The Importance of ADHD Meds
Posted by admin - 06/06/09 at 01:06 amADHD meds are not miracle drugs that instantly get rid of all ADHD symptoms. There can be side effects or the meds may not work properly. It can take time to find the right levels and types of meds to use to bring about good results. The following are five tips on how to best work with the doctor to get the most from ADHD meds.
Tip #1: Find a Good Doctor
One of the important things is you have to find a doctor who is willing to monitor your child and the meds on a regular basis. It is also important to find a doctor who specializes in treating ADHD or other mental health disorders so that you can make sure that the treatment given is appropriate and that you find the right type of treatment or ADHD meds.
Tip #2: Start with lowest does and adjust as needed.
The prescription of ADHD meds is not based on age or weight. The lowest dose possible and then adjust it up if needed is the best way to start for a good doctor. Doctors will usually allow three to seven days to elapse between adjusting doses and run an adhd test.
The reason for giving the lowest possible dose is that side effects get more common and more severe with increased doses. Plus there is no need to over medicate as this can often lead to a zombie-like state that is one of the top reasons parents top giving their child the medication.
Third thing to do is to use the meds consistently in each day.
There are some parents who give ADHD meds irregularly to their child such as only during the week and then do not give it to them on the weekend. The accurate results will not be gained by this way of dosing.
It used to be common for doctors to recommend parents do this, but new research suggests that not giving the medication consistently can cause the medication to not work as efficiently. It can also lead to problems with getting the child to take the meds or resent going to school because they have to take the meds.
Tip #4: Involve everyone is watching for side effects and other effects of the meds.
Most children are diagnosed with ADHD as a result of combined efforts of people around them such as teachers, doctors and parent. It only makes sense in giving medical treatment as a group effort. The medication effects of the child should be watched by everyone. To improve the chances of ensuring the right meds are found and used, the existence of teachers, doctors and parents on the lookout is very important.
Fifth thing to do is to comprehend the effects of diet on ADHD meds.
What your child eats effects some meds given for ADHD. The effectiveness of medications can be lessened by high fat diets such as Adderall and Ritalin. By drinking acidic or a lot of vitamin C drinks makes Ritalin to not be absorbed into the body properly. You should also watch on any add symptoms with other possible interactions.
