My son has been on the increased dose of 30mg for a couple of weeks. He has been on Ritalin for about 6 weeks total. Since the increase he seems very depressed and cries easliy. He is 6 yrs old. I am worried about him as is his teachers at school. He was impulsive and had no attention span. Now is a little too focused(if that makes sense) and really serious. My son was a happy little boy who loved to kiss and hug people now he acts like a robot and will hug you if you ask but with no emotion behind it. When he was on the lower dose he was calmer but not so sullen. I'm wondering if this med is not the right one for him or if the lower dose is more appropriate.... any help as long as its positive will be appreciated. I don't want my wonderful son going thru his childhood like a zombie.

Heddy,

Look, I'm no doctor so take what I say with a dump truck load of salt, but 30 mg of Ritalin is WAY too much for a six year old child. It is no wonder so many become ADD med and doctor haters. That is just plain irresponsible. Geeeeeeeeeee. It would be like me taking 300 mg a day.

addprogrammer

My son has been on the increased dose of 30mg for a couple of weeks. He has been on Ritalin for about 6 weeks total. Since the increase he seems very depressed and cries easliy. He is 6 yrs old. I am worried about him as is his teachers at school. He was impulsive and had no attention span. Now is a little too focused(if that makes sense) and really serious. My son was a happy little boy who loved to kiss and hug people now he acts like a robot and will hug you if you ask but with no emotion behind it. When he was on the lower dose he was calmer but not so sullen. I'm wondering if this med is not the right one for him or if the lower dose is more appropriate.... any help as long as its positive will be appreciated. I don't want my wonderful son going thru his childhood like a zombie.

My nephew would have a mix of aggression then crying all the time on only a half of starting dose of Adderall. Depression is common with stimulants. Then they tried a low dose of Strattera and that was fine for awhile but then he got severely fatigued.

My in-laws took him off everything and he's actually doing ok. Maybe you could go back to the lower dosage and see if that helps things.

I agree with the above posters. Sounds like the dose is too high for him.

I took my son to the dr's on monday and she did switch him to Adderall 10mg. He seems more like his old self but still in the morning is withdrawn but not at all like the ritalin. Thank you for your replies. It helps to have people to talk this over with who have been there. I'll keep you posted. Its been 3 days on the adderall and he is having a psychiatric eval on friday. His doc thinks maybe bi-polar with the adhd....I'm nervous and scared about this (not the eval) but just the road ahead for my sweet baby. :confused:

I took my son to the dr's on monday and she did switch him to Adderall 10mg. He seems more like his old self but still in the morning is withdrawn but not at all like the ritalin. Thank you for your replies. It helps to have people to talk this over with who have been there. I'll keep you posted. Its been 3 days on the adderall and he is having a psychiatric eval on friday. His doc thinks maybe bi-polar with the adhd....I'm nervous and scared about this (not the eval) but just the road ahead for my sweet baby. :confused:


I'm not sure you should worry so much about bi-polar. From what I've read on stimulants they tend to create those types of symptoms of bi-polar and OCD.

Symptoms begin with increased energy, hyperalertness, and overfocusing. It
progresses toward obsessive/compulsive activities, insomnia, agitation, hypomania and mania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania.

They also commonly cause apathy, social withdrawal, emotional depression. The drug-induced symptoms are sadness and behavioral deterioration, irritability, withdrawal, lethargy, violent behavior, withdrawal, mild mania, dysphoria and sadness.

One doctor I've read alot on said that doctors and even researchers seem to frequently confuse stimulant-induced ADRs with evolving
mental disorders in the children. Stimulants, for example, very frequently cause symptoms of depression (including apathy and lethargy) and obsessive/compulsive disorder. Less frequently, they cause mania.


Based on his clinical practice and on anecdotal reports, he mentions that physicians often fail to identify stimulant-induced ADRs that affect mental function. They mistakenly attribute them to newly emerging psychiatric disorders in the children.

Instead of stopping the stimulants, new psychiatric medications are added. The increasing diagnosis of depression, obsessive/compulsive disorder, and mania in children may be due in part to unrecognized stimulant adverse effects.

