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.

My son has been different from my other children, all his life. Even as a baby, I would notice that he was difficult to calm, impulsive, hyperactive and very angry. I discussed these matters with the pediatrician, very early in his toddler years. He assured me that it was probably just normal boy characteristics. Being that my oldest was a girl and my youngest was an infant, I had no idea what to expect from a toddler boy. So I dismissed my worries and figured that things would change. They did not.

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