I'm on Adderall XR too. It sounds like your son is adjusting to the dose as it gets higher and that is why his behaviors are returning. I'm not a doctor but I'd speak with your doc about upping the dosage. I'm on 20 mg, but I'm a small girl and the dose is actually way low for me. So I'll be upping mine too. I think you should pull as many answers out of your doctor as possible! This is a big deal for you, and since you aren't a doctor he should be giving you as much info as possible!

Also, the way my med trial worked was: I increased the dose and my Dr. monitored how it made me feel and noted any side effects (i.e. nausea or jitters). Then he raised the dose again and we realized it was too high. It was still good to try the highest dose before realizing that it was too high, as it gave me an idea of what the drug was affecting and what it wasn't. Good luck!

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Thank you so much for sharing! I actually had my son see the pediatrician this morning. She is monitoring his height and weight and vitals, while the psych doctor is administering the medication. I just felt better he was being over observed then under observed. She said the same thing to me this morning about upping the dose; however he has lost 4 lbs since being on the med 4 weeks. She is not thrilled and feels maybe we should think about switching meds. I am more confused than before. Thanks for the comments, they really helped.

How many different medicines did you try before you settled on Adderall?

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I did Concerta but it made me too jittery. I really like the Adderall. I do shake, but eating or knitting combats that pretty well. Is it possible to monitor your son's food intake? Also, at the end of the day when the meds are gone I get hungry, so maybe you can get some extra calories into him then. Make sure he's eating as much as he did, even if he's not hungry. You can make sure he's not losing weight as long as he's eating more. Just encourage more food prior to meds and feed him every four hours. Tell your doctor your concerns but you have to balance the weight loss with the benefits of the meds. I figure if I lose weight I can always gain it back, because I need the meds to get my work done.

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I so agree about the benefits. It is just amazing. The medicine has been like a light switch for him. Eating is a major issue for us already because he is a major string bean. Now he only weighs 52 pounds (really light for his height). But, I will try the eating before the medicine and later at night. Thank you so much for your help. You honestly helped a lot and I am very thankful!

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Hello everyone. I am a new member with a son of nearly 7 with ADHD. He is not on meds as our trial of stimulant was not a success. My little man has very aggressive rages- periodically- and on comedown became vicious and EXTREMELY sad. I feel that meds would make him more attentive but I'm not persuaded that emotionally he/we can deal with the side affects. Anyone out there with similar experiences? Thanks for reading.

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Tenarms,

If your son has periodic rages, he should probably be seen for other possibilities. Individuals with ADHD commonly have other conditions as well. Depression and child onset Bipolar can cause hostility and/or rages. Medication for ADHD can exacerbate other conditions such as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder. The source of his rages needs to be dealt with first before he can effectively be treated for his ADHD.

I would have him thoroughly checked out by a child psychiatrist. My nephew had originally been diagnosed with ADHD and put on meds but it didn't seem to help. After some time, they realized he had bipolar disorder. Once the bipolar disorder was effectively treated, he was able to take meds for his ADHD without any problem.

Good luck, Elaine

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