Re: concerta question

[Guest guest]

That happened with out son, too. But he started getting mad during the day, too. Then,,,,,,to counter the anger/frustration, the doc rx'd Risperdal.

It helped.

Since we yanked him out of school, I pulled him off of it all, though.

He's still "active"......but much of his issues were situational. It was school.

Good Luck.

From: kellypywtorak <kellypywtorak@...>Subject: ( ) concerta question Date: Saturday, February 14, 2009, 4:07 PM

Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask here...y'all are a lot more helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm sure. Problem is, as it is wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over silly stuff.... If we increase the dose, is this likely to get worse? Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little something to do with it. She is an extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just doesn't eat at school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal with that on our own.Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

Hi! My

8 yr. old granddaughter (whom we’re raising) with ADHD and AS diagnosed tried

Concerta, but it didn’t last as long as

advertised..

The doctor eventually decided to change her to Vyvanse. It’s the same situation—wears

off sooner than expected. For us,

the answer seems to be to give it to her when she awakens and then again at

school at the end of lunch recess.

That way, the second dose has kicked in by the time she gets home and we

can get through all the homework a bit easier (and without grouchiness.) Now, she is also taking a bit of Abilify in the early evening—we are seeing if that

gets her through to beditime. (She also takes Clonidine at the same

time as the Abilify—otherwise she would never

sleep—she was up all night before Clonidine. Seems successful.

Good luck!

( )

concerta question

Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask

here...y'all are a lot more

helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm sure.

Problem is, as it is

wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over silly

stuff.... If we

increase the dose, is this likely to get worse?

Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little something to do

with it. She is an

extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just doesn't eat

at

school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal with that on our

own.

Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

Hi! When my son who is now in 7th grade was first dx as ADHD in 3rd grade...the dr. put him on Concerta. I thought it helped....but ....he didn't eat and lost weight. The doctor didn't like that so he switched him to Adderall. This helps a lot. His friends can tell when he hasn't taken his medicine...so that shows it is working if they notice the difference. He eats with Adderall. I never saw the bad mood coming off of it. But, now at 13 he is growing and changing ...the teen scene...and the mood swings are definitly there. My son is angry alot and wants his way all the time. We also have him on a small dose of prozac for depression. We tried Risperdal for anger but he was putting on too much weight and i didn't see much of a difference.

I hope this helps.....

Jan

Janice Rushen

"I will try to be open to all avenues of wisdom and hope"

From: kellypywtorak <kellypywtorak>Subject: ( ) concerta question Date: Saturday, February 14, 2009, 4:07 PM

Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask here...y'all are a lot more helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm sure. Problem is, as it is wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over silly stuff.... If we increase the dose, is this likely to get worse? Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little something to do with it. She is an extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just doesn't eat at school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal with that on our own.Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

Hi

Our 6 yr old ds was also on concerta for almost one month but we had to take him off it as his mood swings got worse and worse. He was flying off the handle at the slightest of things. His anxiety levels increased too and he was anxious most of the time.We then tried 10mg stratter which seems to suit him better, hardly no anxiety at all but he has been more obbsesional about certain things. Anyway this probably doesn't help you but i just thought i would share my experience of concerta with you. Good luck. keep us posted.

Estelle

From: kellypywtorak <kellypywtorak>Subject: ( ) concerta question Date: Saturday, February 14, 2009, 4:07 PM

Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask here...y'all are a lot more helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm sure. Problem is, as it is wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over silly stuff.... If we increase the dose, is this likely to get worse? Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little something to do with it. She is an extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just doesn't eat at school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal with that on our own.Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

I don't know if the increase will make it worse. Our son was on

Concerta for years, starting with 18mg and eventually going up to

72mg. At age 12 he started getting very emotional every afternoon when

the Concerta started wearing off. We kept lowering the dose of

Concerta, but he still got upset when the Concerta wore off. When he

stopped taking Concerta at age 13 during the summer, his usual

afternoon emotion upset completely went away. He is not taking

Concerta now.

>

> Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask

here...y'all are a lot more

> helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm

sure. Problem is, as it is

> wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over

silly stuff.... If we

> increase the dose, is this likely to get worse?

