Any Moms Out There Have Experience with Adderall??

My brother was on that for a while and it did the same thing to him. My mom finally insisted they switch him to something else because it really made my brother crazy. Either you can see if a lower dose works, or try a different medication. Because my brother had the same kinds of problems with panic amd depression when he was on Adderall.

My son did not have a good experience with Adderall either. We switched to a patch called Daytrana. IT WAS AMAZING!!!

Get off the meds. Try an herbal supplement called Melissa Supreme, google it and you can buy online or try to locate near you (usually health food store will have or can get). It is an herbal supplemental drop that you mix in juice, etc. It will take about 3 weeks to get it built up in his system. My son's school there a fit when i took him off meds and tried to threaten me that if didn't medicate would kick out of school.......3 weeks later they thought he was a dream child.

We tried Adderal and another new drug that is Adderal without the side effects. It made my son very depressed, anxious, tearful, etc.... I called a pharmacist right away thinking these symptoms would stop. HE said to call my dr immediately and NOT give him the drug again. We homeschool our son for obvious reasons. He's a GREAT, fun kid with some focus issues - I have to refocus him all day long to get his school work done. He's doing really well, just has some challenges. Adderal turned him into a child that is NOT my son. I decided that I will homeschool him as long as necessary. It's a challenge for me, but I love him too much to put him through all that. Good luck!

Hi J.,
My daughter is on Adderall for ADD. Although she is not ADHD and just ADD her meds have worked wonders for her in school and just all around. We have not had a problem with her in anyway since she started taking it. We also took her off of it during the summer (she more needs it for school) and never once had a problem taking her off or putting her back on. I wouldn't say you are a terrible mother you are doing the right thing and have taken steps to find out what is wrong with your son. You are having tests done and that is always the frist step. You are doing the right thing! Just hang in there I'm sure you'll find out whats going on soon and then can get it under control!

Oh, please get him off of that right away!!! Drugs are not the answer. I know that I don't know the situation and all of the things that you've tried. But, obviously, he's having a bad reaction to the drug. I think you can feel like you tried it as an option and it didn't work. Please keep looking for alternatives.

How much tv, movies, and video games is he allowed to watch/do?
How about sleep & eating habits?

Check out www.zonehealer.com (it was under construction, but should be up next week) and see if there is a Zone Doctor anywhere near you. It's a non-drug approach.

Good luck, but just say no to drugs.
J.

Hi J.,
My twins both have ADHD. My son has severe ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and Bipolar disorder. We've ran the gauntlet on meds. My son was on Adderall for awhile and he didn't have any side effects, however, adderall also didn't help his ADHD. If your son is having panic attacks and other side effects, you should talk to his Psychiatrist to see if there are other medication options out there. There are several good ones on the market. They even have a new patch that is awesome. My son did great on it until he had an allergic reaction to the adhesive on the patch.

Besides dealing with all of my children's challenges, I'm working on getting my degree in Psychology. Let me assure you that you are not a terrible mother! Even though it's easier said than done, you shouldn't feel guilty about your son's challenges. You have no control over the fact that he has a chemical imbalance. My suggestion is to do your homework. Read all you can about his ADHD. Behavior modification therapy is also something to consider. Because along with the meds your son will need to learn to work with his ADHD. Remember... it can be managed! ADHD kids are very intelligent and great kids all around. They're just a little extra bubbly then other kids! Good luck!

My heart goes out to you J.. It sounds to me that you are doing all the "right" things. Adderall certainly works for some people but everyone reacts differently to medications and ADHD folks (and the meds that go along with it) are perhaps the most complex. I would certainly recommend (personally)not adding more meds but removing the offending one, which sounds like the Adderall. My husband had similar symptoms and his doc pulled him off right away and put him on something different. If your current doc does not seem to be hearing you, I would certainly consider a second opinion. Hang in there.

I would talk to his doctor who prescribed it and get it changed immediately. He shouldn't be having those thoughts! That is a negative side affect. We have a son who is using the Daytrana patch. It works a little differently than pills, but is still a stimulant. Maybe ask about that? Good luck. I feel your pain.

