My son has recently been diagnosed as well but he was but on Vyvanse at first it was great mostly at school basically took the edge off and soon after that he was mean, argue all the time, and the crying oh my! his doctor took him off the meds for Christmas break and we are going to see her Wednesday and I don't know what to do have you tried something new?

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Thats exactly what we are about to do and I'm glad you told me about your son on Vyvanse it sounds just like my daughter on Adderrall. I had done some research on Vyvanse and spoke to a friend who's son was on it and they all had great feedback about it so we were going to give it a try, but it sounds like some more investigation is necessary. I also heard from my Dr who has a daughter who is ADD/ODD that she is on Adderall as well as Intuniv to offset the negative side effects of the Adderall and she swears by it. So I just don't know what to think I guess it's just gonna take some trial and error. I will say that though Adderrall worked well at first... the one side affect we really don't like is that it supresses her appetite pretty severely. Thanks for the feedback let me know what you find out and I wil do the same!

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My daughter was recently diagnosed and was prescribed 20 mg Adderall RX and she took it all of two weeks before we took her off. We did see a difference with her being more attentive but by 5pm everyday you knew the meds were starting to ware off. The first two days we had weeping spells where she would cry at the drop of a dime. She balled because she didn't want me to order her school pictures because she didn't like them, and if you even mentioned pictures, she would break down and cry.

Five days into it and her normal aggressiveness (she is difficult at times) was magnified by 10. Everything would upset her and it was nothing short of pure rage. Screaming, swearing, crying, you name it. She kicked a hole in our wall because she wasn't allowed to go somewhere and had a four hour meltdown.

After the second week we just couldn't take it anymore and didn't want her to go through it either so we phoned the pediatrician and told them we wouldn't be giving it to her anymore. We are starting a new med soon and hopefully the after math won't be so severe.

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I understand the frustration you must be feeling. We were worn out. My son was on the same medication. It has taken trial and error to get a dosage that is just right. First there is no magic pill, maybe a combonation of medications and therapy. I find that when our son is crying and angry (we call it meltdown)..he needs medication adjustment. Also, when he gains more than ten libs or his medication is giving at different times or his sleep routine is interrupted he has more meltdowns. Stick to a schedule as close as possible, and routines and lists of what is expected. Keep a calander of what medication was started on what date and the reactions. Good Luck and be positive, Get some respite if you can so tha you can be fresh and rested .

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my son was on adderall and it would last until school was out. Then all heck would break lose. He is on Concerta now and I understand it is time released and lasts pretty much until 8pm, then he takes his night time medication. We tried diets and all kinds of medications and dr changes and even therapist changes. We have a good mix right now, Watch when thier weight changes and they go through growth spurts , hormones changed and so the medication will need to change with the child.

Good luck and enjoy you child.

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After years of problems at school and no one ever saying the word ADD to us, our son was diagnosed early in 4th grade. He currently takes Focalin and that has really helped. It was a huge period of adjustment each time we had to change the dose. We are at a good place now. For the first time he got all As and Bs in school in 4th grade and finally began feel good about himself. This year, he has only gotten on B and he feels like school is super easy! He has also taken up the bass for his school's orchestra and loves it. If you had asked me 2-3 years ago if I ever thought he would have the patience and focus to play an instrument, I would have laughed! It is exhausting to have teachers give up on your son, and know some teachers are doing all the wrong things when choosing to discipline (taking away recess is completely the wrong thing for him!!). But we didn't know what to do. We are still learning every day how to handle him. Chore lists, a brief stint in therapy, lots of outdoor time. We do whatever we have to. He is an awesome, cool, smart, athletic kid, with tons of talent, and a heart as big as Texas. I wouldn't change who he is...because ADD is part of why his is so wonderful. So, my advice, and learn all you can, and try whatever you need to. Hang in there...it does get easier. God Bless!