Knowing what stimulants do to the brain, perhaps this is something to think about, isn't it? Especially since they really can't measure those brain chemicals in your son's brain, thus giving him a drug that effect those cheimicals is an unsure method based on drug effects only but with unsure results on future brain function.

Surely the effects of the stimulants will bring the bi-polar diagnosis I almost guarentee that's what the doctor will do unless you question it which I find very sad.

Thanks Jennita, The psychiatrist didn't dx him with bi-polar but gave us a prescription for an anti-depressant. I haven't filled it yet but I don't know if I should or not. Any ideas on this?

I understand what you are going through, we took my 8 yr old son off the meds, he was on ritalin and then concerta 18mg. 30 sounds like alot for a 6 yr old. My son cried about every little thing. Took him off and he is his happy self again, love to hear his laughter. I think adderall is our next choice, would love not to have him on anything but he did so poorly in school it was making him upset, he couldn't do what the other kids were doing. Tfs your story, good luck

Thanks Jennita, The psychiatrist didn't dx him with bi-polar but gave us a prescription for an anti-depressant. I haven't filled it yet but I don't know if I should or not. Any ideas on this?

Well, that's refreshing news so maybe the doc knew it was the stimulant and not alleged bi-polar.

Antidepressants aren't as bad as stimulants BUT still, some people can get over-stimulated by them too. Mania is a side effect, now from what I understand most doctors do not blame the mania, if it occurs on an antidepressant, on the mania but rather on a latent bi-polar condition.....supposedly the AD "unmasks" an (unbeknownst to the patient) already present bi-polar condition.

Well, I know people that happened to but upon discontinuing the AD they no longer experienced mania. So it seems to me that logically it was a drug reaction, even if others on AD's may not have manic reaction, we know not everyone has the same reaction to chemicals/foods/drugs so no mystery there.

IMHO, none of the psychiatric drugs are healthy for the brain function and there is no way to know what they are really doing to the brain over time as far as functional damage goes.

Basically, from what I've read, most AD's are adrenaline type drugs. THe most effected chemicals are norepinphrine (noradrenaline) and serotonin (excitatory neuro that is a vasoconstrictor).

THey certainly increase energy in the brain but over time could cause downregulation of receptors which would actually not be good for the brain.

So I don't know if the AD is so great for your son but I guess you will decide that for yourself I can't do that. If you do try it, just be on the lookout for side effects, even the ones considered less frequent.

Heddy, since your son's Adderall was just changed on Monday and he seems a little better on that, here's what I would do. I'd hold off on the antidepressant for a while. I'd give his moods time to level out on the Adderall and THEN evaluate whether or not you really think he needs an antidepressant.

If he's only been weepy since starting Ritalin, I'd have to weigh very heavily in my mind whether he is better off without a stimulant at all rather than giving him a stimulant AND an antidepressant.

I know it's a tough decision for you to make. I feel for you!

I took him to the psychatrist after refusing what I thought was a anti-depressant....he explained that it helped differently than the stimulants.he is off the Adderall all together. So far on this new med he is happy not zombie like and back to his "old self". Its been since this past friday. I like this dr. He is Japanese and does origomi(I can't spell) but anyhoo he makes all the cool things with paper like birds and flowers and the kids are mesmerized by him doing it while he talks to the parents....I liked him right from the start.I'll check out his meds and post it here in case anyone if familar with it....ok its Loxapine 5mg. He started out taking 2.5mg to adjust himself to the med and now he takes 5mg. We go back weekly and check his progress. He has to have the bloodwork done this week. He(the dr) wants to make sure there is no medical reason for his behavior first.He said make sure no physical problem then treat mental. I like him already.....

I took him to the psychatrist after refusing what I thought was a anti-depressant....he explained that it helped differently than the stimulants.he is off the Adderall all together. So far on this new med he is happy not zombie like and back to his "old self". Its been since this past friday. I like this dr. He is Japanese and does origomi(I can't spell) but anyhoo he makes all the cool things with paper like birds and flowers and the kids are mesmerized by him doing it while he talks to the parents....I liked him right from the start.I'll check out his meds and post it here in case anyone if familar with it....ok its Loxapine 5mg. He started out taking 2.5mg to adjust himself to the med and now he takes 5mg. We go back weekly and check his progress. He has to have the bloodwork done this week. He(the dr) wants to make sure there is no medical reason for his behavior first.He said make sure no physical problem then treat mental. I like him already.....

