Where did you hear that the results of meds are lesser with inattentive type ADHD? Inattentive type is what we suspect.
I, honestly, haven't been gung-ho to medicate dd b/c she is very small and I don't want to stunt her growth. She's newly 10 and weighs 55 lbs. She's also short, so it's not like she's emaciated. Dh is just 5'6", so the genetics for big size aren't there.
Both the psychologist and the pediatrician said that the results of meds are lesser with inattentive type. I'm not sure what the medical basis for that would be. Also, we were told that the primary risk of stunted growth arises from the decrease in appetite that can happen, and that it mainly happens when there is a significant decrease in appetite. We were lucky in that our DS12 is very very tall for his age so we were less concerned about that. When he went on the medication in the spring for the first time we did notice that he wasn't very hungry at lunch time. For several reasons he went off the meds for a time during the summer and interestingly, when he started the meds again in August, he was now hungry at lunch but less hungry at dinner. He's grown several inches since he started the meds and hasn't gained weight, but honestly, he was slightly chunky in the first place and has now just stretched out. But, in his case, he was still getting plenty of nutrition.
Medication is a huge decision and I think we all are hesitant to give our kids anything that they might not need. So, take your time and research it and just do your best. You always have to weight any potential benefits with any potention negatives.
Also, I wanted to say that we had heard anecdotal evidence that Omega-3 fish oil could be helpful and, since it couldn't hurt, we started our DS on this as well. It's hard to say, though, if we've seen a change due to this. But, it is one less-medical way some people try.
