my dd started adderal on the weekend of thanksgiving. we saw a change with the 5 mg. her first set of test scores at school were unchanged. she was eating well on 5 mg...the ony main issue we dealt with was sleep. we did 5 mg for 2 weeks, and upped to 10 on saturday. she seemed strung and hyper-focused on the 10. today i did 7.5, i broke up a capsule to see how she does on this dose. we are seeing the pediatrician on thursday. she's not falling asleep until 11:30 pm and doesn't not look good. i am seeing a change in her ability to focus and to converse more clearly and more confidently, but i'm also seeing that she doesn't seem as happy. she seems more headstrong and stubborn. her teacher says that she's staying in her desk more and that she's completing/starting her homework without reminders, which is good. she's doing her homework here at home better too. but, she's not wanting to get up in the mornings and my mornings have been interesting to say the least! i'm sure she's just plain exhausted! i'm not sure whether her negative behaviors are due to the adderal or the lack of sleep.
i'm not sure whether to continue a week or so...none of us are getting much sleep. i'm not sure what med to try next. a short acting one? she hasn't mastered swallowing yet. the pediatrician will not do the patch.
i truly was so hopeful that our first med would be a good one. i wasn't expecting perfection, but i don't know if we can continue with this one either. yesterday she did say that she was having stomachaches, but didn't want to tell me. btw, she's 9 and in 4th grade.
any advice?
shelley
Shelly,
Finding the right combination that helps your child can be so exhausting can't it? And then when you think you got it right BAM! puberty hits, or it just stops working and you have to change again. Why wont the DR do the patch? Have you considered going to a psychiatrist for the meds?
Not much help, I am sorry, but just know you are not alone - it can be so hard to decide to medicate but then to have to make adjustments and decisions on what meds are best can be very stressful. Hang in there!
the pediatrician that we see, well her office/practice, won't do the patch because it is still too new. she said that it is just their policy...and beside it being new, there are possibly some concerns with the adhesive?
yes, we can see a child psychiatrist...and i probably will schedule and appointment real soon. this has been SO hard on me...and i'm trying not to go too fast or make too many changes all at once because it has to be even harder on my dd.
i am exhausted...i am emotional...more than i ever have been. this truly is taking a toll on me. besides the holidays and everything else, i'm feeling a tad overwhelmed. and this isn't my normal self.
i so just wanted the adderal to work. plain and simple. it's been hard on our whole family.
shelley
Shelly I can so relate my girl does not fall asleep until 10 sometimes 11 and has a hard time waking in the morning. I go to work already stressed for the day and I still have no advice for you. I was told with meds there is no perfect science.I would see a Psych, it seems that Adderall is not the right med.I agree with edbson, it doesn't sound like adderall is right for her. You might want to look at strattera, focalin and ritalin. If you're interested in the patch, I'd try her on ritalin, since that's what daytrana is. It's just delivered transdermally. If she does ok on ritalin, she'll probably do fine on the patch. Check out the thread on the meds board "Daytrana anyone?" All of the issues with the adhesive and rashes for some users are thoroughly discussed. I'll bump it for you. BTW, my son has been on the patch since the start of school. It's been great for him. When your ped office is ready to start prescribing, be one of the first to get a scrip for him.
Hey Shelly,
Just wanted to send you a big hug.
The good news is that in general terms, the stimulant is helping her at school. This at least gives evidence that the right med is out there. I think that starting the ball rolling with a psychiatrist is a good way to go.
Once you get to an effective treatment you will get that needed confirmation that you are doing the right thing. That feedback is so important.
Good luck.