[Guest guest]

Concerta is time release ritalin. My DS, 18, is not able to take

ritalin or concerta, he had such horrible mood swings when the

medicine would wear off. It is now about 10 years ago that I had to

tell the Dr that I would no longer give him that medication. He was

like Dr Jeckl & Mr Hyde everyday at 5 pm. It was painful to watch but

also very difficult to live with especially as a single parent. He

has been on Adderall since with out the medication induced mood

swings and temper tantrams.

>

> Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask

here...y'all are a lot more

> helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm

sure. Problem is, as it is

> wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over

silly stuff.... If we

> increase the dose, is this likely to get worse?

>

> Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little

something to do with it. She is an

> extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just

doesn't eat at

> school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal

with that on our own.

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have a 19 yr old son that has been on 54mg of concerta for several yrs and he does terrific on it. He takes it for severe ADHD. He was originally on Adderall and the mood swings were violent. I also have a 16 yr old that has been on Concerta and he did not like the way it made him feel. He felt like he had no appetite or no personality. He has recently switched to Vyvanse and seems to be doing better. It is really crazy how the same meds can affect kids so differently. My experience is it takes a while to get it right and then something like hormones takes affect and it seems to start all over again! Good Luck!

From: zaztooe <melindaj@...>Subject: ( ) Re: concerta question Date: Sunday, February 15, 2009, 8:59 PMConcerta is time release ritalin. My DS, 18, is not able to take ritalin or concerta, he had such horrible mood swings when the medicine would wear off. It is now about 10 years ago that I had to tell the Dr that I would no longer give him that medication. He was like Dr Jeckl & Mr Hyde everyday at 5 pm. It was painful to watch but also very difficult to live with especially as a single parent. He has been on Adderall since with out the medication induced mood swings and temper tantrams.

>

> Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask

here...y'all are a lot more > helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm sure. Problem is, as it is > wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over silly stuff.... If we > increase the dose, is this likely to get worse? > > Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little something to do with it. She is an > extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just doesn't eat at > school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal with that on our own.

> > Thanks in advance,

>

>

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

My DS was on Concerta for a few years , adderall , ritalin , and a

few others here and there .. the Doc , that finally diagnosed him with

Asp has put him on Tegrital for the mood swings , and informed me that

they are doing studies that are showing that the ritalin based drugs

are causing adolescent bi-polar ... just a little FYI

[Guest guest]

My son has been on Concerta for several years. He has had to have

dosage changes many times. It does not necessarily work that a

higher dose will cause more of the emotional symptoms. Sometimes it

works the opposite. I think you should try the increased dose if

that is what your DR wants to do and see what happens. You can

always change to a different med later. Concerta is not a medicine

that has to build up in the system so you really can stop or start

anytime. Worst case senerio is that you try the increase and the

tantrums are worse so you stop the next day. Don't be afraid to try

different changes. We have had to try many different doses and

combinations to find what works best. And since he is growing things

change all the time. Talk to your Dr about what is happening and

work through the problem.

Vickie

>

> Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask

here...y'all are a lot more

> helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm

sure. Problem is, as it is

> wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over

silly stuff.... If we

> increase the dose, is this likely to get worse?

>

> Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little

something to do with it. She is an

> extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just

doesn't eat at

> school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal

with that on our own.

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Suzanne,

Wow that bipolar information is interesting. My son was put on

Adderall, concerta, Vyvance, Straterra. None of them made any

improvement in his focus or behavior. He became very moody and

withdrawn on them. I was told the drugs don't work for all kids. He was

tried oh these different meds from age 8 - 13. I am still having no

luck getting the right help for him. The doctors all seem to want to

treat the ADD and not look at the Asperger's aspect. Very frustrating.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your input. We tried Straterra first. My DD said she thought that

the Straterra was

working, but at the 2 week point she developed a rash so we had to quit it. She

also said it

really hurt her stomach and she hardly ate anything. She also felt cold all the

time. It's so

odd how differently these meds affect people.

>

> Hi

>  

> Our 6 yr old ds was also on concerta for almost one month but we had to take

him off it as

his mood swings got worse and worse. He was flying off the handle at the

slightest

of things. His anxiety levels increased too and he was anxious most of the

time.We then

tried 10mg stratter which seems to suit him better, hardly no anxiety at

all but he has been

more obbsesional about certain things. Anyway this probably doesn't help you but

i just

thought i would share my experience of concerta with you. Good luck. keep us

posted.

