Inattentive ADHD/Adderall

I just used Vyvanse, Dexedrine and Ritalin. I got really relaxed from it but my GP is bent on no amphetamines and the psych thinks they are great. I have an active Rx for Ritalin and have a full bottle. I just don’t want to take another pill. Your daughter might do very well. Everyone is so different.

When you have ADD (both my children and myself are inattentive type), you don’t have the same reaction to Adderall that you do if you don’t have it. Yes, when I would go off Adderall for a few months, the first day or two I would be EXTREMELY productive, but after the first time I noticed it, the next I realized I just could focus and do what “normal” people could do in a day. My DS (18) has been on Adderall since he was 12 and has self regulated taking it since he started high school. He’s a gamer who often does all nighters with friends, but never used Adderall to stay up because it doesn’t affect his brain like it does kids who aren’t ADD and use Adderall.

Everybody reacts differently. My son, as a teenager, started with Adderall (made him jumpy and anxious), then Concerta (stomach aches and pervasive sadness), then Vyvanse (just the appetite loss that seems to come with all these drugs).

It’s really a case of finding whatever works AND has the least disruptive side effects. And then finding the right dosage. Hopefully, the first med will do the trick.

The important things are to act as her observer, help her understand how the body needs time to adjust with each med change, help her be a good data keeper and reporter. (And even after just saying you need to give a drug needed time, I made the decision to call the doctor after only a few days of the miserable Concerta experience, so the rules aren’t ironclad. Sometimes it’s just gut feeling.)

Good luck.

I would say No to it. It works great with someone is hyper but for someone who is not it will just make them hyper as hell.

A thousand times this.

My teen who has combined-type ADHD has had success with Focalin. We had to go through some dark days in elementary school while trying to find the right medicine and dose. Also, we had one med that worked great for a year or two, but the side effects gradually increased until they were intolerable.

Medication has made a night-and-day difference for my kid. He's really smart and creative, but his output at school was not reflecting that. The meds help him not only with schoolwork, but also with his creative work - he has always been a fountain of ideas, but now those ideas get turned into projects. FINISHED projects. When he was young, he had stacks of notebooks that each contained the beginning of a story. It was heartbreaking. He was becoming known as the class clown, and his test scores did not match the abilities we saw... Years later, he has won awards in music, sports, and several academic disciplines. His test scores are sky-high, and he's off to a famous college in a few weeks.

The meds didn't do those things for him; rather, they allowed him to do the necessary work.

They also help him with social situations - he can pay better attention to social cues. He doesn't experience the blunting that AmeliaBloomer's son does. He is still sparkly and talkative, but on meds, his friends and family have a fighting chance of getting a word in edgewise. He does decide for himself when to take the medication. School days are always a Yes, but the afternoon short (4 hour) dose for homework time is a maybe. Weekends depend on his schedule. Sometimes he'll take only a short dose, sometimes long, sometimes both, sometimes none.

He doesn't love not being hungry - that's really the only downside.

I also have a friend (adult) who is on Adderall. He takes it as needed, no ill effects (he has a shaved head, so I can't speak to the hair loss issue LOL).

Hang in there. Listen to your mommy instincts. Remember that one bad experience with a medication doesn't mean that all medications will be bad - but don't be afraid to bail on a med if your kid is miserable.

My oldest DS (19) had the exact diagnosis at 16. He started taking Adderral. It has been night and day, for the better. Yes, it has effected his appetite but that has been the biggest 'negative' for him. He has to make a conscience effort to eat, otherwise he is never hungry.

I can only speak to how my son was, but the adderral is the best thing to happen to him. He is a smart kid but could never focus. It has been a game changer for him and I don't think he will ever look back with regrets.

I am diagnosed wih ADHD. I have been on adderall for few years now. I started woth 10 mg daily and now I am on 20 mg. I take the tablet form and not the capsule. In the beginning, I had no appetite but that lasted only for few months. I now make conscious effort to eat my meals on time and I also workout religiously 4 days a week. I did have insomnia with the medication. But once I cut out my evening in take of coffee and alcohol - i sleep better with no issues.

DS is has inattentive ADHD. He takes methylphenidate. I like being around him when he is on his meds. when he is off his meds life for HIM and everyone around him is rough.
His brain is wired different. When my neurosurgeon told me, “you need to take these meds or else you are going to have seizures.” I took the meds without question. It the same thing with ADHD we take the meds so we can function, get along with people, focus and be productive.
Jen

Our youngest was on it for 4-5 years. He did better on it than another other ADD med he had been on. It did kill his appetite like most meds do so we would take him off it during the weekend and long holidays.

He is 18 now and he asked to try life off of meds. I personally want him back on but he is managing okay off of it.

The best thing my doctor ever did for me was change my prescription from Adderall to Adzenys XR ODT. After taking Adderall for two years, I realized that I had a pounding headache every afternoon, often forgot the second dose, and still wasn't able to really focus. With the Adzenys, it's time released, so I only need one dose daily. I have had zero side effects, and my focus is much better than it's ever been.