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 Dr. Handelman,
I have a couple questions to ask you regarding my son of 7 yrs old. First of all he is on Strattera – 10 mg per day. I thought that the medication was working well with him but he is having mood swings, gets upset quite easily, he hates to do any type of work for school – both in school and at home. His attitude towards me and the family has changed quite a bit..he was a very apprecitative child and now not so much. Could this be because he has too much of a low dosage of Medication? or could these things be the side effects of this pill? He will be visiting his doctor next week but I just wanted to get your opinion before I go. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lori,
Thank you for your comment. It is very hard for me to comment on what is happening for your 7 year old son.
You are asking the right questions – i.e. is it that he is on too low a dose of medication, or is it that he is having a side effect to the medication.
That is the issue that you will have to review with your doctor.
I am sorry, but I do not have enough information, nor do I think it is proper for me to give direct medication advice on a blog!
Please feel free to share with the readers on this blog what happens.
Thanks,
Dr. Kenny Handelman
I just wanted to weigh in with our very positive experience in medicating our 4 year old son beginning at age 3 1/4. He was experiencing terrible behavioral problems at home and at school which had started in daycare and both the teacher and we were at wit’s end. I grew up around ADHD; my mom has it, my sister has it, and through dealing with my son’s problems my husband discovered he has it too. So I sometimes feel like it is a common thread in my whole life.
After carefully documenting behaviors at school (teacher wrote them for me) and at home and also what we tried to do, we saw a psychaitrist who thankfully was open to medicating at that age. We started with only 2 mg of Ritalin 3x per day and the result from one day to the next was stunning. He now functions in the classroom and is the most empathetic little boy, he talks now, and can actually stop when asked to. I believe he looks forward to a bright future at school.
Thank you, Janet, for sharing such a positive experience.
Most on the time on the net, people are sharing only the problem stories.
I know that the success stories exist too!
I am glad to hear that your 4 year old son is doing well with low dose
ritalin.
This new study can now reassure you and your doctor that this is a safe and well researced approach.
Dear Janet:
I am considering medicating my five year old son, who has been having problems at school since he was 3. I kept hoping he’d outgrow his hyperactivity and attention deficit, but instead it’s gotten worse. But I am very afraid that medication will stunt his growth. Has your son had any problems with his growth since beginning ritalin?
best,
Cybele Pascal
Dear Cybele Pascal,
I can say with absolute positivity that Ritalin is not affecting my son’s growth. Not only was he still in the 90th percentile of growth for his age at his 4 year check-up in November, he is one of the tallest in his class.
There is such a small chance of stunting of growth compared with the possible help that medication can give that I never hesitated. Also my sister was on Ritalin from age 7 and she’s normal height, so I had firsthand experience to go on.
At his last parent teacher conference a few weeks ago, he has progressed socially in his preschool class to the point that not only does the teacher feel there is nothing for us to watch for and guide, but that he is one of the class leaders in positive behavior. One year ago, before starting Ritalin, it was so desperate that it was hinted that he might be ‘uninvited’ to the school because the teacher’s aide had to shadow him the entire day to keep him from destroying the room.
So for us the medication has been nothing but wonderful.
I just started my son (who will be 4 in less than 2 weeks) on ritalin. The doctor told me to give him 1/2 of a 5mg pill ONCE a day for the first week, then one full pill once a day after that. Yesterday was his first day, and instead of his normal “running around in circles, bouncing off of the walls” self, he was nearly catatonic. He sat in one spot all day, didnt want to play with the other children at daycare, with his eyes glazed over as if he were stoned. When we got home, he attached himself to me, and wanted to lay down (he NEVER sleeps…) because “his tummy hurt”. He said he had “bees in his tummy”. This morning, nearly 22 hours after he took his meds, his fever hasn’t gone away, and he’s started throwing up…. Is his dosage too high? Might he have an allergy? What do you think? (We’re underinsured, so I dont want to make any unnecessary trips to the doctor unless its an emergency). Thank you!
Hi,
I am sorry that your son had a bad reaction – and I hope that you have spoken to the doctor about this.
I am sorry, but I can’t substitute for a doctor who knows your son and can do a full assessment.
What the study listed above showed was that kids under 6 still had benefits from ritalin, but they did have higher side effects.
That said, your son’s reaction was quite extreme.
Did you get an answer back from the doctor?
Can you fill us in on what happened?
