Welcome to ADDitude forums. If you don't know where to start, you may just want to sit back and observe for awhile. A look through the ADDitude website will probably provide you will just the starting point you are looking for. As a mother, you might want to start in the ADHD Parenting section useful.

Start educating yourself and you'll feel a lot less intimidated. Start here for the basics about ADHD.

Check out the ADHD Treatment articles for more information about ADHD medications and alternative treatments.

Good Luck, Dena

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My son was diagnosed with ADHD two months ago, he is taking concerta 36mg, it seems not to work as well as it did at fist and it wears off by the time school is out. I am considering trying the vyvanse it lasts 12 hours and seems to have little side effects? Does anyone know about this medication? Thanks for any input

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The rule of thumb is that you should work with your doctor to adjust your child's medications. But good for you for doing your research. Kids are affected differently by different drugs. So it is hard saying exactly what type of side effect the drug will have on your child until your child tries it. He may just need the dose or time of day adjusted.

You might find the following articles helpful when trying to decide on how to proceed

ADHD Medication 101

Ask the Expert: Concerta

Good luck, Dena

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My 6 year old was recently diagnosed with ADD. As there are only three weeks of school left and I have just started researching things like dyes in foods, etc and how diet can affect attention disorders in children, we decided to do a one month trial on the medication b/c we wanted to see how it affected my son's behavior/learning in a school setting. He is in kindergarten, and we would like to have a decision made about medication, and if we are going that route, have all the specifics worked out (dose, time, type, etc) before he begins first grade in the fall. He is currently taking Vyvanse and we have seen an immediate difference that is positive. However, this is day three and it is causing some sleep issues. He is a child that typically goes to bed at 7pm and gets up at 6am. Last night he was up until 11:45 and right now it is 9pm and he is still awake. This is disturbing b/c it has helped a lot with focus issues and completing things he starts in school. He obviously can't go on 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night, so I will call the pediatrician to see if we should try another type of med. I am personally hoping to try some alternative treatments ultimately and forego the medication altogether. I have very mixed feelings about medicating my son at such a young age.

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My daughter was diagnosed two months before her 5th birthday and no I am not thrilled about her being on medication (Focalin) but it has made such a difference in all of our lives and her self esteem. As far as sleeping, we have always had issues with her falling to sleep because she was very restless, but once she is there she is down all night. She too like your son will wake at 6am and she is ready to run. As far as emotions, you will have good days and bad days, some days you will be fine with the medicine others you will not. Perhaps it could be a dose adjustment or dependent on when you give it during the day. I have heard that Vyvance lasts longer (but each person is different). The questions you may want to ask yourself is how was he in school without medication and how is he with it. This is such a crucial time in their lives to learn the basics of school.

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