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B]Hi Everyone---
I am glad you are here, I am learning allot from the posts, hope everyone is well.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD in 3rd grade he is now in 8th, he started out taking concerta with great results the first year, getting straight A's :) Then is started, severe migraines, loosing allot of weight---heck I wanted him off the meds period! I hated that he needed to be on something. We switched to aderall, same problems. This time grades were just as bad as before he got on meds, he was just a depressed little guy that had headaches all the time. So my H and I took him to an adhd specialist physiatrist, we sat in a room for 2 hrs in interview with my son also. All went well, he sat still the whole time, answered all the questions with eye contact---the phyc. diagnosis---this child does not have adhd! What?! Great---we are happy as can be. So off the meds--YES! We had a meeting with the teachers to see how things are---they are horrible, enough to make arrangements with the school phyc and put him in a special class 2 x a week, the school phyc. observed him in the class and worked with him for a week, his diagnose---this child definitely has adhd---now, what the heck! His grades are bad--so here we go again, the medicine merry go round. Today we took him to the doc that prescribed him the concerta---we are frustrated being words. We were suggested to try straterra, I told the doc that was our wishes, he basically talked us out of it, and suggested vyvase. We don't know what to do---any enlightenment would sure help this frustrated Mom and Son. I am sorry this is so long, I am just beside myself and so is he......TIA

~Angie

Angie,

Are you trying the Concerta? If it does not work out and you opt for Vyvanse see to it that your son is started at the absolute lowest dose available. If he continues having headaches, losing weight or any other unwanted effect, discontinue immediately. Migranes are worse than unmitigated ADHD in my book.

Strattera on initiation tends to have more side effects than stimulants with sleepiness topping the list. I had dismal results from Strattera but must say I've read many raves on various boards about it's effectiveness.

Be suspect about the ADHD diagnosis. The doctor that said "not ADHD" based his conclusion mostly on his observation of your son in a unique and possibly stimulating to your son setting. Evidently he relied little on reports from you and from son's school. On the other hand, the symptoms that the school is so sure indicate ADHD can be indicative of many other disorders and factors.

Your son should undergo an ADHD evaluation. It is a battery of tests than span two days. Some of the tests are much more objective than questionairs. While not fool proof, said evaluation will produce the most accurate diagnosis possible. Absolutely no one can possibly solve the problem until the problem is defined. Until that happens your son, like the rest of us with ADHD, will be subjected to the medication crap shoot. The doctors keep hoping to hit the target but do not know where the target is.

Bob