>

>

> Estelle

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info. Scary! I wonder if it's triggering bi-polar in someone who would have eventually had it anyway?My sister-in-law is suspected of having an undiagnosed mental illness, possibly bi-polar disorder. I will bring this up with the doc.>> My DS was on Concerta for a few years , adderall , ritalin , and a > few others here and there .. the Doc , that finally diagnosed him with > Asp has put him on Tegrital for the mood swings , and informed me that > they are doing studies that are showing that the ritalin based drugs > are causing adolescent bi-polar ... just a little FYI>

[Guest guest]

Hmmmm, I replied but then it didn't show up. I'm having problems with my Mac web browser so now I'll use firefox instead.It's amazing how school can cause so many problems for these types of kids. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to be able to homeschool my kids. It's great that you were able to take him off the meds when he left public school. My daughter is unusual in that she is actually very good in school and gets good grades, although teachers admit that she is inattentive and wiggly. She did get in trouble for bullying at the time that we were going through the diagnosis process though. Impulsive actions are starting to be more obvious. At home she has been the holy terror on and off for a couple of years now. A lot of it was feeling the social and academic pressures at school, but acting out on those frustrations at home. Thanks for your input. I know it's common to add extra meds, but I sure am hoping to avoid that.>> That happened with out son, too. But he started getting mad during the day, too. > Then,,,,,,to counter the anger/frustration, the doc rx'd Risperdal.> It helped.> Since we yanked him out of school, I pulled him off of it all, though.> He's still "active"......but much of his issues were situational. It was school.> Good Luck.

[Guest guest]

Hi .

Is there a way you can let her know ahead of time, tonight perhaps, that as of tomorrow, to make it a better day for her, that when she gets in after school, 1 hour of time is hers....to do whatever she needs. TV, computer, whatever. A time to calm or whatever.

(I don't know if you do this already).

Anyway,,,,,a friend of ours also had a kid on adhd meds and at the end of the day when there was "wearing off", they let them have a Coke. The caffiene helped the transition.

I've heard it's helped quite a few.

Don't know if any of this will help. I sure hope it does.

It's horrible for us, as parents. It must be pure torture, what our kids feel to react so terribly, ya know?

Hugs.

Robin

From: kellypywtorak <kellypywtorak@...>Subject: Re: ( ) concerta question Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 2:31 PM

Hmmmm, I replied but then it didn't show up. I'm having problems with my Mac web browser so now I'll use firefox instead.It's amazing how school can cause so many problems for these types of kids. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to be able to homeschool my kids. It's great that you were able to take him off the meds when he left public school. My daughter is unusual in that she is actually very good in school and gets good grades, although teachers admit that she is inattentive and wiggly. She did get in trouble for bullying at the time that we were going through the diagnosis process though. Impulsive actions are starting to be more obvious. At home she has been the holy terror on and off for a couple of years now. A lot of it was feeling the social and academic pressures at school, but acting out on those frustrations at

home. Thanks for your input. I know it's common to add extra meds, but I sure am hoping to avoid that.>> That happened with out son, too. But he started getting mad during the day, too. > Then,,,,,,to counter the anger/frustration, the doc rx'd Risperdal.> It helped.> Since we yanked him out of school, I pulled him off of it all, though.> He's still "active".... ..but much of his issues were situational. It was school.> Good Luck.

[Guest guest]

Thanks, we're due for a doctor's appt soon.> >> > Hi all, can't seem to get an answer on the ADHD board so I'll ask > here...y'all are a lot more > > helpful. 10 y.o. DD is on concerta 18 mg and needs an increase I'm > sure. Problem is, as it is > > wearing off in the evening she is having some rotten tantrums over > silly stuff.... If we > > increase the dose, is this likely to get worse? > > > > Not eating all day and being famished probably has a little > something to do with it. She is an > > extremely picky eater and since the med dulls her appetite she just > doesn't eat at > > school/daycare. But we're trying to find creative ways to deal > with that on our own.> > > > Thanks in advance,> > > >>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Robin. Good idea with the coke. She will definitely go for that idea. On afternoons when I'm off work, she does get some down time, but she has to get to the homework before meds wear off completely.On the afternoons that she goes to daycare (T/Th/F) I think we are seeing more of a problem. She likes daycare a lot, but I think it might be overstimulating. They do really fun stuff like art, cooking and wii time, and she chooses not to participate in the optional homework club (to my dislike!), so I know it's not really the daycares fault. She just might need more downtime than the average kid. I'm jotting down the dates that she has outbursts on the calendar from now on to track it. I might have to rearrange my work schedule so she can get home from daycare earlier. I'm also trying to teach her to HALT--stop the behavior and think--am I hungry, angry, lonely, tired? So far it's not working very well, but I'll keep trying. > >> > That happened with out son, too. But he started getting mad during the day, too. > > Then,,,,,,to counter the anger/frustration, the doc rx'd Risperdal.> > It helped.> > Since we yanked him out of school, I pulled him off of it all, though.> > He's still "active".... ..but much of his issues were situational. It was school.> > Good Luck.>

