlet for yourself and other children in the house. It is a crazy life and we try to be very open with our kids regarding what we are doing to help our son. Even my 5 year old knows that his meds help him feel better. I was surprised the other day when he told me that as I was talking to my mom on the phone about medicine. I also prayed and cried alot. Blessings.

emzmom13 responded:

I was very much against putting my seven year old daughter on medicine. She is hard to gijve it to in the first place. Because of the difficulty she was having in school, we decided to try Daytrana at the lowest dose. She has been on it since January. Although I still hate the fact that she is on medicine, she is doing better in school and I see changes in her at home. This is a very hard decision and you need to do what is right for your child and your family. There is no right or wrong answer.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceI was very much against putting my seven year old daughter on medicine. She is hard to gijve it to in the first place. Because of the difficulty she was having in school, we decided to try Daytrana at the lowest dose. She has been on it since January. Although I still hate the fact that she is on medicine, she is doing better in school and I see changes in her at home. This is a very hard decision and you need to do what is right for your child and your family. There is no right or wrong answer.

motherofrob responded:

If you are not happy with the effects of ritalin I would do some research on the classifications of ADHD they suggest the different types of meds to be used in each.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceIf you are not happy with the effects of ritalin I would do some research on the classifications of ADHD they suggest the different types of meds to be used in each.

aprilakamom24 responded:

I think that the decision to put your child on medicine is very hard. Like someone said before, sometimes your family aren't the most objective people. They don't live with you and they don't deal with the problems you face everyday. While some kids do grow out of it, it definitely isn't just "boys being boys" as my family always told me. We finally made the decision to put my 5 year old on medication and while it was extremely hard for me, especially when the first medication was terrible, he now takes ritalin and we are so happy with it. He actually got a GOOD note home from school for the very first time. I am happy we did it now. It was the best thing for him, and that is the most important thing. You have to do what is best for your individual child, even if your family doesn't agree.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceI think that the decision to put your child on medicine is very hard. Like someone said before, sometimes your family aren't the most objective people. They don't live with you and they don't deal with the problems you face everyday. While some kids do grow out of it, it definitely isn't just "boys being boys" as my family always told me. We finally made the decision to put my 5 year old on medication and while it was extremely hard for me, especially when the first medication was terrible, he now takes ritalin and we are so happy with it. He actually got a GOOD note home from school for the very first time. I am happy we did it now. It was the best thing for him, and that is the most important thing. You have to do what is best for your individual child, even if your family doesn't agree.

bamboA responded:

HI, I felt the same way at first,My son has PDD-NOS ( Autism). He also has mood disorder NOS He has anger problems too. I finely took him to get meds in Dec. He is sooo much better. He is still able to functon ,He just behavies like a child not like an angry child. He still gets upset.But it is nothing like before the Meds.You should try it to see if it will help your son. I know it helped mine

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceHI, I felt the same way at first,My son has PDD-NOS ( Autism). He also has mood disorder NOS He has anger problems too. I finely took him to get meds in Dec. He is sooo much better. He is still able to functon ,He just behavies like a child not like an angry child. He still gets upset.But it is nothing like before the Meds.You should try it to see if it will help your son. I know it helped mine

mello970 responded:

with my son some of the anger problems came from his inability to process everything floating around in his brain. the meds actually helped with that. every person reacts differently to medications. i have read horror stories about kids who took the same med my son is on, but for him it works beautifully!!! it will be worth the try if it helps. if your son had diabetes, you would try insulin, wouldn't you?? but ultimately you have to decide and go with your gut feeling.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs advicewith my son some of the anger problems came from his inability to process everything floating around in his brain. the meds actually helped with that. every person reacts differently to medications. i have read horror stories about kids who took the same med my son is on, but for him it works beautifully!!! it will be worth the try if it helps. if your son had diabetes, you would try insulin, wouldn't you?? but ultimately you have to decide and go with your gut feeling.

mrsmartin82 responded:

My step son who is 13 has been on medicine since he was 7 years old. I would take the doctors advice and start asap. Most medicines we have tried takes at least two weeks before we could tell a difference. Since then he has gotten better grades. My husband has adhd also and he has never outgrown it. He always starts projects but never finishes them or it takes a long time to complete them. I was reluctant at first because he was being dependant on medication but if he doesn't take them daily then I really have a hard time controlling him and his attitude is very poor. Best wishes I hope you do make your best decision.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceMy step son who is 13 has been on medicine since he was 7 years old. I would take the doctors advice and start asap. Most medicines we have tried takes at least two weeks before we could tell a difference. Since then he has gotten better grades. My husband has adhd also and he has never outgrown it. He always starts projects but never finishes them or it takes a long time to complete them. I was reluctant at first because he was being dependant on medication but if he doesn't take them daily then I really have a hard time controlling him and his attitude is very poor. Best wishes I hope you do make your best decision.

