Started Jacob on meds for his ADHD

On Monday, we took Jacob in to his pediatricians office to do a follow up on his appointment in November where he was diagnosed (again) with ADHD. This appointment was to place him on medication to help, as the natural things that we have been doing was not working and he was "regressing" in some of his abilities to focus and his ability to function in his classroom setting.

We have been trying natural ways to help him cope with his ADHD since he was initially diagnosed a year ago. We have tried making sure he was more physically active (we had him in wrestling, and we were making sure he got outside running time when the weather was conducive). We have tried using essential oils (vetiver and cedarwood primarily, as lavender as the opposite effect on him.) We have tried cutting down on his intake of sugars. All of these worked for a while, but then they wouldn't work (it was as if he became used to the tactics). So, we felt that medication was our next step.

Our pediatrician was in complete agreement with us and prescribed a once a day medicine for Jacob to take. After fighting with our insurance, who would not cover the first medicine the doctor wanted to put him on (because apparently they know what is best....), she prescribed one that they would cover. We started him on it on Tuesday morning and OH MY WORD...it has made a HUGE difference in him in a good way!

Whereas before he could not sit still, he was constantly running through the house, talking a mile a minute, flapping his arms, etc., now he is able to focus on what he is talking about. He doesn't run around like a crazy person. His arm movements are lessened. His handwriting is improved. When he writes now, he writes in lines and not all over the place. Best of all, the creative Jacob that we know and love hasn't left. He is still very creative and loving. His teacher emailed me Tuesday afternoon and said that she already saw a difference in Jacob as he was able to focus and get his work done and it was all correct, whereas before he would get 3/10 or lower as he couldn't stay focused!

There are some side effects that we need to look out for--- loss of appetite, depression, weight loss, etc. So far that doesn't seem to be an issue; in fact Jacob has eaten better at dinner time and I am wondering if it is because he is calmer and able to focus. I am cautiously optimistic that this is an answer to our prayers in order to help Jacob to be the best Jacob ever!

I know that this isn't the be-all-end-all medication for him. I understand that as he grows and changes, that we will have to tweak the meds, etc. I have been around enough children with ADHD and have done my research to understand that. But for now, I am just happy for Jacob that maybe this help him finally be the best Jacob he can be and will be another tool to help him in his daily life.