Life is always changing. Previously, I had written about our experience with medication. I just wanted you to know that we are always watching for changes and reevaluating what is best for each member of our family to see if we could do something differently.
Let's start with me. Over Christmas break, I started noticing changes in my blood pressure, so I decided to stop taking the Adderall until I talked to my doctor who prescribed it. He told me to take a break from it and contact my regular physician to have my concerns evaluated. He also said that Adderall won't necessarily cause high blood pressure, but it could contribute to it since stimulants increase the pulse rate. It has taken some time to adjust to no meds, but I am still able to function. I am more distractable and have trouble transitioning from one thing to another and getting off track. I spend more energy focusing on tasks. One positive is that I am sleeping better.
Son #1 (just calling him #1 since I am discussing him first) was having increased difficulty with behavior in school. Though the first 2 months of school went well, as his comfort level grew with his new classroom and situation, his teacher reported that he was becoming mouthy and having more trouble getting along with the other students. He hadn't been on meds since the summer, so I started him back on them. He was on them a week before I called the doctor. He asked to see Son #1 to reevaluate his general health and examine why I wanted him back on Adderall. The week I put him back on the medicine, his teacher wrote me a note describing his behavior as excellent! She really noticed the difference. I was able to tell the doctor about that, as well.
When he started the med trials back in the spring, the dosage was increased until we were up to 25 mg. I was still seeing the impulsivity and lack of focus. I was discouraged that the doctor wanted him to remain at that dosage through the summer before reevaluating in the fall after he returned to school.
My expectation was that we would continue with the trials as soon as school started up again. The element that had changed was how drastically improved his behavior was at the beginning of the school year. So we made the call to discontinue the meds altogether because we could. But now there seemed to be a need for it. He was on the 25mg dosage for about a month, when we returned to the doctor. The decision was made to try the next stronger dose (which is also the maximum dose). What I noticed was an increase in his self control and a willingness to help out at home and do his homework independently. There was also a significant decrease in his appetite to the point of not eating anything at lunch and dinner. That concerned me.
I was just at the doctor's again for another son and asked the doctor for the lesser dosage. He reminded me that the extreme lack of appetite can be temporary. He encouraged me to try the 30 mg. again and wait a little longer to see if things evened out. He also assured me that if a child loses a lot of weight at the beginning, they generally gain it back as their body gets accustomed to the Adderall. It's such a case by case thing. So, we're still evaluating what will be best for the Son #1
Son #2's situation was that as last semester progressed, he was having more and more trouble completing assignments and handing them in on time. He was having particular trouble with multi-stepped projects. Though he is an "A" student, his grades were affected primarily by the late or missing assignments. Though we considered meds, he really didn't want to start taking them. The result of his getting behind caused him to become irritable most of the time due to stress and feeling like a failure. He wouldn't however allow his parents to help him get organized and refused to do much to help his situation. Finally, after getting a call from his math teacher who was also concerned, I decided to call the assistant principal about my concerns. He was very reassuring that the school wanted to do all they could to help him. We enrolled him in an after-school study hall, much to his dismay. He will need to go to that every week for this quarter. Also the teachers will meet to share ideas as to what is working and what is not in each of his classes. They will come up with a strategy that will help him be successful. All of this is short of starting the 504 process. If needed we will pursue that, but for now he is staying on top of his work.
Daughter #1 doesn't mind me sharing things about her. She will actually be a guest blogger, writing about her journey. I will say that over the past couple of months she has been going through the evaluation process and has been officially diagnosed with ADD. She is an online college student this year and has been struggling with time management and getting through the reading without getting distracted. Though she is an A student, it takes her an inordinate amount of time to complete assignments, not because it's too difficult, but because she can't keep her mind focused as she completes the reading, discussion boards and papers. She is hoping medication will help her. If her mother can ever remember to call the doctor, she is anxious to start med trials to see if that helps her with her schoolwork.
I am so thankful for the support we have in making these decisions. I hope me sharing our family's experiences helps yours as you evaluate the needs of your children in your own family ADDventures!
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