Just started Adderall!

Steph - posted on 04/17/2013

My son is now 6, he started taking medicine when he was 5. He started off taking Risperdal and then started taking Strattera with the Risperdal. He has extremely bad moods he will absolutely just flip out and a lot of the time there is no reason, he just gets mad. He also gets so hyper no one can calm him down, and he will laugh in your face when you are trying to talk to him and its all just horrible and upsetting seeing my son go through this. Well about 2 wks ago his doctor took him off of Strattera and started him on Intuniv, not sure what will happen, hopefully it will work. I hate this for him and our family, good luck to all of you too.

Steph - posted on 04/17/2013

My son is now 6, he started taking medicine when he was 5. He started off taking Risperdal and then started taking Strattera with the Risperdal. He has extremely bad moods he will absolutely just flip out and a lot of the time there is no reason, he just gets mad. He also gets so hyper no one can calm him down, and he will laugh in your face when you are trying to talk to him and its all just horrible and upsetting seeing my son go through this. Well about 2 wks ago his doctor took him off of Strattera and started him on Intuniv, not sure what will happen, hopefully it will work. I hate this for him and our family, good luck to all of you too.

Hoos - posted on 02/09/2013

I had the same problem with my son and they said stick with it. I stuck with it for months and the neurologist kept upping the dosage saying he was growing tolerant of the medicine. Eventually his therapist said to take him off it cause it wouldn't end his behavioral issues. I'm glad I stopped cause now they're saying it leads to heart failure and other aliments. Speak to a holistic health center about vitamins for combatting ADHD. That's actually working for my 9 yr old son now!

Damien - posted on 11/14/2012

My Personal Experience with ADHD:



My son is only 16, but we have known for a while that he is wired a little differently so when his teacher told us we needed to do something we figured we had better listen. I did some research and started him on a good multivitamin and DHA supplement.



He is doing much better with his hyperactivity after making these changes, but he is still having impulse control issues. Texas Tech had done a study on the efficacy of using SPARK in children with ADHD, but I could only find the abstract of the study and not the complete write up so I talked to Dr. Carl Keen on AdvoCare's sci/med board about a personal testimony Tara Presley had shared with me about her son's experience. I wanted to know how safe this was for a 16 year old and what risks were associated with him taking these products: because, on the website they are NOT recommended for use in children under the age of 12; I just wanted to be careful I was not giving my child something unsafe. He talked to me about several factors involved in ADHD and the fact that there is nothing in the supplements that would be harmful if I wanted to try them. Because my son is 16 I used the doseage recommended on the bottles.

Dr. Mark Miller said that I should try probiotic boost in addition to the multivitamin and DHA supplement first. After about two weeks I should add the SPARK to this.



I signed up with AdvoCare as a wholesale customer to get the 20% discount. There are no minimum orders, I just get what I need. Tyler has used the Advocare products and love them. Its like I have my son back again. I hope this helps. If you are interested in trying any of the supplements, you can print the information for each supplement and take them to your doctor to ask about any health risks. I never thought being a parent my would involve so much research! You can go to my website and print out the information sheets here www.advocare.com/121012261

God Bless

Romina - posted on 10/20/2012

If she is worse off I would stop the med. Besides, you might want to research a little bit on ADHD drugs for children. I have never heard of Adderall being given to kids of such young age. My son and I both suffer from the same condition. Adderall was perscribed for me, but he had to try two or three different medications like concerta or vyvanse, and intuniv. These are the most popular ones for kids. We have been through four different doctors due to change of our insurance but we were never offered Adderall for my son. Consult your doctor about the changes you noticed, at the same time do your own research adderall might not be the right med for her. Goodluck

Romina

Christie - posted on 05/09/2012

I am a grandmother raising 2 grandchildren. They have started my grandson on Adderll 5 mg. He has been on it for over a month. He is very mean aggressive and at times violent. At preschool he is head butting, spitting, kicking and pushing the other children, as well as biting. Screams at the top of his lungs if he does not get his way, or has to quit what he is doing, jumps and throws him self down on the floor. Never did this before. He was "just very busy" which I would rather have right now. I am seriously thinking of not giving him this medicine anymore as i do not like the little boy he has become. They say he has ADHD/ADD, high functioning autism and asperger's syndrome. He has the capacity of a 2 year in a 5 year old body, But he does do some things of a 5 year old. So I am at a loss. This drug almost makes feel like he is possessed. Just my thoughts or if anyone has any idea please let me know. I am at a loss on this. Both these children have a hard start in life, I do not want to add more.

Christie Reynolds

Bridgette - posted on 01/27/2012

My six year old daughter was on Concerta (18mgs) and had that same problem I let it go a week before I called the Doctor. The doctor changed her to adderall xr 10 mg. we have been on it for two days. Her first day on adderall we had no problems, today (day 2) it's like she is not even on meds.

