Adderal?

[robin09]

HI Everyone! Changing meds again, and I come to the experts! DD9 has aspergers, ocd, anxiety, adhd among other things. We tried her on the concerta about 4 years, it was an absolute horror for us. jenn got very violent on it after only 10 days. For the past year she's been on Seroquel at night and strattera during the day. I have removed the strattera because she said she doesn't like the taste and it takes away her imagination. We removed it and told her as long as she can still do well in school I can deal with her activity level.

She's a very bright little girl in a contained classroom with 8 other kids 1 teacher, 2 aides. She mainstreams for math and just started science. Her math grades are 97. She is in 3rd grade and her reading level is at 7th grade. They just tested her vocabulary and her level is 7th grade 8th month. Her speech teacher said she never saw a 3rd grade child score so high.

Last night we met with her therapist and pyschologist. He suggested trying the adderal to try to get her to focus more, and organize better. The seroquel (150 mgs) helps her sleep at night, without we had very little sleep... 2 hours here and there. Now we give her the pills at 7 and by 9:30 she's out for the night. It also increased her appetite quite a bit. Which really wasn't a problem because eating has always been a problem here and she was underweight to begin with.

Does anyone have any input on adderal? ANy experiences? Thankyou all so much, it soothes me knowing that I can come here and get people's insight!

 

[debbi801]

Hi. My DS-6 was on Adderal for a short period of time. He has Aspergers and ADHD. He was unable to concentrate on anything before we started him on meds in the fall. Originally he was on Focalin, which was a nightmare for him. After a few days, he sunk into depression, cried non-stop, couldn't sleep, etc. It was bad.

So, the doctor switched him to 5 mg of Adderal XR. His behavior after taking it was amazing. He was able to focus in the class room, he could pay attention to what was being taught, it was awesome. Unfortunately, for DS, the rebound effect in the afternoon when it wore off was terrible. We saw the "normal" asperger meltdowns magnified 100%. Plus, getting him to take it was difficult because he could "feel" the beads of the meds in what ever food we gave to him. The doc suggested upping the dose to 10 mg to see if that helped, but it didn't change the crashes in the afternoon and he was too drugged like during the day.

We then switched to Vyvance (30 mg). It is the same med as Adderal with an extra protein so that it works more evenly for a longer period of time. It truly is amazing, as far as we're concerned. The ADHD is totally handled while he is on it, there is no crash at the end of the day, and it is a powder instead of the beads, so we can even dissolve it in liquid for him to take.

HTH

 

[robin09]

Debbie, Yes it helps alot! Thankyou soooo much. At least I know there might be some other help out there. I've never heard of Vyvance before. I'm hoping the meltdons don't occur here, but at least I know to be prepared! Thankyou again!

 

[Hasil72]

DS(8) has a similar dx. Adderall was one of the first meds we tried. for my DS it was a nightmare. Made him absolutely neurotic. Instead of helping his symptoms, it magnified them 100%.

Although, it may work for your DD since everyone reacts differently. For example, your DD can't handle the Strattera but DS has been taking Strattera for 3 years (now we're at 50mg-25mg at night and 25 in the am) and using the Daytrana patch for about 18 months. Both work out well for him. Sleeping issues are rare anymore and neither appear to supress his personality. He articulates very clearly and tells you right away if something doesn't feel "right".

Good luck! It's so hard finding what works best, but you'll find it.

 

[bookwormde]

I usually do not enter threads about medications and aspergers because it usually does no good. Those who have committed to that path, usually do not want to hear that there is another way (and more appropriate way). But in this case since there are several parents looking for ideas I will offer my thoughts.

I would never have anyone prescribe this type of meds described above to my child (because they are counter indicated for most aspergergers children due to there heightened anxiety levels, not to mention that many are or should be “black label medications) unless they were being prescribed by a physician who’s had aspergergers children as a major portion of there practice and was keeping current with at least 50hrs per year of continuing education from nationally or internationally respected educators on aspergers.

