Me too.

I see this thread has come back up after a lull!
Update: My 10 year old ended up having a pretty good year at school. Some of the things her teacher and I did to help her included making sure she had a set daily routine with advance notice of any change in the schedule; putting a checklist on her desk for what she needed to have each morning (pencils, homework, books from bookbag, etc); checking her planner daily - her teacher checked it when she wrote her assignments, and I checked it at home daily; the school counselor helped her with organizational skills there and I helped her organize stuff at home. We started taking a short walk after school (before homework) just to clear her head - that has been great because it gives her a chance to wind down and me a chance to touch base with my 10 year old!

Now my middle child is exhibiting tons of symptoms at school. We just found out that she scored very high on her aptitude and acheivement scores and is eligible to attend what they call the HAG (Highly Academically Gifted) program. She will be working two grade levels ahead of her grade (going into 3rd grade doing 5th grade work). We are debating on moving her into this program. I'm wondering if the curriculum is very challenging it will be enough to keep her attention or not. I'm struggling with putting her into a program that is academically challenging in hopes of keeping her interested vs. worrying that I'll be putting too much on her with her great ability to zone out and thus miss some very important things! Any thoughts from the pro's who have been through it all before?

As for Adult ADD, I have looked into that as well. Back in the early 70's, my pediatrician told my mom I was "Borderline Hyperactive". Who knows, that may have been the term for ADD back then. Mom also said that I did not sleep for the first six years of my life - lol! I have taken the various self tests that are available out there, looked at the DSM-IV, and am sure that I am ADD too. I have not had either myself or my daughters formally diagnosed yet, but am moving in that direction. I do not like the label for the reason that many people automatically have a reaction that people with ADD are just stupid, lazy, and lack willpower, or that it is not a real disorder.

As far as meds go - despite the abuse of parents using ADD and ritalin as a discipline measure, not every parent goes out and gets an ADD/ADHD diagnosis and sticks the kid on meds to control behavior. For myself and my children, I am of the opinion that meds should be used as a last resort. I am going to try other alternatives first. If that does not work though, then I will certainly look at medication. Reading your posts on here is very helpful and I know who I'll be pm'ing if we get to that point :) !

I've read a great deal about ADD over the past year (Kathleen Nadaeu is awesome), and am amazed at the misconceptions and myths about this disorder, especially when it comes to girls. Sure, everyone is lazy, inattentive, disorganized and forgetful at times. It becomes ADD when this happens on a daily or almost daily basis - losing keys or important papers; going to the grocery store for a particular item and getting home with $50.00 worth of groceries yet lacking the orginal item you went for; starting everyday with a plan to get organized and then just feeling completely overwhelmed with all the paper and stuff; starting 10 projects at once and never really completing any of them; having your checkbook off balance because you forgot to write an item in your register (thank God for overdraft protection) or forgetting to pay an important bill; calling 411 for a phone number and forgetting it before you get a chance to dial it, blurting something out without really thinking about the reaction or appropriateness of the statement... Everyone may do this at times, but people with ADD experience this far more than the average person.

A few of the positive things I've learned about ADD are:
That when we REALLY like doing something, we can do it for hours and days straight - it is called hyperfocusing
Curiousity - we want to know how things work
Spontaneity - you never know what a person with ADD/ADHD will say or do next!
Creativity - We tend to think outside the box!

It's not all bad!

*Raises hand*

I have ADD. Textbook case, apparently, in several textbooks. Currently on Ritalin 10 mg. It's helping. A LOT.

For your daughter in the third grade that they are talking about giving her 5th grade work--I would really reccommend doing that. I was in a program for Gifted and Talented, and one day a week, we would go to another school and work on "harder" things. This is probably when I learned the most out of all of elementary school. If she's sitting in third grade, knowing a majority of what is covered, she is going to zone out everything. Often, when things are challenging, it is easier to focus on them. I don't know. This is how I have always been. Until the school started putting me in advanced/AP classes, my grades were not very good, but once I was challenged, I did really well. I saw this with my older brother as well--he is a genius, but failed his senior year of high school and had to go to summer school because the work being done was below what he was capable of, so he didn't do it. Just my 2 cents.

Me too!! Also, the more interested I am the easier to focus-- that is the same for everyone I am sure-- but more true for ADHD individuals I believe-- it is part of the hyperfocus that AXO_Mom mentioned.

I struggled through school until my sophomore year in college-- I had average grades in grade school, HS, and my freshman year in college-- but once I got into the classes for my major-- I never got below a B in any of my major related classes!! In graduate school I never got below an A!!

The school issue is one example my psychologist used in my diagnosis-- along with others-- but that example really helped me with the constant struggle I have always had in understanding why I did poorer in school when I was younger than I did in college and graduate school. My family, teachers, and I always just blamed it on laziness, procrastination, poor study habits, and lack of trying!!

*bump*

So, I started on 10mg of Adderall, then went up to 15. I just got a new prescription for 20, which I'll start taking this weekend.

I still can't get over how wonderful I feel -- I am SO productive at work.

I got my prescription bumped to 30mg last week from the 20mg I had been taking for about a year. It's the best feeling in the world to finally be able to have a clear head and actually be able to get stuff DONE! :D

My doctor put me on a new drug (basic extended relase Ritalin.) I had to stop it because it was making me SOO anxious. I have anxiety problems, but when I took the Adderall I got over the anxiety feeling once my body adjusted to the dose. I am disappointed because I saw a definite improvement in my ability to concentrate and get things done.

Hopefully my doctor and I can work with another medicine. I have noticed a HUGE difference when I take it. I hate saying that. One of my favorite professors has ADD and dyslexia. He has helped with non-medical ways to conquer the ADD. I just which I could do like him, and not need medicine.

Could you go back on the Adderall and take that instead of Ritalin? I've never tried Ritalin, but I know a guy who used to take it and he had a horrible time with it. He's fine on Adderall.

I took Adderall before. I had some problems with my anxiety at first, but then I was fine. With the ritalin, we started me on it so I could get used to it before classes started. I don't see my doctor for another couple of weeks. I will talk to him then about my options.

The ritalin jitters were so bad, I was taking Xanax to calm them down. But I noticed a DEFINITE improvement.

I was moved from 5mg to 10mg of Adderal two weeks ago!! I was on vacation for the first week so I just started taking the 10mgs a week ago-- I hate starting out new medicine (well this one isnt new but it is a higher dose)!! The jitters are back-- but just like with the 5mgs I know they will disappear!! I hate these jitters-- I ramble all the time, I am irritable, and cannot stay in my seat for the life of me!! But once I am used to it-- I will be sooooooo happy!! I love being able to concentrate too!!!!

Have any of you tried alternative treatments? Honestly, I think these meds are of the devil and only take it once or twice a week.

I tried high doses of flaxseed oil, it REALLY helped, but made me REALLY nauseous!

I'm almost positve that sugar and simple carbs like white bread make my condition much worse. I don't care that experts say it's been disproven.

Better Living Through Drugs, Yea!:confused: :(

At this point, I am so happy with the Adderall I have no desire to try anything else. I don't love the idea of being medicated, but I can't even explain how much it helps. The only side effect I have is dry mouth, so I just drink more water, which is something I should be doing anyway.

I agree with you 100%!! Even about the dry mouth thing!! I will stick with my adderall-- I am fine with it and my psychologist feels it is best for me!! If he felt I could go without it-- he would tell me!! He suggests I work through my anxiety without medication (I have generalized anxiety disorder)-- but since the ADHD is newly diagnosed he feels I need something to get it under control after 27 years!! :)