Ritalin- Day 1

So this morning I took Daniel for his trip to a psychiatrist, after a few visits to a psychologist and then his primary doctor. All are agreed that just a little touch of medicine might make it a little easier for him and the rest of us. I feel like he's young for it, but Alex had it and I see it in Daniel already.

I've done a lot of research on ADHD and on the medications vs. therapies etc. Right now I'm going a small dose of ritalin twice a day and see how that does. So far we got through the first hurdle which was him swallowing a pill.

I'm a fast thinker. I dropped the pill into his mouth and then shot water (via plastic water bottle) down his throat. He didn't know what hit him.

So far, no stomach aches, headaches nausea, nervousness or decreased appetite.
Thats a good sign. We're going with just one pill thru the weekend and starting with two pills on Monday so he'll have it in his system when school starts and we'll see how it goes.

The pills only last about 4-5 hours, so we may increase it so he'll have some in his system in the evenings, but at this point it's more about getting him through his school day and homework time.

I'm hopeful that this will help him- and the rest of us a bit too. It was easier with Alex because he was the only kid at home most of the time. It's harder now, even though Daniel's ADHD is less severe than Alex's- but 2/3 kids with ADHD in a small apartment is a good reason why mommy takes Xanax.