ADHD Medication for 3, 4 and 5 year olds?
ByWe know that ADHD is real.
We know that ADHD is a developmental disorder – which means that it starts in childhood.
We also know that the cause of ADHD is primarily genetics – in fact genetics accounts for over 80% of the cause. Of the 20% of causes which are not genetic – these are acquired cases. Most acquired cases occur before the age of 3 years old.
So, knowing all of these facts – can’t preschoolers have ADHD?
The answer is yes.
Some kids can be clearly diagnosed at the ages of 3, 4 or 5 years old with ADHD.
The issue with treating these children with medication has been a real concern because they are so young.
Their brains are still developing, and until now – there had been no reliable published research on using medication in such young children.
The November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has several articles about a large study of preschoolers with ADHD.
The study was called “The Preschool ADHD Treatment Study”, or ‘PATS’. It was a large study, with 303 children aged 3-5 enrolled. It was funded by the National Institues of Mental Health
in the US, and there were 6 major centres in the US involved in the study, incluing Columbia, Duke, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, UC Irvine and NYU.
For the 303 children enrolled in the study, the children and their parents took part in a 10 week pre-trial behavioral therapy and training course.
To take medication in the study, the children had to meet three criteria:
- The children had the most severe ADHD
- They did not benefit from the behavioral treatment
- Their parents agreed to a trial of medication
While all studies go through review boards for ethical reviews, this study went through extra steps and precautions to ensure that there was true informed consent, and that the study was designed completely ethically.
The medication arm of the study compared the use of methylphenidate (the generic medicine also found in Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, Focalin and Biphentin) to a placebo.
The study found that preschool children responded well to doses from 3.75 mg per day to 22.5 mg per day. All doses were given three times daily in equal dosing. The average medication dose was 14 mg per day.
There was a side effect of note – showing that children of this age have some growth slowing related to the medication. This is a side effect in older children as well, though generally recognized to not occur in more than 3% of children on stimulants.
There were 11% of medication treated children who had to stop the medicine related to severe side effects. These included: decreased appetite and weight loss, insomnia, mood disturbances, feeling nervous or worried, and skin picking behaviors.
It was found that children in this age range were more sensitive to these side effects than children of older ages.
One of the main conclusions of the study is that the use of methylphenidate in preschool children can work, but children in this age range are more sensitive to side effects. Thus, the decision to treat with medicine should be considered very carefully. Certainly a good trial of behavioral treatment is a must before considering medicine.
To read the abstracts (summaries) of these studies, click here:
- Rationale, Design, and Methods of the Preschool ADHD Treatment Study (PATS)
- Stimulant-Related Reductions of Growth Rates in the PATS
- Efficacy and Safety of Immediate-Release Methylphenidate Treatment for Preschoolers With ADHD
What does this mean to you?
If you have a child who is 3-5 years old, and you suspect ADHD, please talk to your doctor. It is best to have a specialist involved – i.e. a Child Psychiatrist. If after a good trial of behavioral treatment, there is no improvement, it may be worth a trial of medication.
This study is very important, because it establishes practice guidelines for these very difficult to treat children, because prior to this, doctors would be working with very little research to back them up.
We all know that making a decision to medicate a child for ADHD can be difficult, but it is often even more difficult for a preschooler. This research sheds light on how and when to use medication in these kids.
Hello, I have a son who’s turning five in a couple of weeks, he is hyper, impulsive, and will constantly push everyone around him to the limit. He cannot be trusted even when I go to the bathroom I have to bring him with me. If not he will take off outside, touch dangerous things like knives, today he smeered lipstick all over the walls. He kicks the dog and squeezes the cat tightly. We constantly tell him things but it seems that he has a hard time even focousing in the conversation. He cant even make eye contact for more than one second. He os always opposing me at any point. Why does it have to be so hard? He takes all of my energy out of me. he is very smart and strong like an OX. I say that he has rocket fuel for blood. When I bring him out he will be even worse, embarising me and running away. Lifting up the grocery cart off the floor. Jumpong on the bags of rice. I have tio keep my eyes on him at all times.I feels as if people look at me as if I was the worst mom ever. I hate to see him go throught this!!!!!!!!
The school tried to tell me that they can only have him there for one hour because the teacher can’t handel him alone, he apparintly broke her pointer stick in half, ripped the toilet seat off the toilet. Here I called the boared of education and advocated for him, the school now must accomidate him because I am pending a diagnosis for him that may be ADHD. His father was diagnosed with this and I seem to have showed symptoms of this as well as a child and now. His father drinks and uses marijwana. He only has his grade nine education. I found this out after we got married. Now we are separated due to his behaviors and the overall affects on the family. I feel spent and know that it will get worse. The doctor prescribed 10 mg if biphentin for my sonand it has been a week,hee seems more moody and angry, I can’t see positive a change in behaviors what else do I have to do?????????????????
We just saw a child psych for our 4 year old’s potential ADHD. Right now all signs point in that direction. He’s exhibiting much of the same behaviors posted on this site.
