Just Sit Still!

I often find myself telling (and more often thinking) my eight year old to, “sit still”, “settle down”. It’s the worst in the morning before his medicine has a chance to kick in. I want to grab some rope, tie him down and secure his mouth with duct tape.

Last year he was labeled ADHD. He was having problems in school and at home with concentrating, listening, getting along with others. I love the little guy, but it was hard to be around him. Our personalities clashed and it made for some very long and trying days. His siblings would all get short with him very quickly and it was hard for them to want to be around him as well. It’s an awful feeling to know that something is different about your child and that difference is affecting how others see him. I want him to be accepted and liked. I don’t want any of my children to feel rejection, though I know they all will in some way.

We started him on Adderall and behavior therapy shortly after. He did well on it for a while, but would constantly complain of stomach and headaches. We decided to try a different stimulant called Concerta. This one seemed to be a little better. Not as many stomach and head problems, but as time progressed he started displaying more and more aggressive tendencies. This time we took a different route and put him on a non-stimulant called Intuniv. I had read decent things about it online and was eager to try a non-stimulant variety. The effect on him was awful. He would sleep all day. I had read to keep them on it and as their body would get used to it, the side effects would lessen, but after a few months, he was still sleeping all day. I started getting letters and phone calls from his teacher about him sleeping in class and refusing to do work because he was so tired. He was getting B’s and C’s and less from not bringing in his homework.

He is now on Vyvanse. I think it’s a relatively newer medication. He has been on it for about three weeks, but I’ve already seen an improvement. He isn’t sleepy and he is very relaxed when he comes home from school. The second week his teacher emailed me to say how much of an improvement she saw in his attitude and willingness to complete his work. I looked in his folder yesterday to see all of his assignments had A’s! I am very hopeful about this one. I do not like to switch his medication all the time and mess with his mind each time it’s getting used to a new one. I really hope that this one is the right one for him to be able to function socially and academically. I see such a huge difference between his attitude in the morning before he takes it and after school when it is in his system.

Has your child used Vyvanse or any of the other ones I have mentioned? What was their, and your, reaction to it? What other remedies have you tried for your ADHD child?

You Might Enjoy: