Wellbutrin instead of a stimulant for ADHD

[Lillianmcmcl]

My 9 year old daughter who has ADHD and autism has had a rough school year and her mood and behavior have been soooooo hard. Her sleep has been pretty challenging, as well. We changed the timing of her Prozac to morning instead of evening and it made a big difference, much less waking up in the middle of the night. But daily life is still a struggle. Transitions, toileting, pickiness and eating, staying hydrated, etc.

When S. was first diagnosed with Adhd 3 years ago it was explained that stimulants are the best medication. However, she has never responded to Ritalin or Adderall. Neither change her behavior, mood, focus or anything notable for her (she says she doesn't notice a difference).

Finally we are going to try an alternative! Wellbutrin. So she will be taking Wellbutrin, Prozac and Guanfacine. Has anyone else tried Wellbutrin instead of stimulants or a similar medication combination?

[Mamamichl]

stimulants don’t work for everyone. You may want to get a gene sight test.it may help you figure out where to start. Stimulants made my anxiety worse. I’m on stratera now and it helps me so much. My ex took Wellbutrin, but I don’t think it helped him (or he didn’t take it).

[Lillianmcmcl in reply to Mamamichl]

Her psych said she doesn't think those tests are accurate. That either way it is trial and error so save money and skip it. I've been trying to get her on something else for 3 years, but all the drs I met with said they had to start with stimulants.

One awful Dr we met with back at the beginning of this journey suggested antipsychotics. After him I learned to meet the drs without my daughter before trusting them enough to speak to her. Ha! It's been a long road. Hopefully Wellbutrin is a good fit. We'll see!

[Onthemove1971]

Our son moved off stimulants during COVID becuase we could not get them. It took a while, but this is the best medication for him. He has also learned to deal with his impulsive behavior becuase he is a little older.

In Addison he takes Guanfacaine which helps a lot with focus.

Let me know if you have any questions.