We're switching

Yesterday I mentioned Orion's recent meltdown and confession that he could not feel happy on the Adderall XR. I took him in to see the doctor yesterday afternoon and the doctor agreed with me that something was very wrong. I told him that my "mommy gut" was telling me that we needed a change and he says to me "a change or stop?" He was thinking that maybe we should consider stopping all meds for awhile and see what happens...I had to laugh! There is no way in hell that child could go to school without his meds, nope, no way no how! Those poor teachers lol I can barely handle his inability to pay attention and I can only imagine how challenging that would be when you have 20 other kids to motivate as well. I emphasized a change, not a stop.

We are going to switch him to Concerta 18mg to start and go from there. The doctor says that in general if Adderall doesn't work then Concerta does. They both are stimulants to treat ADHD but they work a little differently in how they effect the brain chemicals. Hopefully this is what Orion needs. I can't have my little boy being depressed all the time, I can't have him angry and verbally abusive all the time. I can't have him lose friends again because he is so hard to tolerate when he takes the meds but so impossible when he isn't on meds. I won't lie, I am scared and worried about the switch. Change is scary in general and when it comes to something like this it seems even scarier! I worry that he will suffer even worse side effects than he had on the adderall, I worry that he won't sleep or eat or that he will spiral into a deep depression. I have read that the risk of suicide while on Concerta is much higher, but perhaps those people were just on the wrong meds. Perhaps all stimulants will have these side effects with Orion and he will just have to learn to deal with it or deal with the ADHD. There are so many unknowns and I hate unknowns when it comes to my kid. 

We will start the concerta today and see what happens....wish us luck!

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Just a side note that my friend Angel called yesterday, her results came back normal, just a fibrous cyst and not anything to worry about! THANK GOODNESS!