Thank you everyone for posting what you have and for being the brave parents you are. We were already leaning toward medicating him and we likely will now. Reading your experiences has ben very helpful.
A little family history; ADHD is hereditary in my family. I can count on both hands of the # of persons close to me that have ADHD. My brother, cousin, nephew and neices were diagnosed between the ages 5 and 9. I’m kind of one of those moms that wants to research everything before assuming my daughter or my son have any symptoms of a disorder. I do not want to label them something they are not. Even with the family history, its hard for me to completely say its for sure my daughter or son have ADHD. My son is 6 and it was brought to my attention that he may have ADHD. His symptoms are most apparent in group settings (like in class) or in public (grocery store, etc.). At home, he’s mostly calm but still fidgety. My daughter is 4 and will be 5 in May. I have had difficulty with her behavior for quite some time. Granted, I try to take immaturity as part of the reason my children are hyperactive, but when it becomes noticeable to outside parties, and it starts affecting their classmates, teachers, friends, …mother (lol), you can’t help but wonder if there is something wrong. I’m up in the air and back and forth about things. Though I’m doing a journal with my son’s teachers, he seems to be more hyperactive recently. My daughter was evaluated by a psychologist in November. The results came back that they are trying to rule out ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder – a disorder that is related to ADHD) and RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder). She scored high on the test stating she was above average, but results for the ADHD came back as inconclusive. When surveyed on my daughters behavior, myself and her teacher, both in different settings of organized schedules, scored her significantly high on ADHD/ODD symptoms. Anyways, I recently spoke with her doctor and after reviewing notes from an observation that his PA made on a previous encounter with my daughter, he prescribed her Vyvanse. I haven’t given it to her yet (since it was just yesterday it was prescribed and I have to pick it up today) but I’m a little hesitant. I just need suggestions.
I forgot to add that she is in play therapy and I am in classes to teach myself how to deal with the difficult behavior. I just want to do my best as her parent and not give my children medication if it is not necessary. Also, I’ve had a few people look down on me (though, really, I feel it is up to me and my daughters primary care givers) for suggesting that my children may have ADHD. I guess their feelings is that most often then not, it should be ruled out because of their age and immaturity. I’m just at my wits end and I’m tired of being tugged and tugged. My childrens mental and physical health are important.
My son is 4 years, 3 months old and he was diagnosed with ADHD just yesterday. My 19 year old son was ADD at age 6 and was on ritalin for only 2 years. I now face the “ritalin” journey yet again, years later (so I’ve forgotten everything). I’m 42 so things are somewhat different – I think we become more hysterical as older mums to smaller kids (my opinion). The last few months have been unbearable dealing with my son’s behaviour (constant talking/interrupting, bad temper (hitting people, throwing things), not listening, not sitting still etc etc. I wonder how many other mums heard the words in their head “I despise you”, then when the little child is asleep “I love you so much”. So as mums we simply battle to cope, put our lives completely on hold (I’m a single mum) and survival instinct kicks in. After our visit to the doctor yesterday, I realised how much HE too is battling, being constantly shouted at by everyone, frustrated that he can’t tackle tasks like other kids and wondering why no one is listening while he rattles off 24/7. Admittedly, I’m nervous about the ritalin which his nursery school will be administering 3 times a day (fast release) and I guess I will only see the ‘change’ tomorrow when it’s weekend. It’s because he’s so young that I worry about the medication but we BOTH need help! The doctor showed no concern about administering ritalin at this age and said just to keep an eye on the decreased apetite. Over and above these concerns, there’s the outside inteference. People are so quick to judge handing a tablet to a child – they accept the diagnosis but not what comes with it (medication). These people don’t have to deal with an ADHD child (friends and family) and therefore who gives them the right to dictate and judge. Do they not know that they are only adding to the pressure which, they can’t even begin to imagine as they don’t have ADHD children. Right now my head is spinning.
Is there no longer a doctor in this house????
Feedback on my 4 year old. Took ritalin for for two days and was more hyper & aggressive than when not on it. Does it take time to work into the system? I was expecting an almost immediate calming effect on my son. Told to give it a few days so will start it again tomorrow. Then next Monday we’re off to see a paediatric neurologist & occ therapist etc at the Childrens Clinic, as suggested by his paediatrician. Will keep you posted but would like to know about the ritalin working in the system…
My son is very active 4 year old. He doesn’t like to sit still for a very long time. His preschool teachers say he like to run out of the classroom. They lock the doors but he still escapes. He doesn’t play with one specific toy for a very long time. He is does a lot of rough play with his 2 year old sister. He will just go up to her and just squeeze her head and someone will have to pull him off of her. He has speech problems as well. I don’t know if that has something to do with ADHD or not. He is always since he was 1 get into things, for example he would get into the refridgerator and get the eggs out and crack them onto the kitchen floor. He never has slept through the night. I don’t know if I should have his doctor do the ADHD tests or not. All the sites I have been to I agree with a lot of what they say are the signs of ADHD.
Hi Charleen – the doctor was ‘out of the house’… I was away at a conference.
