Mom of newly diagnosed child with ADHD

[aimee8305]

Hello. Im new here. My son was dx with ADHD about 2 months ago. His psych Dr started him using guanfacine. Not sure if it working. I feel like his anger has gotten worse, especially when it is wearing off. Anybody else have this problem? We are still tweeking the dosage. We started at .25mg for 4 days at bedtime, then went to .25mg in the morning and .25 at night, then to .25mg 3 x a day. Now at .5mg in morning and at bedtime.

[bugsmom]

First and formost....Welcome to the group Aimee! I'm so happy that you have found us. Most of us have children that have been dx for quite some time, so keep those questions coming.

It sounds like this is your son's first try with medication, and I know how hard the whole process can be. I can give you a little information on our experience with Tenex (Guanfacine), but every child is an individual and react differently to ADHD medication. It can take some time to find the right medication at the right does to really make a difference, but I'm here to tell you it can make a huge difference once you find it.

My son had the same experience with Guanfacine. He took .25 at night and .25 in the morning. I found that it just aggitated him more. There was a lot of high's and lows throughout the day. It seemed to only last a few hours at best. When he was rebounding, he was so mean. I wasn't willing to up the medication because I just didn't feel it was working. But, it DOES work for a lot of children. They just came out with a long-acting form called Intuniv.

I know it was helpful to me to journal my son's moods and behaviors whenever we tried a new med or had any changes. That way I had a clearer view when I went to the doctor to speak to her.

Once again, I'm so glad you found us. We look forward to getting to know you and your son.

[katiekat]

Welcome Aimee! I'm sorry I do not have any experience with guanfacine but I wanted to say that I am glad you found us and I hope to be able to help you with any questions you may have in the future.

[jj]

I can't advice you on that particular medication either, wish I could.

But I did want to welcome you and I hope I can be of help in some other way at some other time, perhaps.

[aimee8305]

Thank you ladies for the warm welcome. Yes this is our first go around with meds. I have heard of the intuniv and my only concern is Dakota is 5. I was surprised he would even take the pill when I gave it to him but he chews it. Intuniv is an extended release capsule I believe. I could be wrong. My son already has anger issues but when its wearing off I have to almost play duck and cover because its unbearable. And I hate to say that about my son. And now that we have increased his dosage to ,5 in the morning and then again at night, he is complaining of nightmares.

He does have sleep issues to. He sleep walks, talks, snores, laughs.

Mommy is exhausted.

[misty]

Welcome to the board Aimee! My daughter has never been on that med. I think keeping a log is a great idea so your son's Dr knows exactly what is going on. I know that most kids try several different meds/dosages before finding the one that the best fit.

[aimee8305]

Thank you Misty. I have been keeping a log of my sons behaviors for several years now. I also email back and forth with his psych dr in between our appts. I am so happy to have found this place and peopl who understand what I go thru!! ;D

[bugsmom]

Aimee, my son had problems with nightmares on Tenex too. It was very strange. As soon as we stopped the med, they went away.

Don't get discouraged, there are many more medications on the market for our Adder's. I'm sure you and your doctor will come up with a solution. It may take some time (we switch every couple of years), but I know you'll find one that works.

[aimee8305]

Hey Bugs. Thank you for your input. I saw that you said your son would get agitated on Tenex as well. Im trying not to get discouraged. I have told his psych dr everything and she keeps increasing the dosage. She said she didnt want to abandon Tenex just yet. She emailed me today and now we are doing Tenex .5mg in morningand at dinnertime so lessen the rage in the evenning time and then as of tonight adding melatonen at bedtime. Im keeping my fingers crossed.

I was originally one of those moms that did not want to have to medicate because of my history with addiction. (Im in recovery now-5 1/2 yrs). So it still worries me a lil bit about having to keep switching meds all the time. On the other hand, I will do ANYTHING to help my son. I am holding him back in kindergarten agin next year. Hopefully we can get the meds right before next school so that he can actually do the work.

The school did a psychoeducational eval on him. It came back that he is extremely bright but because of his adhd, sensory, etc its been difficult. He is also very under developed in his fine motor skills. So we have incorporated an O.T. in with all of his IEP. There is another program called SOLO that he qualifies for.

[bugsmom]

Awwww...your little guys is so adorable, Aimee! And congrats on your recovery. 5 1/2 years is AWESOME!

Chosing to medicate your son's ADD is a very hard decision, and will be difficult at times. I can't tell you how many endless nights I had crying over it in the beginning. My son is 15 now, and began medication at 7. I'm here to tell you once you find the right medication, they will thrive. Not to say that its the cure to everything...lol. They will always have certain struggles, but with the right doctors, maybe some therapy, and lots of love and understanding...your son will do great.

It sounds like he's getting the extra help he needs at school and that is great. Because of their immaturity, I think the extra year in Kindergarden is a great idea. That will really help him down the road.

Please come to all of us with your questions. Most of us have older children now and have been through everything your just starting. We're so happy your here.