ADHD and my 5 year old

[emti2522]

My 5 yo has a new diagnosis of ADHD/ADD as well as compulsive and anxiety d/o. He is taking a very low dose of prozac for his anxiety and ( meltdowns) which they have improved 100%. However, we started out on Adderall 10XR mg once a day then added 5mg NON XR at lunch time . It seem to be working however, he would NOT eat. So the provider switched him to Vyvanse 30mg once a day, the first 4 days at school he was great (per the teacher). On day 5 things began to change...the teacher advised that his focus was still good however, he could not be still. Moving his hands and feet constantly not following directions scratching constantly ( but could focus if given a specific task ) . I have an appointment with his Doc tomorrow was wondering if you guys had any suggestions as what I can try and talk with the Dr about that may help.

[Pennywink]

Who is prescribing the medication? 5mg at lunch seems pretty soon after a 10mg RX, and would definitely kill his midday appetite.

Unless the doctor wants to give the Vyvanse a little longer / different dose first, I’d consider trying a methylphenidate, or going back to the Adderall. Reduced appetite seems to be a very common side effect, however it can be managed. (Big Breakfast & any meal / snack before meds kick in. Big dinner once they wear off. Pack whatever they will eat for lunch.) My son almost stopped eating lunch - but now that we’ve been on Metadate CD for a year, his appetite seems to be mostly back on track and his growth has shot back up.

[emti2522 in reply to Pennywink]

The PA and the Psychiatrist medical clinic we were referred to ... I am having a hard time finding psychological intervention because very few people take his healthcare (Cigna) .. I am so clueless when it comes to this treatment regimen and this diagnosis Is still new to us so I don’t know what the best options are

[Onthemove1971 in reply to emti2522]

You could speak to the school and see if he could have counseling at school, explain the problems you re having getting a private person. It might help to coordinate with the school staff to help him.

Good luck

[Pennywink in reply to emti2522]

If you are new to the diagnosis, I recommend starting "All About ADHD" by Thomas Phelan. It's pretty straight forward without getting too longwinded, and follows peer reviewed scientific data & recommendations. It's probably at the library or on the library ebook service.

Finding the right medication can be an ordeal, but for most of us once the right one is found it's a true game changer. Best of luck!

[emti2522 in reply to Pennywink]

Thank u so much ! I will definitely get that book

[Grateful17]

I’m chiming in because it seems like a lot to give a 5 yr old 30 mg of Vyvanse. I’ve tried taking it to see how it feels ( I know- not supposed to) and it was intense and affected eating/sleeping huge. Anyway, I’m not a doctor and I don’t know how serious the problems are, but I can imagine that after 5 full days of school a kid could be wiped out from the side effects not too mention his little body isn’t getting the food it once had. I started my son on medication in first grade and I Remember the anguish of all this. He had tics from adderrall XR and vyvanse was better but we did lowest dose possible since he was so young and small.

[emti2522 in reply to Grateful17]

Yes I feel the same way ! It’s so frustrating

[anirush]

I agree 30 mg of Vyvanse sounds really high for a 5 year old. I too would think about going back to the Adderall and skipping the noon dose for now.

[abryans]

My 10 year old has been on 10mg of Vyvanse for about 3 months and is doing well on that dose (except for the period when it wears off at around 7 pm). He weighs 60 pounds. Seem to be so much variation in sensitivity to different medicine. Also, I always have to remind myself, he is a complicated kid and before he was on medicine we were often puzzled by things he did or said. The tendency now is to think it is linked to the medicine, but often its not. I think missing some school and having a change in his teacher could definitely be making him feel disrupted and it is really impressive you recognized it!