[bkohl]

Hi, I have a son with ADHD diagnosed several years ago. We chose to stick with special ed during elementary and middle school hoping the condition will wear off but it has persisted and now it is getting in the way of learning in high school. So I have discussed with our pediatrician and he prescribed Aderall for him. We got the lowest (5 mg) short-acting dose. My son also has ulcerative colitis and is on medication for it. I wanted to get some opinions from experienced folk on this forum who have used Aderall to get assurance that there aren't significant side effects that get in the way of normal growth (height and weight).

Thanks in advance!

[chaselikesocks]

I'm not a doctor or anything but i have a lot of experience with adderall and all the other ADHD meds. Yes it will help him in school and appear more calm most likely. For me it did wonders for my school work, (my favorite was the exact medicine he's getting) as opposed to the long lasting that most people take. This is because i hated the drug. It physically made me feel like crap and made my anxiety even worse. That's why i took the instantly release (IR) so i could only take when i really needed it, for tests in such. So just really monitor him and make sure he's not really unhappy on it or anything. I don't know about the other condition he has or about height and weight except for the fact that adderall significantly decreased my appetite, and caused a bunch of other problems with that i'm not going to get into. Keep working on a non drug approach, such as different methods of learning, it's not that he's not smart, he just has a different learning style (:
Hope this helps

[bkohl]

Thanks @chaselikesocks - this is very helpful. I agree with the theme of no drugs as much as possible, but now at cross-roads with high school and college staring in the face. I just know that not treating the focus issue now will take away from him an opportunity to learn. I am concerned however with the significant decrease in appetite, he is already thin and on a restricted diet, and already an anxious kid. So don't want this drug to cause other undesirable side effects - anxiety and lack of appetite. Were there other side effects - would love to get your experience with side effects so I can make a sane decision. Thanks again!!

[LisaLouWho]

My son takes Adderall. We too made the decision to stick with Special Education through middle school. He started 9th grade this year and it was one disaster after another until I finally took the plunge and began medication. I am a holistic believer. We don't medicate for anything. It was a very difficult decision, but his overall well being was in jeopardy. He was getting into trouble constantly. His inability to control his impulses led to two run ins with the law. My son, too, is very thin and I worried endlessly about the appetite reduction that seems to be a common theme with patients on Adderall. He's been on the meds for four months now and everything seems to be fine. His mood has improved greatly and his anxiety is under control. The medication helps him control his impulses and focus on school work. Because of this his grades are improving and he is getting some positive attention. This seems to help with his anxiety because he isn't worried about doing the wrong thing all the time. As far as height and weight, he is 5' 10" and has grown 3/4" just this year. His appetite was reduced in the beginning, but his teenage boy hormones seems to be kicking in now and he eats like normal. He hasn't lost any weight from the drug. I know how difficult it can be to make the decision and my heart is with you. Good luck. This journey is a rocky one.