Most clinicians mistake aspergers children’s EF issues, atypical play patterns and lack of interest and compliance to typical clinical analytical procedures to be an indication of ADHD. This is why ADHD is the most common misdiagnosis for aspergers children. To do a proper ADHD evaluation on an aspergers child you must first filter out the indicators that are “spectrum based” and only highly experienced and educated clinicians in the area of aspergers are competent to do this.

Yes the medications can have an impact on some aspergers children, but do nothing to help with the underlying issues and to help with the long-term non-medicated prognosis.
And yes some Aspergers children do truly have a separate and distinct appropriate ADHD diagnosis but this is somewhat rare.

Well now that probably 2 out of 3 of you are so mad that you have stopped reading I will offer my approach.

First is to make sure that your child is getting what they need to get through school and other social environments with a minimum of anxiety. This generally means at least 2-4 hours per week of social skills & theory of mind individual and small group training. Also there should be at least 8 hour per week of 1 on 1 generalization “practice” in your Childs standard LRE. The school must have in place and offer to your child accommodations and adaptive methodologies for your child to use when EF (executive function) issues become problematic. Also sensory issues and auditory processing issues mast be effectively addressed. Your school also needs to be presenting as much of the academic curriculum in your child preferred visual mode as practical. Just as note all of these items are broadly accepted IEP needs of aspergers children an therefore should be addressed by your child’s IEP committee

The neurovarient that is aspergers is quite broad and accepting that your child processes and organizes information quite defiantly than neurotypical children is important to accept, as is the fact that this is nothing that you can change it, as is part of their genetic make up.

Academics will come to your child, and odds are they will excel with the above supports without medication. It just takes a lot more effort on the part of schools and clinicians to make it happen. The benefit is not having your child reliant on medications with significant risks for the rest of his/her life, instead they have learned techniques and skills to function effectively throughout there lives (although there aspirations and lifestyle will likely never be that of a neurotypical, but instead be of much greater depth and fulfillment and probably contribution to there fellow man)

Last, there are some situations where medications for anxiety are of benefit in the short and medium term, when a child has gone undiagnosed and/or unsupported for a long period of time and anxiety has become acute with severe maladaptive manifestations. But this is just to keep the child safe While the above “work is done which will bring their anxiety levels down to manageable levels.

Well there is some aspie directness. It is probably not what you want to hear but at least you have been exposed to it so you cannot say “nobody ever told me that” in the future.

bookwormde

 

[robin09]

I usually do not enter threads about medications and aspergers because it usually does no good. Those who have committed to that path, usually do not want to hear that there is another way (and more appropriate way). But in this case since there are several parents looking for ideas I will offer my thoughts.

I would never have anyone prescribe this type of meds described above to my child (because they are counter indicated for most aspergergers children due to there heightened anxiety levels, not to mention that many are or should be “black label medications) unless they were being prescribed by a physician who’s had aspergergers children as a major portion of there practice and was keeping current with at least 50hrs per year of continuing education from nationally or internationally respected educators on aspergers.

Most clinicians mistake aspergers children’s EF issues, atypical play patterns and lack of interest and compliance to typical clinical analytical procedures to be an indication of ADHD. This is why ADHD is the most common misdiagnosis for aspergers children. To do a proper ADHD evaluation on an aspergers child you must first filter out the indicators that are “spectrum based” and only highly experienced and educated clinicians in the area of aspergers are competent to do this.

Yes the medications can have an impact on some aspergers children, but do nothing to help with the underlying issues and to help with the long-term non-medicated prognosis.
And yes some Aspergers children do truly have a separate and distinct appropriate ADHD diagnosis but this is somewhat rare.

Well now that probably 2 out of 3 of you are so mad that you have stopped reading I will offer my approach.

First is to make sure that your child is getting what they need to get through school and other social environments with a minimum of anxiety. This generally means at least 2-4 hours per week of social skills & theory of mind individual and small group training. Also there should be at least 8 hour per week of 1 on 1 generalization “practice” in your Childs standard LRE. The school must have in place and offer to your child accommodations and adaptive methodologies for your child to use when EF (executive function) issues become problematic. Also sensory issues and auditory processing issues mast be effectively addressed. Your school also needs to be presenting as much of the academic curriculum in your child preferred visual mode as practical. Just as note all of these items are broadly accepted IEP needs of aspergers children an therefore should be addressed by your child’s IEP committee

The neurovarient that is aspergers is quite broad and accepting that your child processes and organizes information quite defiantly than neurotypical children is important to accept, as is the fact that this is nothing that you can change it, as is part of their genetic make up.

