My son had ADHD. He was diagnosed when he was in second grade. He was eight at the time. In a couple of weeks, he will be fifteen. In the past seven years, I have had many, many conversations with his doctor (and family members) about the medication he is on. At first, I was completely against Ritalin. We tried several other medications, and the side effects were horrible. On one medication, my son lost 10 pounds in two months. Back then, he didn't have that weight to lose. It was a new medication that hadn't been out long, and I wanted to try it first because it was supposed to be non-stimulating. I don't think it is available anymore.
That is one of my biggest fears with new medications. Sure, they are tested before they become available, but the long term side effects are not known. We have all seen those ads on television by lawyers looking for people to join their lawsuits against drug companies. Heck, there are even Depuy Lawsuits for people who had a defective hip implanted.
We ended up putting my son on Ritalin, and it was the best, and hardest, decision I have ever made. He still takes it daily, and probably will take some dosage of it for the rest of his life. I finally had to realize that I needed to do what was best for him, and not let my pre-conceived notions of Ritalin stand in the way. Thankfully, Ryan has an awesome doctor who understood my hesitation, and who was willing to go the extra mile for my son.
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