My now 7.5 year old daughter has ADHD and is almost the smartest person I have ever met. Even thou she is well advanced in her schooling it is like teaching a kangaroo/monkey most of the time. She fights me, screams to the smallest things and can get violent. I have told her about her ADHD problum and what it means to her. But the best thing that ever happened to me was on day when I went in to our local herb shop. My daughter was hanging off my arm screaming like a banchy when the lady that runs the shop looked at me than calmly said, "Have you ever tryed giving her catnip tea?"

It has helped her calm down like it calms cats. I use one tablespoon of organic catnip leaves and steep it in one cup of boiling water for 10 min. then I sweeten it with honey. I started with 1/4 cup a couple of time a day when she was 3, and now have worked up to the 1/2 a cup 2 times a day. by the time she is 12 she will be up tp the hole cup. I does help and does not have the side efects that drugs can. I am very agenst druging children exept for extreem cases. Well my children are going nuts so I have to go and try to get them to bed. The best of luck to you.

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Hi AJsMom:

I'll leave the dosage questions up to your doctor, though I do know that most ADHD meds are not approved for children younger than 6 and that most professionals recommend behavior therapy and other non-drug treatments for the very youngest children with ADHD.

I would definitely recommend downloading ADDitude's free report on alternative ADHD treatments including behavior therapy, fish oil, nutrition, etc.

I hope this helps!

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That seems likes way too much Adderall to me. My 16-yo son is on 25 mg./day along with some other meds. He has been taking Adderall since he was 7-yo. You may need another med and behavior therapy. It will get better -- I've been there. Does your son see a psychiatrist? My son's pediatrician over-dosed him when he 7-yo -- not knowing too much about ADHD meds. We see a psychiatrist ever 2/3 months.

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This sounds just like my 6 yr old daughter did. We had a horrible time especially in the mornings as well - and I feel your pain! I cried EVERY morning! Our doctor has her on 20mg of METADATE CD and a drug that is sometimes used with autistic kids called RISPERDAL,(dosage of .5 mg tablets twice daily). The METADATE CD alone was not controlling the EXTREME ANXIETY AND VIOLENT OUTBURSTS but the RISPERDAL has really calmed that down. I have been amazed!! She has only been on the RISPERDAL for the last 2 weeks but the last week has been HEAVEN!!!! She used to bang her head against the wall, scream, kick, bite, pull hair, and just FREAK OUT even saying she was going to get a knife and kill herself so she wouldn't have to feel the "HOTNESS" but she hasn't done ANYTHING all week she has even been polite and kind. She doesn't even seem like the same little girl. Best of all she DOESN"T seem drugged out. I cried the most this morning - but not because it was a bad morning - it was because she told me thank you for the new medicine - it makes her feel happier! WOW - I hope this continues to work!!!! I wish you luck - I feel your pain and you need a break!!!

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My ds just turn 7 and was diagnosed w/ ADHD at 5. I have finally realized that seeing a dr that specializes in ADHD makes a difference. I seen one pysch who just kept prescribing meds and when I went to a pysch that specializes in ADHD, he informed me that my son was over medicated and took him off immediately. After testing (TOVA), we decided to try 30 mgs Vyvanse (Adderal/Concerta didn't help).

What I am trying to say is perhaps he isn't on the right type of meds. It could take alot of trial of error before the right med is found.

Good luck

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It really is up to you to find a psychiatrist that specializes in ADHD; there is 6 different types and medications that are used for one type isn't used and can actually make the symptoms worse For example inattentive type can take a stimulant ; but the ring of fire type stimulants are lethal and can make the symptoms worse they can become very violent and like the ring of fire sounds will many times become psychotic. It would be advised that your son should not take this stimulant especially if you do not see an improvement . Dr Amien has a book, I would also advise since it goes into depth about the different types all 6 and s/s ;as well as diets, treatments that work. A specialist in ADHD is the key ; and not all psychiatrist or peditrician know about the way they need to treat or about the different types. . I am ADD/ADHD and I take Ritalin LA 20 Mgs in the AM and another 20 mgs in the early afyernoon, Welbutrin XL 150 mgs . but my medication would not always work on certain types. Some of the anti-psychotic do work because they affect different parts of the brain. I found my psychiatrist in the back of a book "Driven to Distraction" when I was first diagnosed . You may go the web that may help you locate one in your area of the country. GOOD LUCK ! LOOK FOR A CHILD PSYCHIATRIST THAT SPECIALIZED IN ADD/ADHD do not settle for anything less.

