Medication's are we on the right track?

[Gary]

My son is using clonodine for ADHD. I can only find where this drug is used for high blood pressure. Why use this medication, is it the right choice? I would like to know the side effects of this drug as it pertains to chidren. Also I would like to have input on the use of depikote and its side effects. My son is also taking welbutrin. Does all this medication make any sense? He is eleven. Have you had reports or any recent studies that would
indicate children taking welbutrin have memory loss. My son is eleven and can not remember his phone number or his address.  Are we going in the right direction? Thanks Gary

[kaydensnana]

A related discussion, How to manage a 2 year old with ODD was started.

[Jennie]

my son is ADHD also. i have heard of clodine being used. My son is on dextadrine. he is on a very small dose. he only gets 5mg in the morning and then he gets 5mg. of dextadrine spansule at noon. He don't get the meds on weekends,summer time, or holidays.  But you can visit the website i listed below and there  is so so so much information about ADHD/ADD and all the meds that are out there.  You will find it very helpful and supportive. please check it out.

www.parentsoup.com
there will be a list of boards there for you to check out. just find the board tht is ADHD/ADD and click on it. its just like this borad but parents of ADHD/ADD kids are the ones who run the boards

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Gary,

It sounds like your son is probably being treated for both ADHD and Bipolar Disorder.

Stimulants are generally the medications of choice, so to speak, in the treatment of ADHD, but Clonidine is used to treat the symptoms of ADHD and to treat such conditions as tic disorders, sleep disturbances, aggression and volatility/overarousal.

Clonidine is used alone in the treatment of ADHD and it is used incombination with stimulant medication.

Side effects of Clonidine use can include dizziness, drowsiness and sedation. Side effects usually are mild in nature and they are inclined to lessen over time with continued use or with reduction in dose. Sleep disturbance, cardiac arrhythmias, nausea, irritability and orthostatic hypotension are posssible, but not frequent, side effects.

Relative to Wellbutrin and memory loss, this effect should not be expected and probably is not associated with use of the medicine. Nor would such a symptom be associated with Depakote.