Several years ago my youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD.  His pediatrician had us wait a long time before agreeing to put him on medication, which eventually became Ritalin.  20 mg in the morning and 10 mg at lunch.  At first it appeared to be a god send.  Then he began having rage issues where he couldn't control either his sadness (being on the severe side), or his anger.  Lots of love and talking went on - he was 6 then.  He complained often about headaches while on Ritalin, and I passed the information on to his pediatrician not knowing what to do.  When they became migraines, we pulled the meds.

He is now 8 and has been on Concerta for about 4 months.  No more migraines, thank god.  But the level of concentration is not the same.  He's gone from being super kid, to something I have difficulty putting words to.

He is my hero.  I can not understand what caused him to have this problem, and like any mother there are times that I look at him and wonder if he really needs the meds - and of course he does.

Now his brother, who is 5, is also following the same pattern of difficulty in school that he did; however he is a completely different personality.  My youngest is a much more happier kids, than his serious brother.

My concern are obviously the meds.

As the mom who doesn't have ADD or ADHD I have that nagging feeling of "what are they feeling on the meds".  I can read instruction booklets on the meds till the cows come home and it still means nothing.  Its worse trying to ask my son.  He is incapable of going into any type of descriptive sentences.  So I'm looking for help from y'all.

Ritalin has caused severe moods swings and of course the headaches, but I couldn't get my son to explain to me if the med also made him angry.  Concerta is supposed to cause serious depression as it builds up into the system.

Can anyone help???

Many thanks!!!!

Hi! I will try to help you!  My daughter is on concerta, she doesn't have any magor side affects, the worst is she gets an occasional stomache ache if she doesn't take the med with food. She has never been on ritalin, but I had a friend whos son was on it and he had major moodswings on it. There is another ADD/ADHD medicine that you might want to try... It is called Stratera! I have been told that it is not a stimulant. My daughter tried it but she couldn't takle it. But it might work for your sons. It couldn't hurt to try!  You have to go through trail and error to find what works! 

P.S. Thank you for the info on concerta and it causing depression the longer it is taken. I will be watching my daughter for symptoms! You learn something new that the doctors don't tell you every day! 

ADHDX2 wrote:
Ritalin has caused severe moods swings and of course the headaches, but I couldn't get my son to explain to me if the med also made him angry.  Concerta is supposed to cause serious depression as it builds up into the system

Hi ADHDX2.....its really scary for parents when their children experience these types of side effects. Doctors like pediatricians are not trained to diagnose and treat childhood disorders and thats why you might get inaccurate information or not the information you need to understand whats going on. There are many reasons a child might have a severe reaction to ADHD medication for instance, the dose being too high, the wrong medication for that particular child, misdiagnosis or a condition that coexists with ADHD like bipolar disorder. If the child also has bipolar disorder, ADHD medications can excaserbate the symptoms of bipolar by inducing rage or severe mood swings. Stimulant medications are not blood level medications and therefore flush right out the system once effectivenss has worn off. Thre is no build up.  Depression in children is often seen as a result of having ADHD due to low self esteem issues. As parents we can only speculate and that is why it is important that we have our children diagnosed and treated by specialists in the field. Some children just have a sensitivity towards medication and just cant take it. You know your children best and for whatever reason your children are having these side effects, think about having them assessed and followed up by a pediatic neurologist and a child phychiatrist.

My 8yo is on the spectrum for Aspergers, as well as having ADHD.  I believe he has ADD, not ADHD, but thats inconsequential.

The ADD feeds off the Aspergers, which I believe then triggers his explosive outbursts....something that strangely is focused directly at his 5yo brother...who is probably another ADHD child in the wings...lol!

My understanding is that the effects of ADD meds take a while to take affect.  This is because the body has to assimilate the drug - in my mind its similar to antibiotics.  You need to take them for a while and pack them into your system before they start to make you feel better.

I think the Concerta is working well for him in that he no longer gets migraines.  I'm not sure its at the right dosage.  Because of the Aspy syndrome I have difficulty getting him to explain the difference between this medication and the Ritalin....thats what drives me crazy.  The wanting to make sure I'm doing the right thing.  You know how it is. 

The ADD feeds off the Aspergers, which I believe then triggers his explosive outbursts....something that strangely is focused directly at his 5yo brother...who is probably another ADHD child in the wings...lol!

Ah ok, I got it now. That makes sense because your child has a coexisting condition which may be the reason for the outbursts as you said. I understand what your saying about the meds but stimulant medication does not have to build up in your system to see the most benefit. The most benefit is seen when the right dose is achieved and the right med is found for that particular child. For the child that is stricly ADHD who is reponsive to stimulant medication, positive effects will be seen not too long after taking it. I have posted a link below which explains it much better. That is why children are put on a trial of meds and if after a few days if posiitve results arent consistantlly seen, the dose or the med is changed untill  the right one is found. Straterra on the other hand is a blood level medication and has to build up in the system. It could take up to six weeks before the maximum benefit is seen.

I know what you mean when you say your wanting to make sure your doing the right thing. What Ive learned through the years is when your a loving, caring parent as you are, whatever decisions you make for your child along the way are the right ones because they are made as a result of your love for your child. Despite the fact that we moms get so damn burned out lol.....we always know whats best for our children

Evidence-based Medication Management for Children and Adolescents with AD/HD - CHADD Fact Sheet #3

I have 2 with ADHD as well as myself. I'm not on any meds due to headaches from them. I manage as best I can, but most days are terrible insofar as focus and organization go.

My 12 yr. old is on 80 mg's Ritalin, and he is doing fine. My 14 yr. old was on 30 mg's Adderall and has gone from 120lbs to 90's in about a year. He decided to go off the meds this past week-end because he was tired on not eating. He couldn't even force himself to eat. I e-mailed the Dr. and no response. I may have to find another Dr. We did discuss the weight issue several times, but she kept on giving him a renewal.  Both drugs have been a godsend for school work as we have had no problems in that regard. I am confused as to what to do next.