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Hang in there! Being a mom is a tough job..... being a mom of an ADD child is even tougher! I have a 7 yr old with ADHD and ODD. Try to stop and take control. Get a morning routine going, perhaps with a check list, sticker chart, or one on one help depending on his ability. Talk him through the morning, showing him what you expect. There isn't going to be an overnight change. It takes time. As for the medicine.... I think too high of a dose. If the drug isn't working, I would recommend increasing the dose like your MD did. If it still doesn't work, I would recommend trying another medicine. Call your physicians office and talk to the nurse about your concerns. Make an appt to follow up with the doctor. Be proactive.

It's OK to cry. It helps get emotion out and can help you get control. YOU need to be calm and in control if you expect your son to be. My son used to do many of the same things. Read "The Defiant Child" by Douglas Riley. He gives a lot of good advice about dealing with oppositional behavior.

Overall keep a postive additude. Praise the things he does correctly. Love him!!!!

I'll be praying for you! Julie

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My son is 6 1/2 and my daughter is 5 1/2. My son had ADHD and mornings are very tough. I am not a doctor but your son's meds do not sound like they are working AT ALL. Increasing a medication isn't always the answer. I did not have much luck with other meds but now he is on Ritalin LA and it is really working well. Big difference from Adderral. I also have started using a chart for behavior-smiley faces and x's with warnings that lead to a sad face. He uses the same thing at school with much success. I also get him up much earlier than I used to beecause everything takes so long to get accomplished, especially since he hasn't had his medication yet. Try to take deep breathes and be calm. I know how hard it is but ADHD kids feed into stressful emotions. Try to have everything ready the night before, clothes, backpack, homework laid out etc. Lots of time and maybe a schedule of things to do or his "special jobs". Make it a special responsibility with tangible rewards. Good luck and know that so many moms are freaking out most mornings.

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We have a lot of trouble with our 8 year old in the mornings. A few weeks ago, out of desperation, I devised a plan to see if we could make things go smoother. We now get up 1hour before the bus comes, give him his medication then let it take effect for about 15 minutes. We come up a second time and tell him its time to get up. He has 15 minutes to be up and fully dressed. If he does it in that time he knows there will be a surprise waiting for him in the kitchen. I put a bowl upside down and put something different there every day. One day it might be a new pencil, an eraser, his favorite breakfast pastry, a note saying great job, just something different every day. If he is one minute late we take the bowl away and he has to wait until the next morning to find out what was under it. He can't stand not knowing what will be there so it has worked great! Much better than elaborate charts,etc. Instant gratification is the key for us.

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My daughter just started risperdal last week as well as the Concerta that she has been taking. Everything that you just mentioned about your daughter is EXACTLY what I have been going through. It is horrible. She seems to be doing better with the Risperdal, but she keeps chewing her finger tips until they are raw. I know that it is a side efect of a stimulant, but do you have any ideas of how to stop her from doing this?