Oh my, I think thats' an antipsychotic, aka a major tranquilizer (downer). I think those scare me even more than stimulants and ADs from what I've read of them!

They are capable of major nervous system damage in some people over time like tardive dyskinesia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and such. I didn't think they used those for ADD but more for bi-polar mania, ODD and schizophrenia. I've heard of it being used also for severe anxiety disorders.

I don't mean to scare you but I'm not sure if this is the best med for him in the long run because of the damage it could cause. At the very least, if I were you, I would not allow the dosage to be upped anymore even if he becomes tolerant to it, because larger doses increase the chances of negative side effects.

Yikes, from the frying pan into the fire.

I guess some people do ok on the lower dosages, though, so don't go totally by what I say. But I would be a bit concerned at any rate. :confused:

yeah the dr said it is used to treat schizophenia....but in a higher doese. Like 300-400mg. He put my son on .5mg. I have to take him in the morning to get blood work done ans make sure there is no medical reason for his behavior then we go from there....I know I'm scared to even give him a vitamin because you can O.D. on them....Its makes me sick to think it could hurt him later in life. But as the dr said if adhd goes untreated it can actually lead to other problems as well.....

yeah the dr said it is used to treat schizophenia....but in a higher doese. Like 300-400mg. He put my son on .5mg. I have to take him in the morning to get blood work done ans make sure there is no medical reason for his behavior then we go from there....I know I'm scared to even give him a vitamin because you can O.D. on them....Its makes me sick to think it could hurt him later in life. But as the dr said if adhd goes untreated it can actually lead to other problems as well.....

ADHD has yet to be proven to be biological so I'm not sure what other problems he means...perhaps he is referring to a rebellious stage/drug use/crime possibility during teenage years but IMHO those are things any kid, ADHD or not, can become tangled into these days but it seems they always assume/blame untreated ADHD or ADD. That's an easy claim with all the problem children there are and of course they manage to scare the bejesus out of the parents when they claim such things and most parents medicate based on fear.

I'm not saying don't medicate but at the same time realize these doctors can be wrong so don't worry so much about what they say. However, if you feel the need to do what they recommend, at least do read up on potential side/adverse effects of the drugs, from all sources (not just mainstream doctors) so you can be savy to anything that may go wrong down the line.

I would say if you must medicate, insist on staying at lower doses. Sometimes tolerance will develop to the drugs, if that happens later, don't buy into the "original problem is worse" excuse they give when they need to up the dosage due to tolerance.

Lower doses will protect your son from higher risk of side effects.

Good luck I do hope things will be ok for your son...

I would say if you must medicate, insist on staying at lower doses. Sometimes tolerance will develop to the drugs, if that happens later, don't buy into the "original problem is worse" excuse they give when they need to up the dosage due to tolerance....


Yeah I fell into that trap with the ritalin and I believe I won't do that again. The psychiatrist we are having my son see is very against Ritalin and those type of meds. He said he does not see they work the best for children and after watching my son on a few of them I agree. But they do help some kids and adults. Just not my boy. Zach has been on the meds 2 weeks and he has really come back to himself...if that makes sense. He is not acting impulsive or screaming or hurting other people....not to mention himself. He may not have adhd but there are some self-control problems. Could be just his personality....who knows but I question every move the drs make with him. I would rather deal with my son yelling,hitting etc. than the bad things long term this med would cause.

Yeah I fell into that trap with the ritalin and I believe I won't do that again. The psychiatrist we are having my son see is very against Ritalin and those type of meds. He said he does not see they work the best for children and after watching my son on a few of them I agree. But they do help some kids and adults. Just not my boy. Zach has been on the meds 2 weeks and he has really come back to himself...if that makes sense. He is not acting impulsive or screaming or hurting other people....not to mention himself. He may not have adhd but there are some self-control problems. Could be just his personality....who knows but I question every move the drs make with him. I would rather deal with my son yelling,hitting etc. than the bad things long term this med would cause.