Seek out a developmental psychologist if you haven't already. My opinion is that 6 years old is way too young to medicate for ADHD. I don't believe, through a developmental standpoint, you can clinically diagnose ADHD at this age. Maybe something else is going on. I'm sorry to be frank, but I would get a second opinion, at least, before continuing on meds.

Hi, I know I'm coming into this late, but when I started Adderall, I had sharp stomach pain and it created anxiety as well. Now I take Omeprazole (gen. Prilosec, etc.) with it and that took care of it.

As an adult with ADD - didn't get it figured out until I was 43 because I was never hyperactive - Adderall has been a Godsend because I can finally think clearly. I never knew that other people didn't have several trains of thought noisily running through their heads at the same time!

I have to much experience with adderol. When my son was on it the 1st time he hallucianated. He saw puppies inside the water bed. He thought he could start fires by staring at the bottom of lamps. He couldn't sleep--he stayed up for 48 hrs. It ended up he was overdosed. Posible, the dr could try a smaller dose. My son is on it now and it does what it was supposed to do 10 yrs ago. If the adderal doesn't work believe me there is something out there that will! Don't give up. Don't let the dr tell there is nothingbetter! Keep trying. If the current dose doesn't quite work, check with the dr to up the dose. Good luck!

My son is ADD and was started on Adderall at age 7. He also started having some of the symptoms that you describe. Our Ped pulled him off of it right away and tried something different. It took several tries to find something that worked. Every child reacts differently to this type of meds so please dont be afraid to talk to your Dr. about what is going on and ask to try something different. There are many choices available and once you find the right one you will be amazed. It can be very frustrating but what your child is experiencing is very frightning. T is currently on Concerta and it has been the greatest. His grades are all A & B and he is my great fun loving kid again. Hope this helps!

He could be having a reaction or side effects to the medicine. Talk to his doctor. There are many different meds to treat ADHD.

Perhaps a medication change is in order, maybe
try strattera

Hi J.,

Go see another psychiatrist and get a different medication! Don't wait. Everyone reacts differently to medication and he might be having problems with it. If you went to a family doc the first time, then get to a psychiatrist. See if your counselor will recommend one.

I am a mental health counselor and have seen all kinds of reactions to medication. I had one kid who couldn't even stay awake during our sessions he was so zoned out on meds. Sent him to a different psychiatrist and he was a different boy.

Don't accept things just 'cuz the doc says so. Sometimes you need second opinions.

Good luck!

L. :)

My daughter started with another medication that did the same thing to her. She was blurting out strange things in class and became really depressed and acted very impulsively. Then we tried Adderall and she is doing better...I think...anyway...take your son off of the Adderall and try something else. There are a lot of other options out there.

Hi J. ~
My son was a zombie on Adderall. He is now on Focalin XR and Wellburtrin XL. He has come along way. I am a moderator/acting owner of a adhd_boys group on yahoo. Let me know if you would like me to send you an invite. There are lots of loving parents on there that have wonderful ideas nad thought. But we also inforce that you always consult your doctor about any meds changes. I would call the doctor and tell them what is happening. All meds react differently for everyone. Good Luck and give him a big hug. Our jobs as a parent is to keep our children safe.

I do not have any experience with Adderall but, Am familar with the things he is doing. My 11 year old has ADHD and has been on medication as well since he was 6. What we experienced is just tring a different medication. The first medication he took was strattera. He responded well but, had a lot of side affects. The biggest one was not eatting and he lost a lot of weight which made it hard to regulate his medication. He would get very depressed and say things you would think a 6 year old should never know or think about. I do wish you the best, Hang in there and do not feel like your a terrible mother. I know as a mother it is so hard to not be able to fix everything. Just you taking the steps and doing what ever you can to make things better for hime shows you care. My son is on Concerta now and does very well.