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jhurtz said: This sounds just like my 6 yr old daughter did. We had a horrible time especially in the mornings as well - and I feel your pain! I cried EVERY morning! Our doctor has her on 20mg of METADATE CD and a drug that is sometimes used with autistic kids called RISPERDAL,(dosage of .5 mg tablets twice daily). The METADATE CD alone was not controlling the EXTREME ANXIETY AND VIOLENT OUTBURSTS but the RISPERDAL has really calmed that down. I have been amazed!! She has only been on the RISPERDAL for the last 2 weeks but the last week has been HEAVEN!!!! She used to bang her head against the wall, scream, kick, bite, pull hair, and just FREAK OUT even saying she was going to get a knife and kill herself so she wouldn't have to feel the "HOTNESS" but she hasn't done ANYTHING all week she has even been polite and kind. She doesn't even seem like the same little girl. Best of all she DOESN"T seem drugged out. I cried the most this morning - but not because it was a bad morning - it was because she told me thank you for the new medicine - it makes her feel happier! WOW - I hope this continues to work!!!! I wish you luck - I feel your pain and you need a break!!!

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Be careful. My 18 yr old son is on 40 mg Adderall XR and has been for about 1.5 yrs. He stared on 20 in the 5th grade and increased from there. My 48 yr old husband started at age 45 with 40 and increased to 50. My son could not have a dosage increase until he was about 16 yrs old. My husband wanted an increase above 50 and was told no due to the large dosage. Both are over 6ft tall. Granted my son is very skinny, but still yours is 6 yrs old. I stress being careful as my son had issues very similar to what you describe on a different med and I demanded a change in medication due to what was going on and was told no by his psychiatrist. I went to another doctor explained the activity and he was then put on the Adderal XR. Once on it the symptoms and behaviors disappeared.

Every person reacts differently to different meds. Maybe your child does not work well with Adderal XR. Adderall XR is a good treatment, but again maybe it doesn't work for your individual child. Sometime when you increase the dosage things work out, but this seems excessive for a 6 yr old. Have you tried a different med? Good Luck!

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AJ's Mom said: Hi My 6 year old son has ADHD he is currently on 40mg of Adderall XR thats 20mg 2x's a day, this dose is and has not been working at all, ( as well as other smaller doses) the doctor just wrote a new prescription for 60mg thats 30mg 2x's a day. OK now I am totally scared I really fell this dose is way to much. I even called Shire the makers of this medication, they said only 30mg a day is recommended for children between 6-12yrs old. However, our daily life is so hetic, he is so hyper, does not listen, fights me to do his homework, etc. and even hits his sibling, he screams all day long, the mornings are the worst, he actually starts hitting me and calls me all kinds of names, each morning I cry after I drop him off at school, it feels like fighting a group of bears to just complete our morning routine. Please help need much advise My son and other children are my world and this is affecting our lifes and I need to help him.

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Has your son seen a child psychologist or a pediatric neurologist? There is NO WAY I would allow a regular pediatrician to have my 6 year old on this medication at these doses. Adderall XR is meant to be taken once per day. The XR stands for extended release. Half of the granules desolve when it is first taken and the second half have a special coating which takes about 4 hours to dissolve, so essentially, he is getting his second dose 4 hours after the first dose. The only reason a doc would give two doses of that each day were if the dose was wearing off too soon . . . then the doc might give you two smaller doses per day to extend the effects into the evening. I can't imagine a doctor doing that before he even knows that the medication is effective at all.

Is there any chance that you son has something in addition to the ADHD or instead of the ADHD? Maybe he has ODD, or some sort of sensitivity disorder or even asperger's ?? The only ADHD symptom that you describe is the hyperactivity. This can be present in other conditions, and ADHD rarely exists alone. There are almost always other disorders that go along with ADHD. My son has anxiety with his ADHD.

I weigh 170 lbs, and I was prescribed 30 mg of adderall per day, which worked for me, BUT which I became addicted to (meaning, I could not function without it - I would be exhausted and have no energy if I missed a day.) Also, when this dose wore off, I crashed. I was exhausted.