Wow, where did you find that psychiatrist, on Jupiter? I'm just surprized one would actually admit any fault with these drugs at all...I guess you are lucky to have found one in a million, eh? Or maybe it's because he knows you aren't buying into the miracle drug theory? Even when the drugs "help", they can hurt.

There is a Dr. Peter Breggin and others who insist the drugs effects are actually brain-disabling/damaging, which is what the "theraputic effect" actually is! So there is still alot of controversy out there concerning these meds although mainstream medicine accepts the chemical imbalance theories/drugs as fact and necessary.

At any rate, sounds like you have got things under control, which is how it should be either way, with or without meds. IMO parents should be calling the shots since they see what docs do not in their children.

I'm sure glad to hear your son is better, :angel: perhaps there can be other things done to work on his personality problems down the line.

Thanks....I feel very good every time he leaves his office. He makes sure I'm fully understanding the whole deal. I refused the blood work until he explained why he wanted it done. I think he does relieze I am not one of those parents who says oh ok lets give him this drug....uh what was it called again??? Nope not me. These two boys are my life...my hubby too lol but I gave birth to these boys and would do anything for them. Zach will still see a behavior councilor when he returns to school as well as his speech therapist. I want to build up his weaknesses. Which are behavior and impulsiveness. His dr said he will not be on these meds long term. Where if I had kept him on the ritalin or adderall it would have been long term.But thank you for your help it is greatly appreciated..... :)

hey that is too much ritalin for a young child to take he should of stayed on the dose he was on before and maybe he would have not had all this happen to him.

he was on the increased dose a few days....I took him back to his dr because I knew it wasn't right for him,thats when we tried adderall 10mg....after a week on that he seemed worse so we are now working with a child psychiatrist who has him on a very low dose of loxapin(5mg). My son is no longer a zombie nor is he impulsive. He doesn't lash out at people. He uses his words rather than his fists....which is good because he has a purple sash in Gung Fu. He is much better than before. I feel more confident in this dr than I did with his regular dr who just wanted to try a few different meds.

I am glad that your son is doing better and that the new med is working for him.

heddy
i also agree with above 30mg is far to high for a little boy of 6 my son is 12 and hes only on 45mg

Did they tell you what the symptoms of bi-polar are? I often wonder if my son has more then adhd as well he is like a light switch one minute he is very kind boy who loves (younger)children and then he is hitting things and screaming and kicking etc...Or is he just being a boy?

Heres an update on my son!!!!He is doing so much better!!!! He actually gained all the weight back and is back to his happy self. We'll see how school goes for him but thank god the ritalin/adderall nightmare is behind us!!!! He can sit and play a game without getting frustrated, Its just little things that some people take for granted but now he is headed in the right direction.

Heres an update on my son!!!!He is doing so much better!!!! He actually gained all the weight back and is back to his happy self. We'll see how school goes for him but thank god the ritalin/adderall nightmare is behind us!!!! He can sit and play a game without getting frustrated, Its just little things that some people take for granted but now he is headed in the right direction.

That is wonderful to hear!!! :bouncing:

Please do not think you are on your own, there are a lot of people out there who are going through what you are and have also been there years ago.
My two sons were diagnosed with ADHD but it took doctors 6 years to tell me my youngest had it.
One son had ritalin and the other had a drug called Concerta.
My eldest had Ritalin and after 4 months we took him off it.
My youngest was on Ritalin for 6 weeks and we took him off it straight away he was worse on it.
Anew doctor put him on concerta for a limited time and he got better.
There is no cure but you just hope that they listen and grow out of some of the things that they do.

