Question about ADHD Medications?

Hello!

My 8 year old son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. His PED. has referred him to a behavior specialist to possibley put on medications. I have heard alot of bad thing's about children getting very depressed and even commited suicide from these type's of med.'s. Does anyone know of this and how common those side effects are?

And what other side effects are there. My guess is they will put him on Concerta or the other newer one, I think it starts with an S. Sorry I am not sure of the name off mind.

Also one more quick question. Has any of your children or does any of your children or any child you know take ADHD med.'s? If so how did the medicine effect them? Good outcome? Any side effects? Just wanting to hear your stories of adhd medicine please.

Thank you so much for your answers!

I understand your concern. My son has severe ADHD. My husband and I did not want to put him on medication but he just couldn't function in school without it.He also had trouble in social situations. It took 3 tries to find the right medicine for him. He now takes Focalin XR. It has made the world of difference. He has gone from not being able to do any work to being student of the week! There are side effects. For my son the main one has been loss of appetite. The first two meds he took, he did not want to eat at all. On the focalin, he eats breakfast, no lunch and then eats everything in site once the medicine wears off around 4. He is gaining weight back. Many kids have this problem and many have trouble sleeping. My son has fortunately not had trouble sleeping on any of the medications. There are cases of deaths due to undetected underlying heart troubles. Make sure he is screened for these before he starts medication. I have read the warnings on suicide and depression. Most studies I have seen show that kids with ADHD are prone to suicide and depression any way. Treatment actually helps to lessen the amounts but not in all cases. Medication has changed our son's life. I still worry about it but in our case, there really was not another alternative. Just ask questions. If his case is mild possibly behavior therapy and changes in his environment will be enough to help him. Read everything you can. Good luck.

Straterra?

Anyway, that's not true about suicidal ideation as a side effect of these meds. The newer meds you talked about are much better.
It it were my child I would use medication as the lsat resort...if he really becomes unmanageable and can't study and keeps leaving his desk at school, then meds may be the best option.

One of the problems with ADHD is that it feels good to be hyper, and a lot of patients- old and young- don't like being brought down to regular speed by the meds. They may even feel like they are super-smart, and can even seem to think and act faster than everyone else. Getting them to see that they have a disorder that needs treatment is tough.

8 is young. Some kids are just hyper......I would really suggest making meds the last resort, maybe he'll grow out of it..you need to set clear boundaries and rules and above all be consistent. good luck.

Do you mean Strattera (aka atomoxetine)?

These medications are safe and effective when they are used under a psychiatrist's or other doctor's care.

Stimulants like Ritalin can cause some serious health problems if they're abused - in other words, when they're taken by someone who doesn't need them or when they're taken at a higher dose or more often than a doctor has recommended. The side effects of stimulant-type ADHD medications when they're used long term at high (abusive) dosages include increased heart rate and blood pressure, tremors (uncontrolled shaking), changes in mood, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions (when your mind thinks something is true when it really isn't), and irregular breathing.
Overdosing on ADHD medications can also cause dangerously high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, seizures, severe twitching or uncontrolled movements, sweating, dry mouth and eyes, and vomiting. These medications can also become dangerously addictive when they're abused. As with other controlled prescription medications, there are laws against sharing ADHD medications with other people.

this website will answer many of your questions
http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/adhd...
You may want to try having your son exercise strenuously every day to see if that reduces his symptoms

Precautions: Discontinue if seizures occur. Reduce dose or discontinue if paradoxical worsening of symptoms occurs. Reassess periodically. GI narrowing. Hypertension. Heart failure. Recent MI. Hyperthyroidism. Psychosis. Seizure disorders. Depression. Normal fatigue states. Emotionally unstable (eg, drug or alcohol abusers). May exacerbate behavior disturbances, thought disorders. Monitor growth, blood pressure, CBC, differential, platelet counts. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers