10 year old with adhd and very moody

[Momwhosdrowning]

Hello,

my son is 10 and has been taking Guanfacine 1mg for a few months now. At first it was great, he was paying attention in school, not defiant, not argumentative, HAPPY. Then a couple months ago, he started getting really sad, upset and angry really quick. He is constantly cussing and we are trying t correct it but it ends up with him getting more upset and angry. We have surrounded him with nothing but love, support and understanding but it’s too much for me. It’s affecting my mental health.

I have given him Omega 3, lions mane for mood. Magnesium for sleep. He joined the chess club, is into Pokémon and even started his own eBay account to sell them but no matter what, his mood takes over. He never seems happy and is constantly arguing over the simplistic things like put on a hoodie because it’s cold or Something simple like playing video games and losing or playing with his yo-yo and not being able to do the same trick again (even though he did it 15 times in a row).

As of lately his mood is too much for me to handle because I have 2 other kids, one who was recently diagnosed with autism.

Please anyone help me. He does see a therapist once a week but she is trying her best. His psychiatrist is constantly out of the country and the last appointment I suggested upping his dosage but it is a blood pressure medication and we are worried about it’s affects but he was against it because he said unless I get complaints from school about his behavior he should be fine.

Thanks you,

mom who’s drowning

[Onthemove1971]

Thanks for bringing this issue to the group. Of course we are not doctors, but when we were dealing with these same issues our Child Psycharist added an additional dose. Am and pm dose and this made a big difference. We were told 60% of symptoms go away with proper medication, proper timing and proper dose.

It sounds like you have really already done a lot for him.

Best of luck.

[Momwhosdrowning in reply to Onthemove1971]

Thank you for your response. I was scrolling through the other posts and noticed a few parents whose children taking Guanfacine are doing the same. Once in the morning and night.

We did start off morning but he was really tired at school then we switched to pm. I wonder if I should do the same AM and PM? Very interesting thank you again

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Momwhosdrowning]

So happy you were able to look back at other messages. Also do you know the time the RX is written for? Like how long would it last in his system?

I will also say we also used a stimulant with the Gufancine and now our son takes Wellbutrin. When we started our son on 2 medication is when we really saw a change in him.

This is the way his doctor described it: each medication has a job.. our son was just like your and also had all the hyperactivity symptoms: moved all the time, talked all the time, etc. So the Stimulant helped stop all of these. Then the Guanfacine helped with mood and focus.

I hope you guys can find what helps..

Big hugs for your struggles.

[Momwhosdrowning in reply to Onthemove1971]

Yes, sorry it’s an ER. From what I recall his dr said it’ll wear off within a few hours… so he takes it every night at 8pm and it stays with him till later in the afternoon. By the time he comes home from school he’s good then maybe an hour or 2 later he’s moody.

I’ve heard about wellburtrin. Can you share your child’s experience on it? I was hesitant on giving him a stimulant but it might work during the day while at school. It’s been a struggle on and off and some days I feel like I need to be on medication too because I get so easily frustrated but it isn’t his fault, it’s just how he was wired. I am doing more research again.

[Onthemove1971]

I love the way you said the way he is wired.. yes, he doesn't want to act that way. During COVID we could not get the stimulat medication becuase it was controlled. So his Child Psychartist offered for us to try it with the Guanfacine and we have not looked back. I think it also helps any anxiety he had that we didn't deal with so it has really been great. It has even stopped his impulsive behavior.

Hope you find the answer, since no one wants to live like that.

Best of luck!

[Momwhosdrowning in reply to Onthemove1971]

Sorry one more question- has your child experienced any other side affects like suicidal thoughts or loss of appetite while taking the Wellbutrin? I want to suggest this to my son’s psychiatrist.

My son started off with adderall xr a few years back snd he was twitching and not eating

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Momwhosdrowning]

I can answer 1 million more questions, no worries

None at all.. in fact I saw him not have as many anixity symptoms, that I didn't see before. Just being less worried and able to "go with the flow" more. So very positive.

I don't think lack of appetite is a side effect of Wellbutrin.

Wished we could have tried it younger for our son.

All the best, always here for you.

[Mamamichl]

sounds like perfectionism/rsd possibly. Have you talked to him about his mood? Like say something like “I noticed you’ve been in a bad mood lately. Any ideas why?”. It’s possible he fees he is doing too many extracurricular or he is being bullied at school. It’s also possible the med is affecting how his head feels. Guanfacein didn’t work for my family. Light headedness/dizzy, and one even feinted. What works for me is stratera. Also, my kids doc also suggested these environmental situations (though we allowed most already). A safe space for her to be able to cuss without punishment. We taught zoning so we don’t mind cussing as long as it’s not derogatory. Many families allow either their room or the bathroom. Also, having something to be able to get out physical aggression. We bought a punching bag that is weighted in the base for a while, and it helped. Now we allow hitting the wall with a pillow or punching the pillow on the bed. Allowing a safe space only he can go if he needs space. I usually do this, but my partner is having a bit more trouble when she wants to have space in her room away.

[Lillianmcmcl]

I'm sorry you feel like this. I've been there. Everyone is different but my 9 year old daughter who has strong adhd and mild autism takes Guanfacine 3mg as well as Prozac and Wellbutrin. I know it sounds like a lot but it has helped a lot with her own moods, which had turned pretty dangerous prior to the Prozac and Wellbutrin. We did phase these in over time and try supplements but she refused to take them after a while. I used zocdoc to find a psychiatrist who meets via telehealth and it's been a much better fit. I had to meet a lot of frogs (or quacks?) before I found a psychiatrist who would listen and didn't seem... off. I don't know about everyone else but I had some wild experiences when I was looking for the right psychiatrist for my kiddo. I would be happy share if you are in Colorado.

[adoptivemom]

Thank you for posting this! We are still on a similar medication journey with our 8yo son. The moods and anger are my biggest challenge. He also doesn't want to do school work at all and is generally resistant to anything but fun times. I try to give him grace especially when he first comes home, as he's held it together all day and done a lot of work and focusing. But he has begun blowing up when he gets home and that's getting tough to manage. We tried stimulants but the rebound was awful in the afternoons. Lately, not even on stimulants, he's been melting down in the afternoons anyway. We aren't on guanfacine but I'm planning to ask about it at our next pediatrician visit. He takes generic Abilify and clonidine at night, and fluoxetine (prozac) in the morning. The Abilify helped initially but I'm not convinced it's doing much at this point. Following along to see how things go for you too! Always feel free to come and vent. you are among friends and even just knowing you're not alone is really helpful for me!!

[PurplePizza]

Our son struggled with his mood, physical aggression, emotional dysregulation, and impulse control. We tried several medications (Guanfacine, Strattera, Adderall, Buspar, and Concerta) and all of them made those symptoms worse (except the Guanfacine, which turned him into an incontinent zombie).

The things that helped our son were supplements and massive amounts of exercise. Nutritional lithium and mood probiotics helped the most with his mood/aggression. We have also found good results with TrueHope Empower plus sticks and saffron gummy worms.

Every kid is different, so it’s been a lot of trial and error, and maybe none of this will help, but maybe something will

I recommend the books Finally Focused by James Greenblatt and Happy Kids, Healthy Kids by Elisa Song if you are interested in different nutrient/mineral supplements.

Just know that you are not alone and lots of us are on this journey. Best of luck to you!

[Kikimonkey]

Hi My daughter is 7 yrs also on Guanfacine It worked well at first but we have had to bump the dosage from 1 mg to 2mg and now starting on 3 mg So doctor said they can go to 4mg before worrying about blood pressure This is our last ditch effort with this med It started out great but it wears off after a while with my daughter But every kid and brain is different She didn't get upset or angry on it She is also very oppositional which is exhausting I am with you