The pharma. companies love each & everyone of you, me, they hate. I took my son off of all the stuff they put him on & he is doing sooo much better. He now takes fish oil, as one of you suggested, along with a better diet & the best bio-available supplements I can find. (no, I'm not selling anything) Not only was he ADD, he was autistic, you guys need to check out the autism boards at yahoo, there are several, ADD, ADHD, speech delay, are all a part of the autism spectrum disorder. Most of us ( there are hundreds) have helped our kids with nutritional supplements, the side effects of most pychotropic drugs are not known, especially in kids. However, one emerging consistant problem is suicidal ideation. http://www.newsinferno.com/sr/10-02-05-editorial.html
This will give you an idea of where the drugging of our children is headed.

http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html
your doctor won't like this, he gets all kinds of perks from the drug companies based on the # of scripts he writes for them, I know this for a fact (hubby is MD).
Our son was driven to deep paranioa by Ritilan, I started reading, joined the yahoo groups, and our son is much better.(it took 6 months) Don't let the word autism scare you. It is a blanket name for all neuro-development disorders. Better nutrition is the answer. Not mind altering drugs. It may take longer, but your child will be healthier & more emotionally stable in the long run.
Pharma. is working hard, spending billions of $$$ in advertising getting parents used to the idea of drugging our kids, it ensures a whole new generation of sales.
These are your children, these drugs have irrversable life long ramifications. Be very careful. While your in the ER having your childs stomach pumped, your doctor is out golfing with his drug rep. buddies at your expense.

Wow, I have to agree with you. I am very suspicious that most of the "rising" statistics of mental illness are a result of various things like mis-diagnosis and the ever growing amount of behaviors added to the lists in the DSM manual of psychiatric disorders (everything from PMS to nailbiting is in there). Also, not to mention the drug-induced and/or drug reactions that can cause mental and physical problems which can be interpreted as anxiety, depression, etc. For example, if a drug side effect happens to be shortness of breath or increased heartrate, anxiety could result.

But usually, the drug is not blamed but rather the patient might be slapped with an anxiety disorder diagnosis. If mania is a side effect of an antidepressant and you happen to be one of the people who is sensitive to SSRi's and experience a manic episode while on the antidepressant, "latent" bi-polar disorder might be the next diagnosis when all along it was just your sensitivity to the drug, aka drug-induced.

Another problem is most people who have life-situations or childhoods that cause anxiety, depression, even ADD type symptoms might try to find relief/escape in illegal drugs or alcohol, both of which cause brain problems so those people might end up on the legal stuff down the line too, which throws them into the mental illness group when maybe they would have been ok off all drugs after some time.

I do believe alot of the ADD kids these days (not all, there are exceptions) are either mis-diagnoised or perhaps there is an underlying problem not addressed or known. I know it's tough for parents because most kids are not going to stop and examine themselves or their feelings about such things that might cause them to act up or feel anxious. So getting to root cause is not usually possible, and since kids mature at different rates that's also hard to figure.

My nephew has matured greatly in the two years since diagnoised with ADHD, but he did not take meds for long because of the side effects his dad did not like putting up with. He was always a little behind but now seems to be catching up and has even calmed a bit down these last two years. So, was he really ADHD? According to very good doctors (my brother-in-law works in medical field so he had good referrals) their answer was yes, a definate case of chemical imbalance as they put it to my brother-in-law.

I believe in the possibility of true mental illness that is biological, or inborn, not caused by other factors, however, I think it's existance has been lost in the ocean of mis-diagnoised and other-factor-caused- mental illness that reflects today's questionable statistics.

I bet if you separate the drug-caused, life situation caused, emotional caused, health problem caused or inaccurate diagnosis caused mental illness stats from the "natural" inborn caused mental illness, the "true" mental health statics would be quite different....and if those other recognized factors would be referred to addictionologists, nutritionists, physical therapists, psychotherapy, MD's, etc. then psychiatrists who rely mainly on the prescription pad would have to get a second job at McDonalds if that were to happen IMHO. ;)

The pharma. companies love each & everyone of you, me, they hate. I took my son off of all the stuff they put him on & he is doing sooo much better. He now takes fish oil, as one of you suggested, along with a better diet & the best bio-available supplements I can find. (no, I'm not selling anything) Not only was he ADD, he was autistic, you guys need to check out the autism boards at yahoo, there are several, ADD, ADHD, speech delay, are all a part of the autism spectrum disorder. Most of us ( there are hundreds) have helped our kids with nutritional supplements, the side effects of most pychotropic drugs are not known, especially in kids. However, one emerging consistant problem is suicidal ideation. http://www.newsinferno.com/sr/10-02-05-editorial.html
This will give you an idea of where the drugging of our children is headed.

