Hello AB,
Sorry for a rather long post. I felt compelled to delurk by your post. Just wanted to share a bit of my experience with ADHD and medication. My daughter has ADHD and is now 23 years old. My sister's son also has it and he is now 11 years old.
My daughter was prescribed Ritalin at age 6 but at the time because of pressure from various people, I ended up resisting giving her the medication till she was 8. One of the biggest regrets of our life. In hindsight, I would have wholeheartedly started at age 4 or 3 even, knowing what I know now.
She was prescribed 20 mg and I started her on 1/2 of a 10mg tablet till we got her on about 15mg - 1 and 1/2 tablets within the first week. Had to give her this before school and the school nurse would administer the other dose after lunch/before class. Ended up with the 15 mg till she grew a bit bigger then it was obvious her body was metabolizing faster. Essentially we monitored her very carefully to find the right balance of how she felt internally and how she behaved outwardly.
We went through Ritalin, Strattera (caused stomach problems), Adderall (as she got older) and the XR versions. Concerta was great for her. She was on 18 mg until about age 13 at which point we titrated upwards till 52 mg (I think). We had a lower dose for normal school days and we gave her a bump for exams or attention intensive activities.
May I suggest that you ask to be given a prescription for a smaller dose and the regular dose so you can do these "bumps" as needed, rather than increasing the dose permanently, if you know what I mean.
We always took weekends off unless we had a special activity that she needed extra help for. Although at first we tried going off the meds during summer vacations, it proved not viable as her symptoms really interfered with daily life, not just school.
Basically, the change in her was night and day. She became so happy and blossomed with the medication. She went from constant frustration to confidence and learning, etc. etc.
Yes, we went through counseling, behavior management, various therapy lessons, training software, etc. but none worked like her medication. For her, it was the right thing to do.
We are very thankful for the wonderful change in our child and I am a proponent of ADHD medication for this reason. Our daughter who is also gifted/2e will tell you herself that this was life changing for her.
My nephew was 3 years old when he was prescribed Concerta 18mg. Again, also a very gifted child who suffered very much as he literally could not even sit still for 1 MINUTE. Yes, the age was concerning at the time and yes the whole family gave my sister input and yes, her son had therapy and everything.
He is 11 now and is at the top of his class, couldn't be happier, etc. Everyone was amazed at all the positive effects it had on him. My sister and brother in law are also very thankful for the medication. Again, for them, it was the right choice.
I do have an aunt who has criticized our decision and would not let up on me at every occasion, until my daughter herself told her, Auntie E, please stop, it has been great for me and I'm happy. She finally got the message. Btw, she only saw my daughter at family gatherings so she really did not know our struggles.
I won't even explain what we went through, suffice to say it was extreme symptoms across the board before medication and calmness and happiness once medication began.
You'll know if you're doing the right thing. Just watch and listen to your child and it will be obvious. I always gave her meds AFTER meals and gave extra vitamins. We avoided the meds after 5 pm (you'll have to keep a diary to monitor how to dose). The XR versions were great as she got older, just 1 pill after breakfast, but when she was little I prefferred Ritalin because it lasts only 4 hours at a time and I could adjust it better.
And oh yeah, as she got older, my daughter learned to manage her behaviour herself and knew when she needed meds or not. I now have a 4.5 year old son but he does not have ADHD so I know both sides.
And one last thing, piano/music lessons were helpful for her.
I wish you and your son the best and hope things work out for your family.
Best,
Lucky