Academics will come to your child, and odds are they will excel with the above supports without medication. It just takes a lot more effort on the part of schools and clinicians to make it happen. The benefit is not having your child reliant on medications with significant risks for the rest of his/her life, instead they have learned techniques and skills to function effectively throughout there lives (although there aspirations and lifestyle will likely never be that of a neurotypical, but instead be of much greater depth and fulfillment and probably contribution to there fellow man)

Last, there are some situations where medications for anxiety are of benefit in the short and medium term, when a child has gone undiagnosed and/or unsupported for a long period of time and anxiety has become acute with severe maladaptive manifestations. But this is just to keep the child safe While the above “work is done which will bring their anxiety levels down to manageable levels.

Well there is some aspie directness. It is probably not what you want to hear but at least you have been exposed to it so you cannot say “nobody ever told me that” in the future.

bookwormde

I am the original poster. I DO value what you say and do not turn off to what you have to say. I am at a loss for my child and have tried so many different routes to get to where we are today. Jen is in a contained classroom with 8 other children all different ages. She also has a safe room in her room that she can go to when she needs to. They are slowly trying to mainstream her into a "typical classroom". Right now she goes to 2 subjects a day in a typical classroom.

I HATE with a passion medicating her, I hate medicine but sometimes need to rely on them. Unfortunately though i live in a very small town, and doctors are far. Her neurolgist is 2 hours away. Geez, I wish I could give a decent reply here, I have a hard time getting my thoughts down. We didn't sleep in our home for the past 8 years, literally. Jenn was a premmie, hated to sleep even then. She was carried alot, she would sleep in her carrier, as she needed the closeness for 2 hours at a stretch. She never napped. The doctors called her a high maintenance baby. Those were their terms. I fought for her every step of the way. Her eyesight, her speech. Her hating to be touched. Unable to go shopping because of the flourescent lights... I can go on and on. With the seroquel at night she is finally sleeping 8 hours nightly.. on most nights.

I am open to all suggestions, and willing to try. I would love not to medicate her I hate it with all my heart. But she is calmer with more sleep, and she's not tapping and touching her fingers as much. HEr clothes aren't being eaten. I have tried melatonin with her, but had to keep increasing dosages as her body adjusted to it. She gets social skills in school one hour weekly.

I ramble and I'm sorry, my dh says I tend to go off on tangents at will. I don't take Jen out on days I think will be bad... when she asks for sound to be lowered and clothes are bothering her.. I know it will be a rough day... I try to adjust to her anxiety levels, and teach her how to live with them.

Please feel free to tutor, or teach how to help my child without meds...

Thankyou,
Robin, Jenna's mom

 

[bookmama]

hi, my son is now taking adderall for his adhd and it works wonderfully. at first he was on concerta and it was hellish, he was zoned out and tempermental. the focalin was better but he had no personality. his school said he never had any emotions. the adderall works wonderfully it not only works on his concentration but he has a personality.

good luck.

 

[Schmeck]

.
(although there aspirations and lifestyle will likely never be that of a neurotypical, but instead be of much greater depth and fulfillment and probably contribution to there fellow man)

bookwormde

Could you please clarify this statement as it makes no sense to me. For instance, the part about although there - where? at the school? What is a neurotypical, are you referring to a person? And are you really stating the people with asperger's syndrome are more fulfilled and have greater depth than all other people on this planet? Is that a tested theory of some kind, or just how you feel? I work with children diagnosed with asperger's and I'd like to know where all this info comes from, as it could help me help them reach a higher potential than they are reaching right now.

 

[bookwormde]

Schmeck,

I sent you a PM I hope it answers yur question and is helpfull

bookwormde