telephus44
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Post by telephus44 on Apr 1, 2013 13:01:52 GMT -5
Intuniv is a extended release form of Tenex. It's a medication used to lower blood pressure, but used off label for ADHD. Tenex has been used off-label this way for almost 40 years.
We started with it because it has the least side effects, and our psychiatrist said that it was probably a better choice given that DS has autism, not just ADHD.
And honestly - sometimes medication has been studied more extensively than restrictive diets and other alternative therapies. Everything has side effects.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 13:15:09 GMT -5
And, to be less than honest implies that there is something to be ashamed of or something wrong. I don't really see the problem with telling a child the truth. I do think there has to be attention paid to how the issue is explained. I've had more than one child explain to me how their actions were justified, or uncontrollable, or not their fault due to their diagnosis. You not want to introduce a victim mentality, if that makes sense. Not that you want to lie, but you want to control the spin of the truth, .... Sometimes it is better to say less, or at least make sure you are using age appropriate and positive terms, as those that have been given many times in this thread...
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Apr 1, 2013 13:23:50 GMT -5
Telephus, we've also used Clonodine on DS, which is also a blood pressure medication so I'm perfectly willing to explore all options. And, everything has a side effect it seems so you just have to go with what you're comfortable with and works for you. Hope you feel less stressed about it with your DS eventually. Oped, I've had DS try to blame his ADHD for his bad behavior. Twice. I let him know real quick that while ADHD may be WHY you act before you think, it does NOT give you an excuse to do so forever and ever. He will just have to work harder at self control than other people but he will learn to and make an effort to because that's what you do. No one will work around him and excuse his bad behavior, he has to learn how to work in the world that exists. So far, it's been something he hasn't tried to argue with. It's a fine line to walk between expecting him to behave as he should and understanding how hard it can be for him.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 13:30:04 GMT -5
And, to be less than honest implies that there is something to be ashamed of or something wrong. I don't really see the problem with telling a child the truth. Great point! Shooby.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Apr 1, 2013 13:58:34 GMT -5
Seems like you should tell a kid about their medical status and treatment options.
As far as HOW to tell them, in a age appropriate manner. Use simple words a 6 year old can understand, answer any questions they have. Hard to say specifically unless we know more details.
Why would the dad be opposed to medication?
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Apr 1, 2013 14:01:34 GMT -5
"Preaching to the choir, sister. But I think she's worried about the stigma attached not just to kids with ADHD but to kids/families/parents who give their kids ADHD medication. She is similar to me in that she would be uncomfortable asking her son to lie to others and knows if she tells him anything, it's likely to be repeated."
Nobody is going to find out unless you tell them. No one in school knew I had ADHD and Asperger's. I never recall having a "stigma" attached to me. As far as I can tell, there was no such thing for my parents either.
The only people who knew were my parents, my doctor, and the school nurse who gave me my medication. That's it. He shouldn't have to lie about having ADHD, he just has to not say anything to anyone who doesn't need to know.
If you want, you can talk to your kid about how some things like medical issues are private.
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milee
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Post by milee on Apr 1, 2013 14:19:13 GMT -5
Why would the dad be opposed to medication? Don't know. I'm not as close to him as I am the mom. Only the mom has been talking to me about this.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 1, 2013 14:25:59 GMT -5
Of course you should explain things in an age appropriate way.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Apr 1, 2013 14:47:41 GMT -5
Where is Steve getting this idea that ADD medication makes one homicidal?
I really don't understand why people are so opposed to medication unless you have allergies. There's so much mis information out there. Add medicine causing people to commit murders sounds like the people that say playing video games makes you mentally unstable and a violent killer.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 1, 2013 14:48:57 GMT -5
Question - how do you not tell a child about medication? Are you going to wrap it up in a peanut butter sandwich and hope he is so hungry he will eat it in one bite without noticing the pill? And then pat him on the head and say "Good Boy" put on his leash and take him for a walk?
At 5 years old, they will know if you are making them swallow a pill. Is this medication something you mix into a drink or something? What if he says he isn't thirsty?
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Apr 1, 2013 14:53:02 GMT -5
"As far as dealing with other parents - this is just one thing you have to stand your ground on. A lot of people think it's being lazy because you don't want to parent - if you were a good parent you'd do all kinds of crazy therapies or just have him on a special diet or just discipline them. You can see it in the responses here already - that you should try everything else first and use medication only as a last resort. You need to make other parents understand that this is your decision - that you weren't pushed into it by the school or by the doctors, that you have made the best decision for your child."
I agree, as I was saying there's a lot of mis information and distrust about ADD and ADD medication. People seem to think you can "fix" ADD with diet, or that it's a result of bad parenting, or with discipline, or that ADD is never an issue and the only people who take it are people pressured by doctors, or all you have to do is some crazy new age therapy, and some people claim ADD doesn't even exist. Regardless, people either seem to be in denial or think there's something sinister about ADD and ADD medication. We seem to be getting comments along those lines on these boards.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 14:53:29 GMT -5
I think the question is do you tell him he is ADHD, or tell him to take his vitamin...
