Does everybody medicate their ADHD child?

sock-knitter

i have twin boys with adhd
when they were younger they tried ritalin, it made them like zombies, and i requested that the drug be stopped.
they had no further medication until they reached 12 years of age, despite their adhd being so severe that they could not manage in a mainstream school, and both were and still are at special schools.
one day a new paed told us about a drug called strattera, and i was doubtful of its affectiveness, but my boys needed something, or they would stand no chance of a normal life.
anyway we gave it a go, they arent cured, but they are able to concentrate on their school work, they still flip, but the tantrums arnt as severe as before, they still have good appetites.
incidentally only one of the twins ever slept all night, mentioning this at the last appointment, he was prescribed melatonin, a natural hormone that most of us makes naturally, now both my boys sleep, which has also helped a little with behaviour

Aliasaila

My daughter takes melatonin to help her sleep (she doesn't sleep at all without it - we put a tent in her room to contain her at night so that we could sleep).

She takes ritalin during the day but this is a recent development and it does help her at school.