Regarding your questions – usually the medication reaction is pretty quick. It’s possible that the side effects will settle – but possibly not. It can be tricky with a young child…
Talk to the pediatric neurologist about the medication response to get an expert opinion.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
I have a 5 year old boy who was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a little over 4. He can retain knowledge but just can’t sit still. At dinner, he gets up after every bite. I have recently started a reading program with him and no matter what motivation I provide, he cannot sit in his seat. I have tried sticker charts, positive and negative reinforcement, keeping a routine schedule and adding in physical outlets. He is currently in preschool and needs a teacher by him constently in order to help him stay where he needs to be. He will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. We are working with a Pediatric Neurologist but would like your opinions as to the pros and cons of starting meds now or waiting until Kindergarten starts. Thanks.
I have a 4 year old daughter who shows signs of adhd the teacher in her preschool has been great in trying different things to help her in the class and today i took her to the doctor and expressed my concerns about her behavior and not wanting her to get a label as a problem child when she starts kindergarden next year and the doctor told me let the school label her as special needs. So that she could get the help she needs.My child is not slow she just cant be still . I am so upset right now any ideas on what i should next.
The most wonderful thing has happened in my family. My son was finally diagnosed with ADHD and we put him on Vyvanse 20mg and now we can live normally! I am sure many of you parents feel the same way I do that once there is a “diagnosis”, we could meet the challenges head on. A little history: My son has had difficulty controlling his impulses (to put it mildly)since he could walk. Similar to the stories above, he kicked the dog, hit his sister or even us, pushed kids on the playground (interestingly, without malice and never with any remorse), huge, screaming temper tantrums daily, consequences did NOTHING to tamper his behavior. I belived I was the worst parent in the world, despite the knowledge I learned with my masters in teaching and child development. My husband and I would fight a lot because our household was so tense. Our 7 year old daughter often got “the shaft” because we had to put so much energy into our high maintenance son. I am sure many of you can relate. Finally, one day we could take it no more and went to see our pediatrician (without our son). He was so wonderful and after we filled out questionaires and showed him reports from school (we had been called in several times), he asked us to try Vyvanse. Basically, it was a diagnostic trial. It worked within 2 weeks. Although at the beginning we saw some side effects (decreased appetite, mood shifts, crying and, like a mother stated above, a lot of “I love you’s”) He has been on it now for 4 months and he is a CHANGED CHILD! His behavior is still progressing but we can actually now have a normal conversation with him, he excels at preschool and is well liked by the kids, his teachers beam when he comes in, he and his sister actually play nicely now (a feat for any family
) and mostly, I have stopped yelling and there is HARMONY!!!! Being diagnosed with ADHD was the best thing that happened to my son as now I feel that he can be a successful part of this society. So, Shakita M, and all the other worried parents, I feel your pain but there is hope! Get yourself a good pediatrician or psychiatrist who is knowledgable about ADHD. You’d be surprise with how many don’t have a lot of experience with it. By the way, there has been so much progress with the schools (and yes, I am a teacher) and in society that being “labeled” ADHD isn’t a horrible thing at all. In fact, schools need to know what is going on so that they can effectively manage and help your child be successful. Teachers can manipulate everything from seat placement to allowing longer testing time, etc to help children with this very REAL learning difference. And, since most kids with ADHD are very bright, teachers can use a variety of ways to tap into your child’s learning style. Otherwise, if the schools do not know, your child may be set up failure: getting in trouble a lot or poor grades. Lastly, if you child does indeed have ADHD, be sure to learn everything you can about it and how to parent an ADHD child so you have the knowledge you need to help your child be successful. Good Luck!!!! 
i have a question i hope someone can help me with..my son will be 2 on feb 19th.. for the last 4 months he has been far more then a handful he use to listen and sit still and play by himself.. he was a great kid.. now in the last 4 months he doesnt want to sit still putting him down for a nap is a killer when he does lay down to go to sleep he flips and flops untill he crashes.. he wont sit still in a car for long he will start stretching and grunting wanting out..he use to listen if i would say please sit down mommy is cooking he would sit in a chair and watch.. now he runs away hits people screams jumps off our couch..he had surgery “down there” he had hypospaidas and 2 days after the surgery jumped off a chair and busted a stich and now has to have the surgery re done.. i dont know what to do with him anymore.. ive babysat many 2 yr old and NEVER seen anyone act like this.. my mom said she doesnt ever remember me or my brother being this bad.. i read on this site that you can tell if a 3-5 yr old has adhd but can you tell on a 2 yr old?? my hubby has adhd..
other then my son acting up he is very smart..can count to 3 but also he doesnt say many words maybe says 20 if that.. but he looks people in the eye and loves to cuddle when he isnt being bad so his doctor said autism isnt a worry.. what can and should i do??
Heather – I am not aware that anyone can diagnose ADHD in 2 year olds.
It can be done in 3 year olds – though often you need a specialist to do this.
Good luck.