Dr. Kenny
I just got back from the first Psychiatric evaluation for my 5 year old son and I left feeling so helpless. I have read many articals about children younger than 5 taking these medications and yes there have been some success stories but for me the negative always seems to stand out more than the positive. For the past 3 years of my son’s life I have had him in therapy for behavior problems and they all wanted to talk about adhd meds and i was closed off to the idea, mainly because I wanted to try every possible alternative first. Well, I am officially at the end of the road with the alternative solutions. I am scared and confused on what to do next. Please if anyone has any advice i would love to hear it.
Hi Amber,
Thank you for sharing your story, and for being ‘vulnerable’ about it.
I think that other parents who read this will appreciate your candor.
It can be very hard when a 3, 4 or 5 year old is diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
My 2 cents – consider using the medication as a ‘test’. Do not consider the fact that he may be on the medicine for months or years.
Work with the doctor, and test it out.
If it has terrible side effects, you will stop it.
In kids over 6, about 70-80% of them respond well to medicine.
This is about the same in under 6 year olds, but they may have a little more side effects.
Just test it with low doses, and close monitoring.
Please post other thoughts or comments here.
Dr. Kenny
My son started on medication at age 9 because no one took what I had to say seriously.” He is just a boy dont worry” I came from a family of all girls so I didnt know anything about little boys. I just knew things wernt right. It is so hard to see your child being made fun of or left out by other kids. Finally I made the Dr. listen to me and he was tested. We went through many meds before we got it right. I feel so much time was wasted and my son went through alot of pain and sadness that didnt need to happen. My son didnt fit all the criteria for adhd so that didnt help. He is almost 16 and doing well still taking meds but he knows he is better with it. He gets all A’s and plays in sports and has lots of friends. To Cybele Pascal, his growth hasnt been affected at all. He also had milk soy protein intolerance as a baby. Dont wait to get your son help do it before it affects his friendships. To parents, if you think something isnt right dont let people tell you that your child is fine trust yourself.
Thank you, Genalee for sharing your story.
It can be very hard for parents to make the decision to start medication – and it can have a dramatic life changing benefit for the child or teen taking it.
I often wish that in my office, I could pair parents of teens who have been through it all, with parents of kids who are just at the beginning. The ‘wisdom’ shared could make a big difference in getting the right treatment for ADHD early on – inclluding medication.
Dr. Kenny
I have a 4 year old daughter, she has attended 3 day cares and a baby sitter, out of the three day cares since the age of 2 and a half, she has been violent to other children, hyperactive, and aggressive. Both daycares could not tolerate her actions. So now she is in a Special Educational school for pre k and kindergarten children. At school she is still hyperactive, and has behavioral problems. I knew then this was a problem, so I got her evaluated again for the third time, and her new therapist wants to start her on ritalin 5mg for three days and monitor her actions. I am scared to try this medication due to horrible side effects. ADHD runs in my family, ias a child I had it, but I made it through without medication. Also I think the dosage given is a little to high, can I give her half of 5mg. There are behavioral techniques that I use at home that are not working, because she is still aggressive, and hyper. I love my baby, and I need advice qucikly before school starts. Coming from a single mom, please help!
I have a 4 year old daughter, she has attended 3 day cares and a baby sitter, out of the three day cares since the age of 2 and a half, she has been violent to other children, hyperactive, and aggressive. Both daycares could not tolerate her actions. So now she is in a Special Educational school for pre k and kindergarten children. At school she is still hyperactive, and has behavioral problems. I knew then this was a problem, so I got her evaluated again for the third time, and her new therapist wants to start her on ritalin 5mg for three days and monitor her actions. I am scared to try this medication due to horrible side effects. ADHD runs in my family, as a child I had it, but I made it through without medication. Also I think the dosage given is a little to high, can I give her half of 5mg. There are behavioral techniques that I use at home that are not working, because she is still aggressive, and hyper. I love my baby, and I need advice quickly before school starts. Coming from a single mom, please help!
Hi,
Your questions are excellent – and show how concerned you are.
When it comes to doses and side effects – I suggest you have another discussion with the doctor. The doctor needs to reassure you and answer all of your questions.
I cannot make treatment or dosage recommendations on my blog.
What I can say – is that in general, most children who actually have ADHD, do well with medication with minimal side effects. The study of 3, 4 and 5 year olds shows that there may be a higher rate of side effects and doses need to be lower.
Although school is coming soon – make sure to get all of your questions answered – and consider a short test of medicine – as the therapist has suggested.
All the best.
