Medications and Kids

To Medicate or Not To Medicate
My son was diagnosed with ADD, (Attention Deficit Disorder), when he was eight years of age. This meant going to see the doctor to get an opinion on some form of medication to help my son do better while he was in school. I was not prepared for my son to have to take any form of medication. My son has a pacemaker and I wasn’t even sure if he could take these medications.
I had to notify his heart doctor and make an appointment with him. He said my son could take the new medication but would have to be closely monitored for any increase of heart palpitations, and weight loss. I asked did he really need this medication?He told me it would greatly improve my son’s attention span and he would start to learn and function as a normal child of his age. I agreed with the doctor because he seemed to really know what he was talking about and had the documents to back up what he was telling me.
He was first put him on Adderal, 20mg. every morning. Then his doctor put him on new time release Adderal. They both seemed to help. And they suppressed his appetite quite a bit. http://add.about.com/od/adderal/. When my son got to be twelve his doctors decided to change his medication once again. That’s when I stood my ground.
He had been on the other two medications and was doing well but not well enough. My son was taking the medication 7 days a week every day not missing any days out of the year. My son was not his old self. I missed my son being the way he used to be. He used to be so funny and so full life. That’s when I asked his doctors if he could just take the medication for school hours only. The doctor said we could try it for one month. And we had to notify the school of the new plans.
The new medication was Ritalin, and it really seemed to be working. http://add.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=add&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pslgroup.com%2Fdg%2F14e212.htm. This website offers a lot of controversial studies on both of the medications my son has taken and is still taking.
The doctors did eventually change the way he takes his medication. He now is taking 20 mg. in the morning, and another 20 mg. at lunchtime. The doctors have helped my son tremendously. He no longer takes medication on the weekends, no summer vacations, holidays, or any other scheduled time off from school. His teachers have noticed a big change in his attitude and his self-esteem has greatly improved. And he loves the freedom from the medication. As well as I do I have my old son back and he can still learn and function as a normal child.

By Melanie