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Apr 1, 2013 14:54:40 GMT -5
Question - how do you not tell a child about medication? Are you going to wrap it up in a peanut butter sandwich and hope he is so hungry he will eat it in one bite without noticing the pill? And then pat him on the head and say "Good Boy" put on his leash and take him for a walk? At 5 years old, they will know if you are making them swallow a pill. Is this medication something you mix into a drink or something? What if he says he isn't thirsty? Well, my parents just gave me ritelin in the mornings before school. Just drank it down with some water. This was a LOOONG time ago and I don't remember the specifics, but I don't recall my parents ever trying to hide it from me. They were open and honest about it from the beginning, which is how it should be.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Apr 1, 2013 14:55:30 GMT -5
I think the question is do you tell him he is ADHD, or tell him to take his vitamin... Why would you lie to your kids about who they are? Honesty is the best policy.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Apr 1, 2013 14:56:19 GMT -5
Question - how do you not tell a child about medication? Are you going to wrap it up in a peanut butter sandwich and hope he is so hungry he will eat it in one bite without noticing the pill? And then pat him on the head and say "Good Boy" put on his leash and take him for a walk? At 5 years old, they will know if you are making them swallow a pill. Is this medication something you mix into a drink or something? What if he says he isn't thirsty? My son takes his meds with them sprinkled onto choc cream cheese sand in the morning. Although sometimes I sprinkle it inbetween the fried egg and cheese in a breakfast sandwich. the newer long acting versions of the ADD drugs are in capsule form. The capsules dissolve inside the person at different rates allowing some to take effect immediately and some in 4 hours and some in 6 type of thing.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 15:02:47 GMT -5
I'm not a great one to ask. While I believe medications can help some people to function more successfully and with more ease in environments/relationships in which which they desire to function, I do have some real issues with how mental issues are diagnosed and treated in this country.
An ADD / ADHD diagnosis can be very subjective. I think there is merit to approaching the issue as a specific objective, ie increasing focus, rather than introducing it as a systemic disorder... Ie. not suggesting there is something inherently 'wrong' with the child...
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Apr 1, 2013 15:05:48 GMT -5
I think the question is do you tell him he is ADHD, or tell him to take his vitamin... I was the one who mentioned vitamins. My son takes a flouride vitamin in the morning along with his Adderall. He which is which though.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Apr 1, 2013 15:13:18 GMT -5
Question - how do you not tell a child about medication? Are you going to wrap it up in a peanut butter sandwich and hope he is so hungry he will eat it in one bite without noticing the pill? And then pat him on the head and say "Good Boy" put on his leash and take him for a walk? At 5 years old, they will know if you are making them swallow a pill. Is this medication something you mix into a drink or something? What if he says he isn't thirsty? Well, my parents just gave me ritelin in the mornings before school. Just drank it down with some water. This was a LOOONG time ago and I don't remember the specifics, but I don't recall my parents ever trying to hide it from me. They were open and honest about it from the beginning, which is how it should be. Any long acting one is going to be in pill form from what I've seen.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 15:29:25 GMT -5
I don't know how you could not tell a kid about the medication they were taking while expecting the kid to tell you whether the medication was working or not.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 15:29:41 GMT -5
Beach bum, I wasn't referencing you. I just thought the question wasn't really hiding the med, but what to say about the diagnosis.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 15:32:05 GMT -5
Crafty, while that is a good point, ultimately ADD is based on observed behavior by others, so it might not be as big of an issue as ou would think..
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Apr 1, 2013 15:33:33 GMT -5
They have to say that, because on the 1/1,000,000,000 chance someone DOES harm someone while taking the drug, without the warnings, that manufacturer would be sued into the next century.
I don't know about the spree killers, but from what I've read any problem comes not from taking the drug, but from stopping taking the drug...
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 1, 2013 15:38:44 GMT -5
I think the question is do you tell him he is ADHD, or tell him to take his vitamin... If he has ADHD, you tell him he has ADHD. If he is taking a vitamin, you tell him he is taking a vitamin. I don't really see the problem.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 15:49:01 GMT -5
I think there can be issues inherent with telling a person they have a psychiatric disorder. I guess I'm the only one ... I'm not for 'lying' necessarily. But I'd be very careful about what truth I chose to focus on...
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 1, 2013 15:53:13 GMT -5
Why? I think that may implying there is some stigma to having a "psychiatric disorder". The stigma will end when we remove it.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 1, 2013 15:56:02 GMT -5
I don't think you have to say "Doc says you are crazy so you need some crazy medication" type thing. But, you certainly can explain an illness to a child.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2013 16:01:21 GMT -5
And I think there should be no stigma because we should stop adopting a deficiency model of labeling children as disordered...
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Apr 1, 2013 16:02:10 GMT -5
I think there can be issues inherent with telling a person they have a psychiatric disorder. I guess I'm the only one ... I'm not for 'lying' necessarily. But I'd be very careful about what truth I chose to focus on... Why would you tell a 6 year old it's a psychiatric disorder? You tell them it helps them with whatever they're having problems with, not that they're crazy. And I beg to differ with the "observed behaviors" thing you said on the last page. The kid can't describe it well and doesn't know how his thinking processes are different but they certainly can be. Or as my mom, who has a raging case of ADHD said to someone this weekend, it's like playing ping pong with 12 balls (in reference to her thought processes and how she tends to follow them all around the house during the day, never finishing any one thing).
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 1, 2013 16:08:35 GMT -5
And I think there should be no stigma because we should stop adopting a deficiency model of labeling children as disordered... Well, what does that mean? My child has asthma so is she "disordered"? I have a son with celiac's. Yeah, we all have stuff to deal with .
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Apr 1, 2013 16:22:09 GMT -5
As far as the spree killers--I'd assume they're on the drugs because they're f*d up, not that the anti-psychotics is what made them messed up.
I'm sure a lot of people who have cancer die while having chemo, and I'd think they'd probably only be on the chemo for cancer. Seems an odd jump to say they died because of chemo...
(ETA: I'm not saying everyone who needs meds is f*d up--psycho killers are a special breed)
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