Dr. Kenny
Hi,
I have a 5 1/2 year old son who has difficulty paying attention and makes careless erros. he is not hyperactive but verbally impulsive and aggressive (though usually only to his sister) with other people he seems to turn inward. he is not able to tolerate any frustration regarding anything. if it is not his way, he has tantrums and cries or hits (usually his sister). he has even bitten her a few times. the neurologist gave him a prescription the first visit we were there for a new medication called Intuniv. It has been three weeks and the only benefit I am seeing is that he is able to go to sleep at night (he always gave us a hard time before). The dr. says he believes it is both behavioral and ADHD, but doesn’t there need to be a “hyper” component for that? He meets most of the criteria for ADHD except he is not a fidgity kid. he never stops needed my attention or talking and seems like his mind never really shuts down. How long should it take for me to see an effect with this medication. He is on 2mg now (started on 1mg for the first week, then titrated to 2mg since then). He seems very delibrate for most of his behaviors (except his tantrums seem genuinly out of his control.) Please let me know what you think. Oh, and he was never a behavior problem in school until he reached kindergarten, now he is disruptive and does a lot of “silly” behaviors like making noises, distracting other children and calling out inappropriate things, etc. Can this all be attributed to ADHD and will medication impact all of that or only the attention issues.
Yesterday I went to my daughter’s appt and we discussed with her doctor the affects the 30 day trial on Adderall had on her. I honestly saw subtle differences. However, there were 2 days we dashed out and forgot her meds… those days were difficult for everyone. She hit a child in the head and his head went back into the wall. When placed on time out, she struck out at two other children. Yesterday, her medicine needed to be refilled or the dosage increased, so she was unable to take it. We walk into the doctors office and she’s singing so loudly, up and down the bed, scooting the rolling chair back and forth, and just not listening. It was kind of funny when the doctor walked in and looked at her for a moment with a puzzled look on his face. I said, “She hasn’t had her meds today.” He smiled and said, “Okay! I was going to say if she had taken them, they aren’t working!” Then I explained how the meds affected her. She seemed to listen so much better, she was able to focus and chores weren’t a hassle because she wasn’t getting distracted. She seemed so much better. He agreed to double her dosage because he felt she wasn’t exactly where she needed to be. Because of my previous concerns about medicating her, I asked him if this was another trial basis or is this a certainty of diagnosis. He said, “Diagnostic. She is ADHD.” It was just a relief and seems so natural now. I have something I can really say, the medicine worked, I can see a difference and she is doing better. The interesting part, was how many people I had just met that would come up to me and ask, “Is your daughter ADHD?” That happened yesterday in the Allergists office with the nurse treating my daughter. Sigh… now I know what its like to sigh a sigh of relief. My son’s evaluation is within a week… we shall see his results and I’ll let every one know!
Hello everyone my family and I are stationed over seas and our son is 2 so our DR choices are limited by the Military. I have a bunch of ppl working on my sons case 1-speech theripst 1-Childrens behavior specilest DR 1-Early intervention Specilest 2-Childrens Physcligest specilizing in children under the age of 5 and 1-regular Ped’s Dr..like i said lots of ppl. My son is a very extream little boy we have been having problems since he was 1 1/2 he has always been big for his age. (he now 2 and is in the 160th% for his age group, so a avrage 4 year old)at 1 1/2 he was playing with a door and caught his hand in it and was mad he could not get it closed and was mad cause his hand was hurting so he ripped his hand out of the door and tore the skin on his figers down to the tendon and needed lots of stiches, Also has always tryed to run out the door and down the street so had to instal a key latch at the top of the door, he has also climbed on top of the table many times and jumped off once when he did it he casught the brick lip of the fire place and knocked him self out and needed stiches again. We had to move house because of his actions being dangerous he would climb the back yard fence and go to the negibors pool (age 2)climbs out windows so we have had to get a house with key locks on all the windows in the house, his most recent thing was he scaled the toliet and a cabnit to get to my husbands shaving razors and chewed on them and sliced his mouth up(scared the heck out of me) Also used a chair to pull a large wedding photo frame off the wall, destroyed the frame and photo ..thankfully the glass did not break before I got up to him, he way suppose to be sleeping, he was when i went down stairs to clean up the normal mess he leaves behind( I have to lay down with him till he gos to sleep or he strips off everything and pees and poos on the floor to show he dose not like having to do somthing)and he is now able to rip down our 4 foot high baby gates and I have had to start useing duck tape to keep doors locked(handle stye doors) by running tape around the handel and up the door. We have done every attempt of behavorial management possable but nothing works since we can pay attention to anything said to him he also has limited speech because of this. I am ADHD so I know he is like this because of me, so I feel is my fault alot. And I have been trying to get him on Meds for 7 months now since no proofing works anymore and he unlocks his car seat and crawls around the car so I have to pull over A LOT to put him back in the seat. He has now gotten to big for me to beable to control and he is now hitting for no reason. The DR we see always has to ajust his office before we show up since my son will tear it appart, but even with ALL of this the dr will only say my son has ADHD tendoncys and said he will not dignose him with ADHD till he turns 3…even then I feel he will push it off forever, and I am drained and NO ONE will watch him because they know how he is so I dont get a break and my husband works 10+ hours a day so I am with him and shadowing him 24-7 and I feel very upset and annoyed since I cant go to a diffent dr who might help him. I am wanting to get him medacated for at least 1 year to get some building blocks down…things like you dont run out the door or climb out windowns or on tables and dont chew on razors and get him to learn a few more words, I dont want him on meds full time till he hits 6 years old. And this only dr I am allowed to see is next to useless. Things have gotten so bad that my husband and I are serously talking about me going back home to the states for good to live so that our son can get the help he needs and deserves but that means spliting our family up for a year or 2 and we have a new baby on the way. We are at our wits end. Our son is 40 pounds and the hight of a avrage 4 year old I was wondering what would be a ideal dose that would be given to a child his size?..i know his age is not Ideal but he will be 3 in 3 months…but becasue of safty we cant wait that long. I was told by the main office at the hospital that next time I come in for a appointment bring another dr’s suggestion for posiable doseage for him….not actually treat or diagnose him just a genral meds suggestion and ideal dose schule, and if my sons dr still refuses to treat him I will be allowed special permishion to get to see a dr of my choice OFF BASE, and that would be great since this dr is the only choice I get right now. Can you please me out I am pregnant crying and at my wits end can you help me???
