Our 9 year old was diagnosed as ADD without hyperactivity and after a year of therapy, the psychologist said that she couldn't be helped without medication. He tested her for a learning disability and she tested "above average" on intelligence. She started on Concerta in January 2010 and it was increased to 36mg in March after her teacher said it wasn't helping her at all. We never saw a change in her other than a decrease in appetite and trouble getting to sleep/waking up. However, the teacher said that she was better at school and her grades reflected that.

This year she's having issues again. She's skinny, has a poor appetite, can't get to sleep until almost midnight (10 if we give her melatonin...which seems to be giving her bloody noses) and she's falling asleep during the day. Her attitude is nonchalant and then she'll start raging and throwing fits over the smallest things. Her grades have dropped to C's again.

I took her to her regular 3 month check up with her psych (which involves him talking about himself and other people for 10 min. and focusing on her for 5) and after I told him that she's having trouble with her grades again, he suggested that she get tested. I pointed out that she'd been tested (as I had the time before) and he spent 5 min. chasing her file around before giving up and bringing O in to talk to her. The first thing he asked her was if she felt sad inside. She said no and he told me, "She's very flat. She's not like she was last time. I think we need to put her on zoloft." At that point he hadn't even let me finish talking to him about her rages, trouble sleeping and appetite. After I finished that, he reiterated that he wanted to put her on zoloft and was going to switch her to Foculin because she'd be less likely to have appetite issues on it.

He's SURE she's depressed. Yet, I see her when she's not on her medication and she's giggly, happy and the black circles under her eyes fade. She's having to wake up at 6:30 AM for school when before she was waking up at 7:40 (intelligent school board decided elementary and hs needed to start earlier) and because she can't get to sleep until 10 at the earliest, she's exhausted. I also read that rages are a serious side effect of her medication, as are tiredness, inability to sleep and restless sleep.

So my question is... how can we be sure that he's not putting her on zoloft to fix the issues concerta (and I'm sure foculin) is potentially causing? I also read that your doctor should closely monitor growth and weight but since she started, he's weighed her once and that was 3 months ago after I said she was getting too skinny. I also read that the doctor should remove her from the medication for a period of time to see if it's effective still. Yet, she's never gone off of it.

It's SO hard to find a good doctor...we were thrilled with her psychologist but it seems like ever psychiatrist just has one agenda - medicate, medicate and medicate.

Any advice?

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