how do i know if it is the right med | ADHD Information

my 6 yo son was prescribed focalin xr a few weeks ago. We have been giving
him half a dose (2.5 mg) every day. The teachers and I have noticed that it
wears off by 12 or 1 (he gets it around 7:15 a.m.). A few days I increased it
to 5 mg, but it still seemed to wear off early. Also, when he comes off of it he
is very angry and acts a little strange. Tonight I lost my temper and yelled at
him and he cried and said he was a bad boy and he hated himself, etc (didn't
do that in the past if I lost my cool). I like the drug because he is still able to
sleep at night, but I am wondering if the side effects are severe enough for
us to call the doc and try a new med. Do kids have this reaction with all
meds when they wear off?It sounds like he is experiencing rebound as he comes off the medication.  Rebound can be frustrating to deal with.  Lots of people have different things they try - like getting them active,  making sure they eat something and sometimes a short acting dose.   Everyone is different, but bor us,  when my daughter's medication is at the right level - we see very little rebound.  With her,  if it is too low we have issues.

I'd give your doctor a call to discuss what you are seeing.   You comments about him saying he's a bad boy and hates himself concern me.

If you need something longer lasting,  you could try concerta.

Yes, sounds like classic rebound issues--even the sensitive/emotional stuff.  In my own experience plus what I've read, rebound diminishes over time...and being only three weeks into starting this type of medication, I predict that given some more time, rebound effects should lessen considerably for your son.

It also helped me considerably to learn what the heck was going on when I first started medicating and experiencing rebound effects...just knowing that this weird feeling accompanied by rapid mood  swings and exaggerated impatience was something that would pass in about an hour, allowed me to manage it a lot better.  I  think the same works for all of us--we tend to manage things better when we know what's going on.  So at some point it'd be good to let your son know about "rebound" and assist him in learning some "coping skills" that help him get through that brief period when it occurs.  
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