The only way I know to start this is by saying that I feel like a terrible Mom! I love my kids to death but the stress of being the Mom of a developmentally delayed child is about to do me in! My twins are 4.5 years old. They were born 6.5 weeks early. They were both a month or so behind hitting heir milestones as babies but eventually caught up pretty well. They are both in preschool now and A is doing many things on a K5 level. He is even reading simple books and writing simple sentences.
C started to fall behind around 15 months. He stopped saying the words he knew and didn’t learn any new ones either. We got him into early intervention and that helped but slowly. He is still at least a year behind his brother developmentally. He doesn’t really write anything, just started to try to color/trace and just potty trained in the last 2 weeks. He is also pretty far behind in speech. In our state when you finish EI you go into the public school system so he is in a special PreK program. He has made a lot of progress but has the attention span of a gnat! I feel like if he could focus he would do better but it’s like he can’t help himself. He is loud, has little breakdowns over nothing and thrives on routine. We had him tested when he was about 2.5 and the Dr we saw (a Ped Develpoment/Behavioral medicine) said he was at the lowest borderline score on the test to be on the Autism spectrum. He said he had Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). He also said that he would probably always have trouble in school and would probably need to be medicated for ADHD. At the time I thought he was crazy but now I am seriously wondering if he needs meds. I asked my ped about it at his 4 year check up but he said he won’t medicate until a child is 5. The other Dr. was willing to give them when he was 3 if i wanted.
In hate the idea of medicating him but now I wonder if it would help my sanity and help him focus so he can catch up in school. He can’t sit still for any amount of time, continuously makes noise, plays with everything in the house he shouldn’t instead of his toys, but when you discipline him he falls apart. He knows he isn’t supposed to mess with certain things but it’s like he just can’t stop himself He will tell himself not to touch something out loud while he is touching it anyway!. It is driving me nuts and I don’t know how to deal with it! Maybe I need to see somebody? He really is a sweet loving child. At the end of the day he will finally settle down a bit and will cuddle on the couch with you. He loves to laugh and be silly and is very much a Momma’s boy. It is just hard to deal with him into everything when I am feeding my 5 month old or dealing with her when she is fussy or trying to get her down to sleep. Should I take him back to the Dr to try meds and see if they help?
My daughter is 3 and a half. She has been going to the same at home daycare since she was an infant, when she was about 2 my daycare provider mentioned to me she thought my daugher may be developing adhd, that it was too soon to tell, but she has been in daycare a long time and can spot it in children very easily. I mentioned it to my doctor and she said she was too young, I am honestly completly against medicines, I really dont want to take the chance of any side effects whatsoever ruining my childs life. I know you have to do trials with the meds, but that is what scares me the most. I watched a PBS documentary called “The Medicated Child” please watch it if you are having the same concerns as me. It shows real life children and the side effects from different behavioral medications. I do not want my daughter having a nervous tick for the rest of her life or depending on a drug everyday. I am so concerned though, I am not a bad parent, I love my daughter unconditionally and I am so thankful for every moment I have to spend with her, I try to balance positive and negative reinforcement with her, i do time outs, i take away toys, i take away cartoon privelidges, i give stickers, i give praise for all and any form of good behavior, im very loving with her, i dont spoil her and i stick to my word, She is so very smart, she has a large vocabulary and is so fun to be around, but i feel like i cant take her to any public places, she throws temper tantrums when she doesnt get her way, (and i DO NOT give in) she runs through stores, she yells randomly and will not stop when i ask her too. she refuses to walk next to me and touch every thing we walk past, i know these sound like completely normal things a 3 year old does, but i feel like she does not comprehend when i tell her no and to behave, and to please stop,she is unable to focus on anything i say. when i give her simple instructions on how to act, and then ask her to repeat them to me she acts like she doesnt understand, but if its something fun she understands just fine, so i know its not because she has a learning problem, she just refuses to comply with my rules. Its so stressful. Her father was and still is the same way, he has always refused to take medication and says if i put her on it, its on me,. im so terrified of making her worse by medicating her if its something i can correct myself with better parenting skills.She actually brought her daycare provider to tears yesterday, and i love and trust her babysitter, but she will have no choice but to not allow my daughter there if she cant handle her, she has been hitting the other children and yelling no and having a nasty attitude towards her off and on throughout the day and gets the other kids all rambunctious too. Im so tossed up between medicating her, Dr. Handelman, i know the advice you have given the other parents is to try the trials, but even the trials scare me, this is my baby. i dont want to hurt her in any way with drugs she doesnt need.