Hi- My almost 7 year old boy has been on addrell for 2 years and does has these once in awhile panic attacks(maybe 6 times)His doctor said it's not a side affect from his medication. Hang in there I know I have struggled with having such a sweet boy with ADHD.

Ok I just tried to send this so if you got this twice then sorry. I am not experienced with Adderall but my son is on concerta and we have had good luck with that one. Have you talked to your doc about trying a new med. My doc liked this one the best and it workes great for us and we have not had to up the doc, YET. I hope everything works out. Sorry I couldn't have been more help. Good luck. C.

My son tried all of the ADD meds when he was about that age and had problems. We tried him on it when he turned 16 1/2 and it has been a much different experience. His friends and our family always know if he has forgotten his meds! His anger is controlled by Adderral because most of his anger is due to frustration. He now stays focused at 19 and outshines the others at work because of how focused he is! Hallelujah!

Hi J., I have some emails that I would like to share with you on your regular email. It will be easier for you to save and print them there.

You can get him off the drugs quite easily by making some changes. Please email me at ____@____.com.

Thanks, Marciab ###-###-####

Here is what one of them says. Hello All,

I'm going to try to be as diplomatic as I possibly can be in this email. I have a daughter who from the age of 9 was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having ADHD, OCD and depression.

We were told over and over and over again that our daughter was a brat and it was totally the home life that was causing her problems. I never believed this nor did I stop trying to help her. We are parents of six children. Samantha is the only child we have with these disorders. I believe in my soul that my daughter was affected in the womb by the medications that I was taking before I knew that I was pregnant with her. You see, I had severe ulcers and other stomach problems. I received X-rays, medications and other treatments for my stomach ailments. I then found out I was 4 months pregnant with my daughter. I stopped all medications at that time, but I will never be convinced that these medications did not help aid in Samantha's problems. We have our drug and alcohol babies born each and everyday, I have a Maalox baby. This may sound humorous but nonetheless there is more seriousness than humor in

I believe what is needed in this conversation is a healthy balance. Diet makes a huge difference as does the over exposure of harmful chemicals in our everyday household consumables. A lifestyle of structure also helps children in these cases, but it is certainly not the only answer. There are many reasons why a child is born ADHD, OCD or suffers with depression. Chemical imbalances and over exposure to chemicals are some major concerns of mine. Most children in the United States suffer from a lack of healthy foods in their diet. ADHD children and "normal" children alike. Every child needs structure and discipline, but none of these things make a difference if the other key to the door is not used.

Get rid of all the harmful chemicals in your home. Shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, laundry soap, makeup, cleaning products, and perfumes or colognes. These all play a huge role in your child's condition. Also, put your child on the vitamins to help supplement what he/she's diet is lacking in nutrition. I have my child on Luminex, the vitality gold packet of vitamins, and the sleep EZ. All of these things have improved my daughter's outlook on life, her ability to concentrate and her ability to function with "normal" children. Melaleuca is not a snake oil nor a cure all, but I can see the dramatic difference in my child by switching stores and getting all of the harmful chemicals out of her life and our home.

I fought with Administrators at the school, teachers, doctors, and my own sister who is a special Ed teacher in not wanting to put Samantha on any medications. I knew there had to be an answer out there. And what I found were several answers that make up the puzzle of Samantha. Even the educators, doctors and other professionals can't agree that ADD or ADHD even exists. I heard a doctor give a presentation about ADHD and he uses Melaleuca products. He flat said that he doesn't believe that ADD or ADHD exists. Well as a parent of six and only one is ADHD, I am here to firmly disagree with him. He didn't have a child who suffers with these problems; so he has nothing to compare it to. I will advocate for my child until I die. Melaleuca has made a huge difference in our family and I would be a customer for life just because of these things.

It's very difficult to understand disorders that you cannot see or touch. But these disorders very much exist and as Susanne says and I'll scream this from the mountain tops. I don't believe our children are being born sick; something is causing it. The chemicals just make sense to me!!