Dr. Kenny
Dr. Handelman,
My son is 4 and a half years old and was started on 10 mg Daytrana patch 10 days ago. It has shown to have positive effects on behavior and attention span on school. The only problem I have encountered is his appetite. He was doing fine until 2 days ago, when he had no interest in food. I was thinking that I would have seen a change in his appetite sooner than 8 days if this were going to be a side effect for him. He also had a slight flu bug the last 2 days with unexpected vomiting during two meals followed by a fever the next day. I am lead to believe that there is no “build up” of the med. in his system, or could it really take over a week before any potential side effects occur??? any helpful hints on this? I also just increased the dose to 15 mg yesterday, but the appetite declined before this.
My son is a sophomore in college. Graduated from a perstigious private high school where gaining admittance is very difficult. Now attending a prestigious and highly selective university. Scholarships and grant money practically pay for his education, but most of all he is a delight. I wanted to balance this discussion a bit offering my experience as the parent of a boy, who around three started to receive negative response from teachers when he entered preschool. There was steady pressure on us to have him evaluated, but more important….teachers were very judgmental and blunt in their belief we should medicate him, and we received quite alot of pressure in the form of “fear based warnings” and “statistics” suggesting if we did not medicate him then we risked his failing in academics, using drugs and alcohol, etc. etc. We explored this feedback taking the suggestions at face value. I did extensive research, then we had him tested privately at our own expense at an education evaluation center located at Yale University. He was anxious. Not hyperactive. One result of the evaluation was that we should find another placement for him since the counsellor identified for us that the classroom and shool we had enrolled our son in preschool and elementary school was a terrible placement for him…..we were urged to get him out of there as soon as we could do so. It was a private school…and we followed the advice to find a better placement. He continued to be his unique and outgoing, creative, verbal, inquisitive and sensitive self. But, he had sucess wtih our support and love to guide him. He is sensitive, compassionate, precocious in intellect, and very observant as well as consistenly more mature than his peers as demonstrated by his verbalizations and comments….that were always notably beyond his years. He wrote poetry….starting at age three when he popped up to ask me if I wanted to “hear” what he “just wrote.” He wrote poems in his head long before he could write, and continued to do so throughout his growing up. Beautiful prose just comes to him in response to his passionate engagement in life. He is passionate and expressive. He does not invest much time or thought into what other people may think of him, but he loves people and seeks the company of others when not resting or at school….he has lots of friends. He was definitely unique. Always stood out, even though he was not looking to do so. Very social….driven really. We elected for play therapy after learning he was anxious. I don’t know if there was any benefit, but it took the pressure off of him when teachers were informed that we had him tested at Yale and were addressing his anxiety with play therapy. Then guess what happened? He grew up…..spared the experience and whatever else comes with drugs such as Ritalin…..we have no idea what the long term effects of these drugs will have on our kids….be careful. In our case we were also honest enough to recognize our bright, sensitive, observant child picked up on the distress we as parents could not hide from him…..we were not consistently financially secure, which lead to some loud fights…..very upsetting for our sensitive child. He was very aware of our grown up concerns regarding our financial stress…and this is probably what made him so anxious….but he survived it all….grew up and is 100% the best kid a parent could claim.
I have a 3 year old son who goes non stop at about 100mph a day. He hasnt taken a nap since he was 1 year old. He wakes up 4 – 5 times a night, he throws tantrums all day and bangs his head into the floor several times a day. I cant reason with him in any way and his answer to everything is NO NO NO. He had open heart surgery for a malaligned VSD when he was 9 months old, now hes facing another open heart surgery to replace a leaking pulmonary valve. I am at my wits end…please help me to do the right thing. I want to take him to his pediatrition but i dont know if i should because he told me that my son is “normal”. I have to believe something is wrong and i believe he has ADHD. Please advise me on what to do . Thanks
Hi,
I suggest that you talk to your pediatrician again, and consider getting a referral to a ‘behavioral pediatrician’, or child psychiatrist. This will help to get a specific assessment for ADHD.
That said – having had cardiac surgery, there is a concern about any of the ADHD medications.
To learn more about the ADHD warnings, see here:
http://www.addadhdblog.com/fda-to-study-cardiovascular-risk-of-adhd-medication/
To learn more about medicines for ADHD, visit http://www.medicationmastery.com
All the best,
Dr. Kenny
Hi, I have a 4 1/2 year old boy who has been on dexedrine 10mg a day slow release for about 4 months now. We started him on medication for his adhd 6 months ago and have been changing the doses ever since. It works for a little while and then we have to change it again. The doctor said that he cant put my son on anything else but dexedrine becuase he is not 6 yet. I was just wondering if there is anything else I can try other then rydolin cause we have tried that and that was so wrong for my son. Please let me know as he needs a med change again, his mood swings are back and he is not paying any attention at pre-school, and being half way through the year, they are trying to get him ready for kindergarden. thank you very much. Any ideas will be helpfull.
Hello,
I just want to say that I am glad that i founb this website. My little one is almost four and we are struggling with hyperactivity. I am scared to medicate him but at this point I do not feel there is an option. His quality of life is not what it could be. Don’t get me wrong he is happy, he and his brothers are the light of my life. However when he enters into the “real world” I fear that he won’t be as cherished because he is difficult to deal with and that would kill me. Reading what others parents have had to say has given me hope that there is help and that I wont be killing my son if I medicate him. Thanks.
hi,
my son will turn 5 in 3weeks.he hasnt been diagnosed of adhd by a doctor but from my reseach i have discoverded that most of the characteristics of kids with adhd matches his.am very concerned about the effect it has on his accedamics,he hates to do his book work both at home and in school.i have been trying behavour therapy but i dont think am getting much result with it.
i dont know what to do.
Hi ese,
The best first step is to get a proper assessment and then once you know exactly what is going on – i.e. ADHD or something else, then you can create a strategy to help with it.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
My son is 4 years old, and the light of my life. He had been diagnosed with ADHD in the extremes ( no wonder I would lock myself in the bathroom for some mommy time!) We are currently seeing a child psychologist who refuses to put him on meds, but we are trying out a program called EEG, or commonly known as neurofeedback. He goes in 2 times a week for this and we have done about 18 sessions for this… I see NO change in behavior and feel we have now wasted thousands of dollars on a treatment plan that hasnt worked. I am at my wits end! He is disruptive in his preschool class, and cant sit still to do any actual learning. While his teachers are wonderful and love to work with him, I feel he isnt focusing on his work like he should be, I mean yes he can write his name, but he wont sit still to do it. He has found at leat 400 different ways to sit in a chair, and refuses to sit still for story time. I am afraid if we cant get a handle on this now that he will be very behind when he goes to kindergarden. I dont know what to do. I was against putting him on any medication, but now that this is disrupting my marriage, and our home is no longer a peacefull household I am beginning to think that maybe medication would be helpful. What should I do? His psychologist is totally against medicating him, and has even thrown countless books at me about medicating children and how it is the evilness of the world. So with that in the back of my head I would feel totally horrible about the medication, but a part of me would love to see my son come home from school and not have a meltdown, and flash that smile at me that I so very miss.
So with that in mind what do I do?
I guess I dont get a response.
Hi Brandylee,
I can’t always get to giving personal answers (and sometimes when I do, it takes a little time…)
If your child psychologist is not giving you the treatment you need, find another one!
The other thing about it is that psychologists can’t prescribe medication. You’ll need to see a medical doctor to get a prescription anyway. Best to find a pediatrician or child psychiatrist who can assess your son and see if medicine can help, and then he/she can give you a prescription if it is right for your child.
Dr. Kenny
p.s. for more information on medication, I have a free report – and a complete course here: http://www.medicationmastery.com
p.p.s. for a community of other people interested in ADHD – where you can discuss and get help/support, visit: http://www.ADHDWorld.com
I have a 5 year old son. He has a behaviorial problem in kindergarten since the beginning.. We always try to think that is was just a maturity thing with him being so young. But today he got a suspension from school for biting another child. I am afraid if he behavior does not straighten up that they will not allow him to come back to school. At home he is so sweet and caring but once he goes to school it is a completely different story. We have come to realize that there is issue with him that we need to solve. I have a appointment set up with his doctor to be tested for adhd. We always knew there was something there but just never wanted to realize it. If he was to be put on medication, what would you recommend the safest way to go. I have heard totally different stories about all the different types of meds out there and it does scare me a little. Medication is the last thing me and his dad wanted to resort to but we are at our wits end and if medication will help him, we are willing to try it. He is such a bright kid and know he can go to his full potential if we can just get his behavior under control.. Please any advice will help thank you
Hi I’m Julie I have a son that will be three in a week . And I dont know what to do he has been kicked out of all yes all daycares in NC because of his temper. My son is very strong for his age. 2 1/2 fliping tables on teachers. He is not sleeping and has pushed my husband and my self to snaping. We have done everything we can think of last night it was like not my little boy, this time he hurt me. He hurts his self as well. But its like a switch one min he is fine next min its like he crazy with the power of 10 men. I think I am a bad mother replaying over and over in my head is there something I did not to right. I want to help my son in his life but I want to know it’s the right choice to make PLEASE HELP ME!!!
