Meds for DMDD & ADHD

[Mommywarrior4LC]

My son was recently diagnosed with DMDD along with his ADHD last week. I was wondering if any parents here have their kids on any medications for both disorders? So far his psychiatrist only prescribed him with Quillivant XR. we haven’t started medicating him yet because we’re waiting for authorization from the insurance . Any side effects you noticed immediately to watch out for while your child was on this med? Also Should I let his school know about his recent diagnosis ? His IEP is just for ADHD

[Aspen797]

Labels can be helpful if they open the door to services that teach skills, accommodations, or understanding. Unfortunately some of our littles with combined ASD/ADHD can end up with additional labels that, in my opinion, are not always representative of a new ‘condition’ but a professional’s attempt to label a new and difficult behavior that is actually arising from ASD/ADHD. Of course, this isn’t the case for every child. Personally, I would share the Autism diagnosis if you haven’t already as that will help you get pragmatic language skill instruction (social thinking, perspective taking, social behavior) by a SLP and aid in your request for a Functional Behavioral Assessment. A number of parents in this forum have found a combination of low dose guanfacine and a stimulant (like Quillivent) to be helpful. Guanfacine can sometimes help kids with the irritability/emotion regulation piece while the stimulant can sometimes help with the impulsivity, though every child is different. Working with a good developmental pediatrician and/or child psychiatrist can really help.

[Mamamichl]

my stepkid was diagnosed with adhd and dmdd in kindergarten. He is in 9th grade now. The school tried to diagnose him asd, and we pushed to an official diagnosis. He only tried Guanfacine, and then feinted. Bio mom only medicates the anxiety (even after taking her to mediation). The dmdd mostly got better after 11yo. There were a lot of room clears in kindergarten and first grade until kiddo went into a special Ed classroom that had the resources to get him calm more regularly. He transitioned back into mainstream in 5th grade.

[arrh121]

My son (now 7) has ADHD with a significant mood component, his psychiatrist has mentioned DMDD as possible as well. For a while it seemed unclear he could succeed in a school environment, and he started in a coteaching room.

We spent a long time trying various meds under doctor supervision and he responded well to Guanfacine ER (he had issues with immediate release) and Atomoxetine, both non-stimulants, and is doing well now. He still has challenges at home but is back in mainstream at school and his behavior outside the house is very good. At home he is challenging but has improved a lot.

[Mommywarrior4LC]

glad to hear you the meds helped and he’s doing better. It’s really tough trying to explain to other parents why my son behaves the way he does. I always look like I’m spoiling him because everything is a negotiation. He never automatically just agrees to do what he’s told.

[Minoch]

My son takes Concerta and also Sertralina. I think it works great for him. His mood and his focus ability has improved since he started with both medications. As a side effect what I noticed is a little bit of insomnia but he takes a low dose of clonidine. I hope you can find the best medication for him.