http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html
your doctor won't like this, he gets all kinds of perks from the drug companies based on the # of scripts he writes for them, I know this for a fact (hubby is MD).
Our son was driven to deep paranioa by Ritilan, I started reading, joined the yahoo groups, and our son is much better.(it took 6 months) Don't let the word autism scare you. It is a blanket name for all neuro-development disorders. Better nutrition is the answer. Not mind altering drugs. It may take longer, but your child will be healthier & more emotionally stable in the long run.
Pharma. is working hard, spending billions of $$$ in advertising getting parents used to the idea of drugging our kids, it ensures a whole new generation of sales.
These are your children, these drugs have irrversable life long ramifications. Be very careful. While your in the ER having your childs stomach pumped, your doctor is out golfing with his drug rep. buddies at your expense.

I'm new here...my son was just diagnosed with ADD and I'm doing as much research as I can. His doctor told me that drugs+behavior therapy provide the best results but I'm very anti-drug and am very interested in what you can tell me about diet, supplements, etc.
I'm heading over to check out the links you provided but is there more you can share with me?

Thanks

Im sorry but I feel the need to weigh in here due to many comments by others. Not all kids are the same. My son is 7 and has been on adderall 10mg for a few yrs now and we was still having problems in school. I didnt want to give him more cause I didnt want him in the ZOMBIE mood. After getting theses emails from his teacher saying how he cant sit still and it would take him 45 mins to finish 10 math problems. Always yelling out. This went on for a few months so I changed the adderall from 5 mg twice a day to 10 mg twice a day and nothing changed. The 10 mg helped with him sitting still and the yelling out but not with the work. This year he went from a stright A student to almost making A's and a few F's. Thats not my son at all so I talked to his dr cause I could let this to keep up. After talking to his dr he put him on Ritalin 30 mg. Its been 1 week now and he just got his weekly papers back and its back to all A's. I just got a email from his teacher and this is what she (the one who is with him all day) has to say about him on this new med.

I just wanted to let you know that David has been great the last couple
of days. He seems to be getting his work done quicker and his behavior
is super. I have not noticed him being too tired or drowsy.

So my point here is just cause her child or any others reacts different from a med dont mean its a bad one. It took me 1 yr to find what was right for my son. Once I did we stayed on it even when the dr wanted to change. Only you know how your child deals with each med and knows if its needed or not.

SORRY JUST MY 2 CENTS

Im sorry but I feel the need to weigh in here due to many comments by others. Not all kids are the same. My son is 7 and has been on adderall 10mg for a few yrs now and we was still having problems in school. I didnt want to give him more cause I didnt want him in the ZOMBIE mood. After getting theses emails from his teacher saying how he cant sit still and it would take him 45 mins to finish 10 math problems. Always yelling out. This went on for a few months so I changed the adderall from 5 mg twice a day to 10 mg twice a day and nothing changed. The 10 mg helped with him sitting still and the yelling out but not with the work. This year he went from a stright A student to almost making A's and a few F's. Thats not my son at all so I talked to his dr cause I could let this to keep up. After talking to his dr he put him on Ritalin 30 mg. Its been 1 week now and he just got his weekly papers back and its back to all A's. I just got a email from his teacher and this is what she (the one who is with him all day) has to say about him on this new med.

I just wanted to let you know that David has been great the last couple
of days. He seems to be getting his work done quicker and his behavior
is super. I have not noticed him being too tired or drowsy.

So my point here is just cause her child or any others reacts different from a med dont mean its a bad one. It took me 1 yr to find what was right for my son. Once I did we stayed on it even when the dr wanted to change. Only you know how your child deals with each med and knows if its needed or not.

SORRY JUST MY 2 CENTS


I have to agree with this. I understand the many concerns of medicating children and how the side-effects of medication can be very worrisome for a lot of people! In fact, if I had children, I probably wouldn't put them on ANY form of psychological medication unless it was ABSOLUTELY necessary.

