Figuring out which ADHD medication

[Anonymous]

Our son has been on Ritalin for a little over a year and as a result of some testing, it's clear it's not quite doing the trick when it comes to impulse control and focus.

How do you know what medication to try next? Is it just trial and error?

Any anecdotes about ritalin not working, and what did? Wondering if there is a logical next drug to try.

Yes, we will take the advice from our doctor, but also interested in others' experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our son has been on Ritalin for a little over a year and as a result of some testing, it's clear it's not quite doing the trick when it comes to impulse control and focus.

How do you know what medication to try next? Is it just trial and error?

Any anecdotes about ritalin not working, and what did? Wondering if there is a logical next drug to try.

Yes, we will take the advice from our doctor, but also interested in others' experiences.

Ritalin works better with ADHD+Combine type, but my DD did okay in Ritalin her behavior improved but had problems with forcing, and we wanted one that lasted all day. we moved and we went to Children Hospital in Falls Church and they switched her to AdderallXR, which worked better. every year or so they might need to increased mgs either way.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes there's a difference between the generic and the name brand so keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

Ask if your doc or ped can run a personalized medicine test like Genomind which gives info on which meds your body responds to well and not so well.

[Anonymous]

Accept that this is just part of the process. It took us two years to find the perfect dose, type, and timing. Heaven!

What I hated most about this protracted experiment was how conservative the doctor was about moving forward. I'm with him all the time. I say it's not working, she says give it time. I work with his teachers on supports, and keep a stable rhythm at home. Symptoms remain or blossom into others, like insomnia and depression. Argh!!! Another 4-6 months lost. She's obsessed with the Vanderbilt survey and trusts it more than me (and my social work Ph.D.).

Very annoying.

[Anonymous]

It's trial and error. If Ritalin works a little bit, then you can try related forms of it that might work better. If it doesn't work at all, then often doctors will try Adderall next, which is another stimulant, but a completely different chemical. If no stimulant works, then there are second line medications that can be used, like Strattera.

A year is a long time to be on Ritalin without results. Have you tried different doses? Doctors usually start at a low dose and work up to the maximum recommended dose, or until side effects are intolerable. This process can be done in a few weeks, since 3 or 4 days at most is enough to see if the Ritalin is working.

If your doctor isn't willing to try different doses or formulations, then it's time to find a new doctor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Accept that this is just part of the process. It took us two years to find the perfect dose, type, and timing. Heaven!

What I hated most about this protracted experiment was how conservative the doctor was about moving forward. I'm with him all the time. I say it's not working, she says give it time. I work with his teachers on supports, and keep a stable rhythm at home. Symptoms remain or blossom into others, like insomnia and depression. Argh!!! Another 4-6 months lost. She's obsessed with the Vanderbilt survey and trusts it more than me (and my social work Ph.D.).

Very annoying.

That is annoying. I don't think I would stay with a doctor like that. It took us a year to find the right combination of medicines, and that was with a doctor who moved pretty quickly and accepted our reports of what worked or didn't work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's trial and error. If Ritalin works a little bit, then you can try related forms of it that might work better. If it doesn't work at all, then often doctors will try Adderall next, which is another stimulant, but a completely different chemical. If no stimulant works, then there are second line medications that can be used, like Strattera.

A year is a long time to be on Ritalin without results. Have you tried different doses? Doctors usually start at a low dose and work up to the maximum recommended dose, or until side effects are intolerable. This process can be done in a few weeks, since 3 or 4 days at most is enough to see if the Ritalin is working.

If your doctor isn't willing to try different doses or formulations, then it's time to find a new doctor.

So there has been some improvement according to teachers, and he says he thinks it works. We don't notice much of a difference, and we just went through psychoedcuational testing that showed significant impulsivity and lack of focus (when he was on the Ritalin), so we think it's time to try something new.

[Anonymous]

OP have you comsidered doing a genesight test? You might be able to home in on some options that way. I believe that if your insurance won’t cover it, they guarantee you won’t pay more than $300ish. I’ve had it done for psych meds and I’ll be insisting that DD’s psych does it when prescribing my adhd meds.

[Anonymous]

*any ADHD meds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Accept that this is just part of the process. It took us two years to find the perfect dose, type, and timing. Heaven!

What I hated most about this protracted experiment was how conservative the doctor was about moving forward. I'm with him all the time. I say it's not working, she says give it time. I work with his teachers on supports, and keep a stable rhythm at home. Symptoms remain or blossom into others, like insomnia and depression. Argh!!! Another 4-6 months lost. She's obsessed with the Vanderbilt survey and trusts it more than me (and my social work Ph.D.).

Very annoying.

That is annoying. I don't think I would stay with a doctor like that. It took us a year to find the right combination of medicines, and that was with a doctor who moved pretty quickly and accepted our reports of what worked or didn't work.

Hindsight is 20/20. I wish we'd moved on early in the process.

[Anonymous]

Our ADHD, possibly ASD, son is really starting to slow in growth, likely due to the ADHD medication. He is taking 10 mg of focalin. Child is now 12 and has taken medication since age 9. Should we cut back on the medication and try something else or try a new medication? The medication seems to be doing something although there are still some behavior and focusing issues. It mainly keeps our child more alert and focused throughout the day than we see when the child doesn't take the medication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's trial and error. If Ritalin works a little bit, then you can try related forms of it that might work better. If it doesn't work at all, then often doctors will try Adderall next, which is another stimulant, but a completely different chemical. If no stimulant works, then there are second line medications that can be used, like Strattera.

A year is a long time to be on Ritalin without results. Have you tried different doses? Doctors usually start at a low dose and work up to the maximum recommended dose, or until side effects are intolerable. This process can be done in a few weeks, since 3 or 4 days at most is enough to see if the Ritalin is working.

If your doctor isn't willing to try different doses or formulations, then it's time to find a new doctor.

So there has been some improvement according to teachers, and he says he thinks it works. We don't notice much of a difference, and we just went through psychoedcuational testing that showed significant impulsivity and lack of focus (when he was on the Ritalin), so we think it's time to try something new.

A lot of doctors prefer time released versions of Ritalin. They create a more even response throughout the day. That could be why the teachers see improvement but the tests don't. The peak of effectiveness may be very short, and if you didn't test at the right time, he will not perform well.