[Guest guest]

And maybe see about her getting less homework, as long as she's getting the idea?

For some, the idea of being in school all day and holding it together as much as possible and then,,,,,having to come home and do more.......well,,,,,it's too much. Understandably.

Good luck.Robin

From: kellypywtorak <kellypywtorak@...>Subject: Re: ( ) concerta question Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 5:00 PM

Thanks, Robin. Good idea with the coke. She will definitely go for that idea. On afternoons when I'm off work, she does get some down time, but she has to get to the homework before meds wear off completely.On the afternoons that she goes to daycare (T/Th/F) I think we are seeing more of a problem. She likes daycare a lot, but I think it might be overstimulating. They do really fun stuff like art, cooking and wii time, and she chooses not to participate in the optional homework club (to my dislike!), so I know it's not really the daycares fault. She just might need more downtime than the average kid. I'm jotting down the dates that she has outbursts on the calendar from now on to track it. I might have to rearrange my work schedule so she can get home from daycare earlier. I'm also trying to teach her to HALT--stop the behavior and

think--am I hungry, angry, lonely, tired? So far it's not working very well, but I'll keep trying. > >> > That happened with out son, too. But he started getting mad during the day, too. > > Then,,,,,,to counter the anger/frustration, the doc rx'd Risperdal.> > It helped.> > Since we yanked him out of school, I pulled him off of it all, though.> > He's still

"active".... ..but much of his issues were situational. It was school.> > Good Luck.>

[Guest guest]

It is frustrating ,, I finally stopped with taking him to the peds ,

and went to a local mental health hosp group ,, at the time just to get

meds prescribed for him cheaper , but ended up with a phsycologist

who's son is an Aspie , and she pegged my DS withen 2 visits ,, and

after further talking we have completely weaned him off of the ADD

drugs and he is on just the tegrital and I seem to have my son back

YAY , albiet a flaky moody teenager but that bright eyed boy is showing

up again, well every now and then LOL ...

>

> Suzanne,

> Wow that bipolar information is interesting. My son was put on

> Adderall, concerta, Vyvance, Straterra. None of them made any

> improvement in his focus or behavior. He became very moody and

> withdrawn on them. I was told the drugs don't work for all kids. He

was

> tried oh these different meds from age 8 - 13. I am still having no

> luck getting the right help for him. The doctors all seem to want to

> treat the ADD and not look at the Asperger's aspect. Very frustrating.

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but having caffeine that late in the day can cause problems falling asleep and staying asleep. Also, it's really not a good idea to give kids sodas on a daily basis in the first place. They are full of sugar and empty calories. There has to be a better way. Sorry Robin

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: and/or Robin Lemke <jrisjs@...> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 4:16:22 PMSubject: Re: ( ) concerta question

Hi .

Is there a way you can let her know ahead of time, tonight perhaps, that as of tomorrow, to make it a better day for her, that when she gets in after school, 1 hour of time is hers....to do whatever she needs. TV, computer, whatever. A time to calm or whatever.

(I don't know if you do this already).

Anyway,,,,,a friend of ours also had a kid on adhd meds and at the end of the day when there was "wearing off", they let them have a Coke. The caffiene helped the transition.

I've heard it's helped quite a few.

Don't know if any of this will help. I sure hope it does.

It's horrible for us, as parents. It must be pure torture, what our kids feel to react so terribly, ya know?

Hugs.

