x/p from General Board: If your child takes meds for ADHD, can you help me out?

[Nakia]

Please do not make this thread about the horrors of ADHD meds. My husband and I prayerfully considered meds for our youngest daughter for over a year. We finally decided that her impulsiveness and hyperactivity weren't going away, and were in fact becoming worse and dangerous, so we decided to give her medication. This was after having her seen by a behavioral/developmental pediatrician. I still get teary when I think of giving her meds every day, but it is what it is.

 

Anyway, she's been on Adderall for 11 days. For the first few days, I didn't notice any changes. Then around day 6, I thought I saw a slight improvement, and she even told me last Sunday that her mind felt "better." The last few days have not been good at all. She is as fidgety and flighty as ever. She is as impulsive as ever. She has been really cranky, especially in the evenings. She has a really poor appetite, which I expected, but not to this extent. Today she had half a cinnamon roll for breakfast (fast food, we were in a hurry, lol), about 3 bites of grilled chicken for lunch, and that's it. :( It's so sad because she's always been my best eater. I hate not seeing her enjoy her food, kwim?

 

I guess I'm wondering what the heck to do. We have the option of increasing the dose of Adderall, but I don't know if that's the right thing to do. I can call the doctor tomorrow, and I'm sure they would be fine with us trying another med, but I don't know if that will help. One thing I do know is that we are officially done with school, so her routine is disrupted, and she's been watching a little bit more TV than normal. She likes the TV, and having it turned off is one things that really ticks her off.

 

Is this a normal transition? Should I chalk it up to change in routine and give it more time? Should I increase the dose? Should I ask for a new med? I need advice from btdt moms. What can I do to make this easier for her?

[Geo]

Increasing the dose might make all the difference, but you would need to talk to whoever is supervising her meds. My ds's first trial of medication (Vyvanse) actually made him worse. We had to switch to Focalin XR. It works like a charm. ;)

[myboyluvsdinos]

Is there any way that you can wait for a few weeks and try again? I say this if you JUST ended school and are now transitioning into a less structured, summer day. If that's the case, then it's hard to figure out what may be the meds and what may be the change in schedule (or possibly more screentime?) Try to change just one variable at a time.

 

I doubt the appetite loss is due to a change in routine, but the crankiness could be. Especially if she's doing more screen time.

 

Good luck!

[mom2hunangirls]

I'm on Adderall and agitation is a big side effect for me. So things being out of my control would really bother me. I'm listening in here too, though, because I think we are nearing this point with my dd.

I would give it longer and at least an adjustment or two before switching.

[fluffybunny]

Adderall made my son so agitated he stopped spinning toys and just growled all the time. I can tell he's happy and calm when he spins small toys. We upped the dose, on the doctor's advice, and the agitation got worse.

 

We have found that Concerta works the best and has no side effects whatsoever. Concerta is long acting Ritalin. It changed our lives. Adderall is a mixture of medications, whereas Concerta is just one: a stimulant that is also found in coffee and chocolate. Kids who are hyperactive usually have understimulated brains. I'd try Concerta first.

[Nakia]

Thank you all!!! I appreciate the advice and support so much!

 

I talked with a nurse at the doctor's office today, and we are going to try Concerta. I won't be able to start her on it until next week because they are going to have to mail me the script. Apparently it's a med that can't be called in, and it was too late for me to go by and get it.

 

Maybe this will be the one!

[Finnella]

Thank you all!!! I appreciate the advice and support so much!

 

I talked with a nurse at the doctor's office today, and we are going to try Concerta. I won't be able to start her on it until next week because they are going to have to mail me the script. Apparently it's a med that can't be called in, and it was too late for me to go by and get it.

 

Maybe this will be the one!

 

Some of the ADHD meds are considered controlled substances, hence the restrictions on how the prescription can be communicated.

 

Good luck with the new medication. Our first medication attempt was a total disaster, but the second one helped my DS a great deal.

[Guest]

Thank you all!!! I appreciate the advice and support so much!

 

I talked with a nurse at the doctor's office today, and we are going to try Concerta. I won't be able to start her on it until next week because they are going to have to mail me the script. Apparently it's a med that can't be called in, and it was too late for me to go by and get it.

 

Maybe this will be the one!

 

Nakia, I know that all kids are different but if you want to educate yourself a bit on the meds in a more practical sense, you could check out some of Dr. Hallowell's books. His two books, co-authored with Dr. John Ratey, will give you many many cases of ADHD (children and adults), recommendations on meds etc. When I was researching ADHD as a possibility for my son Adrian, I found their books very informative. You can look for their older book "Driven to Distraction" (this seems like the more popular one and it looks like they have a revised edition out now), or the newer book "Delivered from Distraction". Best of luck to you :)!