Re: behaviors on ADD medication

[Guest guest]

Find a new doctor....Someone who can suggest other choices instead of medication.

We tried my daughter (ADD, asperger's) at age 6 on Metadate then tried Vyvanse. She is homeschooled because of anxiety and stress at the public school (this resolved when she was away from the school). We did see her obsessions and tantrums increase on the medication. She was able to focus sometimes in ways she couldn't before. When I told her psychiatrist, she wanted to add more medication ( ! ) such as potent psychotropic agents. We stopped the medications and guess what? We have a sweet, happy little girl back- she is not obsessing and upset all the time. I didn't know her medications could have made those unhappy changes in my daughter. Things were getting worse and the doctor only wanted to increase dosages and other medications. It is so hard to know what to do when we are looking to help our children. I wish I had stopped the Metadate sooner (she had one dose of Vyvanse and developed a tic and extreme anger that day so she never had another dose)but she stayed on Metadate on a fraction dose a year. My daughter seems so typical now, after three weeks off the medication, even approached another girl at the park, started a conversation and played together. I couldn't believe it.Shouldn't my doctor have considered that the medication was causing problems and suggested a medication vacation?

[Guest guest]

Preventing medication if possible is the best. Otherwise you are not giving an opportunity to the child develop the skills but making them dependent on the meds. We do not know what the side effects of the meds would cause.

We tried my daughter (ADD, asperger's) at age 6 on Metadate then tried Vyvanse. She is homeschooled because of anxiety and stress at the public school (this resolved when she was away from the school).

We did see her obsessions and tantrums increase on the medication. She was able to focus sometimes in ways she couldn't before. When I told her psychiatrist, she wanted to add more medication ( ! ) such as potent psychotropic agents.

We stopped the medications and guess what? We have a sweet, happy little girl back- she is not obsessing and upset all the time. I didn't know her medications could have made those unhappy changes in my daughter. Things were getting worse and the doctor only wanted to increase dosages and other medications. It is so hard to know what to do when we are looking to help our children. I wish I had stopped the Metadate sooner (she had one dose of Vyvanse and developed a tic and extreme anger that day so she never had another dose)but she stayed on Metadate on a fraction dose a year. My daughter seems so typical now, after three weeks off the medication, even approached another girl at the park, started a conversation and played together. I couldn't believe it.

Shouldn't my doctor have considered that the medication was causing problems and suggested a medication vacation?