What now? | ADHD Information

I have another question - my sister's son has ADHD as well.  She said he could not take the short acting adderall, but is doing well on the time released.  Do you think this would make a difference for my daughter?  Should I question her doctor about it?

 

I am at my witt's end.  My 15 year old daughter was just recently diagnosed with ADHD - Combined Type.  She was first put on 5 milligrams of Adderall for 4 days - did fine.  Then she was increased to 10 milligrams of Adderall - turned into a zombie.  Next, was switched to Focalin. Did okay until milligrams were increased and then the school called me because she was literally shaking all over.  Her doctor took her off the Focalin and put her on Strattera.  The Strattera is making her so tired she cannot function at all.  What do you suggest - are there any other options for us? 

Any comments are greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

 

 

Lots of options. Dont' give up. My daughter is 12 and has tried so many different meds. It is SO hard to do, but keep trying. Dont' let her be sick, there is no need for that.

Don't worry, I am not going to.  I just wish we could find something that works for her.  She seems to be overly sensitive to these medications.  She is beginning to get discouraged too.

How long has she been on the strattera? I understand that at the beginning this med makes people quite tired. It also is very weight dependent and if the dose is not right, or not titrated up precisely, the side effects can be quite bad.

Don't give up on the stimulants either.....there are many more than the 2 you tried. While the medication roller coaster is not a fun ride, you have an advantage that your daughter is old enough to give you good feedback on how each med affects her. I depend on my son (almost 11) to keep me informed on how his meds are working to control his symptoms.

If the strattera does not work out, there is Concerta, metadate, ritalin short acting, ritalin SR, ritalin LA, daytrana (skin patch).....even meds with in the same family (i.e. the ritalin based meds) affect each person in vastly different ways depending upon the delivery system.

Good luck, welcome to the board, and post any questions that you may have, someone will be sure to have some answers, or advice, or experience to share.I believe my daughter is overly sensitive too. It does make it more difficult. When things are good, they can be good though. Chasesmom is right the oder they are the easier it is because they can describe their symptoms.Thank you all so very much.  I hope that we will be able to find something that works for her. 

Thank you so much, that is greatly appreciated.  I am so frustrated and what's worse is that my daughter is so frustrated.  She had been an A/B student until this year and now she is in danger of failing.  I knew something was wrong so when they tested her, it was confirmed that she did in fact have ADHD.  I think getting that diagnosis made her feel better, she realized that she wasn't "dumb or stupid" (her words).  However, since then, she has tried 3 different medications in the last month and she has not been able to tolerate any of them.  Her primary physician was prescribing her medication, and she told me that if the Strattera did not work she was not going to prescribe anything else, but was going to send her to the psychiatrist who did her testing because he was a lot more knowledgeable about the medications than she is.  I just pray that there is one she can take that will help her.

 

 

Sometimes the longer acting ones are more smooth and the rebound is less severe..it is soooo individual. What works for one child may be horrible for a sibling...I have even seen twins that reacted differently to ADHD meds. The only way to know for sure is to try it...unfortunately..

karel,

Just sending a .

I know how hard this is for you and your child. Hang in there.

You mentioned that Focalin caused the shakes.  Do you think it could have been anxiety induced due to the meds? All stimulants speed up the central nervous system, and could leave you feeling a bit anxious, agitated, or irritated.  If she had anxiety to begin with, augmenting the meds with an anti-anxiety med should be worth a try.