Panthea Baker

Subject: ADD and ADHD Testimonials

J.,

My son is ADHD, ADD, high functioning autistic, and many other things. We tried the adderall, hated it! We found that anything that is a stimulant based drug did not work for him. We started him on Strattera. It is a non stimulant drug and has worked wonders for him. He was on it for a couple of years and his doctor suggested putting it with Concerta. The combo of the two have had amazing results. He is learning math and reading and love school and can sit still and do homework. So far we haven't found any side effects with this. Talk to your doctor. It might be worth a try.

I feel so sorry for both of you! My heart goes out to you! Take him off the medication now!

I am at the thought that medications are a last resort! I think the schools and Dr. want everyone to come from the same mold and act like robots only to cater to their every demand. (Sorry now I am getting on my soap box). I say unless your child is not doing well academically,not making friends, and has severe anger outbursts why put him on dangerous medications that have been proven to have severe side effects.

I also believe that other asspects cause children to loose attention, so please check out this site.

http://www.incrediblehorizons.com/mimic-adhd.htm

GL:)

Hi J.,

I feel for you. My husband and I have been faced with serious health concerns with our son, now 11, as well. We have never dealt with ADHD, however, my sister has a 13 year old son that HAD ADD. He didn't have the "H" part, however, maybe treating him without the use of medication might be a feasible option. Since it seems from what you say he started with the panic attacks since the meds started.

My sister took her son to the Dore Achievement Center. They help with learning and attention deficiencies. It's located in Chicago. However, when they were going for treatment, a clinic in Michigan was in the works.

The website: www.dorecenters.com

Check it out. This may be the answer to many of your problems.

Good luck.

I had my 7 year old on Adderall for a year and a half and it was the worst experience of my whole life. I didn't realize the Adderall was making him crazy. I just thought his ADHD was getting worse (the doctors were telling me the same thing). We finally figured it out....and I regret that it took so long. We took him off the Adderall over Thanksgiving break and it was really hard. He had some serious withdrawals from it. I would not recommend Adderall and I have only heard negative things about it. Good luck. If you have any questions please feel free to email me.

J.

Sorry, my experience with my child is not with Adderall but with Concerta instead. I personally was on Adderall at one point and I had no adverse effects (it didn't work the way we were hoping it would, so I had to try something else).
Drugs of any type are alien to our bodies and we as indivuals will react differently to each one. What does the doctor say about this? If they try to tell you that it is not the drug then I suggest you do like I did with mine (take the child off of the drug for two days and see if that makes any difference) I took my daughter off of the Concerta for the weekends because when she had idle time she got really depressed - but she was ok for the rest of the week. When taking her off the drug was no longer an option then the drug was no longer an option -- we changed her to a different drug that does not have such drastic side effects for her (yet).
Hope that helps.
J.

These are all very important developments that you NEED to discuss with your child's psychiatrist. The issues that you have just outlined are not typical responses to Adderall, but it sounds like they need to be addressed pronto. Since you are having some pretty upsetting feelings about this yourself, I recommend talking to a psychologist about how you are doing and collecting some good coping strategies. Just know, you are NOT the only mom dealing with a child who needs help. You are just one of those moms who are actually doing something about it..GOOD FOR YOU!!

I don't have any kids on adderall, however, my husband was on it until last year. He also had panic attacks and seemed very depressed. The strange things was that, it would come on so suddenly and I would find him sulking and then an hour later he'd be fine. He also has ADHD. I finally decided to take him off of the Adderall because I couldn't handle it. His mother was furious. What I couldn't understand was, why didn't she try coping methods or techniques that would help him concentrate before she went to the hardcore drugs. Adderall is a narcotic. It is a VERY strong drug, and I personally would not recommend it for s six-year-old unless everything else completely failed. My husband and cousin (who was also on it) wouldn't eat. It was originally developed as a weight loss drug, and it works. They never got hungry and would have to be forced to eat. I wouldn't let him take it until after breakfast so that he'd eat at least something. There are other therapies out there to help teach them how to live a normal life. Taking him off was difficult because of the withdrawals...again, this is a narcotic. After two months, he finally started to calm down.

