Are you seeing these behaviors while the meds were in his system, or after they've worn off Obviously things like starting fires are very serious.
Do you feel that ADHD is the correct diagnosis? Sometimes people with bipolar disorder are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD. Are there any relatives with bipolar disorder (manic depression)? It tends to run in families.
Of course, it's also possible he has ADHD and another condition. That would require treating both.
Good luck sorting it all out. You are dealing with some very difficult circumstances, and I hope you get some answers.
I believe that the best advice I can give you rests in a book about the AMEN clinic in Los Angeles, California, where Dr. Amen has diagnosed and researched using colorized CAT scan imaging (the same system used to ascertain the truth behind the medical symptoms of ADD and ADHD) of six known types of neurological impairments that relate directly to the vary core symptoms your describing from this book!
I feel, GOD HONESTLY, that you really need to find a physician in your area that is AMA certified to treat the neurologically impaired, they are required to have a neurologic background and be fluent in the operation and translation of colorized CAT Scanning results that are used to facilitate which medication or combination therein should be exercised on behalf of any afflicted patient! The reason I know this to be true stems from the fact that I had to force the University of Tennessee Medical School to send me to the University of California at San Diego Medical School, in order to seperate facts I found there from the ignorant fiction I recieved at UT of Knoxville, and get to the REAL proof that made clear what my real issues concerning ADHD really ARE. It was also where I found out what type of medications worked, the amount of each that was required to bring about a truly healthy result, and who I was to entrust in terms relevant to approved certifications and documented experiences as to how to find a physician in my area I can HONEST TO GOD TRUST. I certainly don't wish to deny you or your loved ones afflicted to remain in ignorance on what remains a lifelong issue. I am absolutely opposed to those in the medical communities who simply do not have this knowledge and experience who prey on bonuses they recieve from the pharmucutical industry from misdiagnosing the very children they are supposed to be treating. Often times, those children that are not truly impaired usually wind up establishing addictions to the medication they are so often prescribed that they end up violently addicted to it. Those of us that are truly impaired cannot be addicted to class-c medications because our brains don't generate the seretonin and other vital chemicals that are brains don't have the capability of producing. Those that are normal abuse our medications for a "rush" that none of us who take this same medication can ever truly feel.
My son was diagnosed at age 9, he is 12 now. He has tried all of the meds that you mentioned, Ritalin LA, Daytrana, and Intuniv. We have found that DS is a rapid metabolizer, and he metabolizes these meds(with the exception of the Daytrana patch) very quickly, they would wear off very soon. They also all caused tics, including Daytrana, so we added in Tenex for the tics. For him, short acting works best. This summer we started him on short acting Ritalin, taken along with the Tenex, and he is doing really well. He takes 15mg Ritalin along with 1mg Tenex in the morning, and then 15mg of Ritalin at lunch. He takes his last Tenex of the day around 7 or 8 pm, it seems to help him sleep.
Now, I will say that he does not have as much focus for homework as his second med is wearing off, but we tolerate it, and give the Tenex earlier if needed since it seems to settle him a little bit. I know our dr. would let us give him anothe dose of Ritalin after school if needed, but I hate to supress his appetite any further.
Just keep plugging away at it. Working with a good doc will help you find the best med for your son.
Good luck,
Heather
My 8 year old son was diagnosed with Adhd when he was 6 he has been on concerta, adderal, and focaline XR, the problem is that is seems that the medication wears off only within hours and he has a tick where he eats holes into his shirts or refuses to eat. He is now 8 years old and only weighs 49 lbs. What would be a good medication? He is also on Clonadine for sleeping. (A blood pressure medication) during these medications his behavior has gotten extremly worse. He has started two fires in our home, He eats holes into his shirts, gets in people's faces, Screams and cry's and spazzes out does anyone have any advice on medication to try?