Do you let your child who takes any kind of ADHD medication, have a break from it? Say, takes it Monday - Friday? Not on the weekends or non school time, like Spring Break, Summer, etc... and how do they do? My son takes Vyvanse, and I had let him skip a day on the weekends but found he would be very crybabyish the next day once he took it again. Do you supplement along with the medication? Like I was told the "B" Vitamins??? Thank you!
HIs doctor said it would be okay if he took a break from it - so that's what we did - for the summer. Back on schedule /routine this week before school starts.
No b/c she is a whole different kid.. we forgot a pill while on vacation and she was out of sort fighting w/ sister gradma everyone... I amk thankful the meds help so much.
Hi,
This is a great question, often asked. If your child is taking ADHD medication and it is helpful during school for attention and concentration, as well as social interactions, then it would seems appropriate for all times. After all, we wouldn't want to make it more difficult for any child to attend to family or friends or stay on task during summer fun times. However, if the medicine is not working properly or has side effects that are a concern, summer is a great time to work with the doctor to adjust medication. My best to you.
My neighbor's daugher is on ADHD medds and they take breaks from it form time to time. This summer they have a lot beacuse she does not gain wieght while on the meds so they have kept her off of it for most of the summer to help up her wieght gain. Needless to say it has been a little bit of a struggle and she gets to the point where she pushes everyones buttons. One of those give and take moments, good luck, and I hope this helped:)
My son is on a stimulant for adhd and we give it only on school days when focus is essential. The rest of the time we just pull our hair out & love him for who he is right now!
B vitamins do not work. Neither does omega 3 supplements.
I tried to take a break from meds for the summer , a month in and nothing I did helped. She was completely out of control.
I think if your ADHD child does not have it very bad it might work. For us it did not.
sometimes it's good to give a little vacation on the meds so the tolerance builds slower and won't have to adjust the dosage as fast. i haven't been able to do that, though. neither does my nephew...he is just too out of the world when he isn't on it. i guess it just depends on how bad the symptoms are...
For me, personally, NO. We have ran out on occasion and it is not a pretty sight. My son has severe behavioral problems. Vyvanse did NOTHING for him. He currently takes Concerta but I NEVER choose to not give it to him.
What was the main reason behind your question? Will it be better for him? or something completely different? The only reason I would stop my son's meds is if he had severe side effects. 1 time he was on Adderall and he just would not eat anything. We stopped it and tried something else.
Good luck on what ever you decide
M. F
Dear A.,
Most ADHD medications work by building up in the system to a therapudic level that is then maintained. When you "take a break" you are dropping that level then raising it again, causing dips and spikes. The result not only affects moods and behavior, but it affects the way a child actually feels and perceives things. Many people make the mistake of thinking that on the second or third day when they give the medication again and the child is crabby or acting out, it's because of the medication. The child feels the drop from the missed medication on the second or third day (sometimes even a few days out), and it takes until the second or third day back on to level out again. If you are giving "breaks" on a regular basis your child's body, focus and emotions are on a constant roller coaster and you are doing more harm than good. Please talk to your doctor about this. Also talk to your doctor about extra vitamins as some can have an effect with the medications.
I take care of my two kids and my fiancees two younger brothers who are ages 13 and 11. well the 11 year old has ADHD, and is taking a prescription called Concerta...We give him the medicine everyday while he is in school, except for sundays.When given this medication, it really does help, but it also has its side effects aswell, for example, he sometimes get these really bad migrains, he is never sleepy, and most importantly, he barely eats, which i think causes him to be really skinny, but never cry babyish, i guess every medicine has its differant side effects. Now off the medication, he will eat the whole house out (lol). It seems he makes up for all the time that he wasnt eating while on concerta....Now they are on summer vacation, and we actually dont give him the medication because we like for him to put on some weight over the summer. Its a pain in the butt, because he is really really active and loud, and always, always moving around or doing something. I found it works best if i give him something to do like play on the computer or hand held games, or things of that sort, as long as he is entertained, we are all happy. Maybe u should have a talk with his doctor and maybe try another type of medicine. Hope this helped...
I try very hard not to skip my sons addreall because I am worried of what it may do to his system when it is trying to get back in thier. I am not sure if skipping is wise. Maybe talk to his doc and see what he says. It may be harmless. Add/adhd as you know is a neuorological chemical imbalance so I personally believe that is why we have med and depriving the body of it is not helping your son! SORRY IF THAT SOUNDS HARSH!
Every child is unique - some develop dependencies and addictions to medications and some don't, so some kids can skip meds and you hardly notice while others have major reactions or withdrawals - in either case it's a sign that you can be looking for alternative therapy approaches, as the medications don't treat what is actually causing ADHD symptoms, it just temporarily suppresses the symptoms. Supplements like B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, green superfoods, etc., can be used in combo with or instead of medications. Even those don't necessarily treat the deeper causes of ADHD symptoms, as psychological stresses and emotional factors foster imbalances related to ADD/ADHD. Lack of sleep and exercise can also be issues to address. I suggest you investigate the subject and become much more knowlegdeable than the child's doctor since it's your job to ensure your child's well-being, while your doctor just does what doctors get paid to do (assign labels and prescribe drugs).
My friends never altered the medication schedule at all except for in the summer when there was no school. That way, they had time to tell how lower dosages, etc would affect him while still having time to get him back on schedule if need be before school started.
His medication was different, but I know that their doctor told them never to just skip a day here or a day there because there's no way of knowing if they're just having a bad day or if it's from not having the medication.
ADHD kids can be up and down enough as it is so they were told to be really vigilent about not forgetting and not skipping.
Dad didn't like his son being on medication at all, even though he progressed by leaps and bounds taking it, so with their doctor's permission, they did try a couple of summers to cut back and see how it would go. It didn't go so well.
But, on that note, they ultimately did have a successful summer and he did so well they tried school and he did just fine. He no longer takes the medication at all.
That was years after a lot working with him though on focusing and concentrating on one thing at a time be it a school project or raking up grass in the backyard, putting his clothes in the hamper. (That kid could have dirty, smelly socks in his hand and then put them on because he forgot what he was supposed to be doing with them between his room and the bathroom).
I would certainly talk to the pediatrician about the proper ways and times to try a "break" from the medication. That's just my opinion based on what I've seen in a child I've known since he was a baby.
Best wishes.
I think it varies from child to child, family to family. My daughter is on Vyvanse also, and we took her off it for the summer. Yes, she can be a bit hard to deal with, but I think it's good to let her system have a break from it. She takes other meds for allergies/asthma, so one less med to take is heavenly to her.
To be honest, I'm not sure about the vitamins. We don't have our daughter on any, other than Flinstones gummies, and she does fine. Something like that really should be discussed with your child's doctor.
I know ADHD isn't easy to live with, so good luck!! ls
Oh my goodness- please go to WestonAPrice.net and find the proper diet for your son before his life is ruined. Behaviour problems have to do with inadequate nutrition- which covers so much of what passes for "food"- your son IS NOT VYVANSE lacking. This just covers up the nutrtional problem he has.Fix the underlying problem and his behaviour will handle.
Another excellent resource is Fiengold- this doctor saw the problem coming and starts with simple steps- no food dyes, no preservatives, get rid of what one of my collegues calls"white trash"- that is to say no white flour products, no sugar- none. Agri- Business is peddling nutrient missing fake"food" product and then big pharm sells you drugs to cover up the symptoms of malnutrintion. You will have to be very aggressive to pull your son out of this- and I have seen moms do this. The 2 references above are amazing in what they can do to help you- they have support groups.
best, k