I have a 5 year old little boy who is the love of my life! He started kindergarden this year and is doing very well academically, but he is having a hard time sitting still, and focusing, and is also distracting others in the classroom. He is very hyperactive at home as well, and my husband and I both have a hard time trying to make him sit still and focus on his homework, or just to even have him focus on a conversation. I have been researching ADHD for about a year now, and I have discussed the possibilities with his pediatrician. I absolutely did not want to even consider medication until his teacher said that she thought he should be put on something. I have to admit that I was really bothered by her suggestion, considering she was only a teacher and not a Doctor of any kind. I have had a lot of mixed emotions lately. I hear all the positives, and the negatives, and I feel as if it is a really tough decision to have to make. Just when I think I might be willing to give it a try, I also think to myself, what is society’s perspective of a normal 5 year old little boy? In my own personal opinion, my child is very normal. My husband and I attended his Christmas party at school and I kid you not, every other little boy in his classroom was just like my son, as far as them being hyperactive. I just want someone to please, please help me here! I am literally falling apart over this whole issue. I don’t understand why he should be put on medication when he is on grade level with all of his work? I mean, I could understand it a little more if he was struggling academically, but he is not. To me, that is really all that matters. He also does not have any self esteem issues, which from research, seems to be a big problem in ADHD children. PLEASE HELP ME! THANK YOU!!!!!!!
What did the pediatrician say? Was a diagnosis made? Did the doctor think medicine was indicated?
Dr. Kenny
I posted a while back about my 4 year old son. I just wanted to share that we started him out on Adderall Xr Dec 1st and as of today, he is up to 15mg and that is where he will be staying for the next 3 months. He is doing wonderful now! Since we started him on the medication he has gotten caught up to all the children in his preK class, and has made some significant improvements in writing his letters. Another thing that has really impressed me is he is actually able to draw now. Before he would just scribble lines on paper, and now he draws pictures for me every day.
I was extremely hesitant about medication until I couldnt handle his behavior anymore, and his teachers kept telling me how disruptive in class he was. Now he is the poster child for manners. He is still a rambunctious 4 year old, dont get me wrong, he still runs, smiles and jumps around, he is juat more able to stay focused at the task at hand. And for this I am extremely grateful. I finally have my little boy again.
The only thing that has struck me as odd is his need to tell me he loves me a lot, but who am I to complain about that?
The first few days on his medication and everytime we upped his dosage he was a little irratable, and had crying jags, but after about 3 days he levelled out. We started him out on 5mg and every 2 weeks we upped it 5mg. He only had sleeping issues when we upped him to 15mg, but that only lasted a day or 2.
One thing I did learn was not to give him citrus drinks with it. For some reason he seems to be pretty hyper when we do that. So he doesnt get OJ in the mornings, now he gets it in the afternoon.
I just wanted to say thank you for this web site, without it I would have been too afraid to take that step into medication.
Hi, I have a little boy that will be 4 years old in March. He has suffered with ADHD and ODD for a year now. I had him evaluated and now he has been attending a special needs school after getting kicked out of several daycare centers and loosing several babysitters. He is very hyper, doesn’t sit still and is very violent when he gets upset. He is a great kid with a wonderful personality but when he doesn’t get his way or is just in a mood for no reason, he totally changes into a child that I don’t know. He will change in a blink of an eye and to get him back, sometimes is impossible. I would just have to sit back and wait for it to end. If I try to comfort him or talk to him or try to fix the situation, he will attack me, bite me, pinch me, spit on me, throw things at me, destroy whatever is around him, It gets so bad and I feel so out of control, but there’s really not anything I can do but wait until he is ready to stop. This has been going on but now its like on a regular basis and I don’t know what to do. I walk on eggshells with him because I never know when the next outburst is going to be or why. He goes to therapy, gets OT in school, and sees a Psychiatrist. Finally the option of medication came up. I totally disagreed with putting my son on medication but came to the conclusion it might be the only thing that could help him. We started him on Adderall 2.5 mg once a day in October. I did see a change but not for long, he eventually needed another dose during the day and couldn’t get it because the afterschool wouldn’t give it to him (no nurse on staff). So the Dr. decided to start him on Adderall XR 5mg once a day, which is a long lasting medication. That also did work in the beginning but now I see that he is taking it and is still the same, if not worse. His outbursts are still uncontrollable and violent. He still attacks me, bites me, spits on me, pinches me, you name it, he does it. I spoke to his Dr. about it but he is afraid to try another medication because he is so young. I am reading these stories from other