I am so sorry you are having such a tough time right now. If your daughter wasn't having these outbursts before medication, it very well could be a side effect of a medication that just isn't right for her. Not all children can tolerate all medications. Reference this wonderful article by Larry Silver, M.D. from ADDitude Magazine, ADHD Medication Strategies: Avoiding Side Effects of ADHD Drugs: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/957.html.

It is good to question if there is something else going on with your daughter as well. As Dr. Silver stated in the article I referenced above, sometimes stimulants bring out symptoms of a mood disorder or other diagnosis that weren't evident before. You mention things like a lack of recognizing social cues and not being able to look someone in the eye that can be a symptoms of something else entirely.

Of course, you should always seek the advice of the prescribing doctor when you feel like you have experiencing trouble with prescriptions. Maybe it's a good time to also reevaluate all of your daughter's current symptoms to find some resolution.

Hang in there!

Penny W., ADDitudemag.com & ADDConnect.com Community Moderator; ADHD Momma to Luke, age 7; creator of {a mom's view of ADHD} @ http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com

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Hi ScMom ---I have 8 year old son who has long been diagnosed as ADHD, and has been on ritalin for 2 years. It did help, but the mood issue has become more pronounced over time also. He was started on prozac, which helped his anxiety. Now we are exploring (at urging of psychiatrist and psychologist) whether he might also have a mood disorder. There are lots of books on the subject--apparently distinguishing ADHD and mood disorders is very tough, and the two occur in the same kids frequently . We are trying to wrap our minds around this for our gorgeous son, but we are mystified at the changes in mood--from raging to sobbing and back, and so so so irritable. As far as I can tell, the irritability is a key to the mood disorder diagnosis. If you just have sadness, I would still see a psychiatrist, but first keep a journal (or chart) of moods or temper tantrums, how long they last, etc The doctor will need to know this. I wish you good luck, and I totally get how frustrating the process is !

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Hi ScMom ---I have 8 year old son who has long been diagnosed as ADHD, and has been on ritalin for 2 years. It did help, but the mood issue has become more pronounced over time also. He was started on prozac, which helped his anxiety. Now we are exploring (at urging of psychiatrist and psychologist) whether he might also have a mood disorder. There are lots of books on the subject--apparently distinguishing ADHD and mood disorders is very tough, and the two occur in the same kids frequently . We are trying to wrap our minds around this for our gorgeous son, but we are mystified at the changes in mood--from raging to sobbing and back, and so so so irritable. As far as I can tell, the irritability is a key to the mood disorder diagnosis. If you just have sadness, I would still see a psychiatrist, but first keep a journal (or chart) of moods or temper tantrums, how long they last, etc The doctor will need to know this. I wish you good luck, and I totally get how frustrating the process is !

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