6-year-old starting Adderall

[Ditmasmama]

Hi! First-time poster here. Hello all! My son was diagnosed with ADHD, combined type, in March. Based on the recommendations of the report, we persued parent management training and have recently started him on medication. We are working with a psychiatrist who prescribed him Adderall, starting at 5 mg and working our way up to 10 mg. Initially, on 5 mg, my already very chatty son was chattier than ever, almost manic-seeming. After a few days, these effects subsided and we saw some promising changes (better focus on projects, less teasing, and aggressive behavior towards his younger sister, increased cognitive flexibility, better direction following). However, after a few days, he was back to his near-constant teasing/hitting and complaining. We decided to move up to 10 mg. This was about four days ago. Since then, he has been VERY chatty, to the point where he's pretty much always talking. He is intensely focused on projects and games he's playing and gets very upset when I don't allow him to do something he has his heart set on. He has always had social skills deficits but now they seem to be increasing. On the other hand, he's being very kind to his sister and does show some cognitive flexibility. I am hoping that within a few days we will see a dampening of the non-stop talking as his body adjusts to the higher dose. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar. This process is so stressful. My heart goes out to anyone else struggling to find the right meds.

[Onthemove1971]

Thank you for trying medication. For some families they struggle with making this tool a choice for many reasons.

I promise you when/if the medication is the right type, the right dose and the right timing many of those symptoms will go away( especially tr he excessive talking). It is amazing how the only thing the medication does is take away all of the bad symptoms...

How long was the psychiatrist willing to wait or increase the dose to? There is a wide range that kids are on. Our son needed a higher dose to really make a difference for him.

Also, just be aware he may need 2 different medications. One for focus and one for stopping the impulsivity.

Once you realize the hugh difference you will know why he is taking it.

Thanks for sharing your process, someone is always learning.

[Zaysmom]

Hello, My son has never been prescribed Adderall however he is currently on Concerta. I also noticed the extreme amount of chatty behavior you describe. Thankfully it did subside a bit and now he is better. I do still see him getting really worked up when things are taken away and he can become aggressive especially if his xbox is taken away. My son is 9 years old and i am praying his temper improved before teenage years.

[MomofOne13]

Unfortunately we had to stop the adderall. Constant evening meltdowns... were in between meds at the moment, while I wait to get in with a behavioral pediatrician. Back to the supplements in the meantime: magnesium, probiotics, theanine.

[Ditmasmama in reply to MomofOne13]

Interesting. Do you find the suplements helpful? We decided to go back down to 5 mg and he seems a bit more evened out.

[Nats2005 in reply to MomofOne13]

Our psychiatrist added an evening (now late-afternoon) dose of Intuniv (guanfacine) to our son's daily doses of Adderall due to evening meltdowns and excessive hyperactivity around bedtime. Some evenings and bedtimes still go sideways, but the Intuniv does seem to have helped.

[JoyousExpectation]

My daughter started Adderall this week and the first three days it was going very well. No side effects like we saw with Ritalin. I was feeling really good about it. Last night was awful though. She was fine all day and then around 4pm she started crying and literally sat on her bed weeping for three hours. I brought her a heated teddy bear and warm milk and tried to console but it was just this quiet desperate weeping. I am sure it was related to coming off medication because this is totally unlike her.