Robin

From: kellypywtorak <kellypywtorak>Subject: Re: ( ) concerta question Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 2:31 PM

Hmmmm, I replied but then it didn't show up. I'm having problems with my Mac web browser so now I'll use firefox instead.It's amazing how school can cause so many problems for these types of kids. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to be able to homeschool my kids. It's great that you were able to take him off the meds when he left public school. My daughter is unusual in that she is actually very good in school and gets good grades, although teachers admit that she is inattentive and wiggly. She did get in trouble for bullying at the time that we were going through the diagnosis process though. Impulsive actions are starting to be more obvious. At home she has been the holy terror on and off for a couple of years now. A lot of it was feeling the social and academic pressures at school, but acting out on those frustrations at

home. Thanks for your input. I know it's common to add extra meds, but I sure am hoping to avoid that.>> That happened with out son, too. But he started getting mad during the day, too. > Then,,,,,,to counter the anger/frustration, the doc rx'd Risperdal.> It helped.> Since we yanked him out of school, I pulled him off of it all, though.> He's still "active".... ..but much of his issues were situational. It was school.> Good Luck.

[Guest guest]

>

> Sorry to be a wet blanket, but having caffeine that late in the day

can cause�problems falling asleep and staying asleep.�

Actually, it is well known that caffeine has the opposite effect on

many ADHD people that it does on " normal " people, e.g. it calms them

rather than wakes them up. Doctors actually " prescribe " it in some

cases. You may not know that unless you have been around ADHD families.

Ruth

[Guest guest]

My son is on meds for ADHD (Daytrana patch), but I haven't noticed that difference in him? I wouldn't want to give my kid a soda every night anyway because they aren't good for you. Maybe tea would work too if a child isn't affected by the caffeine? I've just read about how many kids on here have sleep problems and it would seem giving soda at night would just exacerbate the problem, at least for some. My son doesn't have sleep problems.

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: r_woman2 <me2ruth@...> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:20:45 AMSubject: Re: ( ) concerta question

>> Sorry to be a wet blanket, but having caffeine that late in the daycan cause�problems falling asleep and staying asleep.� Actually, it is well known that caffeine has the opposite effect onmany ADHD people that it does on "normal" people, e.g. it calms themrather than wakes them up. Doctors actually "prescribe" it in somecases. You may not know that unless you have been around ADHD families.Ruth

[Guest guest]

Adhd meds are, basically, "accelerators" for our kids' brains. They, if given to "typical" kids/people, would speed them up even more, as soda can, with "typical" kids. To kids with real hyperactivity/attention issues, the "accelerators" in the meds works in the opposite way. They calm them.

That's why they're worth so much on the open market. They're like speed to the ones that don't need it.

That's why some will let their kids have coffeee, tea, soda.

No, it's not good for you, but if it helps them calm, just like meds, we do it, right?

From: MacAllister <smacalli@...>Subject: Re: ( ) concerta question Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 9:45 AM

My son is on meds for ADHD (Daytrana patch), but I haven't noticed that difference in him? I wouldn't want to give my kid a soda every night anyway because they aren't good for you. Maybe tea would work too if a child isn't affected by the caffeine? I've just read about how many kids on here have sleep problems and it would seem giving soda at night would just exacerbate the problem, at least for some. My son doesn't have sleep problems.

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: r_woman2 <me2ruth (DOT) com> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:20:45 AMSubject: Re: ( ) concerta question

>> Sorry to be a wet blanket, but having caffeine that late in the daycan cause�problems falling asleep and staying asleep.� Actually, it is well known that caffeine has the opposite effect onmany ADHD people that it does on "normal" people, e.g. it calms themrather than wakes them up. Doctors actually "prescribe" it in somecases. You may not know that unless you have been around ADHD families.Ruth

[Guest guest]

I would try other things like back rubs, massages, etc... before I'd let my kid have a soda every day. There are other ways to calm kids besides meds and soda. My son responds very well to rubbing of his arms and shoulders, massages, and even tracing a line on the palm of his hands. Someone else has to do this to him (doesn't seem to have the same effect if he does it to himself) but it dramatically calms him when he's wound up. Honestly, if he could have someone follow him around at school and do that to him during classes when he's having a hard time focusing, he probably wouldn't need to be on his ADHD meds. This all started when he was three and got about a month of occupational therapy. She showed us this brush to use on his arms and legs and other things to do to help his body relax. It's slowly evolved to shoulder rubbing/squeezing, massages, and the hand thing.