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My daughter was diagnosed with ADD the end of her 3rd grade year. After researching we decided to put her on medication during the summer. She is currently taking Concerta and is doing well on it. Our Dr. did warn us that there would be a few weeks where she would be more emotional than usual but it would stabilize, which was true. We have had great results from this medication, especially when she can see the positive benefits, like being able to focus at school, and finishing tasks. As a mom who as grown up with ADD myself and wasn't diagnosed until an adult, my biggest goal is to do my best to make her feel successful. We have approached her ADD as a positive thing,. There are a lot of down sides to ADD, but there are many positive attributes that people with ADD have and our focus is to help her to reach her full potential. Many days it seems difficult to just get simple tasks accomplished and not feel like I am in a constant battle with her. But being in her shoes, I have to step back and realize that her hyperactivity/inattentiveness/ stubbornness is not always something she can control herself. One unfortunate side effect of ADD meds is that it can often interfere with their sleep. The less sleep my daughter gets, the more emotional and out of control she is. When she is on a regular sleep schedule and eats a healthy diet I her medication seems to work better. Hang in there, its a roller coaster, but inside her is an incredible girl with amazing talents that are just being masked by the way her brain is wired. Medication is only the tip of the iceberg, educating yourself and her about this issue and trying to see it as a positive thing instead of a negative will go a long way. A book that helped me to try to be more positive as a parent is called SuperParenting for ADD by Dr Edward Hallowell. I love his attitude and approach to the subject.

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Did I mention that I have ADD.... hahaha.... I was just going to mention that I have been taking Adderall for the past year or so and it has helped me tremendously. But in addition to the meds, taking a fish oil supplement has been one of the best things I have done. I give it to my daughter as well. It has helped with everything from having more mental clarity, to elevating my moods, to helping me and my daughter sleep better. I would highly recommend anyone with add to take one daily.

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Is she on Adderall or Adderall XR? I have tried both and love the XR, but with the regular Adderall I noticed it was almost like being on an emotional rollercoaster. It is a quick release, but then it would wear off and if I didnt take the second dose right on schedule i noticed a rebound effect from it until the 2nd dose kicked in. I would almost rather not take any meds than do the regular adderall. The XR just seems to have a steady flow during the day, no spikes or dips. Hope that clarifies a little.

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It's good to feel we are not alone:) She is currently on Adderall XR we spoke to the Dr and they changed it. It seems to be working better and her mood seems to have leveled off quite a bit. Also I have been educating myseld on how to deal with it appropriately and effectively and have learned that my reactions to her actions were just not helping. Since then I also started taking adderall for my ADD and it has given me a lot of perspective on what she is going through. There is no cure and but there is a better way to cope and I think we are on the right path now. I thank all of you parents for you your thoughts and suggestions and pray for all of us and our children that through commuication and new breakthroughs we are able to enjoy our children the way they deserve and more importantly they are able to enjoy theirl life.

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It is so ironic that just last week I was posting overwhelmed on my facebook status. My 5 1/2 year old was diagnosed with AD/HD in Oct 2010. However, we had known for a longtime before. It wasn't until he started school that the ball got rolling and the teachers began to call and ask me to have him see a peditrician for testing. My pediatrician did not want to test until he was in school. My husband as a child was diagnosed with ADHD and was on ritalin. He did not stay on medication very long and lived a very hard battle with ADHD as he grew. He had a lot of hardships and did get in trouble. Finally, as an adult he learned to manage his Adhd. He was against the medication for our son. I respected him and told him try alternatives first before considering medications. We eliminated gluten, dyes, preservatives, and added more protiens and flaxseed to his meals . We also wroked with him every night. We built a reward system and charts for good behavior. He did okay on this but he still had finemotor issues and his ability to focus at school had not improved. He was less hyper and less impulsive though....However, he started to get used to this diet about a month later and all symptoms of his ADHD came on strong. Therefore, I brought him back to the doctor 1 1/2month ;later. I was getting constant phone calls from the school of his behavior. His work wasn't getting done. He got an N on his report card in music for bad behavior and he was disrupting others during learning. He was hitting in line and would not look or listen to his teachers. I started him on vyvanse 20mg. He was extremely focused almost to much. He kept moving his tounge around his lips and had constant need to keep his mind active. I called ped after 2 days and he changed it to 10 mg. We tryed this for a while. However, Us too had a very emotional kid. He would cry for no reason he did it at home school and during afterschool care. We called them meltdowns too. They would last for a long while and hard to soothe. It was not good for him and I was getting self esteem issues when other kids would say something. He also began experiencing mor impulsive behaviors. Therefore, the doctor gave him intunitiv for night time. He said it should help stabalize his impulsive behavior and most likely his meltdowns. Things did not improve on the meltdown issue and the med seem to not be working anymore. Then the doctor took him off of vyvanse completely and gave him 3mg. of intunitiv. What a nightmare. I did 2 days and stopped it myself. My son was a zombie and wanted to sleep all day long. He was focused and calm but not my child. My childs personality was hindered. I then called ped and he gave him methaphendate SA. It was great for about one week. However, it started to not work so much for the impulsive and hyperactive behavior so he gave him 2 mg of intunitiv at night again. It worked for about on month and then I noticed my son getting very angry over nothing, He start ed to show it at home first. He choked his sister while I was sitting next to mom who was holding her in her lap. Then the next day at school he had an anger rage incident in school. He did not hurt anyone he just threw an aggressive temper within his own personal space. He then did it at afterschool care and they called me. I had an appointment scheduled with and ADHD specailist but not for a week later. The doctor want to give him a short acting of the same med for later until his appoint date. I did not feel comfotable with this and stopped the med. I called the specialist and made them see him sooner. He had a meltdown there of anger and he was on meds. He was also all over the palce and could not sit still. He is now on Adderall XR 15mg. and intuitive at the same time and take another like inunitiv at night. It seems to be working but again I am noticing some emotional meltdown starting to come on. It seems to always be trial and error until they get hte right one. However, I have seen improvement in school work and focus. Just see bad side effects from meds.