I found that just having a routine everyday helped him a great deal. We can't sleep in too often because it throws him off and then he can't concentrate. He does so well when he knows what's going on. He knows that if it's noon it's time for lunch. And at 9am he needs to go to class (he's in college). He needs to write lists for himself to help keep him on track. He keeps a little notebook in his pocket so that he can write down homework assignments, things he needs to do, anything that he doesn't want to forget. If we don't follow the schedule, he gets frustrated and will sometimes throw tantrums. It sounds silly to hear of a 23-year-old man throwing a tantrum, but he will if he doesn't know what's going on.

This past summer, after I took him off of his medication, we went home to visit. No one noticed a difference in him. He behaved the same way that he did when he was on medications. That let me know that the strategies worked.

I know there's a difference between a six year old and a 23 year old, but consider, maybe there's a better way.

I run a home day care and have a boy that was on Adderall for a while. He also had issues with his medication. He would get violent or go into a corner and curl up into a ball and not talk for an hour. His medication got changed and now he is a great kid. Please see your doctor. It could be a reaction to the medication.

At age 6 my son a dose of 2 mg and 15 minutes later "freaked out". He began screaming and ran outside in the snow barefoot. That is why he has never taken a drug since\. All of his treatment is through "behavior modification". In life there are no quick fixes when it comes to complex issues. All baby steps and then they grow into that prince. All kids react to drugs differently. Tell your doctor and then they will try a different drug. Be careful some of the drugs stunt growth. Good Luck.
Denise

My son was on it when he was 14 and he also experienced serious emotional ups and downs. I decided I would rather have my spacey, ADD HAPPY child than an emotional wreck. We tried other ADD medications but all of them he had every emotion possible, I am assuming it is a common side affect. You have to take your trade have the ADD behavior and try to teach the child to function with it or medicate and try to address all the emotional ups and downs.

My step son was on Adderal. He is obsessed with bad things happening and the Adderal did not help it may have made things worse. This is far from the only ADHD medication out there it is just the first one they start with. We tried a patch which worked well except JP had an allergic reaction to the adhesive. JP has been tested and is ADHD and have learning disabilities which depressed him because he couldn't read and felt far behind. My suggestion is to take your child to a child psychiatrist and play with the medication until you get it right. It is a process and the medication may change a lot over the years.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear what you are going through. I don't have direct experience with ADHD medicines but I have worked with many children on medications - with mixed results.
My first response is to be SURE you trust your doctor and that he or she is a specialist -pediatric behaviorist or a pediatrition who specializes in behavior/ADHD/depression. I have heard good things about Dr. Mann, but I have no first hand knowledge. Also, just because a doctor is a specialist doesn't make him a good doc. As your sons biggest fan and advocate, you get to become an ADHD expert. Educate yourself and trust your instincts.
My second thought is to be sure his diet is made up of clean, whole food and that he has a regular (like clock work) sleep routine.
My third, and probably most important, thought is that a mom who takes care of herself is a better mom. With that in mind, think of five ways to take care of yourself and do them ;-) .
Surround yourself with positve, supportive people - let the others go. There may be a support group in the valley. Ask your school social worker, St. Lukes Center for Community Health, or even on line.
you may have already done all of these things but hopefully some of this helps.

Definitely talk to your doctor and your pharmacist about this(the pharmacist will be more familiar with side affects than the doctor). It sounds like a reaction to the meds to me,

Hi J. -
How scary for you and him! My friend Deanna (my name is D.!) had a similiar thing with her 14 year old son. He had been on adhd meds fsince age 6 and had "cardiac side effects" with the adderall. She is a nurse and took him off of it right away and switched him to a complete nutritional supplement with 'brain food' At first they weren't sure whether it would help, but in two weeks, they saw him calming down, not being so impulsive, and getting his wonderful personality back. He's gained good weight, grown and is gettng very good grades in school. He's been on it for almost 2 years now and I know she is very pleased with the good changes in him. Feel free to call me and I can connect you with her so she can share with you what they did. D. - Michigan ###-###-####

