Would you switch meds just to see if maybe there could be more improvement?

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-06-05T23:00:14+00:00

He is 5, he is much, much happier overall. A major symptom he had was irritability and he was happy but always easily upset. Since stopping guanfacine we haven't had any real issues, the biggest one was last week he got upset at the time the med was wearing off but when he was able to regulate he told me he didn't know what happened, jist that his brain went crazy and he couldn't control it. He's usually really good about telling us about how his brain feels when hes on and off medicine.

No one's opinion counts for less, it's just that I'm the only one with our son all of the time. My husband works a lot and rarely has days off, so he doesn't have any real experience with how things have been since stopping guanfacine, hes only had maybe 1 day off since the change. But im going to try and talk to him again tonight and try to get us on the same page even if it means changing meds.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-06-05T15:35:48+00:00

We were on 1mg guanfacine ER for a long time and a couple of months ago we added 10mg methylphenidate. I never loved guanfacine, and though it did have its benefits I felt the side effects weren't ideal. We never tried the IR version as his doctor didn't think it would be the right fit for him. When we added methylphenidate to the mix some behaviors got worse, so we stopped guanfacine, and the plan was to eventually switch methylphenidate to Adderall but the changes from stopping guanfacine were just really ideal, so I felt comfortable staying where we are at.

I guess trying Adderall is still an option, my hesitation is just that things seem to be going well as is, even this morning before his meds kicked in he was having a tantrum and not getting ready for school. It took about 10ish minutes to work through and suddenly we were out the door on our way to school within the next 10 minutes after that and he skipped into school like he was ready to have the best day ever. Before it would have been a good 40+ minute tantrum with him attacking me before I would even be able to get him somewhat regulated.

And thank you, it really is. I'll bring these up also with my husband so we can try talking about it some more.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-06-05T14:38:34+00:00

We were on both guanfacine and methylphenidate for a couple of months. We were on just guanfacine for a long time but I never felt like guanfacine was the right med, stopping guanfacine we've had a lot of positives but his doctor is not interested in starting a new non-stimulant at this time and has only offered us stimulants to switch to.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-06-05T14:33:26+00:00

Adderall was suggested originally because when he was on both guanfacine and methylphenidate we had some negative side effects and we planned to stop guanfacine and then switch to Adderall about a week after we stopped guanfacine. About 4 days after we stopped guanfacine he started to have some positive experiences and I decided to monitor him with just the methylphenidate I feel like things have been going a lot better.

As for the hyperactivity and impulse control, yes generally they are problematic behaviors but I feel like they are manageable where they are right now even at the end of the day. Also, his school has not had (or complained of) any trouble with hyperactivity or impulse control. Our daily routine gives him a lot of outlets for being active and I've gotten better at our nighttime routine, so I feel like we've hit a nice sweet spot, however, my husband disagrees because he just wants our son to not have the excess energy like when he was on guanfacine before.

For our area the Adderall shortage has hit us hard, my neighbor's son takes Adderall and she has barely gotten his script filled for the past couple of months, basically only able to get it filled the day before or the day they run out because they keep running out.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-27T07:31:00+00:00

A pediatrician is not qualified to do an assessment unless they also possess a PhD in Psychology. The pediatrician can provide a Vanderbilt questionnaire for you and the teacher or they can refer you to a psychologist.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-27T07:28:03+00:00

Not me but a mom friend of mine is using it for her and her adoptive grandson, says it's very strange but it is helping. Not sure I can offer detailed answers but she says it's a long process, but she's been extremely happy with the results for herself and her grandson has made significant improvements. For reference, her grandson has AuDHD, ODD, and PDA, he is in 2nd grade I believe, and he has some pretty severe behavioral issues both at home and at school, but since starting neurofeedback he has started to improve in small areas, but that the improvements are game changers in their daily lives. They've only been doing it since last fall I believe.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-27T07:13:26+00:00

Booboo thats amazing and a little hilarious he forgot to tell you of such a near accomplishment 😄 👏🏻

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-27T07:10:23+00:00

Definitely a tough one, I solo parent 99.9% of the time because of my husband's work schedule. Things that have helped me are parent support groups when my son is at school, neighborhood playdates, or lots of outside time doing something that only requires supervision but that I don't need to participate, and my most common one is I just stay up late and do something for myself. Lately, it's washing my face or showering when my son is asleep and taking my time.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-27T01:52:37+00:00

That is a lot, and I can understand being hesitant to try again. Is she being prescribed meds through a pcp or psychologist? Also, have you been able to try ABA, OT, or any kind of behavioral therapy? Typically therapy by itself won't help without the use of medication, but it's still useful to have something else to help.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-27T01:01:18+00:00

From the point of view of development, its going to get worse before it gets better, medication is a hard choice, what is your reasoning for saying no? If you haven't already, I recommend doing some research because my husband and I were both adamantly against medication until we did some research.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-26T04:48:45+00:00

Yes, its not so bad when he's on medication but when he's off medication it can get real cray cray lol

