ADD medications

[coinkc]

My teenager was just diagnosed with attention deficit disorder inattentive type this morning. We have an appointment with her doctor next week to discuss medications.

The two that she mentioned on the phone were Focalin and Vyvanse. Does anybody have any experience with children on either of these? I'm interested in hearing good and bad stories about effectiveness, side effects, etc. I did google them but there is so much info out there and I'd love to hear some personal stories.

thank you.

 

[shortbun]

look for someone who can administer neurofeedback. Often with neurofeedback, meds are not necessary. Insurance doesn't often cover it but I know a pediatric neurologist who said great strides were being made with it. Also, remove food dye and check for celiac and cassein allergies. I am not anti meds, just pro research and exploring all alternatives. Why use meds if something else works better or as well without altering your child's conciousness?

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I wish I could help, but my nephew is on Adderol and not the others.

Have you checked over on the disABILITIES forum?

I'm sure there are loads of folks over there who may have kiddos on those meds.

Good luck in your search.

 

[3boymthr]

Oldest DS has ADHD and middle DS has ADD inattentive type. Oldest is on Concerta and middle one on Ritalin XR. They are both doing really well. Ritalin XR is available as a generic and according to the ped has the fewest side effects of any medication. We tried a couple of different meds for him before ending up with the Ritalin as he was having some side effects with the other meds. He still has sleep issues but this is very common. It was amazing the difference the medication made in their ability to get things done at school especially for middle DS.

Middle DS' best friend is on Vyvanse. Be prepared it is VERY expensive. He's on Vyvanse because he also takes some other meds and it had the fewest interactions with his other meds. They did have to play with his dose and he does have some side effects in particular a twitch of the eyes that builds as the week goes on (he doesn't take it over the weekend - nor do my kids) so they may be switching or taking him off the ADHD meds altogether. His mom is upset because the other meds he takes are absolutely not optional but the Vyvanse is making such a huge difference in his schoolwork that she hates to take him off of it.

 

[beavismom]

My son had inattentive ADD and we have tried pretty much all of the meds at one time or another. Focalin XR was the best for him as it had the least effect on his appetite. He took it for years and other than having to increase the dosage over time there were no real problems. It was not as effective as others for the ADD part, but we had to balance the appetite issue because DS is thin already. The other plus it that he could skip meds on weekends and school breaks. DS is 15 now and stopped taking meds this year. At this point he is grown up enough to have a say in what he puts in his body.

We tried Vyvanse, but he didn't think that one worked well at all. Every person has different body chemistry though and what works well for one may not for the next which is why there are so many different kinds of ADD/ADHD meds. You may just have to use the trial and error method to find the best solution for you.

 

[mjkacmom]

We lucked out with ds12 and focalin. We increased the initial dose once, but it was night and day. I've always known he has it, but in the 6th grade, he was getting several B's, and I spoke to the teacher, who said he just couldn't focus, and was making a lot of stupid mistakes (he's inatentive, not hyperactive). He started taking it, and never got less than a 95 for the rest of the year. He did lose about 5 or so pounds, and it wears off around dinner time.

 

[rie'smom]

My daughter has taken all of them over the years. She was on Adderall and her doctor wanted to try Wellbutrin since it is not amphetamine based but she has begun having focus problems so she'll be getting back on the Adderall.

 

[mamacatnv]

My DS was diagnosed at 20 when he was really struggling with college. We knew it had always been a bit of an issue but he handled it through high school and we didn't want him labeled. College was a game changer.

Started with Ritalin, did not like it at all.
He was having issues with it not working with his schedule since unlike a traditional elem/high school student he has classes at different times of the day/night as well as long study sessions and a part time job.

Switched him to Vyvanse and he loves it. It works really well for him. It is about $200 a month w/o insurance, we pay $55 a month. It took a bit of coaxing to get the insurance to approve it but they finally did.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

Vyvanse has been the best for DS15 for the past 2 years. takes a 'booster' of very lose dose ritalin around 4 pm to get through the evenings. No side effects that we have seen.

 

[NCRedding]

DD is on Vyvanse and has been for about 1 year since she was intially diagnosed with ADD at 17 years of age.

It works very well for her. She can focus and stay on task. She doesn't take it on the weekends, over Christmas break etc.

It is expensive as stated above. We pay about $160 per month (insurance but with very high deductible.)

The main side effects to her: decreased appetite, although that has regulated somewhat over time. Disrupted sleep pattern. She has always needed little sleep, but with Vyvanse, she can't get to sleep until very late. Her current sleep pattern works for her as a college student.