Thank you for a great summary of steps to take with finding the right medication. What really struck me about it is how it highlights the need for parents (or adult ADHD'ers) to take personal responsibility for a scientific approach to their own care.
ADHD is so complex one can't realistically expect a medical professional, who you have such a small amount of time with, to be able to know and consider all the factors impacting YOUR situation.
And BRAVO! to the idea of keeping a log. It just does not work to go on memory as to what life/behavior were like before and after a change. What I see is how easy it is to forget the bad stuff that may have been happening. I think we naturally put the bad stuff out of our minds so may not appreciate more subtle changes for the better. With a log you have a much more objective comparison of then and now.
Thanks Pamb!
So true...it does feel like we are doing our own scientific study here. You are so right that quite often the doctors do not have time to tell you every nuance to the process of medication treatment. You really have to make the best of the time you do actually see the doctor. I found that in addition to the doctor...the pharmacist can also be of assistance in telling you more about the medications and how to best dispense them.
Also true that we tend to remember only certain things and forget the rest...in my experience I am more prone to remember the negatives than the positives and possibly more quick to say something is not working. It has kept my sanity to write it all down and also have the reports of the other people working with my son so we can see how things are going in different environments.
I really appreciate your comment! I hope you stay tuned as I continue to write about our journey. I could have never gleaned all of this from any books...it is something one must experience firsthand.
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I think it is important to note what changes take place, not only what the child, or adult, is doing, but what they're not doing anymore.
It's curious how medicine changes us, so often we notice nothing from drugs we try and then take the right, or wrong one, and they have a profound effect, or very subtle changes, and then two days later the effect can simply disappear or cause totally different reactions. It's easy to get discouraged, or miss some small changes.
These lessons are all so good.
What a long, arduous tale of trial and error, consultation, close observation and never giving up. Thanks for putting this all together, it has to help parents who will be facing this same thing.
A side story.
When I was small, not being able to swallow a pill then, my mother would crush the pills between two tablespoons and mix the ground pills with a little water on the spoon. That was some crappy tasting stuff. Why didn't she think of a good tasting drink to put it in! Where was the internet when I needed it? :)
I am wondering what type of data sheet you used.
What a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
Hey Paul!
Good to see you. Yes indeed it is a long and sometimes difficult process considering that it may take weeks or in some cases months (gulp!) to see how a medication will ultimately affect your child. Along the way some adjustments may also be necessary.
To keep my sanity I do need to record my son's behaviors so that I do make wise decisions and record the good and the bad...as far as side effects or changes in behavior as well as conditions.
Thank you so much for your comment...I hope you will continue to read about our journey.
Hello... A Mother
I am using two types of data sheets. One is a simple daily log for all persons who are with my child to record any behaviors they see...good and bad...and to generally discuss any conditions of the day.
The other data sheet is more specific. I made a grid divided into mainly four hour time periods such as 8 am to noon, noon to four, four to 8, and after 8 until bed. Here I list behaviors and possible side effects such as: Sleepiness, hyperactivity, Aggression and so forth. If we see the behavior we check it off during that time period. We also record when the medication is given. So here we can look for patterns as in...do we see symptoms more in the morning or afternoon or evening? Is there any pattern to seeing more symptoms when the meds wear off?
You can also see over time if any side effects decrease.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you need any help with setting up your own data sheet.