Question about ADD - ADD / ADHD Message Board

charming1234 · 02-17-2004, 07:07 PM

Hello,
My little cousin is 7 years old and he ADD. Buthte medication he is on is not workign at all it has made hime loose so much wait its not funny....i mean you can count hist ribs....quite scary. His doctor put him on meds that would help him eat but they dont seem to be working at all. He is smaller than my 5 year old nephew. I toold his mother to get another doctor the doctor my bro has is excellent he had put him on meds that has his ADD under control. But my cousins doctor wont let his mother go to another doctor she said that he could do anything that would help him. Any suggestions???
Oh the name of the med he is taking is concerta...which is another form of ridilin right????

* Free ~ Spirit * · 02-19-2004, 10:52 AM

These medications can be dangerous. Most doctors prescribe these meds very carelessly. Many children are wrongly diagnosed with ADD. He may not even have it. Most doctors do not do proper physical tests to rule out health conditions, or proper psych evaluations.

These medications can have major physical and psychological effects and should be used only after safer treatments have been tried and failed. This young boy is obviously suffering. This medications is speed so the side effects will be similar to those of meth (no eating no sleeping)

There are many safer alternatives to these meds. Its ashame doctors dont tell parents about them...

index.html · 02-19-2004, 02:04 PM

I agree with you, charming, that your nephew's mom might want to look for a different doctor. If she has to have a referral from her primary care provider and he won't recommend someone else, then she may have to find a new primary care provider FIRST and then a new psychiatrist. If her insurance doesn't require that she get a referral first, then she can call whoever she jolly well pleases. Perhaps, she should talk to the insurance company about the problems that she is having and see what they recommend.

Yes, Concerta is the same medication as Ritalin (methylphenidate), just in a longer acting form. I have to respectfully disagree with free~spirit's comment:

Quote:

Most doctors prescribe these meds very carelessly..

Certainly, some doctors misdiagnose ADD and some doctors are awfully quick with those prescription pads. But, I don't think it's fair to say this is true of most doctors.