My son began taking 10mg Focalin XR in the mornings before school exactly two months ago. He will be 6 in two weeks, and is in Kindergarten. The medication has made a drastic improvement on his school work and was making things run a little more smoothly at home as well.

Early mornings and evenings have been and will probably always be difficult for us, even with the medication. At first his psychologist and pediatrician both kept asking us how the "rebound" was in the evenings after the medicine left his system, and honestly, for the first six weeks, it wasn't that bad.

However, over the past three weeks, it has become completely unmanageable. We have always suspected he may also have ODD, but his fits of rage in the evenings are now completely out of control. He has a sibling who is almost 2, and we cannot leave them unattended at any time. He pushes his younger brother down, or does other 'mean' things to him, almost just to see if he can do it. Last week on two separate occasions he tried to choke his younger brother right in front of us. He is now throwing punches at me, my husband, my mother, really anyone, on a daily basis. A few nights ago he completely lost it when asked to put his pajamas on and hit his father, me, used profanity (that I didn't even know he knew!), destroyed his bedroom, and punched a hole in his bedroom door.

I am at my wit's end. I have read many books, we have tried reward charts and systems, positive reinforcement, all of the stuff that the books and doctors recommend. It no longer works. I am scared of my child. I don't know what to do with him.

Do any of you feel this could be a result of the medication (Focalin XR 10mg) that has just begun to present after over 6 weeks of positive results? Help!!

Thank you, Jamie

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