DD started adderall back in Kindergarten. She started at 10mg XR per day
and then gradually over the course of 1 1/2 years ended up at 30 mg per
day. That was the end of first grade. She is now in 5th grade and is still
on the same dose. The last two years have been a struggle though with
my feeling like she needed a higher dose. The only thing is that 30 mg is
a high dose and all 3 dr's we've seen didn't want to go above that dose.
Over the last 2 years we have tried concerta, daytrana, focalin XR and
vyvanse. None of them worked for her like the adderall works for her. Last
April we added guanfacine to her adderall. It has helped smooth things
out for her but the bottom line is that she is still not focused enough. SHe
never used to do this but she misses SO much of what goes on in class,
doesn't finish work in a timely way, is easily distracted, etc. etc. And on
top of all of the inattentiveness she is extremely goofy and silly half the
time! She eats and sleeps well on adderall. She has started the beginning
of puberty and weighs 30 pounds more than she did in 1st grade. I think
her dr. will now let us try an increased dose. I really think it would help
but I am nervous about what happens in middle school when she needs
even more meds. I think if we move to 40 mg now, we will have nowhere
to go in middle school! Has anyone else experienced a need to keep
increasing the dose of adderall? Will it ever even out? We can't just keep
increasing her. Should we leave her where she is and just deal with it?
Thanks for any input or advice!
Talk to her doctor about her meds. Sounds like they need an adjustment.
We just had to increase ds meds. I hated to do it, but it was necessary. You
need to help her be successful in school. You can always try a different
med if you max out on this one. Don't worry and get ahead of yourself.
Take it one day at a time and deal with this situation now. Vyvanse might be
a good option if she is taking Adderall. Talk to her dr. and hang in there.
I'm sure all your child needs is a simple med adjustment, but for some of us that may not be the case.
Most of our ADHD kids are very smart and are usually ahead of the class. They typically finish assignments early, catch onto a concept before it is fully explained and are usually tested 'above grade level'. But then something happens as they get older and mature....it takes longer to do the assignments, they don't retain as much as they did before and they're lucky if they even finish their test in the prescribed time. You ask yourself if this is the same kid who was the smartest in the class. Maybe the meds are'nt right, perhaps its the teaching environment or just maybe they've finally 'hit that wall'. In other words, their ADHD challenges have finally caught up with them and where they could fly by with the work in elementary school, they are now struggling with the higher volume and more indepth work of secondary school.
So, if your child is one who has max'd out on meds after going through several different types, they may have 'hit the wall'. You are seeing their true ability and no amount of meds above the optimum is going to increase their focus beyond their true ability.
As a parent, it's really hard coming to grips with the concept of diminished potential. But when you do, suddenly there is a great pressure lifted off of everyone as realistic expectations are set and 504's and IEP's are redirected to the new expectations.
Paul
Great post Paul.
This is where we were at last year. After more extensive testing we discovered where our daughter was at and what she truly needed, without touching her meds. BEST thing we did. Stepped back looked at it unbiased and made some HARD decisions. She is wonderfully happy right now and we feel so relieved for once knowing we've made the right choice. She's not going to be a rocket scientist or go to Harvard, but will be happy and reach her potential.
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