Well, I didn't want to believe it, but it looks like it's true. DS is taking ADHD medicine, and he seems to have become a different child at school. When he comes home, though, after an hour or so, he is hyper, like I've never seen him. I'm willing to tolerate it for the sake of making school easier for him. Is this common? Does the ADHD medicine (time released) just store up all that energy until it wears off?

Hi Keet. I've done everything that I can to push back my DS needing medicine but after talking to a doctor and his teacher and watching him more closely I think that we're not following far behind you.

I don't know if they are more hyper when they get off of it but soon I will have an idea and let you know.

I'm very glad to hear that it's helping your DS in school though. Was he having problems focusing?

He was having problems focusing, and he had a lot of energy. He stood up all day and moved around a lot. We're kind of new to this whole thing (this is week 1), so I'm no expert.

For anybody who is interested in the answer to my first questions: the wildness in the evening is called a rebound effect. It's not uncommon when the dosage isn't right, so we're going to try another version that lasts a little longer. From what I've read, it can take several variations of drug and dosage to get something that works.

Well there you go Keet, I was going to say that but glad you found the answers yourself. Glad it is helping though, sometimes it takes a little time to sort out the dose and the slow release meds release at different rates for different children. Hope it gets better and you get to see the benefits too : )

that's what happened to us: It took 4 different medications at aproximately 4 various doses per medication....if a train is traveling NE at 65 mph.....well you get the idea.

Now DS is on one that is so long acting, I never see a 'bump' of any kind.

It is also possible that as 'sensitive' as many of us are, we are more 'bothered' by the bump, sound familiar?

Love and More Love,
Grinity

We tried the new med today (no school), and he was pretty wild all day but much calmer in the evening. How many days do you leave them on a dose to determine if it worked? We're in for a fortune in co-pays.

i would give it a little time. It all depends on what med they are on. Some meds you should see changes fairly quickly, and some of the non stimulants can take a couple weeks. Hard to say, but you could always check with the Dr. and see what they think.

How are things going Keet?

I think the new stuff is working. He has been calmer, but Christmas may have been causing some of the wildness. I guess I'll have to wait until school starts again to know for sure. He's always been active, but we really never had a problem with it at home. School is complaining. I hate that we're doing this to make the school happy when it's very tolerable at home.

This would bother me too, but perhaps it will be worth it. I've heard that medication is terrific for kids who have trouble with jobs that are 'important but dull.'

Lately DH and I have been thinking that perhaps practicing a musical instrument would have been better for DS if he had started medication earlier. Which shows you that -

((cue theme from movie: Love Story))
"Being Gifted means never having to say: It's just right!"

You are doing the best you know, out of great love, and you can always change down the road if you need to - ((hugs))
Grinity

I feel the same way

I've read that the medicine can make the dull jobs interesting but that it can make the interesting jobs dull too. It just seems like if 7-20% (I've read several different numbers) of the kids have ADHD, we need to approach teaching differently.