Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 5/19/2006

Question
My son recently turned 5 years old and has been taking AD/HD medication for almost a year.  We started on Ritalin LA, switched to short-acting Ritalin for a very brief period (raged on it so quickly went back to LA) and now is on Dexedrine Spansules.  It's somewhat of a low dosage- 5mg in the a.m. and 5mg in the p.m.  
My question is this...he's entering K this upcoming fall.  Would it be okay for me to try starting him off at school without medication?  I never know if I made the right choice or not to medicate but I was getting almost daily phone calls from his daycare about how hard it was to handle him that I gave in to the pressure.  Sometimes I think I see the positive change when he's on the medicine, but often I don't really see any change in behaviors!

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Dear Jennifer, how do I answer you request factfully and at the same time ethically correct with regard to your doctor. Where does my allegience lie, with your child or the doctor. If it is more important to enlighten you, I can answer. What dose of LA and at what time given? What dose of short acting Ritalin and at what times? What times ,exactly is he taking Dexadrine? If you are  strong enough I would have lots to say!