Hi J.,

I'm responding to your questions regarding Adderall. I'm a registered nurse and have worked with children who are on this drug. First of all, Adderall is an amphetimine which can cause the heart to race and bring on the feeling of panic. Unfortunately, these types of drugs are usually used to treat people with ADD or ADHD. People who suffer from these disorders tend to react differently to amphetimines. Instead of speeding them up it calms them down. You can go on-line or talk to your Dr. or Pharmacist to find out about the side effects of this medication. My suggestion would be to talk to your Dr. and see if there are any alternatives to using Adderall or any other drugs that are in the same category.

My grandson is on Adderall, he would wake up screaming with nightmares and was afraid of everything. They lowered the dosage and that seemed to make a difference. Talk to your doctor and tell them about these episodes. It may be as simple as lowering the dosage or it not for your child. My grandson is much better now that they have found the balance.

Hello,
The doctors had my son on Adderall for his ADHD and had the same reaction. I tried all the meds out there. Guess where I found the answer? I was sitting in the waiting room looking in a magazine when I noticed a brochure that was telling about ADHD. They had done a bunch of tests on kids and the simple easy answer was that the body needed a supplement on the vitamin intake. I took my son off the medication and started a program with the school at the same time. They kept track of his behavior and attention at school. I kept track at home. I did test after test with the way he acted. When he had taken his vitamins regulary for 2 weeks straight he had done 87% better. If I took him off for even a week there was a dramatic difference with him getting angry and not paying attention. Try the brand Lil Critters Gummy Vites. It will make the taking of the vitamins a swift undertaking! If you have any more questions please let me know k. ____@____.com
Thanks

Hi J.,
I am a little late on the response but want to tell you our story as well. I too had boys that were on different meds for ADHD. My youngest took Adderal also. I had heard all sorts of storys on the possible side effects and was concerned but went with it anyway. My son started having some of the same issues that I have read here on this post but he went pyschotic on us one day. It terrified me as well as our family. We immediately contacted the pyschiatrist who told us to give him Benadryl (like he was having an allergic reaction to something) and to not give him anymore of the Adderall. We saw him the next morning and ended up putting him on Concerta which is the only medication that seemed to help him. As he got older though, those side effects were more of a hinderance to him as a teenager than he was willing to deal with and he quit taking all his meds.

Part 2 of this story. I also have ADHD and never took meds until recently. I went to a conference last year and realized that I was all over the place and really needed the help. Whenever I had filled out the forms for the boys on how they were, I felt as if I were talking more about me than them sometimes. For years, I had talked to my doctors about taking meds for it but didn't because of how my body responds to medications. If there is an obscure side effect to a medication - I'll be that 1% that gets it.

So, imagine my surprise when my doctor wanted to put me on Adderal. I was terrified and I explained my fears to him. We started out with the losest possible dosage and worked from there but couldn't find just the right dose for me. it was either too much or not enough. Then we tried Vyvanse - it is a version of Adderal that is more of a time release and I have to say - it has really helped me. I have not had the same side effects that my son had nor did I join that 1%.

I guess what I am trying to say is that everybody responds to these meds differently. If you have a doctor that is not willing to work to find something that helps your son, you need to seek a second opinion.

As far as handling Protective Services, keep a journal of what you are doing to help your son. Keep track of appointments with doctors, phone calls with teachers, confernences, everything. There are two reasons for this, first, you will be able to prove just what you are doing to help him and you will be able to track for yourself and any future doctors that you might deal with just what you have done, what has worked, what hasn't worked and you might see a trend which in turn will help you help your son.

You are your son's advocate at this age. Don't be afraid to make some noise on his behalf. And when Protective Services somes, ask them for information on resources available to you in your community.

I know others have offered their email addresses and I would like to share mine as well:

____@____.com

Please feel free to email me.

Hugs!