Boys and Girls Respond Differently to Ritalin
Previous studies have not found a difference in response to methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate CD) based on sex. However, a new study of 136 boys and 48 girls aged 6 to 12 did find different responses. Girls are more likely to have inattentive type of ADHD, compared to boys, and are more likely to have co-existing anxiety.
The children were randomized to receive Concerta (a 12-hour preparation), Metadate CD (an 8-hour preparation), or placebo. Girls responded significantly better to both Metadate CD and Concerta than the boys 1 ½ hours after dosing, but their response declined more rapidly than the boys from 6 to 12 hours after dosing. By 12 hours after dosing, boys had a much better response to both drugs.
Because of the steeper decline in response to medications toward the end of the day, girls being treated for ADHD might need special attention at the end of the day, e.g. more structure, supervision, or additional medication.
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The children were randomized to receive Concerta (a 12-hour preparation), Metadate CD (an 8-hour preparation), or placebo. Girls responded significantly better to both Metadate CD and Concerta than the boys 1 ½ hours after dosing, but their response declined more rapidly than the boys from 6 to 12 hours after dosing. By 12 hours after dosing, boys had a much better response to both drugs.
Because of the steeper decline in response to medications toward the end of the day, girls being treated for ADHD might need special attention at the end of the day, e.g. more structure, supervision, or additional medication.
Related Topics:
- Tips to Reduce the Side Effects of ADHD Medications
- Choosing the Right ADHD Medication for Your Child
25 Comments:
It is no such desorder the boys and girls are rush into develop to soon and are not able to comunicate so they become violent and not intresting in any think in special school at home are violent and do not have any intest. The mistake parents do make have the kids on medication and the result is even wors. From my experiance with my son I recomand priv. schools small classrooms and discipline at home and school. Have your kids tested to see if they are in the wright grade. My son wos 1 1/2 levels bellow due to not learning phonics he was memorazing after 2nd grade he coudnt memoraze all the word so the problems started.
My two sons have ADD/ADHD. They have both taken Adderall for 8 years with excellent results. They are teens now and neither one smokes or has ever shown any interest in alcohol or drugs. They don't stay out late or hang out for long periods with friends. Each has gone through short periods where they did not want to take their meds. Every single time, their grades plummeted. Their grades improved immediately when they started taking their meds again. They also fight much less when they get their meds on the weekend. Both are tall, so the growth-stunting argument turned out to be false too.
ADD/ADHD have been accepted diagnoses for many years and were established as such by doctors with education and experience that far outstrips that of any ignorant naysayer. ADD/ADHD brains have been proven by MRIs to be different than normal in that they have low blood flow to the front of the brain. Blaming the problem on poor parenting is mean-spirited and based on nothing but media hype. The damage it does to families is anyone's guess and it keeps sweet, little kids with a problem they can't help from getting the medication they need to be a success. ADD/ADHD, untreated, is known to cause low self-esteem and THAT will definitely cause delinquency and rebellion.
Some parenting techniques do indeed help sufferers cope a little better and may be all that is needed for mild cases. But just because they work doesn't mean that the disorder doesn't exist. That is simply illogical.
If your child is having trouble focusing, or if he/she gets worse grades than you know he/she is capable of, please give them the help they need and look into ADD/ADHD. It can bring out the genius that you know is there.
Are you serious? In order to help your kids learn, YOU need to learn how to spell & put sentences together. As always, education first begins at home.
Hey anonymous. I had no problem with spelling or reading as a kid and neither did my seriously ADHD son. That doesn't mean he was limited in other ways by the disorder. One of the most severe limitations was teacher bias -- he was a boy and he was hyperactive. It was two strikes right out of the box before they ever got to know him.
But more importantly, the difference between his ability to reason, think and actually LEARN improved vastly when he was medicated. Without meds, he couldn't put his mind to the simplest of problems, couldn't remember what he'd just read, couldn't remember a simple sequence of instructions, and was frustrated trying to carry them out.
With meds, things changed drastically, including his behavior, outlook, grades and future.
Don't lay it all on the parents. ADHD is a real disorder with biological roots.
My son takes Adderall XR and he recently started playing sports. Does anyone have any information on how this will affect his playing ball?
are you people for real, i agree with the person who said-you need to learn how to put sentences together-learn how to spell-it's the parents fault with the childs up-bringing-not the school or doctors-STOP doing drugs while your pregnant,START paying attention to your child-a little discipline and a spanking every now and then would NOT hurt them, didn't hurt me....when parents don't care, this is what you get,i am so sick of you parents who have un-disciplined,belligerent kids-get with it---it starts in the womb, then continues at HOME.........AND , YES SOME KIDS ARE HYPER---DEAL WITH IT.........
