New and Struggling | ADHD Information

I agree with Koko.  Maybe try a new med.  My son got upset easily on Adderall xr also.  I think I heard somewhere that a stutter can be a tic????  I am not sure on this guys, so help me out.  Did she stutter before meds?

My son was also extremely emotional and moody on Adderall, so we have taken him off of it. He could though eat well on it, but couldn't on Concerta. You just never know. Every child reacts differently to each medication. It's a bit of a trial and error process at first. If something isn't working, definitely talk to your doctor.

Hang in there.

ladym38833.9145486111Hi irinasmom, welcome!

The medicine could probably be changed to one that doesn't affect her weight so much. Most peds seem to use adderall first, which works great for many, but it sometimes causes too much appetite suppression. My son takes focalinXR because it only lasts 8 hours - he is hungry for breakfast and dinner. Lunch varies. He has grown and gained appropriate weight this year.

The stutter issue concerns me. I know I've seen posts about this issue. Do a search, and hopefully those who know a bit about that will chime in here for you soon.

Hang in there! 

Hi all. I just have to start by saying that it's nice to find people in the same boat that I am with my child. I keep reading things you've all written and wondering who's been eavesdropping on my life! I feel like I'm at the beginning of a long journey.

My daughter, who's seven, was just diagnosed ADHD about a month ago. We're trying Adderall XR, and just stepped her dose up to 15mg/day about a week ago. I honestly don't see it doing all that much good for her. She's getting upset very easily, she's losing weight that she can't afford to lose (she was on the low end of the weight charts to begin with- skinny little thing). She also has a stutter that just seems to be getting worse (I've always refered to it as her mouth not being able to keep up with her brain).

She's also having social problems. She has one good friend and got so upset yesterday when this friend wanted to play hide & seek with some other kids that it took two adults to calm her down. (The friend's mother called me to ask if DD was alright!) She's going into third grade next year, which she can academically handle, but I'm afraid that she's going to be entirely friendless by the time she gets there! I'm in the process of searching for a psych doc who will be able to take her sooner rather than later.

Sorry I'm so wordy! It's just that I know you all get it! My DH does what he can, and is very supportive about whatever help we need to get; but at the same time I feel like I'm doing this alone!

Anyhow, Hi!   I'm usually not this incoherent, I just needed to get it out!

I agree with everyone above.  People react differently to Adderall and Ritalin.  Try the Ritalin based meds.  They may not make her as weepy.

Yes, I agree with the above post.

Try meds in the Ritalin family.

We have tried all of them,, trust me... ALL .   The only one that has been very smooth for him with no side effects is Metadate CD. 20mg.  My son is 5 yrs old.

 I had to ask the Psych. about this medicine because I saw a lot of parents with good results in another board, and sure enough. BINGO !    But I had to ask the Doctor... I was surprised that he had never mentioned before.. but when I asked he said..."sure, lets try it".

My son metabolizes fast, so it only lasts about 5-6 hours, but right now that works goof for us.  To most kids it lasts about 8 hrs.

Good luck. 

My daughter is on a combo of strattera and concerta.  We found she lost too much weight on adderal and just seemed so serious.  On this combo, she eats a greate breakfast, usually just a snack at lunch (apple and milk) and a good dinner.  She sleeps better.  She is also happier, more silly like a kid.  GO WITH YOUR GUT!  Every kid is different, my son did wonderfully on adderall.  If you are not satisfied go back to your doctor or find a new one!

 

 

luvinmom38835.7705787037

Hi Ireana's Mum

I suggest you get the stuttering checked out a bit further, stuttering falls in the line of Aspergers syndrom. Just a thought.

.IMac38945.5080671296I would suggest moving past a pediatrican if that's what you are currently seeing. 

Well, after a week at 15mg, the decision was made to drop her back to 10. Poor kid was on an emotional roller-coaster! Jumpy, and beyond weepy. I hated seeing her like that! She had almost stopped eating on 15mg as well, and sleep was a thing of the past.

*Sigh* Being a parent really stinks sometime! Now where did I leave that Mommy Magic Wand?

BPQW, I'll be curious to hear how it goes for you! Good luck!

 

Hi, Irinasmom!  Wow, was I happy to see your post here today!  Just yesterday my husband, son and I saw a new doc who prescribed a trial of Adderall XR for my son.  We've been struggling with this issue for a little over a year and have finally made the decision to try a medication. I'm scared to death. I want to do what is best for him, but deciding what that is is SO hard.  My beautiful son deserves a happy and healthy childhood, and I think to get that, we have to be proactive. He is also 7, like your daughter, and I'm afraid he will also be more emotionally labile on meds.  We'll have to wait and see. Good luck to you, and let's talk about our journeys to this spot with our children!I agree with BJH1234...move beyond a ped and look for a psychiatrist to handle her meds.  We too started out on Adderall XR and my son essentially went insane...they took him out of school temporarily.  Then we went to Focalin which didn't put him into a rage, but did nothing for his concentration and focus either.  Then back to Adderall and now he has been removed from school for 3-6 months and we are moving on to Concerta.  Not every child reacts to every med in the same way.  From research I've been doing there are lots of kids who just can't take Adderall as it messes with their moods.  If your daughter is having reactions like this to meds a psych can actually evaluate what's going on above and beyond what a pediatrician can do.  Also, as hartley posted, the stuttering can be a sign of Asperger's, or..if she was stuttering before starting meds it could be the medication unmasking Tourette's.

Thanks for the suggestions.

No, it's not her ped that is handling her meds. We are going  to a psychiatrist for the ADHD aspect and, because they aren't taking on new counseling patients, I was given a few names for other doctors who could work with DD on the social aspects of it all. Time to start the "Do you have space to see my kid" round of phone calls again! Yippee!

When it comes to Asperger's or Tourette's *shrugs*, I just don't know. This is all so new to me and I really don't want to start thinking beyond the ADHD just yet. I just don't have enough knowledge about them to even say maybe.

I will say though that, since we stepped her Adderall down, the kiddo is much easier to deal with! She doesn't have a total meltdown over nothing every five minutes. And even she says that she feels a little "happier".

Oddly enough, before the diagnosis of ADHD, I was having a really hard time dealing with DD. It just seemed like that she was doing everything she could to push my buttons. But since...I don't know, it's strange...I seem to have suddenly tapped into a well of patience that I wasn't aware I had. Not that I'm using the ADHD as an excuse for things, but I understand better what's going on in her head, and know better how to cope with it. Of course, she's also in school five days a week! I'll have to wait and see what happens when summer vacation hits!