Daughter taking Adderall xr - ADD / ADHD Message Board

amazonfriend · 06-08-2006, 12:06 PM

Hello-

I have an 8 year old daughter who was diagnosed 1.5 years ago. She is taking Adderall (extended)

Here is my question and yes it may be silly ..... How do I know if I am giving her the right medication??
Yes the Dr. is involved, this is what he suggested 1st and it seems to work great BUT I am a little worried about her. Some of her behavior, her very small size ( 8 yrs & 43lbs but tall), not wanting to take the meds and not really telling me why plus other small things a Mom would notice.

She is pretty quiet and doesn't talk about certain things. Yes I do ask her questions about how it makes her feel. She doesn't say much - she might not realize a side effect is not normal and \she needs to tell me.

She doesn't really like taking the Adderall, we put it in yogurt because she can't swallow pills yet. She says it tastes bad. She understands it does help her a lot.
Some days she will really misbehave and in the process she mentions the little things that are bothering her.... someone called her a mean name, or what is really bothering her to cause the bad behaviour that has turned into a "meltdown". Instead of her just telling me she is upset.

What do you think.

Thank you so much for your input!! I really appreciate it!!

sawbuck44 · 06-09-2006, 09:16 AM

Your question is not silly. Many children go through different types of meds until they find the one that works the best. My son (no longer on meds) initially tried Ritalin, Dexedrin, Adderall, Adderall XR, he went back to using Adderall. Not only do you have to possibly go through a few - you also have to find the right dosage.

You also have to understand about 'coming down' when the meds are wearing off. When my son first started Adderall, he would get bothered easily when the meds wore off at the end of the day - usually between 4:30 and 6:30. He seemed to be better after he ate a good dinner. (fyi son is now 14 - took meds in kindergarten and 7th grade only - long story but i think you can search to find all my posts)

As far as not swallowing pills yet, my son can't either. He has his meds put into cinamon applesauce. It may taste better than yogurt.
good luck, I'm sure you will find a lot of useful advice here. Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and read up!

Funkdoc · 06-11-2006, 11:39 PM

You should probably buy a book on a.d.d. My dr. wanted me to read a book, forgot what it was called, something simple like I have a.d.d. or something. Instead of just scanning this site, get a book, it might help you understand what your child goes through. When the medicine wears off I do feel weird as well. Sometimes it gives me anxiety, but I know realize that and I try to block it out, or just not dwell on it. Also I am 25 yrs old.