I couldn't help but notice while reading these readers' comments how everyone thinks they are the experts on ADD/ADHD. I am by no means an expert, but after I gained custody of my six year old granddaughter, it was quickly pointed out to me that she was having problems learning in school because of poor focus and lack of extended concentration spans. While in the process of trying to help her and get to know her better, the school and her teacher took it upon themselves to get her an appointment with a child behavior center and was placed on an initial low dosage of Adderall XR. She showed almost immediate improvement in her school work, but not long after that she began to exhibit signs of extreme mood swings, anger, and even some violent behavior at home. It seemed as if it had come down to a trade-off between school work and home life. Now, four years later, and after seeing her lose her appetite and become severely underweight from the side effects of the amphetamines, I have switched her medication to Focalin. Her appetite returned, she gained weight and her physical health improved greatly, however, as the school work becomes more difficult, she has more difficulty learning, although she does put forth great effort to try. I have never been one to give up, but I often wonder if we are all expected to grow up to be rocket scientists, college graduates, or whatever. I am a college graduate myself, but I believe that some people have and some people just simply do not. She has above average IQ, but for some reason she still has some problems that interfere with her ability to learn. I believe that any child with these problems may need a different approach to learning than those without. I will never give up on trying to help her, but after seeing numerous "experts" on these matters, with no better results than the first, I would just love to see her be a happy child and enjoy her childhood and maybe grow out of it.
My youngest son is ADHD and has been since kindergarten. He has been on several different meds since then. He is currently on Ritalin 50mg per day. It works well but his grades are terrible. He brings his homework home and I help him with it but it actually seems like he hasn't learned very much at all to be in 8th grade. His handwriting looks like that of a 4th grader. His comprehension is minimal and I feel like I can't help him. I'm not a teacher so where do I go from here?
I am a 30-year old female and have been diagnosed with ADD. Medication has done wonders for me. I was never able to study in school, and got a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics without doing so. Now, I can study things I'm interested in.
Before diagnosis, I felt that my mind had too many thoughts/ideas. I never finished anything, because I couldn't decide which though/idea to act on. Now, I think of something to do and just do it!
I was paralyzed by my excess thoughts before Adderall.
I agree with both anonymous people who say education begins at home.Yes,some people do have ADHD/ADD,but it has become such a label.Look at the first anonymous comment. How can you expect to help your child learn when you can't even spell or put sentences together?
Is there a medication available that only has to be taken once per month?
Me and my husband adopted my niece.who parents where on "crack",my niece is ADHD without her Focalin she is uncontrollable. She can't go to school if she doesn't have it. She is a bright 7 year old.
I have ADD/ADHD and I also have two nephews that have it. I see alot of myself in them, and wish that I had been diagnosed with it while I was still in school. My mom once said, "After working with Tyler, I now realize that you had ADD/ADHD." My reply was, "Had, I still have it." My grades would have been SOOOOOOOO much better if I had help, via medicine or just understanding, or the combination of the two. We have a responsibility to our children to get them the best education we can, and if that means getting every child tested for ADD/ADHD then so be it. When I was in school, it was very uncommon that ADHD was diagnosed, and when it was the child was labeled as a trouble maker automatically. I have two boys, neither of which have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, thankfully, but if they ever are, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll give them the support that they need to see their way through it. And for the very first post on this topic. You have NO IDEA what you are talking about. You obviously do not have a child with this disorder, or you would not have said any of that.
my son has been on methylphenidate for 16 weeks know its the 5mg. it doesn't seem to effect him at all i have trouble with him going to school and keeping his hand and feet to himself. he is very smart in school but he get so mad at someone over the smallest thing then he hits them. he doesn't like to listen to his mother at all he just won't listen. i am scared for him that he is really going to hurt someone so bad they would go to the hospital, he don't seem to understand that his not supposed to hit anyone he is only 6 years old
sorry about the comment above it has nothing to do with this post. but i need some advise on what to do now
I got my son evaluated,which I feel is very imporant. we are currently trying different meds it is tough to find the right one.It is so important as a parent we do all we can to help our kids be a productive piece of society.
Anonymous - You have a wopper of a story. There is no brain scan or MRI that can diagnose ADD/ADHD. If it really was a "disease" of the brain than only a neurologist could see it. A neurologist if you don't know specializes in the brain function, make-up, and everything about it. Also there are NO blood test either to determine ADD/ADHD. This wasn't considered a "disease" until 1987 when a GROUP of Psychologists VOTED to introduce it to the DSM which is the Diagnostic Statistical Manual. So ADD/ADHD just miraculously appeared? Hmmm...strange. All Ritalin is, is legalized Meth. YES METH. And I can't believe people allow regular MD's to prescribe this to their children. If you are really considered about their brain, go see a neurologist, and they'll set you straight.
u make no sense megan
Anonymous: Do some research before drugging your children.
People who are not in the situation of struggling with add/adhd should'nt comment on something they know nothing about nor have to struggle and or deal with!!!!!!!!!!!
Two of my children were diagnosed with ADHD while in elementary school. The diagnosis was just the beginning of many interesting events to come. I am very thankful that there is medication out there. God gives people the knowledge needed to help those in need. A lot of people have many ideas of their own on how to handle a "hyper/disruptive child". Some children with ADHD could be beat to death and would not help them to communicate or understand or behave better because they cannot think clearly. Having ADHD is like leaving a box of crayons in the sun and they begin to melt creating one huge mess. The medicine protects the crayons from melting and therefore you have individual colors that can be used. I, for one, do not just "drug" my children. We have tried without meds and with meds. Both children attend a small private school with less than 13 in their class. We minimize activities, tv and game time, along with telephone time. All of this helps with the medicine. I know that I am a good mother who loves her children very much. I have gotten them the help that they needed in order to help them with school and their daily lives. Treatment is up to the parent but a good parent will sometimes have to step out of the box to do what is right for their children. Good luck to all and lots of love and understanding to the children and their parents!:)
My child has been having problems since K, now she's in 2nd grade. We moved from NC to VA this year and the school kept pushing me to put my child on medication. I understand she has problems learning to read and being focused, but I'm not sure I want her on med. I did take her to a DR and he put her on Adderall XR, but I'm having a hard time making myself give it to her. She already has problems eating and is under weight for her age. Does Adderall really help that much? Why should I give it to her? Please Help!!!
If you want your child to GAIN weight use antidepressants or antiphycotics-my son was thin and gained 15 lbs. in six months on Abilify.Now he is overweight and craves jnk food all the time. Drugs DO work but they also have terrible side effects sometimes so you have to watch and try different things until you find one that works. I never did and am "detoxing" my son off all drugs even though they DO make him calmer and it is horrible. We have done everything and no Dr. or expert has been able to help us. My son has 6 different "labels" ADHD, Autism, Asperger's, PDD, OCD etc...now after 6 years they tell me he is psycotic and needs to be in a treatment facility. I refuse to give up but it is hard. I would like to say this to all the people out there that truly believe that kids are like this due to poor education or parenting-for every parent with a difficult, "HORRIBLE" child- that same parent that has another child or children that are angels, good students and perfectly behaved children. I know, becuase I have one!
I see there are alot of posts on this site referring to ritalin and how it might help/hender a child's development. Let me just first say that I've experience ritalin first hand. I was "diagnosed" with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder at age three by an over zealous pediatrician. My mother, of course listening to the Pediatrician like any good mother would, started administering a regiment of Ritalin. I'm sure that there are many good reasons that one would medicate their child with a legalized version of Methamphetamine, but I can say first hand that it does far more damage than good. By the time I reached Junior High, I began forming unique and inappropriate social habbits, and would have a rageful crash from the stimulant every afternoon. My mother, being told that I NEEDED THE DRUG IN ORDER TO SUCCEED, kept me on the medicine despite my pleeds for her to let me try going without it for awhile. My eighth grade year was unfortunate, as I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder as well. I was even convinced that I had this disorder, although the Psychiatrist that I was seeing never really took me off medication before diagnosing me with a new disorder. In escense, he diagnosed me without having a scientific control (AKA behavior differences while Being unmedicated versus being medicated).
By age 16 I was so out of it that I had trouble learning in school. I felt like a zombie because of the ritalin and began failing most of my classes. I graduated highschool with a C average, and began attending a local Junior College. There, I began stopping all medication that I was on, and tried to survive without taking it. To my surprise, my grades soared. I began making lots of friends, and I noticed a HUGE difference with both my confidence and intelligence. I know attend a 4 year university. I have no trouble in school, and my social problems are in the past. What I'm trying to say is, do all the research before putting your child on medicine. There are many dietary reasons, I have recently learned, that actually CAUSE the ADHD behavior. Food Dye and Sugar are the two leading causes, as well as lack of sleep. I KNOW that ritalin did more harm than good in my childhood. I KNOW that it caused many hardships for me as a child both socially and academicly. My parents where very quick to blame me and my disorder before blaming the actual medication and dietary issues. I hope you don't make the same mistake with your children that my parents made with me. You don't want to put your children through the torment of not knowing why they can't make friends and succeed in school.
One of the common threads in the posts here is that the child has difficulty with school work. Yet, no one mentions whether dyslexia has been considered. Research has shown that the occurrence of dyslexia world-wide is 15-20% AND it is a dominant genetic trait. The incidence of dyslexia is even higher in the ADHD-positive population. Have your ADHD child tested for dyslexia! There are very well established tutoring methods (research proven, Orton-Gillingham-based) that can help with this learning disability.
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