Quick Poll

My 6 yr old son has been on Adderall XR 5mg since Nov....he weighs about 45 pounds. At first it worked well, helping with his impulsiveness at school, but I noticed he was more emotional than usual. So, his dr suggested increasing it to 10mg to help him control his emotions. It got 100x worse...he became "depressed", crying over everything & said his "heart hurt" & he didn't like himself. It only took a couple days of that before I took him off all together. After a couple days being off medication, it was obvious to everyone that he needed to go back on. So, back to the 5mg he went....but it hasn't seemed to be helping as much as before. I'm so scared to try different meds/doses because of the bad experience we had the last time.....not to mention the cost. Every time we try something new we'll have to purchase a full month's Rx. If it doesn't work, it goes to waste. I just don't know what to do...at this rate he will have difficulty as he starts 1st grade in the fall if we don't get a better grip on this. Any support would be great!!

If at all possible, could you ask your doctor for some samples? It can get expensive, I know! You also need to realize that what works for one may not work for another. I tried a different med for my anxiety disorder and all I did was cry...I went back to the ole one, and before I knew it, I felt good again. You can't be afraid of the medicines...just talk with your son, look for changes, and if they occur, then he's not on the right one. When you DO find the right one/or combination thereof, you will know! It will just feel "right." Hope this helps! :D

To parent of 6yr old on Adderall - My sister had a similar challenge with her son. At five years old he was very impulsive and couldn't sit still. On the advice of a friend she started taking him out for a morning jog with her before school. It turns out that jogging has a very strong positive effect on him. Now he is seven and they jog every morning before she takes him to school.

Yeh i'm 22, and I've found excercise is CRUCIAL in keeping myself together. Also to avoid depression i take drug holidays on the weekends usually - non medicated days. Doc says it helps the brain chemistry rebuild stocks of neurotransmitters (neuroadrenalin and the other one). Works for me :)