I may be making the most general statement in the world and I mean not to offend anyone.

I am the mother of a 14 1/2 yr old son who was diagnosed with border line ADD when he was 7. He started meds at age 11. But over the years he has tried ritalin, concerta, ritalin again and now strattera.

Has anyone also ever noticed that many of us (parents & doctors) keep switching medications. The reason is usually because the child is not responding the way we want them to.

I, too, would love it if our son could either be on no meds or at least on one med that works for more than a short period of time. It seems as though each of these meds either last for a short time or maybe our tolerance for our children's behavior only lasts a short time. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

In reading the posts about strattera, I too find that this drug does wonders for ease of personality and stops the wandering around in circles for my son. I also find that it does nothing for his organization and concentration during school hours. Thus, my life with him at home is much better, but the teachers find him to be a problem.

Thanks in advance for any responses on this topic.

I am a 44 adult diagnosed with ADD in childhood. Ritalin did nothing for me back then. I am older now and found that my sleep patterns had a lot to do with how hyper I was during the day and my focus skills suffered. I don't sleep well and haven't slept through a night since I can remember when. I cut out all caffeine products like chocolate, soda pop, sugar, coffee, tea. I recently went on clozepam (one pill before bedtime) and found a big difference in my sleep habits which has impacted me BIG TIME. I think the lack of sleep has a lot to do with the ADD and food products.

BusPeople - I agree. My son is on Strattera and we've noticed improvements at home but the teacher has not noted any improvements at school. This is his first time taking any meds for his ADHD.

Since I've been reading messages on this board the last month, I too, have been amazed at the drug-switching that parents and physicians do. I'm not saying that its right or wrong, just that it has been an eye opener.

Its weird how it seems that the kids' bodies seem to adjust to the medications after awhile, causing the need to increase the dosage or change meds.

I wonder if their bodies are saying, "No, we are supposed to have this brain chemical configuration or pattern". Any externally imposed changes to this brain chemical configuration are eventually rejected or overcome by the body. Just a theory but how else to change the seemingly inevitable increases in dosages and meds.

My son has been on Strattera for about 2 months now & it has done wonders for him. He was previously on Adderall XR & after losing much weight, getting a good nights sleep was almost impossible, he was like a zombie half the time & was burdened with OCD tendancies; all of these problems were corrected with the Strattera. Though we've been very pleased with the Strattera, it isn't a miracle drug. He still has his moments of impulsiveness, tries to get out of doing his homework, and I still get an occasional note or phone call from school. When instances like these arise, we are consistant in how we handle the situation so he knows there will always be consequences & he can learn from his mistakes. He's a good kid that is a bit immature & I don't expect a medication to make it all perfect. I feel the medication is a tool that helps us to guide him. The medication helps him to focus & then he is able to learn from his mistakes. I believe that finding a medication that makes everything "perfect" is unrealistic, kids will be kids & no medication is going to change that.

I feel very lucky to have found a medication that works for us so we can work with our son on a less stressful level. I realize not everyone has the same results or same situations but sometimes think expectations can be unrealistic.

Don't you understand that being immature and impulsive are NORMAL characteristics of being a child? I can't understand anyone thinking it is a disorder or that something is wrong with the child. And children just do not mature at the same rates. Their inherent impulsivity and immaturity is WHY we deny them adult rights!

I know, I hated to be forced to deny my cherished ones anything, but knowing it is assisting them to a successful adulthood helped me hold firm.

Healthy children push the limits against restraints, to test if our convictions and standards are strong and worthwhile. It is tiring and frustrating to parents, but we chose the position, they didn't.
I think a lot of the drugging (not all) has to do with worn out parents.

I could not disagree with you more!!! I am a nurse and the mother of a 9 year old son with ADHD..My son is an awesome kid...He does, however, have an undeniably difficult time staying focussed in school without meds...and I don't mean sitting quietly like a zombie...I mean getting even the most basic education without meds is impossible for him...which makes him feel embarrassed and takes a huge toll on his self-esteem. I was dead set against drugs and tried all kinds of alternatives but they did not work. My son was started on Adderall which has made a huge difference in how he feels about himself...He doesn't feel stupid anymore and that allows him to be more outgoing and comfortable with others...We are starting him on Strattera, because of difficulty sleeping on Adderall but if it does not work, I will switch him back...Do I do these things carelessly, without regard to what is best for him...Absolutely not and I am really so tired of having people pass judgement on those of us that are trying to do the best for our children..not for ourselves. Ask adults who have ADHD what it is like to start on medication...I had a teacher with ADD who described starting on meds in the following way.."It was like someone finally turned the lights on for me...for years I was thought of as being just a daydreamer but in reality, I couldn't keep the numbers on the chalk board from dancing around long enough for me to learn any of the concepts..." When you find a parent who is giving their child Valium to settle them down...then pass judgement...but not on those of us who are treating our kids with the medical treatment of choice for their conditions...

I was dead set against medications up until a year ago for my child. We had never taken anything stronger than Tylenol in our house and never thought we'd ever change that. Then I finally came to the realization that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't magically make his ADD disappear. He is so much happier & well rounded being on Strattera. He actually thanked me a few weeks back for trying a new medicine because he no longer has to shut a door repeatedly & nor feel the need to wash his hands continuously (his poor little hands always being chapped from excessive soap & water). He also knows and understands when he's done something wrong & gets punished for it, in the past I felt like I was addressing a blank wall. The zombie effect I spoke of earlier, was present before taking Adderall but it was magnified on the Adderall.
I would have been very selfish to not have tried medication for my son. It was a rough decision for us but one that we have never regretted, nor has he.