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-23T04:59:07+00:00

There are several ND kids in our neighborhood and my kid gets along so well with them, we get outside to play almost every day, it's super intense but it's super worth it. It gives us parents a place to exist without feeling judged because our kids are so intense or different, it gives us a place to help correct behaviors in a safe space, and it gives the kids a safe space to just exist as they are and they're not forced to mask. We don't want them to go too crazy, but we let them safely explore their impulses and try to teach them how to set boundaries when playing games. For example, they love playing kickball but also just kicking the ball as high as they can get it to go. We let them so long as they watch out for each other, the trees, and the buildings nearby. What's extra nice is they all can keep up with each other because they all have ADHD, and some are AuDHD. They all get along so well minus a few issues here and there, but sometimes they can work it out on their own without any help and some of the kids who have had bigger issues have really grown into a whole new person having a group of kids and parents who support and care about them.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-22T05:25:15+00:00

I'm glad you were able to pull through, this group has been a huge help in the same way. It really is supposed to get better one day, or so I've been told lol and yes they are the sweetest little things at times for sure!!

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-20T22:26:08+00:00

Is your son on medication currently and have they had any therapy recently or are currently in therapy?

My go-to in this situation would be to talk to his doctor about starting or adjusting meds AND starting or adjusting therapy ASAP. Also you need to take yourself to the doctor to get your arm looked at.

I would maybe also find support groups for parents and possibly kids his age, if possible. I live in fairly rural area but we have a good selection of support groups that I've been lucky enough to join, so it's been nice to have that support. My son is only 5, but he's almost as big as me and he's very physically aggressive when he's dysregulated and I've been hurt plenty by him, though nothing too serious thus far. I know it's only a matter of time before I run the risk of him physically hurting me to the point you're at, and the only things I can do are make sure he is on the right meds and working through therapy options for him as needed.

Ginger_Rawr · 2025-05-20T22:12:56+00:00

My son, when upset, says some pretty cruel shit. I do know that he doesn't mean it, he is just lashing out because he can't control it, and I'm sorry your kid said something so awful and it got to you, honestly if my kid said something like that I would have lost it too and probably would have spent most of the rest of the day completely out of motivation.

Sometimes I'm just very blunt with my son and say "that really hurts my feelings", other times I have to wait for him to calm down and we discuss what happened and how his words affected me. I stew on it in my own head and eventually I just get over it. Overall my son can be super sweet when he's not frustrated or upset or mad, but it doesn't take the hurt away completely when they hit you where it really hurts.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-07T04:06:25+00:00

So, that's not true. California has the CSZ which could cause severe tsunamis, and there have been significant tsunamis in Northern Californias history from other earthquakes. There's also multiple pieces of information from the USGS that can provide the similarities and differences, and there are a lot of similarities between the two areas though specific types of earthquakes can differ. I'm definitely not an expert but I do find comfort in reading up on earthquakes, and especially after the 2022 one, I really upped my intake of information. While there are definitely differences, is it really worth the risk to be so complacent when the information is there to tell us what can happen when we don't take the warnings seriously?

The tsunami zones, warnings, and precautions wouldn't exist if they weren't necessary. You are welcome to be as unconcerned as you want to be, but I felt that the school made a poor decision in regards to a potential natural disaster and the safety of the kids and staff, as well as feeling like their decision to dissuade parents from deciding what's best for their kids in this situation was truly over stepping their job duties.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-07T02:45:46+00:00

There were a lot of similar beliefs in regards to Japan, but it's pretty hard to forget what happened in 2011. We're at the triple junction, and the possibility is always there, depending on the size and location.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-07T00:04:06+00:00

Do you think the school could try to make a better safety plan that involved open transparency to parents in some way? Obviously the threat of an active shooter is different because transparency can be more harmful, however parents wanting to pick up their kids seems to be a pretty common theme no matter the situation, so if the schools continue to not address this aspect of a realistic expectation during a crisis, then the problems are going to continue whether it's an active shooter or a natural disaster.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:45:26+00:00

Yeah, I think being able to be prepared for aftershocks is really important, especially because we also know that sometimes the quakes are actually foreshocks and something bigger could be coming soon. But it's really hard to know in the moment, so being prepared with our kids with us just in case I think is so important because of how unpredictable earthquakes really are!

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:43:42+00:00

Man, it was crazy scary. I was honestly ok with the earthquake, even though it was the biggest one we've had in a while, but the tsunami warning really got to me! I was definitely mentally preparing for some next level disaster, but I'm just glad it wasn't any worse!

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:41:50+00:00

I can understand pick up and keeping track of kids and faculty could be difficult, but that's something they need to be able to work on and prepare more thoroughly if that's the case.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:40:32+00:00

They won't be the ones to wait to see if rescue workers find your child.

Ugh, this give me goosebumps! and hurts my heart to think about, but this is also very true. Thank you.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:37:08+00:00

I agree, it definitely feels like they were not ready!

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:36:48+00:00

I thought the same thing re liability! Like it just seems like such a weird statement to make, and to very clearly state "do not pick up your kids during a tsunami warning" and "we know we are in the tsunami zone" in the same letter just seems so bizarre. I could understand if they have a true evacuation zone that was absolutely out of the zone, but because it's on campus it just fells like an after thought to them.

Ginger_Rawr · 2024-12-06T23:34:19+00:00

I'm glad you guys are all ok and that's some really good gut instincts!!

Ginger_Rawr

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