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Thank you for posting :) I'm starting to get even more frustrated mostly for my daughter. She is having issues with the Adderall XR again although it seems to help her focus better she is not getting along well at all with her peers and is still having a lot of difficulty paying attention in class. She is aggressive with a mean streak at times and at other times highly emotional. Although I try to take into account that she is 5 and some of it may be her age I just don't think thats all of it. We try to work with her at home as much as possible, but her teachers are suggesting the possibility of a behavioral school and I think that would just make her feel so different and alone. When I talk to her about it she seems frustrated with herself and tearfully explains that all she wants to do is be good and focus but that school is boring and people aren't nice to her and she can't seen to make herself be a good girl for long enough. IT's heartbreaking because I know she doesn't want to act or be this way, she even calls her medicine the "good girl" medicine. She has such a sweet,vibrant personality and is a very smart little girl I just don't want this experience to cause her to think of herself as a problem or otherwise affect her as she gets older. I'm currently doing some research on the combination of Adderall XR and Intunive which from my research seems to treat both the ADHD and ODD. I hate to keep using her as a guinea pig but I have faith that we will figure out the perfect blend to allow her to the lead life she deserves. I continue to wish the same for all of you and you little ones.

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My husband and I too are overwhelmed. Especially recently. We are ready for my 12 yr old daughter to go away. Does anyone else ever feel that way? I have a very difficult time wanting to be around her. I have to force myself to hug her. This kind of environment is not healthy for any of us. We don't know what to do. She's on Focalin 20mg which actually helps for focusing during school but the before and after school antics are very difficult to handle. The attitude, the talking back, the defiance, the nonsense talk, stealing, etc.

Counseling hasn't helped. I'm seriously looking for an organization to take her out of my home, at least for a while so we can have some peace!!

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Reading all this makes me know I am not alone but it also gives me little hope for finding help. My 12 yr old son is all this, Vyvanse (was on Concerta for two years and did great but it wore out) and then added Intuniv which didn't help. Going to his Dr tomorrow to discuss. What I have the most trouble with this the family split feeling, spouse rules with black/white rule and i don't think that iron fist rule works for this type of child though the organization, schedule and clear expectations are a must. I feel like he needs the rules but when he is disciplined he needs to know and understand why! Part of me wants to do this by myself and part of me knows that is suicide! Where do we turn to raise reasonably intelligent well adjusted productive members of society?!

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Trust me I have had that feeling... it is difficult to want to be with my daughter when she acts up, lies, screams sasses, and throws temper tantrums there are times when I just don't know how to handle her or worse help her. My husband has opted to take the tough disciplinarian role to try to give her structure but it drives me nuts I think he is too abrasive with her and at times doesn't allow her to be a kid at the same time he thinks I let her get away with too much and that the inconsistency is not helping. This past week she has been to the pricipals office twice and each time he called to tell me what an amazing popular charming girl I have and what a shame it is that she has these issues at school. I just want to figure out how to help her get it under control so that we can enjoy her again. I and can feel my patience wearing thin and my husbands worried that she is going to have a lot of issues growing up if we can't get this under control. We're meeting with the Dr this week to try something else but everyone has an opinion and it's obvious that all the different kinds of medicines work differently for each child so I guess my only choice is go the trial and error route and put her through the side affects until we figure out what works. It's just so sad but I continue to pray. God Bless you all!

