Wrong Diagnosis or Treatment? | ADHD Information
My son started on Concerta 18 mg and he was super happy and a bit hyper for the first week but then leveled off. However, a month or so later we increased to 36mg which lasted about 9-10 months until another increase to 54mg. He is 9 and is also on 1/2mg of tenex. Right now it is working very well. And remember kids are kids - they are inherently impulsive, hyper and poor decision makers until they are taught differently and have the maturity to control themselves and think.
Don't jump too quickly from one med to another. I can't imagen what that does to the body and mind. And he is young
My daughter, 7, was dx this year and we quickly went from Concerta 18 - 54 within about 3 months and now everything is great with her.
You might also want to look into food allergies.
Argh. I'm so tired of overanalyzing this and now I'm back to questioning the diagnosis ... Here's the story. Son (now 6) did preliminary ADHD tests because of hyperness/impulsivity in preschool. Tested on 5mg Ritalin and school behaviors improved drastically. (Teacher unaware of med and said he did a big turnaround.) Switched to longer-acting med for all-day kindergarten. Tried Concerta, which worked sorta but caused a freak-out moment that may have been bad rebound. Switched to Vyvanse for a few months, which controlled hyperactivity and impuslivity but brought out irritability and moodiness (and apparently isn't the best drug for younger kids because of this). So recently switched to Focalin XR at 5 mg, which worked great the first two weeks, then seemed to wear off quickly and not be quite as effective at the beginning. SO THEN upped dosage of Focalin XR to 10 mg and school said he was more hyper and less attentive then before. NOt sure if this means it's having no effect or if it's making him more hyper. Anyone ever had a similar experience??? I've always heard ADHD drugs will make a non-ADHD kid more hyper ... but can a too high dosage have that effect on an ADHD kid as well, especially if previous meds and lower dosage did in fact control the hyperactivity and impulsivity??? I hate to think we're back at square one here and am just so frustrated. Would be interested if anyone else has had a similar experience ...First of all, I know that we were told to expect a lot of switching so that we found the right one for DS.
Could you go back to the Focalin XR at 5 mg? And maybe try it for more like 4-6 weeks? I know that sometimes, it takes longer than 2 weeks for the body to complete its adjustment...or that's what we were told.
I'm sorry--I know this is really a challenge and very frustrating to boot!
Dee
What was the freak out moment? We have tried all 3 and settled on Concerta 18mg for my son 10. We did have some side effects in the beginning but they have gone away. I wish you luck in finding the right med.
ADHD meds should not cause an increase in hyperactivity. If you haven't had a full psychiatric eval. it may be a good idea. A psychiatrist would be the most appropriate and knowledgable person to consult regarding diagnosis and meds. A couple of things to check:
1. Underlying mood disorder. Stimulants can cause mood changes and mania in children with mood disorders.
2. Lack of sleep caused by stimulants can cause a child to act hyper when in fact they are overtired.
3. Anxiety Disorder. Any family history of anxiety? Some kids will act hyper due to anxiousness. A stimulant can increase these symptoms.
Maybe try a short acting med? My son does very well on short acting Focalin, but the extended release version really doesn't help. It is inconvenient for him to have to leave class at 11 to see the nurse for his pill, but well worth it- he's a completely different child this year.
If you're unsure of his diagnosis, I definitely recommend a full eval. My boy was diagnosed early by a psychiatrist, but we had another eval this past summer for our own peace of mind... just in case, ya know?
My daughter has only been on Focalin so that is all the experience I have. She originaly was given 10 mg at my request. because of her body weight technically she should have been given 12mg but since they dont make a 12 mg pill I wanted the lesser dosage of 10 mg compared to upping it to 15 mg. She stayed on that for almost 2 yrs. As her height and weight increased I had to up her dose to 15 mg. I would usualy give her a 5mg Forcalin for evening activities but I am using it more then usual for various reasons.
I thing I have noticed, when I pick her up from school at 5:00 pm I have to go straight home to eat. She is angry and nasty if I try to run an errand first. It's like her body needs the food to balance her mood. There are occassions that I absolutely have to go some place prior to going home. I just try to be as quick as I can and focus, focus, focus her attention else while I am out until we get home.