if anyone has any advice i would really appreciate it.
hi can anyone help we live in the uk i have a 4and a half year old little girl shes so out of control she headbutts at least 20 times a day for no reason she bites me kicks pinches me thows things at me hits her older sister for no reason sceams thows herself on the floor when we are out she wont walk anywhere she goes to a special needs school she has speech delay and motor problems and she has been like this from the age of one pls help im going crazy x
we really need help can someone help they say they wont test for adhd until shes five thats only 4 months away me and my hubby are so stressed pls msg back
I have a 4 year old son who will be 5 in June. He was diagnosed with ADHD back in September. We have tried three different medicines. Now his Dr. prescribed him Intuniv. We started out with 1mg for 2 weeks then went to 2mg for two weeks. We are now on the 3mg. Well the first day he took it he did wonderful. But the second day he took it he slept all day. And I mean all day he was awake for maybe an hour the whole day. That night he woke up curled in a ball saying his stomach hurt. He then fell back to sleep and I tried to wake him up and he would not wake up. I took him the the emergency room and they did absolutly nothing but take his vitals and tell me to take him to the doctor the next day. Well I then found out that Intuniv is not FDA approved for children under the age of 6. What can I do about this? Also can you tell me if Concerta is approved for children under 6?
Stefanie,
I do not believe that Concerta is approved for under 6 year olds.
That said, as this blog post shares – methylphenidate is researched for under 6 year olds – and that is the active ingredient of concerta.
You’ll have to ask your doctor the questions about the best option for your son.
Dr. Kenny
ADHD can be diagnosed as early as 3 years old. Of course, that’s only in a doctor who has experience and is comfortable with that…
Hello,
I just have a question. My son is 4 1/2 yrs old. He is very hyper, impulsive and aggressive. He is in Pre-School but he would of been kicked out by now if I didn’t work there. He can be so loving but so wild at the same time. He bugs himself at times lol. He has been seeing a neralogist for about 4 months. He decided yesterday to put him on Clonidine HCL 0.1, 1/2 a pill 2x’s per day. I’m so worried about him taking medication, but at this point I do not know what to do with my son. Is this a normal medication for him?
Thank you
sorry i miss spelled Pediatric Neurologist
My son is 3years, 3months. He has been diagnosed with ADHD. We have an appointment on Thursday with the Dr to get meds for the first time. I cannot wait! I knew there was something wrong at 2, the dr said every child is different and his behavior was normal. I couldnt wait for his 3yr appointment…it was then that he referred me to a specialist. I always thought I would never medicate my child, that I would do everything I could to deal with it behaviorally. Things are out of control and it is affecting my marriage and relationahip with my other two children. We, as parents, need to put our feelings about medicating our children aside and do what is best for them! This is not the life my child deserves! He should not be yelled at all day long! He should be able to play with other children and make friends. I look at him and my heart breaks because I know there is a remarkable, loveable little boy in there somewhere who is dying to get out! If it takes me admitting that my child has a problem it is the least I can do. A few months of trying different meds and dealing with a few side effects is worth years of healthy living in my opinion!
hi, my son who is 3 1/2 went to a doctor who diagnose adha kida and he said my son was adhd and put him on clonidine 0.1 MG is that safe in little kids? are there any big risks??? is it addictive?
and for being a 3 1/2 yr old is it wrong to medicate him?
Danielle,
Clonidine is not addictive. Regarding risks and whether it’s OK to use it, please talk to your doctor.
Dr. Kenny
My son was put on dextroamphetamine 2.5mg a day. after 2 weeks we noticed no change. He is now taking 5mg a day and if we see no change in 3 days we will start him on clonidine .1mg but he will only take 1/4 of a pill!My son is 3 and I have no regrets trying to medicate him….he needs it!!It will help him as much as it will help me!
