Is your child on ADHD medication? Please tell me your story. Should my son start taking meds, what kind?

My son is 6 1/2 and has had ADHD symptoms since he was 3. He has been to doctors and they all wanted to see if he would "grow out of it" or see how he was in school. Well he had not grown out of it, its only gotten worse. And now that he is in 1st grade, his teacher says "it couldnt get any worse" He is falling behind in school and getting bad grades. He is a very smart and well behaved kid, his teacher agrees, but his problem is disrupting his schooling. We have tried everything that we were suggested and found on the internet: play therapy, behavioral therapy, strict routine and limiting certain food intake. With none of those things working, we are taking him back to a doc and are seriously considering medication.

Do you have a child with ADHD?
What is your childs age?
What medication is s/he on?
Have you noticed any negative side effects?
What is your opinion on medicating my child?

Thank you all in advance for your input!

Do you have a child with ADHD? no i was a child with adhd
What is your childs age? was 13 when diagnosed
What medication is s/he on? dexamphetimines
Have you noticed any negative side effects? sleepless if taken to late in the day + dont always feel like eating
What is your opinion on medicating my child? hes to young but if it affects his school work then defiently.

ADHD medication saved me from leaving high school with no education.

I have been on medication for ADD since 4th grade. But I can tell you as a person that has ADD (it's ADHD with the hyper) that being on medicine really helps. I have been on everything ritalin, concerta, focalin, strattera, adderal...and really it just depends what works best for you or your child.

Well stay away from Ritalin to much risk of heart damage with age. Strattera has a side effect on males that is not amusing..

You need to find a doctor and speak to him/her.

I'm a 17 year old girl. I don't have a child with ADHD, but I have grown up with a younger brother who has ADHD, autism and Asperger's Syndrom. He is now 14 years old, and he started on ritalin when he was about 9 or 10 years old. My parents tried having him medicated when he was younger, but because he was autistic he refused to swallow the pill even when it was crushed into food.

I havn't noticed any negative side effects with my brother. I do know when he is on ritalin though (sometimes he comes off them when its the holidays). He's alot more hyper and attention seeking when he isn't on them. When he is, he's alot better and calmer.

I don't know if your child should go on medication. Maybe talk to your doctor about it and the possible negative side effects. I do wish you the best of luck though...I know it can be very frustrating living with someone with ADHD, regardless on how much you love them.

ADHD is often misdiagnosed, did you go to a medical doctor or a psychologist? Medical doctors are not the place to go for these kinds of problems.
If he is only experiencing these symptoms in a school environment then he is not suffering from ADHD. Most teachers do not like to find appropriate ways to deal with kids that have alot of energy, and boys typically have alot of energy.
A behaivour modification plan should work if stuck to and completed properly in the school setting. I hate medicating with disorders that can be treated in other ways, they are a temporary solution. I would suggest trying different psychologist before putting him on medication.
In the end I'm sure you will come up with the best solution for your son.
Best of Luck.

Edit

If you tell you son that he has ADHD or that he needs medication he will starting acting that way and think he really does have a problem even if he doesn't.

Well, when I was younger I had teachers think I was ADHD because I just moved from a new state and discovered the standards was way higher. So I was failing my classes badly. Then my teacher accused of me being a trouble maker and never staying focused on my work. She even sent me to the school pychologist. My parents placed me under meds and they said I was jumping off the walls and took me off of it because they were pulling their hair out. The next year my parents started to question the school and the doctor because suddenly I was passing my classes and my new teacher loved me.

I think as a parent, I would feel bad putting my daughter on medication. Because she will start thinking something is "wrong with her," but you should always talk to a doctor before you place them under any type of medication.