parents and I see that their children are on all sorts of meds other than Adderall, why do you think his Dr. is afraid to try something else? My son is also taking Clonodine .005 mg in the evenings when we get home but that doesn’t do anything either. It only gets him drowsy and he falls asleep. Its really suppose to be something to relax him but it really doesn’t. The Dr said to keep giving it to him, he should get used to it and not fall asleep so fast anymore, that’s not true, I have been giving it to him and still he will fall asleep after about 1/2 hr sometimes an 1 hour. I have to make sure I bathe him and feed him dinner before I give it to him or else those things won’t get done. I need to do something, it is getting worse by the day and now the afterschool is feeling it too. Usually he is pretty good there, if not good still controllable but it’s because by the time he gets there, the Adderall XR is wearing off already because I give it to him so early in the morning. I don’t know what to do anymore, I am trying to do everything in the book but still not succeeding much and with the Dr. not helping me with another alternative, I don’t know what to do next. I want my son to enjoy his life and right now it’s like a constant battle on a daily basis….I am all new to this, I am learning as I go. I also have a 15 year old and never went through any of this with him. Help…..I am a single mother who just wants the best for her little boy. I want him to enjoy life and be happy. It breaks my heart that he is going through this. Please tell me what to do next. Thank you.
My son is 3 yrs and 4 months. He was recently diagnosed with ADHD. His child physciatrist prescribed Vyvance and he had very scary dreams along with his behavior was very extreme. The Dr. then prescribed Tenex about two weeks ago that I was to increase gradually. I did that and his behavior is gradually getting worse. Any suggestions?
We are all in the same “boat”. We love our children very much and only want the best for them. At the end of the day, I have decided to live by the notion that we need to do what we need to do to survive and try to make our home life and his school life more enjoyable for all parties invloved. We have been dealing with behavioral issues with our now 4 year old son since he was 18m months old. He was asked to leave daycare and his 2 year old school program. People who have not experinced a child with ADHD have NO clue what it is like. It is the most stressful and heartbreaking thing I have ever had to deal with. The people in his world who deal with him for 2 hours at a time seem to think he will “out grow” these behaviors and think he is “all boy”. We broke down one week after he turned 4 to try meds. The jury is still out. I am not really sure what I am seeing. I think it helps the “hyperness” but he is much more emotional and moody. Plus, I think it is out of his system rather quick. He is on 10mg of Ritalin right now once in the AM. Not sure where to go from here…does this go away, does this mean we should stop the meds?
hi my son is four in june his behaviour is getting worse by the day he has been spiting at teachers and swearing at them and gets put on the naughty step at least 10 times a day and it dont make a difference it just makes him worse.i have already been doctors and they sent a behavior lady out but it dident help he is just getting worse is there a chance he has got adhd.
My daughter is six years old and was recently diagnosed with ADHD. Her physician recommended Stratera to begin with. We are trying to decide which medication would be the best to start with. Stratera takes 3 weeks to see results and I heard that there could be more stored in her liver, where as, the Stimulants are more “in and out” and have immediate results. Any input on which we should start with for her age and which would be the “safer” option?
My son is 3 yrs and 6 months. He was recently diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. His child physciatrist prescribed Vyvance which made him have very scary dreams. His behavior was very extreme to the point he was getting in the closet (unlike him) and crying. He would take all of his toys out of the toy box and lean his head in it and just cry terribly. The Dr. then prescribed Tenex (a blood pressure medicine) bout two weeks ago that I was to increase gradually. I did that and his behavior is gradually getting worse. I finally brought him to the peditrician. She put him on Foclin 5 mg and currently we are at 15 mg. What is your opinion giving Foclin to a child with both ADHD and ODD?
hi i have a five year old son who was diagnosed with adhd and odd when he was four year old he was put on dexedrine( dexamfetamine) and throw the year it has gone up to 5mg three times a day i foud as time has gone by its not worken so the doctor has aked me to start reduce it slowly to see if it has any afect what is your thought on this? im a bit scared that things will get worse and that i wont beable to coupe
Hello everyone,
I have a just turned three son. I never thought I’d consider meds, but his impulsivity is now to the point where he is a danger to himself. He leaves his classroom, escapes from the playground, leaves his groups, climbs over barriers to get to what he wants, and stops to touch everything imaginable on his way anywhere. He pulls things off the wall and takes anything he wants. I am concerned with the inability to sit and concentrate too, but these are small in comparison to his safety. He just has something in his mind that he wants and goes after it with no reguard for his safety. It isn’t a behavior, it’s more of a compulsion. Thoughts? Good candidate?