TCMG responded:

You did not mention the issues that your son has that causes people to believe he has ADHD. Not sure what you mean by anger problems?

Think about what triggers the anger. Watch this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDpcWZUEiU

Some kids who have undetected medical issues have behavior issues, including emotional outbursts. Did you get a comprehensive vision exam for your son? Vision Problems Mimic ADHD Symptoms. Visit here: www.childrensvision.com/

and here: www.childrensvision.com/reading.htm

If your son has not had a comprehensive vision exams, please visit here: www.covd.org/

to find a doctor with the appropriate lab equipment and training in your zip code.

If you have not gotten a comprehensive hearing test, go get it. Make sure that you exhaust all possibilities.

Does your child get enough sleep, exercise, good nutrition? Could he have sleep apnea?

Could the teachers have adult expectations for his behavior?

Explore every avenue. Be a sleuth. You will find answers! The best of luck, A Mom who found answers after years of searching

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceYou did not mention the issues that your son has that causes people to believe he has ADHD. Not sure what you mean by anger problems? Think about what triggers the anger. Watch this video: <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDpcWZUEiU>www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDpcWZUEiU</a> Some kids who have undetected medical issues have behavior issues, including emotional outbursts. Did you get a comprehensive vision exam for your son? Vision Problems Mimic ADHD Symptoms. Visit here: <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.childrensvision.com />www.childrensvision.com/</a> and here: <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.childrensvision.com/reading.htm>www.childrensvision.com/reading.htm</a> If your son has not had a comprehensive vision exams, please visit here: <a rel=nofollow href=http://www.covd.org />www.covd.org/</a> to find a doctor with the appropriate lab equipment and training in your zip code. If you have not gotten a comprehensive hearing test, go get it. Make sure that you exhaust all possibilities. Does your child get enough sleep, exercise, good nutrition? Could he have sleep apnea? Could the teachers have adult expectations for his behavior? Explore every avenue. Be a sleuth. You will find answers! The best of luck, A Mom who found answers after years of searching

zacnautysmommy responded:

MY son is 6 and he was just diagnosed also with ADHD. but before we put him on meds alot of my family was saying the same thing about him out growing it. But ultimately it was mine and my husbands decision. So we took to the doctor and they put him on a medicine called Metadate and it is in the Ritalin family. He has been on it for about 5 months and he went from a child who hated going to school, he was making bad grades because he couldnt sit down and concentrate long enough to finish his work. Now he likes school and just last week at an assembly he made the honor roll. So in our case the medicine is good , i give it to him before he goes to school and he concentrates there and by the time i get home from work at 5 the medicine is out of his system. Now the down side of these medications is that it is an appetite suppressant so your son may not be real hungry sometimes. With my son he will eat breakfast but hes not real hungry at lunchtimethen he eats ok at dinner and then he is starving the rest of the night . i got some great advice here for the eating and basically if it is a problem you have take advantage of the hungry times. And if he is a small child anyways you might try pediasure.

Report This| Share this:mom who needs adviceMY son is 6 and he was just diagnosed also with ADHD. but before we put him on meds alot of my family was saying the same thing about him out growing it. But ultimately it was mine and my husbands decision. So we took to the doctor and they put him on a medicine called Metadate and it is in the Ritalin family. He has been on it for about 5 months and he went from a child who hated going to school, he was making bad grades because he couldnt sit down and concentrate long enough to finish his work. Now he likes school and just last week at an assembly he made the honor roll. So in our case the medicine is good , i give it to him before he goes to school and he concentrates there and by the time i get home from work at 5 the medicine is out of his system. Now the down side of these medications is that it is an appetite suppressant so your son may not be real hungry sometimes. With my son he will eat breakfast but hes not real hungry at lunchtimethen he eats ok at dinner and then he is starving the rest of the night . i got some great advice here for the eating and basically if it is a problem you have take advantage of the hungry times. And if he is a small child anyways you might try pediasure.

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