Hello, Dr. =)
December of last year (2009) I spoke w/my son Prestyn’s pediatrician about my concern(s) of ADHD. I myself have ADD, and my brother has ADHD, so I remember signs my brother had of it growing up as well as the things I have dealt with growing up. The dr’s receptionist was supposed to refer my son to the same psychiatrist I saw, but I guess they forgot about it over the holidays… and I was still reluctant about it all because it is a big deal. Anyway, I am ready to take action. My son (like me) has trouble falling asleep (fights it until he literally passes out most nights), wakes up several times thru the ngiht, bounces off the wall, talks incessantly, throws and swings just about anything he can get his hands on and climbs on me all the time. The climbing and sleep are some of the most troublesome I find to deal with. I also have trouble finding what discipline methods work best on him. He is a very sweet, loving boy, and I give him more than enough praise on things; I just can’t get my husband to understand the focus on the negative things affects a child’s self esteem. (I know; I dealt w/it as a child and growing up.) I was wondering if you could suggest discipline methods and different types of therapy I could try or even roleplay to get him to understand. Oh, and how would I explain to my husband that it isn’t that my son DOESN’T want to listen or complete tasks, it is simply that he can’t always do it. I just really need help explaining to my husband the different symptoms and how it is out of control to the toddler, ie: carelessness, attention span in activities, listenning, not putting away his toys or the climbing. I am glad I know what it is like to have the disorder because many parents don’t know and don’t have good reactions toward the child and only make the behavior worse. I know that an ADHD child NEEDS praise and affection, but I can’t get my husband to improve in those areas. Also, my husband has PTSD so his patience level isn’t always the greatest so any information or resources you have on any of this would be so great to hear. I really appreciate your time, and if you read this and reply I will be so gracious. Thank you!!
Just wanted to add that I probably stated some things more than once; sorry for that, I guess I just needed to stress those to you. How could I help him get on a routine of any sort, especially bedtime? I feel as though I have tried everything (which is impossible), and I would really love to have some sort of structure for him because i know he needs it. I just don’t know the steps to take to get that to happen. (Plus, I have a nine month old daughter who is on a great schedule, so with them being on opposite schedules I suffer from lack of sleep.) Again, thank you.
My son is 5 yrs old and he is in senior kindergarten. He has ADHD and dyslexia. Recently two months back i started his medication, he is on inspiral 20 mg and signodol 10 mg 1/2 tablet. He is also taking 0.25ml of sizodon at night. His behaiour has changed a lot. But in academics there is no response. Teacher says that he doesnt speak single word and read or write. He becomes very quiet after the medicine. At home he writes and reads everything. Please advice are the medicines affecting his academics and making him quiet.
Regards
Priya
My son is 5 yrs old and he is in senior kindergarten. He has ADHD and dyslexia. Recently two months back i started his medication, he is on inspiral 20 mg and signodol 10 mg 1/2 tablet. He is also taking 0.25ml of sizodon at night. His behaiour has changed a lot. But in academics there is no response. Teacher says that he doesnt speak single word and read or write. He becomes very quiet after the medicine. At home he writes and reads everything. Please advice are the medicines affecting his academics and making him quiet.
Regards
WOW!! I’m reading all of these stories, and feel like everyone is telling my story!! I have an adorable, sweet little boy who just turned 3. However, this is not always the case. When he doesnt get full attention he turns into a monster, tantrums in public, hitting, biting, you name it…..he can also be super sweet though, he’s so inconstistent w/ his behavior. He still does not talk though, he is now saying a lot of words, but no sentences, etc. His behavior gets in the way of him learning anything! Our psychologist just suggested a psychiatrist telling me he is adhd and needs medication. I am hesitant b/c he just turned 3, but I’ll do anything to help him learn!! I have to say it is kind of nice to see I’m not alone here!
Let me start by thanking Dr Handelman for assisting in this way. The downside of the internet is that you can not experience our appreciation personally. Our son is 4 years and 9 months. We are now one week into Ritalin 5mg in the mornings. My question is this: How on earth do you get a child to swallow the tablet? I contacted Novartis South Africa and they “had” to advise against crushing the tablet, as they never tested in that form. Our ped told is not to crush it and mentioned that most kids his age chew the tablet. We can not get him to swallow the tablet and my wife now crushes it and mix it with about 1cc of water. She then administers it through a syringe orally. He has no problem taking medicine that way. I do understand that one can not crush the SR tablets but why am I advised to not crush the Ritalin quick acting one? Surely crushing and chewing is the same? If he chews it, won’t it get stuck in his teeth and be taken in through his saliva etc? In short then can we crush and administer with very little water?
Hennie – I can’t say what the issue may be. I personally don’t see the difference between crushing the pill, and your son chewing the pill. Pharmacies have to say what the product monograph says – and they usually say don’t crush (because they haven’t tested it).
That’s probably the most that I can say
Thanks for your comments of appreciation – I appreciate it!
Hi Dr. Handelman,
My son is 4 years old and has tried liquid atarax at night for a few months. I slowly weaned him off a few weeks ago and I thaught he was getting better. It did not work. He is agressive at preschool and they are thinking about kicking hom out of school. He hits the other kids and calls his tachers names. He won’t sit in time out. His punishment is occasional spankings, time outs, or placing him in his room most of the day without toys. I don’t know what to do. Please help me. I’m a despirate mom.
Milaine, You’ll need to go and talk to your son’s pediatrician or family doctor. Get an assessment and then evaluate the options.