I am not sure where to begin. Our daughter is 5.5 yrs old. Currently, she is hyper, disruptive, hits other kids, scratches them, and is almost always oppositional to us and what her teachers ask of her. She is extremely intelligent. She is one of the most creative kids we have ever seen. When she is feeling OK, the kids at school love her because she is a lot of fun. When she is not feeling good, they DO NOT WANT HER AROUND.
At age 2 she was dx ASD. It was mostly because she seemed dreamy and would not answer questions. SHe also had the sensory issues so I guess that is why. She has always loved other kids and socializing. She has great eye contact and her social skills improved a lot. According to the doctor, she came off of the Autism spectrum at about age 4. She has always had severe tantrums. She has NEVER SLEPT WELL and without Melatonin she would not ever sleep now. She has never taken naps and is unable to sit still for any amount of time. Her inability to even lie down at school for naptime has caused a lot of problems and now it is in her IFSP that she not even lay down anymore because of it. She cannot stay still. She has severe sensory issues and always has. She is VERY MOODY and angers QUICKLY and SEVERELY. She is currently on Risperdal 1.37 MG (been on risperdal 1.5 yrs)It works great for a while, and then the dose needs to be increased for it to still work. She has been at this dose for a few months and it is no longer working well but the dose is apparently pretty high so the doc does not want to increase it any more. For the past 3 months has also been on Depakote for mood swings. It has helped a little but in all honesty, she is still a mess. After seeing a questionnaire that her teacher filled out today we are crushed. She is disrupting the class, disobeying the teachers purposefully, and is generally a difficult child. She is also like this at home. We are at our wits end all of the time. She is our only child and the love of our lives and we cannot bear to see her this unhappy and not doing well in school. She is crying a lot of the time, tantruming, and yelling often. She has been seeing a therapist for over a year and it does not help except to give us a few strategies for working with her. Mostly it is just helpful to know that she cannot help her behavior. Her docs are confused. She has seen a few different child psychiatrists, developmental pediatrician, regularly sees a LCSW, and her peds. One gave her an antidepressant and it ended up making her really out of it and she threatened to stab a kid with a sharp stick. It was awful. We weaned her off of that and she now seems depressed or something. Several docs seem to call her a mystery. Nobody can figure out if she is ADHD, Childhood bipolar, ODD, or has anxiety. I (mom) have had severe panic disorder since my teens and was always anxious. I have been medicated for years with Paxil and am in remission. I am mild ADD and a bit depressed– very mildly. Her dad is fine. One sibling of mine has severe ADD and sensory issues. Another sibling has ADD and possibly borderline personality disorder. Anxiety/Depression runs in the family…but so does creativity and success.
We are beside ourselves with worry about her future.
Could this JUST be ADHD?? She has never been tried on any stims. Her doc was going to try her on them and then decided she is “too young.” ?????? Meanwhile, she is wearing us and everyone else out.
Any suggestions?? Please help us.
Hi, I wanted to add to the above…
her sensory issues are off the charts at times…and sometimes her mean behavior or adhd seems to stem from this. However, other times there is no reason that we can figure out.
Today she woke up happy and has been nothing but sweet to us. ?
Also, she takes good care of her animals and does not try to hurt them if that makes any difference. We have kittens right now and she is very good with them and we totally trust her with them.
have anyone tried natural remedy?
Hello everyone, I have a dumb question sorry but i being to 3 different pediatricians to assess my daughter that will turn 4 in October for adhd and they all tell me they wont be able to do it till shes 5.. I just don’t understand that i have tolled them all she is very hyperactive she broke her arm @ the age of 1 for jumping out of her crib she hurts herself and others and is not able to focused i just don’t know what to do could any one please help me and let me know who is it that i will have to go to.. since none of the pediatricians will understand me … HELP ASAP IM A YOUNG SINGLE MOM… THANK U
PLEASE HELP ME PEOPLE I REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO I’M REALLY SCARED .. AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO NO MORE … NO ONE WANTS TO WATCH MY KID OVER WHILE I GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE WAY SHE IS SHE DO SENT STAY STILL AT ALL
Ariana, have you tried taking her to a psychiatrist? Or a Pediatric Psychologist? They would be better suited to diagnose the issues then a pediatrician.
