ADHD 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.
First Tip: Get Your Child a Good Doctor
You need to find a doctor who is willing to monitor the medication and your child on a regular basis. You may need to find a doctor who specializes in treating ADHD or other mental health disorders so you can ensure that the treatment given is appropriate and that you find the right type of treatment or ADHD meds.
Second Tip: Begin with lowest does and adjust as needed
The doses of ADHD meds are prescribed without basis of age and weight. The usage of the lowest dose possible and the adjustment as needed are the things that a good doctor will do to start a medical treatment. 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.
The new research suggests that not giving the medication consistently, which it used to be common for doctors to recommend parents do this, can cause the medication to not work as efficiently. It can also cause problems to the child become displeased going to school because they have to take the meds.
Fourth thing to do is to ask everyone to get involved in watching for side effects of the meds.
Because of combined efforts of teachers, doctors and parent, most children are diagnosed with ADHD. To medicate as a group effort is the only thing that makes sense. Everybody should watch the effects of medication. The participation of teachers, doctors and parents in taking care of the child can greatly improve the chances of ensuring the right meds are found and used.
Fifth Tip: Recognize the effects of diet on ADHD meds.
Some meds given for ADHD can be greatly affected by what your child eats. High fat diets can lessen the effectiveness of medications like Adderall or Ritalin. Drinking acidic drinks or drinks with a lot of Vitamin C can cause Ritalin to not be absorbed into the body properly. You should also watch on any add symptoms with other possible interactions.
Tags: adhd, adhd medications, adhd meds