Hello,
My 4 1/2 y/o son has a lot of behavioral issues. He has been diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, ODD, Sensory Processing disorder, major anxiety and developmental praxias. Throughout the evaluations ADHD is always the core issue. He was diagnosed at 3. We have tried play therapy, behavior modification, supplements, the Feingold diet and ADHD parenting classes but nothing is working. We have been told that he cannot be worked with until he comes down enough. He is very close to being kicked out of his special education program even though is IQ is 138! We have finally decided to try the meds. The specialist prescribed him 10MG of Adderall XR. I called his regular doctor and asked her to do an EKG on him before we start the meds so I’m waiting for the results now. Does 10MG sound ok for his age or should I ask for a lower dose. He is 43 1/2″ tall and 41 lbs.
Kate – generally doctors start Adderall XR at either 5 or 10 mg. If you want to check with your doctor, you can ask for 5 mg – but ultimately, you’ll have a good sense when your son tries it. Good luck. I know this isn’t easy, no matter what you do!
My son is 6 and has struggled for years with many of the issues that everyone here is describing. Last year a pediatrician wanted me to start him on meds but I wasn’t ready to hear it. I too am guilty of waiting, hoping maturity will make it all go away or the right environment, the perfect teacher etc.
Dr. Handelman, I would like to know – with ADHD, is it common for the symptoms to phase in and out? My son will seem fine for a couple weeks then have a couple weeks of bad behavior.
I plan to call to get him properly diagnosed but my head is spinning with so many options! I don’t know where to start. Would it be better to go to a developmental pediatrician? A child psychologist or psychiatrist? Or just a regular pediatrician. I guess I’m worried to make sure I get an accurate diagnosis – he could be struggling with several different things?
My son is 5 years old and just recently got diagnosed at the psychiatrist. His father and myself both have ADHD but I didn’t get diagnosed until I was an adult due to the fact that I’m not hyperactive, just attention defecit. He was in preschool at the age of 4 and had a very difficult time in the classroom setting. Couldn’t sit for long and very squirmy, but not just normal boy active. I’ve known since he was 3 due to his uncontrollable tantrums and inattentive behavior. He will be starting adderall xr tomorrow. That’s what the doctor suggested since that’s what I take and it works for me. Ritalin was horrible for me and I had ridiculous side affects. I’m hopeing this works for him so that he can be successful in Kindergarten. My mom is absolutely opposed since she thinks I’m just putting drugs in his system, but I think it’s an option that should be explored and can be stopped if it doesn’t work.
I have a 5 year old nephew, Today was his 2nd day of Kindergarten! He got sent home… He wouldn’t listen to teacher, Kicked The Principal. They are threatening to contact Authorities if it happens again. He had this same problem off and on in Pre-K. He went to a behavior specialist last year, She informed us, its just him being immature. That girls and boys mature differently, and he just needs to Mature. I do not think its that at all! Past month or so, hes gotten very hard-headed!! You could sit there and say his name 20 times before he even acknowledges you. His parents get angry at him, and puts him on restrictions and all of that. Tells him why he needs to be good. I am just trying to explain to them, that maybe he can’t help it. Told them he needed to be examined to see if he as ADHD. He is very smart and sweet, and has a great personality. Just his behavior is horrible. At home its more of not listening, and being too hyper at the wrong times.. He does not kick adults at home. He does not kick his little brother. Just does it at school.. He loves school so much too. Do you think this sounds like a maturing problem, or should be checked for ADHD?
I think it’s worth talking to the pediatrician about this…
After trying a few different meds, my 3 year old son now takes 1/4tab of clonidine 2x a day and 1/2tab ritalin a day. I cannot tell if it is working. I feel like Ive dealt with so much chaos for so long that I cant tell what ‘normal’ is anymore. Am I suppose to see an improvement or is all the ‘choas’ suppose to disappear??
I have a 5 year old son who is extremely a hand full!! i am constantly getting migraines everyday due to me yelling @ him because he doesnt listen unless you yell!! I have cried & cried about his behavior..I feel like a failure
Im @ my wits end i cant deal with the hitting throwing stuff @ ppl squeezzing or kickin my 2 poor little weiner dogs..My whole family cant be around him for no more than 20 min before they start thinking they can try to calm him down! Its also been horrible on my marriage my poor husband had patience now he has NONE what so ever! we havent had him diagnosed yet for ADHD but we know he is. @ the end of the month we have an appt @ the pediatrics i have no choice but to put him on meds..I am losing my mind..there is nothing more i can try for my child i read to him i cant get through to the 3rd page without him gettin up! try to teach him to write his name he doesnt pay attention..he dont like to color he doesnt like to look @ books when we are eating @ the table as a family for dinner he gets up after every bite..we even have tried decaf chamomile tea! nothing works dk what more to do….
hi my son is 3 will be 4 on friday aug.27th and i found out yesterday that he has ADHD the neurologist prescribed him Tenex 1mg and wants him to take it every 12 hrs has anyone else been given this medication for their child with ADHD?