Medication Help | ADHD Information

Hi there! I am new here but have been reading posts for a couple of weeks. It is so nice to see that I am not alone with the med struggles. My typically sweet 6 year old son is on Adderrall XR (25) and is still inattentive and GROUCHY! He has trouble staying asleep at night as he claims he has had bad dreams (this is since we started stimulants over the last two years). He has been having some verbal outbursts  and refusal to complete his work. He has is an above average learner and attends a private school where he has a WONDERFUL teacher who tries to help him. These refusals and outbursts would not be tolerated at our local public schools. The outbursts were worse when he took 30 mg of Adderrall. His teacher told me that he is still inattentive and has "his own agenda lately". I am debating changing meds. He tried Focalin XR with horrible results on two diff. occasions. He seemed possessed by a demon. His Psychiatrist is a sweet older fellow who wants to try Liamitical or Abilify. We have tried Risperidol and this worked for a year. This seems to make him grouchy. He does have some outbursts, is very persistent, and screams at me with the Resperidol. We tried Concerta a year ago and he cried very much. Should we try Concerta again? Would this stimulant still make him have anger outbursts? Any words of advice for me as ds has Psy appointment this week. I dread the medication changes as our recent Focalin esperiences made me consider running away from home.Oh I can feel for where you are! My 10 year old DS has been on FocalinXR with zombie like results. We then went to Vyvanse (Adderral family). He got very aggresive and mean and had no impulse control or focus either. Now we just started him on Concerta. It has been a few days @ 18mg and so far is doing not much. He is very hyper/impulsive. so as though I have no answers for you I just wanted you to know that you are not alone.I wish you Luck. What about Daytrana? or Vyvanse, not so many side effects as Aderral. [QUOTE=HorseshowMoma]Hi there! I am new here but have been reading posts for a couple of weeks. It is so nice to see that I am not alone with the med struggles. My typically sweet 6 year old son is on Adderrall XR (25) and is still inattentive and GROUCHY! He has trouble staying asleep at night as he claims he has had bad dreams (this is since we started stimulants over the last two years).

I am SO there. I feel for the kid. Being constantly woken by bad dreams and waking in the morning after nightmares ruins your whole day. So I understand the grouchiness. Poor little guy.

Nightmares are common for periods of time with children. However, they tend to come and go. If he's constantly having them--something's not right.

He has been having some verbal outbursts  and refusal to complete his work. He has is an above average learner and attends a private school where he has a WONDERFUL teacher who tries to help him. These refusals and outbursts would not be tolerated at our local public schools. The outbursts were worse when he took 30 mg of Adderrall. His teacher told me that he is still inattentive and has "his own agenda lately". I am debating changing meds. He tried Focalin XR with horrible results on two diff. occasions. He seemed possessed by a demon. His Psychiatrist is a sweet older fellow who wants to try Liamitical or Abilify.

Have you tried Strattera? It's wicked to get on [six weeks and the first week is he11 week]--but I also have PTSD which causes nightmares and sleep problems and I slept like a brick on it. No morning crankiness at all. I took it twice a day. It didn't do much for my attention span but I did a bit more because I felt better.

He might need a "booster" or something for attention, but Strattera might help with the other symptoms. SInce he responded well to concerta--perhaps a low dose of ritalin booster.


We have tried Risperidol and this worked for a year. This seems to make him grouchy. He does have some outbursts, is very persistent, and screams at me with the Resperidol. We tried Concerta a year ago and he cried very much. Should we try Concerta again? Would this stimulant still make him have anger outbursts? Any words of advice for me as ds has Psy appointment this week. I dread the medication changes as our recent Focalin esperiences made me consider running away from home.[/QUOTE]

Another option might be Alertec--which would be off-label because it's actually for narcolepsy.