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My husband and I have custody of his 10 yr old daughter, and we are expecting our first child in September. His ex-wife had J. on Focalin (which made her a zombie, and caused nausea), then switched to Ritalin. However, she didn't stay on top of her medicine. She wouldn't refill it on time, would have her take it today, but not another day. We thought the ex was giving her the meds so she didn't have to deal with J., as she was very lethargic on them. Once we got custody, we made sure J. had a routine, bed the same time every night, regular meals at about the same time, homework, discipline when she misbehaved, and took her to a psychologist. None of it worked. We finally decided she did need the medicine. Pediatrician put her on Focalin. She did well for a while, then spiraled downhill. Started getting in trouble in school again, unreasonable angry outbursts. We switched to Vyvanse, then had to add Intuniv. We started off with small doses of Intuniv and by week 3, she was supposed to be on 3mg. However, she was very lethargic on 3mg, so we cut the tablet in half. She was doing well in school the first semester of 5th grade, making A's and B's, still had anger issues at home. Then after Christmas break and she was with her mother, her behavior made a drastic turn for the worse. The first month after break, she was sent to the principal's office twice and got ISP. She's hit friends, spit in a girl's face, been very aggressive and defiant, and she's failing 2 classes now. We upped her dose of Intuniv after talking to the dr. back to 3mg. Guess since her body has become adjusted to it, it doesn't affect her like it did. No lethargy, but no help with her behavior either. Recently, we have been in some very bad arguments. She refuses to do chores, or lies and says she does them. She was responsible for feeding 3 horses, and watering them. When I would check, I discovered multiple times where they had no water. She'd lie and say she watered them. I explained how important it is that they have water. She doesn't like to go thirsty and neither do they. She doesn't care. After I walked out and caught her kicking one of my horses, I've told my husband I don't want her around them any more. She has that attitude about any chore that she is supposed to do. She has also gotten more physically aggressive, even pushed me. When she has a meltdown, she screams, cries (but no tears), throws things, says 'I hate you' to me, and of course now she is actually getting in my face. I am genuinely terrified to have her around the baby the way she's acting now. She shows no regret being mean to the animals, and I'm afraid of what she'd do to a helpless infant. She targets me for her hatefulness, lies, even stealing from me now, then when she's done, she expects that I should just forget about it and go on like it never happened. She even hits and scratches herself in her anger. Once even threatened to tell people that I did it. I recorded her outburst on my phone's voice recorder. One of her punishments was cleaning the girls' bathroom after she threw feces on the wall at school. Because I wouldn't hold a door open for her as she was spewing all kinds of insults, she said to let the door hit her ,and then she'd tell her dad and he'd believe her. She said she didn't ask for him to marry me, didn't love me, didn't care if I got ran over. After so many of these meltdowns, several even in the public where she screams and is so hateful to me, I'm exhausted and out of options on how to deal with her. I've taken and treated her as my own, given her attention where her mother neglected her, bought her nice things just because I thought they were cute and she'd enjoy them. She seems to like the stuff but then trashes it because I've bought it. We've done every punishment I can think of, extra school work, extra work at home, grounding from TV, games, mp3, to her room. Tried to make sure she has a routine because I know it helps with the ADD, made charts to help with daily activities, implemented reward system if she does well. None of it works. Now me being pregnant, I can't take the risk of her being physically abusive. She's only an inch shorter than me. I've told my husband that something has to change now. Talks don't work with her, she makes the appropriate response and then goes back to doing the same things. If she doesn't change, I want her out of the house. I don't know if she needs to go to a psychiatric hospital or what. After her latest outburst (seems like we have at least one a week), we took her back to the dr. and he put her on Lexapro. I hope we see some improvement because I'm at the end of my rope and so stressed that I can't even sleep at night and worried what she's going to do next.

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