Help.. How do you do it?
Find a Conversation
| Thu, 03-04-2010 - 5:40pm |
I am losing my mind.. I have three children.. My daughter *the oldest* has ADHD with the hyperactivity/implusive. she is on Ritalin and it works during school but it wears off at home.. and she is bouncing off the walls and on top of that I'm beginning to wonder if my 4 year old has it.. because he is starting to behave very badly.. I don't know what to do.. I just want to crawl into a hole and have some time without the craziness...I am married but my dh is at work until 6 these last two weeks then he's starting a new shift he'll be working 3 to midnight.. so that means It will be all me with 3 kids *the baby is not hard but does require my attention* I just don't know what to do anymore.. I feel like pulling all of my hair out..
ETA: that with my daughter the meds do control here behavior in school but I've still noticed she's not learning much.. I need to talk to the teacher as we just moved to a new school.. but it doesn't even last long enough for her to get home to do homework anymore.. and she is on the max dosage of ritalin she can take in a day.. 20 mg long acting.
Edited 3/4/2010 5:43 pm ET by sweet.dreams.mommy
- Benefits of Playing Outside 2
- ADD/ ADHD 3
- 1 in 10 US Kids Diagnosed with ADHD
- Parent Management Training for ADHD/ODD 1
- Treating ADHD in Preschool Children
- Is ADHD parallel to autism? 3
- March Roll Call 1
- Link between ADHD & obesity/high fat diet 4
- Intro-9 Year Old Daughter Just Prescribed Meds 6
- Strattera? 2
Memeber Support
| Q: | Where can I change my password? |
| A: | Log in, go to Edit My Preferences, and click the Account tab. Make and save your changes. |
Who is treating your dd? Is it a psychiatrist, or a neurologist, or your pediatrician? I ask because most specialists report that Ritalin SR or LA does not work reliably from day to day, or person to person. If it works, fine, but it often doesn't. Some report that it really doesn't last longer than regular Ritalin. The main reason to use it is cost, not effectiveness. This drug was very popular in the past because it was supposed to last longer. But it was often a poor functioning drug, and with the much better choices now, it would be a definite "last choice". If your dd was being treated by a psychiatrist or a neurologist, they would KNOW that. A pediatrician would not, which is why I, and many here, do NOT recommend that you have a pediatrician treat ADD and related psycho/emotional disorders. A skinned knee or a sore throat, sure. Something INSIDE the brain? Not so much.
Also, different drugs control different things. Some are better at controlling behavior, while others are better at controlling concentration. A good psychiatrist will try different drugs, try combos, and find what WORKS. Plus, they will do a definitive workup so they know exactly what is going on, and what they are treating. Your dd may have other, comorbid disorders, on top of her ADD, or she may not even have ADD at all. There are a lot of "lookalike" disorders out there, and it takes a specialist to figure it all out.
Hi, and welcome
What type of Dr does she see?We deal thru meds, therapy, and consitency in our routine. DD's Psychiatrist is wonderful, and helps with anything.
A child may HAVE ADHD, but it is not what they ARE. Never tell a child they ARE ADHD.
How old is she?
Next, I DO think you need to play with the meds. If possible, I'd try Concerta, because it's longer-acting (3 doses instead of 2), and most insurances cover it. If you're paying out-of-pocket, it's pricier, of course, but I'm going to presume you're not. Other options: She can take a "booster" dose of plain ritalin to cover afternoon homework time. That's what we do when the meds have worn off, and it's very, very standard when you're working with meds that don't cover the whole day. That'll get you, with luck, sanity until nearly bedtime. Lastly, 20 mg LA ritalin isn't the top dosage for under 12, because my kid was prescribed more than that before he was 12--as I recollect it, 40 mg LA is the under-12 limit (mine is well over that limit now, but the meds clearly work *well* for him if he has enough, so we roll with it...and he's 12 now!)
If you haven't, I'd read a couple parenting-ADHD-kids books, there's some stuff in those that works well for ADHDers (and non-ADHDers) to take the place of the stuff that pure & simple doesn't work.
Are you getting ANY breaks, EVER? Because...well, your baby might not be a problem, but it's still a BABY, which means it's sucking time & energy from you, no matter how perfect. And you sound SO much like you could use a break. Go out with some friends, leaving kids with DH (surely there's some night he doesn't work during the week?); take a bath & relax; curl up with a good book...whatever YOU like to do. I've had plenty of days where I just want to crawl into a hole--I hope things get better for you, too.
she was seeing her pediatrician.. he's internal medicine and pediatrics.. I'm pretty sure she does have adhd because my dh had it when he was younger.. we just moved to a new area, so I have to get insurance again to find a dr around here.. I've got enough ritalin to last till the end of the month and then it's done. The only reason he would only give her 20 mg is because of her weight.. there are days it seems to work better than others.. the meds seem to only last about 6-7 hrs.
as far as having a break... right now is about the only break I get when everyone is sleeping.. I would LOVE to go out.. but I cannot leave my baby.. with anyone.. I suffer from anxiety and I won't leave him with anyone.. I was like that with the other kids too.. it's really hard for me to even have him out of my site. I think I need to get my daughter more help.. we have an appointment to see about getting assitance for her.. so hopefully that will go
You need to find a Neuropsychologist to evaluate, and a Psychiatrist for meds. An internal medicine dr is fine if
A child may HAVE ADHD, but it is not what they ARE. Never tell a child they ARE ADHD.
the thing is, there is no Hyper/impulsive/innattentive ADHD, it is called Combine Type, and if the proper testing had been done, the Neuropsych would know that. An accurate Diagnosis will include testing for allergies, bloodwork, EKG's, MANY hours of observations and IQ testing
A child may HAVE ADHD, but it is not what they ARE. Never tell a child they ARE ADHD.
The observations testing etc are generally to rule out other things, and to test for Comorbids. A child can have ADHD and Bi polar, or OCD, or ODD, or many many other things. They can also not have ADHD, and have something that mimics the symptoms.
Being smart has nothing to do with ADHD, in fact many ADHD kids are gifted, the reason for the IQ test. It can be done on a 5yo, alot of Dr's won't until age 6 or 7, but it can be done.
A child may HAVE ADHD, but it is not what they ARE. Never tell a child they ARE ADHD.
A child may HAVE ADHD, but it is not what they ARE. Never tell a child they ARE ADHD.