Reply to ADHD Meds- can these traits coexist?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Same here, and it's been our experience with three different stimulants (generic and brand name Focalin, Concerta and Adderall). We can tell the meds have worn off, or the dose is too small, when he becomes whimsical and jokey again!

My son is 13 and on 20mg Adderall XR.
[/quote]

OP here, thanks for the reply.  That’s what I’m afraid of- that this is as good as it gets and we can’t have everything- serious student and whimsical personality at school.  So did you just come to terms with it?  I mean, at home he’s better but I feel bad how serious he is at school now.[/quote]

Honestly, OP, I worry more about cardiac or long-term dementia-like effects than a temporary change in personality. There is a discussion in another thread right now where posters raised old concerns about sudden death due to cardiac complications in patients treated with stimulants. I am a scientist and prior to medicating my son, researched all published studies on the long-term effects of stimulants. I could not find any reliable study about it. What we know is that patients should be checked for cardiac anomalies before being put on stimulants, because we think they are at greater risk. There is a growing suspicion, but no real evidence, that people with ADHD might have more dementia-related issues at a younger age than people without ADHD (and no evidence that this is accelerated or diminished by meds). And of course, many medications, some of them OTC and widely used, have the potential to cause serious injury or death.

My best advice is to use the minimal effective dose, and not to medicate more days than necessary. Since he is young, perhaps you can skip the weekends and holidays. My son's particular issue is his slow-processing speed, but he does not take meds on Sundays, however long it takes him to do his homework. I think next year we will have to talk to the school about a reduced homework load, because I would rather do that than medicate him more.

I know. Nothing is perfect. [/quote]

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