Any suggestions about new medications?

[tinamarie1]

We are going to a new doctor today to look at putting difficult child back on medication. So far, his only diagnosis has been adhd and impulse control disorder. He has not been on medications since he was 6 yrs old and he is almost 10 now. The ones we tried before were: adderall, adderall rx or xr?, depakote and strattera. Some of these had no effect at all after 6 months, and some of them made him rage. They tested him for all sorts of other things, would not diagnosis with bipolar, anyway we are still working with a diagnosis of adhd....so has anyone had any medications that are successful?
Thanks
Tina

 

[Janna]

My 9 year old easy child is diagnosis'ed ADHD, Combined Type. He's hyperactive, impulsive and lacks focus/attention.

We did try Adderall for him, and it made him VERY aggressive. He was hitting kids in school, something he had NEVER done in his life, and was very mouthy and rude. Keep in mind, this is my easy child, he is NOT a difficult child.

He is on Concerta now, a low dose, 18 mg. He's very small, only 42 pounds, and this medication has been a good one for him. He tried Ritalin also, but it wore off too soon. The Concerta lasts much longer, with no nasty side effects.

That's been our experience

 

[smallworld]

What kind of doctor are you seeing today? What kind of doctors has he seen in the past? When was his last evaluation? The problem with suggesting ADHD medications is that you may not be dealing with ADHD (or JUST ADHD), and certain medications can make certain disorders worse, not better.

Does your son still have seizures? The stimulants can lower the seizure threshold and may have been the source of raging in the past.

But if you are convinced you are dealing with ADHD, your son has not trialed any stimulants in the methylphenidate class. These include Ritalin, Focalin (refined Ritalin) and Focalin XR (long-acting refined Ritalin), Concerta (long-acting Ritalin) and Metadate (another form of long-acting Ritalin). Depakote, by the way, is not a medication for ADHD but rather an anticonvulsant/mood stabilizer, widely used for the treatment of seizures and bipolar disorder.

Good luck with the appointment today.

 

[BusynMember]

Frankly, I'd get another evaluation because if he is misdiagnosed and doesn't have ADHD, medications for ADHD will not help and can even make him worse. Now he's older--more things could be apparent. I'd see a neuropsychologist. Good luck!

 

[DammitJanet]

There is also that new one that starts with a V. Think its Vyvanase or something close to that.

I believe it may be made by the makers of adderall but dont think its the same medication. From what I read, its long acting.

 

[Steely]

I am with MWM on getting a new evaluation......stims can make things SO much worse, I would want to be sure, going in, what his diagnosis is. He is 10 now, so if he is BiPolar (BP), it could be a bit easier to diagnosis.

Or you could trial Clonidine or Tenex, which are not stims, but can help with hyperactivity.