Most docs would start the child on a really low dose and then increase, so it may not be obvious at first.
I do think that the risk of the meds is more than what a lot of docs will let on, but in some kids the risk of NOT being medicated is even higher, in terms of the damage that ADHD does to their lives and functioning. I just read somewhere that men with unmedicated ADHD are much more likely to get into a car accident.
DD wasn't sleeping or eating properly on stimulants, so we are trying non-stimulants now. With concerta (which is like slow-release ritalin) she went into a bizarre "manic" state from withdrawal for several days when we took her off, which was really kind of scary. It was like she had to de-tox. Her first day off, she left the classroom and went into the hall and ripped several pieces of paper into shreds for no apparent reason. The meds are a lot more powerful than people would like to think, in terms of how they affect the brain and what happens when they are stopped, at least with some people. The dose she was on was within the normal recommended limits for her age.
