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  1. #1
    lmh2402's Avatar
    lmh2402 is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default we're adding Ritalin...what to expect

    DS. too much backstory to try and explain. some may recall his history of quirky, anxious, perseverative, obsessive...etc, etc, etc. long story short, he's a "little bit of a lot of different things" as his therapist says. he doesn't neatly fill any one box. like most people, really. but it's hard to know if his behaviors are driven by anxiety, by his "red flags" of spectrum-like behavior, tho he doesn't officially test on spectrum, or if he's ADHD.

    today psychiatrist said that after much thinking and considering and discussing with psychologist, he wants to add Ritalin to see if we can get some of the excessive...everything...excessive loudness, excessive movement, excessive blurting, etc, etc, under control.

    he's starting him on what he said is a super low dose and we're supposed to up it by half a pill (2.5) every 3/4 days until we get to 10 mg. and this will be twice a day - morning and around lunch.

    psychiatrist said that medicine exits body in four hours and we should be able to tell difference right away once he's taking a dose that is working, and also be able to tell once it's out of his system - behavior deteriorating.

    Is it really like this? sounds almost magical. like how could it not work? but does it sometimes not work?

    looking for BTDT experience.

    thanks!
    mama to my awesome sporty boy (4/09) , precocious little girl (7/12) , and loving doggies (10/05 & 1/14)

  2. #2
    egoldber's Avatar
    egoldber is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Both of my girls take Metadate CD, which is a long acting form of Ritalin.

    For my younger DD, the results are immediate and life-altering. She has severe ADHD and is much better now (almost 10) but when she was younger, she really was not able to function without it. Literally 30 minutes after she took her first pill, DH and I said to each other this is a miracle.

    My older DD did not start taking it until middle school, and I really regret waiting. She sounds more like your son. Impulsive, but not hyper, has a hard time not talking, her mind races, etc. She also take Prozac for her anxiety. For her the effect is more subtle, but since she was older (12), she was able to tell us how she felt when taking it. She describes it as before she had to work really hard all the time to pay attention and stay on task. She also felt like her mind was racing so much she couldn't focus on anything without tremendous effort. The ADHD med helps her with that.
    Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)

  3. #3
    pastrygirl is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    It is like a switch being flipped here, too. Without meds, my son hoots and beeps all day long, and is very impulsive, doing random things that I can't even predict.

    Once the medicine kicks in, he's quiet, focused, and awesome company. I can have real conversations with him. It's magic.

  4. #4
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    I'm hoping for a magical pill. Ds1 (7) gets evaluated on 9/7, and this summer has been beyond difficult. He can't stop moving or talking, constantly antagonizes his siblings, can't follow directions, has zero impulse control, etc. DH is at his breaking point, and I'm very close too.


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    DD (3/06)
    DS1 (7/09)
    DS2 (8/13)

  5. #5
    gatorsmom is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    OP, if you haven't had DS do a complete neuropsych evaluation, I would insist on that.

    As as for the ADHD meds, once we found the best medication for DS, and we managed to control the side effects, it has been working very well for us. It did make a huge difference for us almost immediately, but the side effects needed to be successfully dealt with. His appetite was gone and the meds caused his OCD to increase. When we dealt with that, it was by far the best of the ADHD meds for us. All the others we tried came with far worse side effects that DS just couldn't live with.

    eta- yes, you can absolutely tell when the medicine is taking effect and when it's exited his body. Not only does his behavior regress but he becomes RAVENOUS! DS is taking Concerta which is another form of Ritalin, if I understand correctly.
    Last edited by gatorsmom; 08-21-2016 at 08:02 PM.
    " I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Mahatma Gandhi

    "This is the ultimate weakness of violence: It multiplies evil and violence in the universe. It doesn't solve any problems." Martin Luther King, Jr.

  6. #6
    trcy is offline Ruby level (4000+ posts)
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    No BTDT with Ritalin, but DD was briefly on Focalin which, from my understanding, is the same type. It was awful for DD. She has the impulsive, hyperactive ADHD. She has tried two different stimulants, Focalin and Evekeo; both caused raging temper tantrums and aggression. And then horrible rebound when it was wearing off. We settled on Intuniv, which is a non-stimulant. Hopefully the Ritalin works out, but if not, it will be out if his system pretty quick. Good luck!


    Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains mobile app
    DD 12/10
    DS 10/15

  7. #7
    KpbS's Avatar
    KpbS is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Bumping---lmh how did the Ritalin go for your DS?
    K

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