Please help!  My 16 year old son was diagnosed 2 years ago with ADD. (I had know since he was 4, but resisted meds)  He's 6'2" , 180 lbs.  and has been on Adderall XR 40 mg.  Christmas was Horrible this year with his violent outbursts, both physicall & verbally.  (I am a single mom with no one)  I discussed with our doctor and he (along with counselor) decided to decrease dose to 20mg.  My son was very upset by the decrease, but had no choice.  I just went to get his refill & was told we are 10 days early!  No refill.  Although I thought I was controlling the med (I hid them and gave him one every day) I realize now, that he must have been doubling the dose.  He won't fess up.  And worse yet, and will now be cold turkey for the next 10 days.  I'm apprehensive about the next 10 days with the med.  I HATE what this med has done to my son.  His whole personality changed.  Can anyone advise me?  Should I tell my doctor what I discovered?  Should I keep him off the drug permanently?  Should I try some herbals to relieve any withdrawal symptons he might have?  PLEASE HELP ME! 

The meds don't cause a permanent personality change.  If your child had problems on the meds then he should have no problems off the meds.  Has he been this way for 2 years?  Why did you wait so long? Or is there something else going on?  He may be upset by the decrease because even though he has outbursts, the meds are helping him to focus better.  He may just need a different med.

  Meds or no meds, if ANY16 yr physically abuses anyone, I would call the authorities and report him. 

  First off, I would make an appt. with a good neuropsychiatrist to rule out any other disorders.

Adderall was horrible for my son. It changed his whole personality. He was only 6 1/2 at the time but he was crazy on it. It made him freak out, get in kids faces, be angry, and his eyes were dialated like he was high.

The pediatrician witnessed first hand and we stopped immediately.

Some people it is a god send, for other's it is not.

I would try another medication and stop the adderall RIGHT NOW!

My son (now 16) was on adderall for 1 week when he was 5, or 6.(can't remember).  It was horrible.    He wouldn't get angry, or flip out, but it was like he was superfocused and obsessed about things.  Started taking lots of gibberish.   I pulled him off after one particularly frightening night. 

He has been on various forms of Ritalin since then.  Ritalin LA 30 mg now.  I think the meds have run their course.  ANything more than the 30 mgs, and he will start picking at his head, pulling hair out, focusing on that.  Conversely, he should probably be on more than the 30 for it to do any good at school.  All this current dose does is make him less talkative. 

I am a 16 year old girl and i have been on ADD meds since abotu 2nd or 3rd grade... they were great for when i was little. i got my homework done, i was focused in class, i was a better kid.  But now that im older i can actually tell the difference in my personality when i am on and off my meds...

I am sexually active and it is a normal activity.  I have a boyfirend of one year and we have a great relationship.  But when i take my medicine everyhitng changes

i become very zombie-like and anti social.  I avoid people and i am very iritable so i cant keep friends for very long because i get irritated at the little things that they do.  Also my sex drive is gone.  I know alot of moms out there probably dont think thats a bad thing but when you are in my situation it is. 

I tried  being off of my meds for a couple weeks and i felt it was sucessful for a while but aparently my parents and my doctor did not because i am back on it. 

We did lower my dosage however from FocalinXR 20 mg to the 10 mg.

Overall i do not like my personality.. i dont seem or feel as alive as i do when i am off of them...

i tried regular fast release focalin and i felt fine on that so... i dont really know what to do because my doctor doesnt feel that regular focalin is enough for me... and she doesnt really seem to take to account how i feel about it.