Summer Break From Medications
Do you have a child who is medicated for ADHD? Did you know that some doctors advise an occasional break from their medication? Many parents of children with ADHD are opting to keep their kids off of the medication during summer break. However, this is a matter that must be discussed with your pediatrician or family doctor before commencing. There are are some seriously freaky side effects that can occur if you just stop giving the medication to little Johnny, cold turkey. I learned this the hard way with my own son.
We decided to stop using medication to treat my son’s ADHD symptoms. We are using methods of diet, behavior modification and mineral supplements to keep him focused and calm. So far, it is working well. It isn’t easy, by any means, but it does yield results that are similar to the use of medication. The only thing I regret, is that we did not gradually wean him off. He experienced side effects that were similar to a methamphetamine addict’s withdraw. It scared the hell out of me and he suffered for a few weeks. I was livid that our pediatrician did not tell me that I had to gradually wean.
If you are considering weaning your own child off of any medication, it is vital that you consult with your Take it from me, we learned the hard way.
I read something on Supernanny that linked these meds to heart problems. That’s terrifying. Here is the link:
http://www.supernanny.com/Advice/-/Your-child/-/Development-and-learning/Could-ADHD-drugs-trigger-heart-problems.aspx
That is terrible your doctor didn’t tell you to wean your child. Most meds have to be weaned off, for kids & adults!
That is great you can take off during the summer. I’m glad that diet is working, I heard really good things about that helping.
My brother has adhd & he had many problems with medications.