Stepdaughter ADHD - getting worse | ADHD Information

Hi everyone! I'm new to this site and really need your help.  My SD is 12 and when I was raising her (from 7-11 yo) the psychiatrist had her on Straterra, an anti-depressant and depakote to control her anger.  Her bio-mom felt "I" had her over medicated because I was step-mom.  She visited the counselor twice a month and the psychiatrist once a month.  She went back to live with bio-mom last year and bio-mom told doctor over there that she only needed her ADHD med, so he did just that.  Now SD is getting worse with her behavior than ever before.  I know the age has a lot to do with it too, but her lying as escalated, she is drawing more gothic and depressing pictures (some have made the hair on my back stand up) some very nasty pictures, we just found out last night that she drew a very ugly one about me.  She's been a kick about wanting to have long hair, she's tried to talk us into buying her a magazine and shampoo then last visit, I catch her in the back yard with a pair of yard scissors, cutting her hair.  Bio-mom doesn't take her to counseling, just to the med doctor, who now has her on Straterra and Adderral.  I think it's the meds.  I know she needs see behavior specialist and/or psychiatrist, but bio-mom "never has time".  Does anyone out there know about this medicaiton combination????? Please help!  We get lots of calls from her grandparents (primary caregivers) because of her behavior and dad has said that she needs to come to live with us because over there she is getting way out of control.  Well, (looong story) but she went back with bio-mom because she was getting out of control (mainly her mouth) here and dad worked long hours, so that left me to take care of her (homework, counseling, psychiatrist, etc.) and raise our now 3 yo son and I was becoming a bundle of nerves myself.  Please help!!!!!Straterra (spelled wrong) is an SNRI antidepressant. Adderrall is a stimulant. All I can say is, if she's on both, that is probably making her worse--both can cause aggression by themselves and she's on two. I'm not sure a behavioral specialist will help her, but I'd sure like her to see a new Psychiatrist for a re-evaluation. However, in her case it may very well be the meds making her worse. Hard to say. Unfortunately, the parent with custody has the say so. Can you talk to her? If not, not sure you can do anything...

Hi MaryAnn,

I'm new here too.  My son (15 now) was on Strattera for a while and then Adderall (not together), but we had to take him off both of them.  The meds made him mean, downright nasty, with horrible mood swings.  He told the psychiatrist that everything just seemed to make him mad when he was on them.  So, he stays on either concerta or focalin (new type) and (sigh) he's still a teenager, and still lies and all that, but the pure nastiness is gone. 

Shari