Q
ADDITUDE ASKED:
What was the worst side
effect you or your child
experienced from ADHD
medication?
Medication helps many, but it creates prob-
lems for others that have to be solved. ADDitude
readers share their stories and solutions.
> My son started with a stimulant and got a bad case of tics,
so he switched to a non-stimulant. It didn’t work as well for
him, but we weighed the costs
and benefits and he stuck with
the non-stimulant for a long
time. Now, years later, he is taking Vyvanse, which has worked
well for him, without any side
effects.
Liz Ahmann
Maryland
> My son was given Adderall
and Zoloft, and he experienced deep depression. He was
angry, even planning his suicide.
His neurologist met with us and
recommended that these meds
not be used together. We began
behavioral therapy and slowly
tapered off both medications.
Aimee, Virginia
> When my son was on Vyvanse
and Strattera, he became an-
gry and agitated. I took him off
the medications.
Anne, Pennsylvania
> My son ran in circles, like a
crazy person. I thought he was
going to have a heart attack! I
called the doctor and he took
him off the medication. We
found a med that worked.
An ADDitude Reader
> My son had terrible tics with
Concerta and pulled his hair
out. When he took Adderall, he
had aural hallucinations. We
stopped both meds. He is 20
now and not on any medication,
and he still struggles.
Brett McCormick
Canby, Oregon
> My son got aggressive on
Adderall, so we discontinued it.
Concerta caused sleep problems, so we tried Benedryl before bedtime. It helped.
Carol
Beaufort, North Carolina
I lost my appetite
for two weeks—
I wanted to lose
weight anyway.
Jill
Washington, New Jersey
> My son’s heart started racing. I took him right to the doctor, and he was taken off of the
med and underwent cardiac
tests.
An ADDitude Reader
> Medication gave my son mood
swings and made him angry. I
took him off medication as he
got older. He still has distract-
