ADHD Meds

My youngest son, Bryce, is very hyper. The child bounces off the walls. He has no volume control. He never slows down. He has no self control and cannot envision consequences to his actions. He is a VERY typical ADHD kid. The school & I did evaluations and I took them with us to the Doc. After observing him, she said with a chuckle there was no need for further testing. The kid is on Hyperdrive every moment he is awake. So she wrote him a prescription for an ADHD med.

I am trying to decide how I feel about this. I mean, on one hand he is starting 1st grade & I don't want his hyperness to prevent him from participating in the classroom. He is going to have the same teacher as he had in kindergarten. She was great, very understanding, but did mention EVERY TIME I spoke with her that Bryce was distracting in class.

Let me add.....I love my son. I adore him. But, I feel a lot of guilt because we do not include him in a lot of family trips. If Bryce goes, I end up fussing all day and everyone ends up miserable. It isn't fair to the older kids. But, at the same time, I feel bad leaving Bryce with Papa & Grandma when we go do family things.

Could medication be the answer? Or should I be looking for alternatives? As with all parents, I want to do what is best for my son.