April - posted on 06/23/2011

Hello everyone, first timer! My son is 4 and he just started adderall xr 5mg, ive already noticed a difference in him, he is also on luvox for ocd, he has been dignosed with add, adhd, and ocd. I was so anti medication at first before we got a for sure dignoses but the doc asked why i was denying my son the proper treatment and that made me think alot.. i was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder but they said right now he seems not to have that and if he did then the adhd meds would probably make him worse.. so i think hes overall doing better. thx for all of your posts, i know that im not alone with all this new medication and diagnoses. xoxo mommiof3!!

Mary - posted on 01/24/2010

Unfortunately I think it is trial and error. Concerta at one point was horrible for my sons stomach! I think he was just too young. They had him on something else for awhile then eventually they had us switch back and it was great. Then however he 'outgrew' it and is now on the Adderall. However, Im thinking because of the mood changes going on that it time for yet another change. Alot to do with each persons chemicals and how they react to the drug. Sorry to say...but like guinnea pigs

Zelda - posted on 01/23/2010

That made my child mean, mean , mean, we could not even say hello to my son. If she is doing this take her off. Can they give her Concerta at this age? My son was 11 when he took the adderal. Concerta was good. It helped my son a lot. good luck

Jenni - posted on 01/23/2010

I am a single mom of two boys (20 & 13). Both who have ADHD & ADD and both have been on meds. My oldest just grew out of the ADHD late in middle school. My youngest has been on meds (Adderall XR) for a while but he maxed out on the mg's. While he was on the Adderall XR, he was very agitated all the time. Did not sleep and did not eat. He was put on a very low dose sleeping pill and once it was in his system and stayed steady, he was easier to be around. Now he is on Vyvance! He is not as hungry but he is focusing better and not as moody. It takes time for the meds to really work. It has to be given everyday in order for the meds to work properly and to stay at a constint level. I wish you all the best in your journey for it has only begun.

Christine - posted on 01/21/2010

You should keep a journal for just meds. My sons been on so many different ones...and I have trouble keeping them straight. Write down the side effects you see and if they go away. Sometimes they have to give another medication to ease other problems.. My son takes adderall and a mood stabilizer for the exact same thing you are talking about. Good luck!

Heather - posted on 01/21/2010

my 3 yr old stared the adderall on the 12th it has been a god send I tell you sheis slleping he night for the first time in her life.I hope things get better for you

Deborah - posted on 01/21/2010

My son started out on Vyvanse when he was just over 4 yrs old. We were not happy with it. He wasn't eating and he was up a lot during the night wide awake. We gave it about a month to see if it may just needed time to get in his system and start working the way it should but we never saw any change. He was a lot calmer but losing weight and sleep. The doctor switched him to Focalin and of course we went through a couple of adjustments on the dosage and it worked pretty well for him. He took a 5 mg in the afternoon and it got to a point where they were no longer available so the doctor put him on Concerta for the day and Ritalin for the late afternoon. He has been doing pretty well on it but we think his dosage may not be strong enough. At times he seems pretty calm but other times he seems as though he hasn't taken it. He has seemed impossible and mean sometimes but I don't know if he would be like that anyways (he has a younger sister and they sometimes fight over stuff). He did seem pretty moody when he first started out on meds but that could have been because his body hadn't got used to the medication yet. I couldn't wait for it to get in his system and for it to start working the way it should. In the beginning, he too, made me crazy and didn't think I could get through it but it could take several different adjustments to get the right combination.

Mira - posted on 01/21/2010

My 6 year old son had been on Ritalin tabs for almost a year and they seemed to have stopped working in Dec. so the dr. suggested we try Adderal XR - an amphetamine based drug. At 10mg it didn't do anything so we upped it to 15mg and boom - he was either angry at everything or a zombie sitting at the side of the pool staring into space. This was not an acceptable option b/c this is not who our son is - He is vibrant and funny and engaged. The dr. changed the med as soon as I told him. He said my son seemed to connect better with the stimulant based drugs - every child is different, it was worth the try but we switched the next day to concerta (ritalin/methylphenidate based) and we are so much happier. We have a ritalin 5 mg tab as a booster when needed for homework, etc. Good luck but never accept a side effect that so dramatically changes your child to someone you don't know.

Suzie - posted on 01/20/2010

HI HEATHER, MY DAUGHTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD WHEN SHE WAS 5 YEARS OLD...AND HER PEDIATRICIAN SAID SHE WAS WAY TO YOUNG FOR MEDS. SHE STARTED ADDERALL 2 MOTHS BEFORE HER SEVENTH BIRTHDAY SHE STARTED WITH 5 MGS. AND INCREASED WITH AGE AND WEIGHT.. SHE IS 9 1/2 NOW AND IS @ 20 MGS.. AND DOES QUIET WELL YES LIKE EVERYTHING IT DOES WEAR OFF TWORDS THE EVENING.. BUT I KEEP HER BUSY.MY DAUGHTER HAS HER MOMENTS...HER THING IS TO TALK BACK AND NOT COMPLETE PROJECTS OR CHORES... @ 5 SHE DROVE ME AND HER POOR TEACHER NUTS...SHE WOULD NOT LET THE OTHER CHILDREN DO THAIR SCHOOL WORK...ALWAYS INTERUOTED...WELL JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING....TRY TO GET HER INVOLVED IN ACCTIVITIES AT THE PARK DISTRIC LET HER RUN CRAZY OUT SIDE. I KNOW IT'S HARD ESPECIALY IF YOU HAVE OTHER LITTLE ONES.. I HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND IT'S SOMETIMES HARD FOR ME.