Even squeezing his calf muscles slowly off and on helps a lot. Just not practical in a school environment, but works nicely at home. This is how Dylan learned to sit in church quietly! My mom would be on one side and my dad on the other, working him over. At the end, he could even tell you what the sermon was about .

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: and/or Robin Lemke <jrisjs@...> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:58:29 AMSubject: Re: ( ) concerta question

Adhd meds are, basically, "accelerators" for our kids' brains. They, if given to "typical" kids/people, would speed them up even more, as soda can, with "typical" kids. To kids with real hyperactivity/ attention issues, the "accelerators" in the meds works in the opposite way. They calm them.

That's why they're worth so much on the open market. They're like speed to the ones that don't need it.

That's why some will let their kids have coffeee, tea, soda.

No, it's not good for you, but if it helps them calm, just like meds, we do it, right?

From: MacAllister <smacalli (DOT) com>Subject: Re: ( ) concerta question Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 9:45 AM

My son is on meds for ADHD (Daytrana patch), but I haven't noticed that difference in him? I wouldn't want to give my kid a soda every night anyway because they aren't good for you. Maybe tea would work too if a child isn't affected by the caffeine? I've just read about how many kids on here have sleep problems and it would seem giving soda at night would just exacerbate the problem, at least for some. My son doesn't have sleep problems.

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: r_woman2 <me2ruth (DOT) com> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:20:45 AMSubject: Re: ( ) concerta question

>> Sorry to be a wet blanket, but having caffeine that late in the daycan cause�problems falling asleep and staying asleep.� Actually, it is well known that caffeine has the opposite effect onmany ADHD people that it does on "normal" people, e.g. it calms themrather than wakes them up. Doctors actually "prescribe" it in somecases. You may not know that unless you have been around ADHD families.Ruth

[Guest guest]

>

> That's why some will let their kids have coffeee, tea, soda.�

> No, it's not good for you, but if it helps them calm, just like

meds, we do it, right?

The way I've actually heard of people using caffeine per doctors order

is a little coffee in the morning. For some ADHD kids, it can help

with mood and focus. I think this is mainly for kids who are fairly

mild. It is an alternative to the harder prescription ADHD meds, if

it works for your kid. As far as health goes, the prescription ADHD

meds you give your kids are much more intense on the body than

caffeine. Like everything, you have to weigh the pros and cons.

Ruth

[Guest guest]

Oh man,,,,,,Ian too!!! If I (and it would have to be me) could have followed him around, too, and rubbed his back,,,,squeezed his neck......it would have helped a lot. Some kind of pressure. Not really touch,,,,ya know?

You're right....can't really do that in a school setting, sadly.....

I think of that a lot. I think we all do.There has GOT to be another way of getting into them what their brains/body's need without the meds/sodo, whatever.......

For us,,,and it hasn't worked completely,,,but it's getting him out of school.

Therapy. For us, it just seemed pointless. Maybe we didn't have the right guy. My son just didn't want someone else trying to get him to say/do what he was prodded to say/do all day long. It was torture.

For others, it's diet. We've done quite a bit, and though I can't put a finger on anything specific, I totally believe that at least, we're all healthier for it. Go for no dye's, if possible. GFCG if have a choice. Stop fast food as much as poss. Man,,,there's tons we could do.

We started probiotics, too. Thanks to hearing it on this site years ago. he he.

Ugh.....I'm tired thinking about all the stuff that's out there. he he.

From: MacAllister <smacalli (DOT) com>Subject: Re: ( ) concerta question Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 9:45 AM

My son is on meds for ADHD (Daytrana patch), but I haven't noticed that difference in him? I wouldn't want to give my kid a soda every night anyway because they aren't good for you. Maybe tea would work too if a child isn't affected by the caffeine? I've just read about how many kids on here have sleep problems and it would seem giving soda at night would just exacerbate the problem, at least for some. My son doesn't have sleep problems.

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: r_woman2 <me2ruth (DOT) com> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:20:45 AMSubject: Re: ( ) concerta question

>> Sorry to be a wet blanket, but having caffeine that late in the daycan cause�problems falling asleep and staying asleep.� Actually, it is well known that caffeine has the opposite effect onmany ADHD people that it does on "normal" people, e.g. it calms themrather than wakes them up. Doctors actually "prescribe" it in somecases. You may not know that unless you have been around ADHD families.Ruth