I have a 4 year old son named Kyler that was put on risperdal at the age of 2. It was my last resort. I gave it to him for about 2 months and took him off of it after telling his doctor that I did not want him on medication. His father is Bipolar and suffers from depression. Kyler has his ups and downs. He can not sit for more than a few seconds at a time. He can not be around animals without kicking or hitting them. He picks children up at school and slams them on the ground, he screams all the time, in other words he don’t know how to use a normal voice no matter how much I re-direct him. I can’t clean the house or tend to my 6 year old properly because of having to have my eyes glued on Kyler at all times. About 2 weeks ago I went into my bathroom to clean and I came out to find that my clothes that I hang over my chairs to dry, my walls, white bathroom cabinets, couch, tile floor, bar stools and coffee table had been scribbled all over with a brown permanent marker. He repeats his self over and over and over until he gets what he wants. He sleeps fully dressed and when I say fully dressed I mean belt, pants, a shirt or 2, bookbag, hat and cowboy boots. He sleep walks. I wake up with the doors to the house unlocked on occasions. He has woken up in the middle of the night and went out on the porch took off his belt, pants and shoes and put on a pair of muddy pants that he had played in, in the mud earlier that day and put them on, he then put his belt back on and his shoes… I woke the next morning and he was in the bed with me. I took a shower and I came back in the room and woke him up. When I pulled the covers back I noticed he had the muddy pants on. He doesn’t remember it at all. He also knows no fear, he will approach anyone and talk to them. I am at a loss of what to do and don’t really know if this is ADHD or something more??? I work at a psychiatric hospital and see cases of everything everyday. PLEASE HELP… There are no resources around here for children his age. His pediatrician diagnosed him with ADHD about 2 years ago and currently the public school system is doing a psychological study on him, which has been going on for over 2 months now at their request, not mine…
Jessica,
This is obviously very complicated. He may have ADHD, and he may also have bipolar disorder. Childhood bipolar looks very different than adult bipolar. Consider checking out: http://www.bpkids.org. (allow me to be clear – I’m not diagnosing bipolar – just suggesting it to talk to your doctor about).
I don’t know if you sone has tried stimulant medicines – and you don’t say if risperidone made a difference. I’d suggest you work closely with the pediatrician, or child psychiatrist to find the right behavioral and medical treatments for your son.
Dr. Kenny
I writing information on my 4 year old son, he has been diagnosed with ADHD and Impulsive behavior disorder. He was on Facalin 2.5 mg one time a day in the AM. He did well till about 1-2 pm in the afternoon. He had focus direction and he was amazing to talk with,he was able to tell me about his day, he was able to read a book, he was proud of his accomplishments, SO WAS I. I ha d the son I always wished for. Before his behavior was impulsive, aggressive and well very difficult to deal with in his daycare setting,sent home on numerous occassions. Althought this medication worked well initially it wasn’t just right for him. Now I am wondering what possibilities we should ty next… he had his blood panels done and everything is “normal”…alittle dehydrated but that is my son he is so thirsty because he never stops so for school and home he is allowed free will at drinks of any sort, water, applejuice with half water, never soda or anything with red dye. I guess I am just concerned for putting him on another med. and what side effects he may encounter….any suggestions would be great we go to the ped. psych on Friday. He is so close to getting the right “tool” so he can finally learn and help him self come to terms with his issues. I just want other children and parents to know there is an amazing boy in there he just hasn’t had the right opportunity or in this instance medication to help his focus and his goals and his education and socialization. My son is there just waiting to be unleashed in a positive light. Thank you-I feel all parents unrest inj this tough decision. Be vigilant in your childs wellbeing.
Amy –
When it comes to medicine in this young population – people usually use methylphenidate first – i.e. focalin, metadate CD, concerta, or even ritalin. Talk to your doctor about trying a different one in that category. There is a difference between focalin and methylphenidate. Not a huge difference, but a difference.
You doctor will be able to direct you.
Dr. Kenny
http://www.SafeADHDMedication.com
Hello,
I am looking for a psychiatrist who will assess and treat a 4 y/o in the Atlanta, GA area. I am not having much luck and based on many of your comments, my own personal experience, and Dr. Handelman’s research, I feel more and more confident that my daughter has ADHD. She’s so bright and wonderful…I don’t want her to miss out. Please help if you can.
Thank you!
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?????????????????