I know that every person's body chemistry is different, and it may take more for your son's body to react, but it also sounds like he his symptoms indicate that there may be another issue. The simple fact that the medication has NO effect on him at all makes me suspicious of the ADHD diagnosis alone. If the medication helped a little, and then stopped working, then I could see increasing it. This isn't the case, though. I don't know where you live, but there are some great ADHD clinics. (Not very many of them, I know.) There is one in Cincinnati, and when we took our son there, the psychologist said he could tell within the first 10 minutes of speaking to him that it was ADHD. He has that much experience. He has been working with ADHD kids for 25 years. It might be worth a road trip if you can't get any satisfaction from your current "team" of professionals. You can never be sure, and he is so little . . .?

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AJ's Mom said: Hi My 6 year old son has ADHD he is currently on 40mg of Adderall XR thats 20mg 2x's a day, this dose is and has not been working at all, ( as well as other smaller doses) the doctor just wrote a new prescription for 60mg thats 30mg 2x's a day. OK now I am totally scared I really fell this dose is way to much. I even called Shire the makers of this medication, they said only 30mg a day is recommended for children between 6-12yrs old. However, our daily life is so hetic, he is so hyper, does not listen, fights me to do his homework, etc. and even hits his sibling, he screams all day long, the mornings are the worst, he actually starts hitting me and calls me all kinds of names, each morning I cry after I drop him off at school, it feels like fighting a group of bears to just complete our morning routine. Please help need much advise My son and other children are my world and this is affecting our lifes and I need to help him.

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I agree with Vicreed.

It sounds like your doctor is stuck on the idea of Adderall and only Adderall. The truth is, is that each person's body reacts and responds differently to different types of medications. If Adderall is not working AT ALL, then increasing the dose is not going to help. It may even be dangerous.

A good doctor will try different types and brands of medications until he/she finds the right fit for your child. He should have moved on to something else a long time ago. I would find another doctor ASAP. Don't waste any more time or money on someone who is not going to work with you and your child to find an personalized treatment plan. Find someone who specializes in children and ADHD and is familiar and up-to-date on the latest treatments, and doesn't just push the meds the sales reps tell them to push.

It sounds like your son is truly suffering from his severe symptoms. You are right to question your doctor's wisdom. Sometimes these doctors take advantage of us parents who come to them for help. It is not like we don't have to struggle with everybody else to do right by our children. We shouldn't have to worry about the very doctors who are supposedly there to take care of the problem and be on our side, but sometimes that is the case. Find someone you can trust, and who treats you and your son with care and respect. Good luck.

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I can understand what you are going through... It is tough what us moms go through. My son is 5 1/2 and I didn't have him on any medications until 2 weeks ago. I use behavioral therapy, the Feingold diet and homeopathic drugs. I also had a microbiologist do a screening on my son... he found that he had a yeast infection in his blood... which he says will mimic the characteristics of ADHD... So now my son is on probiotics... once he was detoxed the yeast.

If my son wasn't on this regimen he would be OUT OF CONTROL>>> LIKE A MANIAC>>> the only reason I have put him on medication is because he was having trouble in school.. He is on 2.5 x 2 of focalin....

I would say at the very least look into the feingold diet.... I know the medical field doesn't believe in it... but you ask moms that have tried this with there babes and you will know it is the right answer....

Andrea

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AJ's mom,

It looks like you have been getting some good advise so far, but I learned something today from my child psychiatrist today I thought was interesting and would like to pass on. My child was diagnosed when he was 5 1/2 and is now 7. So far he was a straight Concerta child, but like you I was worried that we kept increasing the dosage every 6 mos or so and there comes a time when the dosage is just too much for me to think is safe for my child. He told me that that a child's metabolism is significantly higher the younger they are and they can "burn" through the medicine faster then a child who is a teenager or even older. For example, Concerta was suppose to be lasting 12 hrs, but with him, it was wearing off closer to 9 hrs. In the end we decided to try a long lasting Adderall in the morning and a faster acting one after school to hold him through after school care and the dreaded homework time. I can tell you from experience from seeing my pediatrition every 1-3 months, a child psychologist every month, and now a child psychiatrist every child is different and it takes a lot of work to find the one that will work right for your child, I am certainly still in the searching process to find ours. Good Luck!!

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