My son was recently diagnosed and put on .5 mg Adderal XL in the morning for one week and this past week we've increased it to 2 pills in the morning. The doctor told me I would see a difference immediately. The only difference is now I have an emotional, aggressive and exhausted child due to not sleeping. I just talked to the doctor who said things would improve eventually. His Father says he has not seen an improvement and wants him off all meds. I had to bascially go behind his back to get my son diagnosed and medicated. What should I do?
How old is your son? If he is emotional and aggressive then he is on the wrong med. Adderall is known for rebound, and there are other meds that release a bit better, and are just easier on kids.
I would find another doctor. Our son was the same way after three pills and we just couldn't give him anymore. Called and told dotor. He has Bipolar and ADHD mixed type. So now he is on Lithium, temporary on Thorazene (another name I can't pronounce), 1mg. of Clonidine at bedtime or he won't sleep. And Depakote for minor seizure and it is a mood stabilizer. Psychiatrist wants to try Focalin XR, because he is still not focused. Daughter has Bipolar/ADHD. It is on both sides of family, except my mom says there is nothing wrong with her. ha. wrong answer. With that stimulant you see a change immediately. When it wears off his behavior can be worse than what it was. We tried Ritilan, worked for a while and then the XR and that didn't work. He lost too much weight and by afternoon he was irritable as heck, moody, hyper, hit, kicked. That was wrong med -- Adderall was wrong. It works for some though. That is a sign it is NOT working. It actually makes him feel worse i would think.
I changed doctors. If you are not comfortable and not getting answers then it is time for a change.
I would say that if you haven't seen improvement by now, the med is not the right one for him or the dosage is wrong. Is he acting that way all day, or when the med wears off in the afternoon? You should expect to have to try a few different meds until you find the right combo. Good luck! It could take a while, so be patient.My son is 8, but I have suspected for years that he had ADHD/ODD. He was a very fussy baby and was always on the go getting into things. He pushes me to my absolute limit. He was the opposite of his older brother who was very easy going.
I spoke with his doctor last night and she wants to keep him on the same med for another week to see if he settles down. I told her he wasn't sleeping (so therefore neither am I) and she said if the sleeping is still an issue she can put him on Clonodine? Isn't that the one that killed that 4 year old little girl? This is all so scary for me. My son says it makes him feel like his heart is going really fast. But his teacher says she can see a difference and he's less disruptive in class. This is all so confusing.
Finding the right med or meds can have a dramaticly positive effect for a child and the family. BUT, the journey through finding the best fit can be a hard one and you are in the middle of this. What kind of doc is managing the meds. If it is a pediatrician, I would look into finding one to transition to. ADHD is something your son will be dealing with as he grows, goes through puberty and matures. He will need someone with good med managent experience to help through the changes.
Did the doc have an EKG done on your son? It is a standard precaution before being on the stims long term (that some docs still do not do without a request). I would definately want it done before adding another med that has potential circulatory issues (clonidine) even though the chances of a problem are really low.
Clonidine is the med in the recent tragic news story. Those parents were giving large doses of clonidine to keep the child quiet all of the time...this was an overdose that could have been prevented if the parents had been following doctor's orders and not just drugging thier child to keep her out of thier hair.
Clonidine for sleep only is a very small dose (usually 0.05mg) before bed. It causes sedation. After sleep patterns are re-established, some people can go off the clonidine. A kid that is not getting enough sleep may exhibit more ADHD symptoms and the meds may not work optimally, so sleep is very important (for your sanity as well).
Have you tried melatonin for sleep (there is are good threads on the alternatives board)? It works for some and not others. My oldest used it to re-establish sleep patterns and no longer needs it. It never worked for my or the youngest.
vickie39190.3967824074Before you try Clonidine, try melatonin?
I agree. I would definitely try the melatonin first....over the counter and quite inexpensive....why pull out a cannon if a water pistol will do the trick?
Try 1mg of melatonin a half hour to one hour before bedtime....it is not a drug, it is a naturally occuring chemical that some people don't have in the right amounts to facilitate sleep.
It is not sedating, it just helps to calm and make a child drowsy that is in bed trying to go to sleep....
No need to get smart.
The clonidine DOES NOT SEDATE my son. He doesn't GET THAT MUCH. IT IS USED AT BEDTIME.
Melatonin has been around forever. I use it to rest. IT DOES NOT WORK FOR OUR SON.
hiker1961,
I do not believe anyone was getting smart.
Clonidine is known for being sedating at low doses (makes a person slightly drowsy and allows them to relax for sleep). This is one of the useful side affects that makes it work at low dose just before bed. There are other useful effects that were found for this med since originally being used for blood pressure.
If conkyjo has not tried melatonin yet, it is worth trying before moving up to a prescription med, and it would only take a night or 2 to know.
Since the melatonin does not work for your son, it is of course not an option for him. It does not work for me or my youngest either. It is wonderful for my oldest.
I was not 'getting smart', and not even commenting on your situation, hiker1961. I was commenting on the fact that a doctor was prescribing a sedating med for a child for sleep issues without even attempting to try the over the counter alternatives first....and of course it is a sedating drug...so is tenex to a lesser extent....that is why it helps our children to sleep!
I am sorry that you took it that way. If melatonin does not work, there is always time to pull out the prescription meds.