tenex vs. depakote?? | ADHD Information
I've never heard of using Depakote so I'm sorry I can't really give any advice about that. I can give you some info on Tenex though. It has done wonders for my son. He wouldn't be able to take stimulants (which he desperately needs!) without the Tenex because they make him very moody, aggitatied, and anxious. The Tenex smooths all of that out. It may be worth a try because if it works it can really be a godsend! (Oh and btw, my son takes .5mg/.5mg/.25mg-morning, noon, and night)1st time to this site. 10 yr. old son on 40mg vyvanse for approx. 8 months. Helped immensely in school area (just got straight A's for 1st time). However, still has "cyclic mood" problem. Very emotional, quickly angered(but NEVER violent), and very argumentative at home. MD gave script for Tenex, 1/4 to 1/2 mg tab to start with. after researching med, reluctant to use, esp. since can't stop suddenly. Have read book, "Healing ADD" by Dr. Daniel Amen who speaks a lot about using anticonvulsant's such as Depakote to control above issues. Anyone with advice, thoughts, or experience??Day 2 on Tenex:Difference is UNBELIEVABLE!! Started N. on 0.25mg dose of Tenex at 4pm when gets off the bus. He has had 2 great days (very happy, energetic, helpful, thoughtful). Not getting my hopes up too much- only 2nd day, but a good start and no side effects so far. Thanks again soooo very much for all the advice!!I hope it continues for you! Please keep us posted!Yeah! It is so nice to hear success stories!
My son has been on guanfacine (tenex) for over 5 years and very successful. His concerta wouldn't work as well as it does.
I only have positive things to say about the combo.
My son will be 13 in June.
I was unsure about starting Tenex at first too. The doc said it's technically a blood pressure medication and that just freaked me out. But we tried it and I'm so glad we did! It's really made a difference for my son!
I've never tried GABA but I've heard about it along with the other natural supplements. The theory is that if the GABA levels are off in the body it can cause hyperactivity, anxiousness, and sleep problems. My son recently took a neurotransmitter test (urine test) at the direction of a Naturopathic doctor. One of the things it tested for was the GABA levels in the body. She recommended some supplements based on the results but the problem is that when I asked the psychiatrist to make sure they were ok, she told me not to give him anything until we have another appointment because some of the supplements can interact with his medication. It's difficult when the docs don't agree! 
Thank you sooo much for your input. Like I said, I'm a little unsure about starting Tenex, but I think I'm going to give it a try, b/c of his increased moodiness and aggitation. Will let you know how works. Also read that supplement, GABA can help with these issues. Any experience with this?This is where we are finally headed ourselves. After months of me telling the ped about this, he has finally gotten the ok from the psych. It's funny that the psych can fit in conferences with the local peds, but we can't get in to see her until July.
Anyway, I'm hoping tenex will do the job for us. If the ped can work the stims back in, it sure would help with my son's ability to focus. We have a huge stack of homework and he can only finish about three of the worksheets per week. The backlog is really starting to add up. I can't even imagine how the school day goes.