We have different names for a lot of these medications in Australia. Also, some are simply not available for us yet. I'm assuming this is a long-acting stimulant.
Stimulants CAN bring about a loss of appetite and increase in activity, as well as difficulty sleeping. Especially when they first start, you need to give some time for them to adapt.
However, some side effects simply don't allow that luxury of time. If a child can't sleep, they will quickly become ill. Behaviour will spiral down out of control.
This sounds like a problem. The dose may be too large for her needs; she may need shorter-acting medications (I'm assuming you gave her a long-acting medication). In my opinion, I think a child being started on stimulants needs to be 'titrated' on the short-acting medication until you get a better idea of the dosage which helps them function best. For example, difficult child 3 takes a total of 25 mg dexamphetamine. easy child 2/difficult child 2, seven years older, takes 10 mg.
What SHOULD happen, if this medication is right for your child, is an almost magical, "WOW!" effect. If you haven't got the "WOW", then you need to call the doctor. Maybe she needs to start more gently, or he needs to re-think what medications to give her.
Another thing I've noticed about stimulant medications - some kids can handle one, but not another. Which one they handle can vary.
And another thing - rebound. As the pill is wearing off, you can get not just a return to the unmedicated state, but almost a pendulum swing too far for an hour os so, before they stabilise. This is very unsettling for a child trying to cope with having to apply more self-control than they have, and you can also find the child getting emotional.
She MAY have just been having a bad day - when a child reacts badly to someone else, you need to closely examine the situation for possible triggers. This doesn't mean you excuse inappropriate behaviour, but you do need to manage it differently, I feel, with these kids. It's not like a kid acting up out of boredom, or just being difficult. Frustration is a HUGE issue and although these medications are supposed to help, for some kids they make their condition more unpredictable and this makes it harder for them to cope. Sometimes this gets better as they 'get a handle' on how the medications affect them, but sometimes they don't.
Talk to the doctor. Urgently.
Marg