Cori - posted on 01/17/2010

My son took Adderal 10 mg XR. We first tried the generic version, and that caused him to have meltdowns when it wore off, so we switched to formulary and he was okay with that. But, beware, because I was once told by a therapist that if a child is suspected of having ADHD, you give them a stimulant and see what happens. (I was told I could even try this with caffeinated drinks/sugar.) Supposedly, if your child calms down after ingesting a stimulant, then they have ADHD. If they are agitated by the stimulant, then they most likely do not have ADHD. Four years old is very young and I was warnedby my doctors to wait as long as possible to start meds, as 4 years, or even 5, is too young to really even know for sure if ADHD is the problem. Hope my experiences have helped you. Good luck.

Kristin - posted on 01/16/2010

We have tried all the different meds for our 11 year old. Ritalin tablets work best for us. It's a pain to give them 3 times a day, but the results are worth it. We also use them on weekends and during the summer, otherwise we seem to just yell, yell, yell! Remember that some medications will just stop working. Your child can take one med for a while and everything will go fine then all of the sudden one day you will realize it's not working anymore. Always call your clinic and let them know. If your concerned about it not working so well in the evenings, consider Daytrana, it's a patch and works as long as you are wearing it. It should be removed at least 1 hour before planned bed time. It worked super well for us for about 4 months, then it just stopped! Everybody is different, remember that when you get opinions from others:)

Mary - posted on 01/16/2010

I have to put my son on a 'booster' to get us thru the 'homework' spell and it will then make it last til bedtime

Mary - posted on 01/16/2010

there are other meds you can try and they can also change the dosage. My son started it at 8 an though I really didn't/don't like to have to medicate him....he is so better when I do. I also keep him on it for the weekends and during the summer (sometimes the doctors will give you option, but the way I figure it is why bounce them on and off of it -- hard enough with just being on it)

Amy - posted on 01/16/2010

i had the same results with adderall...but mine was a zombie and cried all the time.

Shannon - posted on 01/16/2010

my husband is on addereall he loves it, just rember they are so man meds oyt there that you migt haveto keep trying one will work i pronise
shannon

Philinda - posted on 01/15/2010

my son started adderall xr a few months ago and he does fine during the day but in the evenings he is horrible, the teacher says he pays more attention in class. that is all i really want him to do, i just dont like him in the evenings coming off the medicine!

Joan - posted on 01/10/2010

Do not wait 2 or 3 weeks take her back and tell them you do not like the effect of the med and to change it. Adderall made my little boy angry and that is exactly what I did.

DeAnn - posted on 01/10/2010

I would go back and try your 4 year old on something else. My son tried lots of things until he really connected well with Focalin....It works super well with him. I also use a natural amino acid/ B12 energy drink which I have found to be the best. It is called Spark. It is through a company called Advocare. It works so well, I have become a distributor of the company. I can give you a discount if you want to try some or I can send you a free sample. give me a call @ 1(208)230-4071 or look on my website @ www.AdvoCare.com/1001120. Try it it works!!

Chanel - posted on 01/10/2010

her dosage maybe too low my son just started taking Adderall xr about a month in half ago and he's 7 yrs old he has went through about 3or 4 diffrent meds the dr started him out on 10 mg and after a week or so it didnt seem like it was working then he up his dosage to 15 mg well the same thing happened now as of last wednesday he started him on 20 mg and it is working wonders. now when he first started taking meds he was 6 yrs old and the dr started him out on vyvanse 15 mg and he went through mood swings after another, he thought that everyone was against him, he cried all the time couldnt sleep and didnt eat at all and he started out loosing weight and he is a very small frame child. but your dr is right it takes about a week til two weeks for u to see a change u will just have to give it time unless the dosage is to low then u wont see a change in it hopefully this help

Melissa - posted on 01/10/2010

My dd4 started adderall Dec 9th. I can tell only a small difference. They changed her to adderall xr but i'm waiting on the prior approval to go thru so we can start it. I hope it works. She also take clondine for sleep. They increased it and she only got up one time last night. Wish me luck tonight. Goodluck to you guys!!!!

Heather - posted on 01/10/2010

Thanks. Today went pretty well. We had church and my mom, who is in her room, said she did really well. Usually she sits not really paying attention and never answers the questions but I guess today she was able to yell out the answer to one of the questions from the story. After church we went to the store and she actually sat in the cart for my mom. We then went to a birthday part where she played very well with the other kids and never had a fit when it was time to go. On the way home she feel asleep and I was hoping that just meant early to bed (6pm) but as soon as I got her out of the car she woke up. She will now be up for awhile. Going to be giving her a little melatonin to help get her to sleep tonight.

Tina - posted on 01/10/2010

My son is going to start it tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes.