cant get child with add to take medication

smokin ace

i am sorry if this is posted in the wrong section we have a 10 year old boy that is about a year and a half behind everyone in his class in school and and to make a long story short he has been assessed and diagnosed with ADD by a child Psychologist
He has been given medication to take but its impossible to get him to take them we have sat him down and talked at length with him about how the tablets will help him and showed him how he should take them but he totally refuses to take them and we are both now getting extremely frustrated with him the tablets themselves are very very small so the size of them is not an issue we feel holding him down and forcing him to take them is not the way to go as it will only make things worse so please if any one has any idea how we could get him to take his tablets we would be very greatfull
thank you

Kildrought

Do you have problems with him taking any medication? Would he normally take paracetamol/antibiotics?

A friend in a similar situation (but much younger child) had him take a range of various vitamins/oils etc., and the medication was just one more capsule on the plate, he didn't know it was anything other than vitamins.

Having said that, as he got older & going into secondary she talked to him about the meds and gave him the option of continuing or not.

Has he said why he doesn't want to take it?

smokin ace

Kildrought wrote: »

Do you have problems with him taking any medication? Would he normally take paracetamol/antibiotics?

A friend in a similar situation (but much younger child) had him take a range of various vitamins/oils etc., and the medication was just one more capsule on the plate, he didn't know it was anything other than vitamins.

Having said that, as he got older & going into secondary she talked to him about the meds and gave him the option of continuing or not.

Has he said why he doesn't want to take it?

he has always totally blank refused to take any form of tablet what so ever even when he needed antibiotics we always had to get him the liquid form because no matter what we done or said he just would not take the tablets we are blue in the face asking him why he wont take the tablets but he just keeps saying no and wont even try its driving myself and the missus mental because we know how much his meds can help him and we have explained all this to him

James Jones

smokin ace wrote: »

when he needed antibiotics we always had to get him the liquid form because no matter what we done or said he just would not take the tablets

Crush the tablets (between two spoons) and add then to a small amount of his favorite drink. Don't mention medicine.

Sleepy

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'd go with the option of punish him for not doing as he's told, whether that's time-outs, grounding, denial of priveleges whatever. IMHO a ten year old child should do as they're told by their parents.

Oryx

smokin ace wrote: »

he has always totally blank refused to take any form of tablet

So its not the meds, its the fact that taking a tablet freaks him out. I know some adults that still have difficulty with that. Just find another form to give him the medicine in. Whether thats crushing it yourself as above or getting a liquid version. Ask your pharmacist also, they usually have a solution for reluctant tablet takers. Its pretty common.

smokin ace

James Jones wrote: »

Crush the tablets (between two spoons) and add then to a small amount of his favorite drink. Don't mention medicine.

we cant crush the tablets because the ingredients are slow release to last all day

Sleepy wrote: »

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'd go with the option of punish him for not doing as he's told, whether that's time-outs, grounding, denial of priveleges whatever. IMHO a ten year old child should do as they're told by their parents.

we are currently trying that he has been lying on his bed sense 9.30 this morning and now it 2.30 and he still refuses to take them

Oryx wrote: »

So its not the meds, its the fact that taking a tablet freaks him out. I know some adults that still have difficulty with that. Just find another form to give him the medicine in. Whether thats crushing it yourself as above or getting a liquid version. Ask your pharmacist also, they usually have a solution for reluctant tablet takers. Its pretty common.

i think going back to the doctor or like you said the pharmacist is the only option because this cant go on every day

Oryx

Would he be willing to play a game with you to practice getting tablets down, so long term you solve this? Find a harmless alternative, like a non boiled sweet, which you can both mess about with? The longer you make this into a crime and punishment exercise, the longer youll struggle with him, he sounds a determined lad.

smokin ace

Oryx wrote: »

Would he be willing to play a game with you to practice getting tablets down, so long term you solve this? Find a harmless alternative, like a non boiled sweet, which you can both mess about with? The longer you make this into a crime and punishment exercise, the longer youll struggle with him, he sounds a determined lad.

determined is an understatement its got to a stage he is just lying on his bed and wont talk to either of us we did not want it to get to this stage because its not helping the over all situation

Kildrought

Totally off-topic and non-medical opinion - but I can't help thinking if he can stay in his room for 5 hours & keep himself occupied maybe ye don't need the meds at all!

Punishment isn't going to work, you'll be on a hiding to nothing; you need to find a way to tap into him.

what makes him unhappy at present? school/socialising? is there something he would really like to be able to do but the ADD is interfering?

sellerbarry

I wouldn't get too hung up about his add. I've a severe case and had no major problems, except i've never finished a book in my life, (i'm 40 now). Didn't take meds as it wasn't even heard of 30 odd years ago. His problem in school could be aleviated by sitting down with him every night and making sure he finishes his homework. (I know this is hard because his mind is forever wandering onto the next thing) But, stick with it and things will get better. Try to keep loud things ie. the tv, turned down when he's in the room because it may drive him insane trying to listen to people and tv at the same time. (This is a major problem with add'ers). His mind is running at a breakneck speed thinking of 100's of different things all at once. The meds slow this down and help concentration, but they take a while to work. Try to get him to take up new interests, hobbies etc. If you know anyone older in college who he knows, maybe they could give him a few extra lessons here and there.
If all else fails with the meds, get the doc to prescribe some other form. Don't punish him for not taking tablets. This won't help him at all. Avoid conflict. He is only 10 and doesn't know why he is different. Sitting in his room clears his head a bit. That is why he may go up there every now and again. Give him a chance and he will get the better of this as i did.

Good luck with it.;)