I'm extremely conservative when it comes to taking medication. I am very cautious even when taking daily vitamins! lol So...when my psychiatrist diagnosed me as having a mild form of ADD and prescribed me Ritalin, I was scared to say the least. I've NEVER done illegal drugs, never smoked a ciggarette, and I had NEVER ever taken any "psychoactive" drugs. I was really scared.

My doctor told me to just try 5 mgs, 2 or 3 times a day and see how that goes. Then, if it doesn't really do anything, then try 10mgs 3x a day and try that. But he advised me to NEVER go beyond 20 mgs! I'm actually very surprised that a doctor would prescribe 30mgs for a little child! :eek:

Anyway, after much coaxing, I decided to give the Ritalin a try. I'm a college student, and so my grades were always being affected. Let me tell you, the first week on Ritalin were almost surreal! I was actually getting things DONE! I could read a chapter in about 30 minutes when usually it would take me an hour! I was actually cleaning up my room (lol), and I found it easier to pay attention in class. After a while though, I think the drugs wore off a bit. So, I decided to take 10 mgs 3x a day yesterday. OMG...it worked WONDERS! The Ritalin makes me a little tired and calmer, but I have been getting a lot of work done! No matter what, I won't go beyond 10 mgs 3x a day. I just don't think I need to go any higher anyway. I think the 10 mgs 2 or 3x a day is just fine for me. ;)

So bottom line....I say all of this to say, that you just have to find out what works for YOU or your child. The same drug won't affect everyone the same way. Some people really like certain drugs, while others hate them. Again, you have to use your own personal judgement. For me, Ritalin works fine. I mean, there are minimal side-effects, but the pros WAAY outweigh the cons IMO. So, I'll continue to use it for my classes. I've gotten more out of my readings in just this first week of classes than I probably EVER got my whole semester last year! :eek:

I wanted to say Thank You and add a note that the Ritalin la 30mg is a slow release pill. So the kids only take one and it slowly releases during the day. You are not on a slow release so thats why your taken 2-3 10mgs a day. Good Luck.

I wanted to say Thank You and add a note that the Ritalin la 30mg is a slow release pill. So the kids only take one and it slowly releases during the day. You are not on a slow release so thats why your taken 2-3 10mgs a day. Good Luck.

No problem!

Oh...thanks for that info about the slow-release Ritalin pills. I don't think I've ever heard of that type. I don't know which is better or not, but the type of Ritalin I'm on right now is working very well so far. I'm actually getting things done, and I'm actually comprehending what I READ! :)

Ritalin may not be the answer, but it has surely helped me in just a short week. I feel so competent now. I feel like I can accomplish anything. I even look forward to reading now days! LOL* I didn't realize just how much my ADD symptoms were a crutch in my life. In just a short week I have really seen how my life could change so much just by a minor increase in attention/focus.

I'll continue to take the drugs until I graduate this May, or until I start experiencing some major side-effects. :( Until then, I'll continue to take my medication cautiously, and listen to my body. If something doesn't "seem quite right", then of course I will quit taking the pills. Afterall, I've survived already for about 20 years without them. ;)

30 mg is alot! I have ADD and have been on meds since I have in elementary school and now im about to graduate from collage. I take adderall, which is the same, but used mostly for adults. I know what you mean by "too focused". The drug affects the nervous system, which allows the brain to focus on what important per say. You said your son used to give hugs, and now not so much anymore. This is because ritalin wont allow the body to become over excited. Ask him what he feels like when he takes it. Also, just to give you a heads up, when he becomes older and if he does play sports, rittalin can make you feel as if your heart is pounding VERY hard. I noticed palpations happend to me. I told my mom about this, and about a week later I was down a doseage. My mom later told me that she wanted to know what ritallin felt like. So she took one of my 30 mg pills and said that it was too intense, it actually scared her. I love the lower dose.

Once again this is how its made you, pls yea if your taken 30 mg of the non slow release thats a lot but they are different just like Adderall and Reitalin are two different pills. My son is 7 and plays sports and he says it has no effect on him unlike the Adderall did.