up until 2 am--HELP! | ADHD Information

My 6-YO DD has been on Focalin since March.  We went from 5 mg to 7.5 to 10mg--she started on the 10 mg before Easter, I went back down to 7.5 for a  couple of weeks for various reasons, then went back up to 10 mg. on April 25.  She seemed to need more than the 7.5--the improvement we had seen initially was virtually gone, but the 10 mg is not helping either. 

Yesterday I gave her the 10 mg of Focalin at 7:30 am.  She was havin gcrazy mood swings all day long.  She would go from happy and sweet to angry and defiant in minutes, be angry and mean for 30 minutes and then back to happy.  She cycled all day long. 

She seemed to get a weird second wind at 6:00 pm last night and was up until 2 am.  This has never happened before.  She has always been a great sleeper.  She kept coming into our room upset and saying she couldn't sleep.

I'm hoping someone will be able to help me.  I emailed her pediatrician and psychologist last night and will call this morning, but I'm worried and at a loss.  DD is still asleep this morning (they have school at 8 am, but it is 7:25 adn I am letting her sleep as long as possible). 

You are doing the right thing. You need to talk to her presciribing MD. A dose change can ffect them so differently. Quite often you do not see side effects at low doses.

My son took this med too and I found that he was just way too crabby...we ended up switching to Adderall and he is not as crabby or moody ( he does have an occasional crabby day).  A neighbor lady up the streed also had her daughter on Focalin and she had the same crabby/moody response.

Has she been evaluated for Co-morbids?

We have seen a psychologist for at least 2 years, and the only other possibility mentioned is anxiety.  I know that Focalin can exacerbate anxiety--the psychologist has wondered about anxiety but hasn't said she thinks it is there.  I guess the age of my child (6) makes it harder to tell???

That is true. A lot of things cannot be sorted out until at least age 6.She doesn't even turn 6 until next Monday, so it's all been diagnosed pretty early.  She didn't get up until 10:15 this morning, so I kept her home from kindergarten.  She is in a great mood so far, no medication.  I just can't give it to her today after last night.  The psychologist called me back, but I haven't heard back from the pediatrician yet. 

Thanks.  She was doing so well, and then it's like all of the sudden she's possessed.  My ped's office doesn't open until 8:30, and I'm sure it will take forever for them to call me back, but I left a message for her psychologist.  Poor baby.

we couldnt do the focalin xr, elias was moody and got way to aggressive, went back to concerta 36mg and seem to be doing well with it and 1mg of tenex a day 1/2 in am and 1/2 at hs

Heard from the psychologist, who wasn't a whole lot of help.  She just said, "maybe the focalin isn't working."  REALLY?  REALLY?  You think that might be it?    We have an appointment at the pediatrician (prescribing doc) at 5:10.  I called the psychatrist we are on the waiting list to see, and we are still on the waiting list.  I asked if crying on the phone would move me up the list or down. 

Anyway, thanks for the commiseration.  This can make you crazy.  I'm just on the beginning of the meds part, and I know we'll get it worked out, but I'm so stressed and worried--I cannot imagine what it must be like in DD's head.  She's happy as a clam today, though, because I haven't had to tell her "no" about anything.