Wellbutrin XL for an ADHD child?

Question

Does anyone have experience with treating a child that has ADHD with Wellbutrin XL? What kind of problems or success have you had?

Yes, I know it's an antidepressant! Take tylonol, what a cute suggestion, NOT! I ask because my child is hypersensitive to the more typical stimulant medications and Stratteria didn't help at all. He also suffers from mild depression so the psyc. recomended wellbutrin. I'd appreciate it if you aren't here to be helpful you just by pass my questions.

Answer 1

I think I'm one of the few posters who read and correctly understands your question. You are trying to treat the depression part of his symptoms, not the ADHD, because of course you've tried Straterra and some of the stimulant meds and he had a bad reaction to them, right? My son has ADHD and currently takes Straterra. He doesn't have depression issues, thankfully, but I have had experience with Wellbutrin. The best advice I can give is to start with a small dosage and follow-up with lots of observation. Sometimes with antidepressants they can have an opposite effect in your system, depending on how your particular body reacts to them, so you can actually go on totally the opposite end of the spectrum and end up feeling more depressed than when you started. But you know your child better than anyone, so just keep a close watch and ask your child regularly while he's on it how he feels. There are many different types of anti-depressants, so if Wellbutrin is not successful your doctor can give you other options for meds that are suitable for young children. Sorry I don't have first experience with this med and ADHD; however I have heard many success stories where anti-depressants were used to help with depression issues in other ADHD kids.

And with regard to your treating him with meds, you obviously care about him very much or you wouldn't be asking for help on his behalf. You go, Mom!

Answer 2

I don't have experience with an ADHD child and Wellbutrin but I do have experience with Wellburtin myself. I have been on it a few years. I also have quite a few children in my family and DH included that have been diagnosed ADHD and ADD.
I can certainly understand how anyone having trouble coping with ADHD problems could be depressed especially when many of the meds are not working for him or her. Don't give up on the ADHD meds, keep trying to see what is out there and what the next one to try is.
I am sure the wellbutrin will help a little too

Answer 3

Wellbutrin For Adhd

Answer 4

Wellbutrin is an antidepressant. It actually does help some ppl with ADHD, but it still is for depression. Yep, you're right, ADHD can be the source of depression and if so, it's a mistake to treat the wrong symptoms. See another doctor, one who will treat the ADHD before making a decision on depression. This isn't rocket science, and a lot of psychiatrists know as much.

Answer 5

I've had very bad experiences with Wellbutrin XL...do not give an anti-depressant to a child, he/she will not know how to deal with the "down time" effects of that drug and you could seriously mess that kid up...secondly, Wellbutrin doesn't treat ADHD!!!! it treats depression! two completely different disorders! if you need to treat this kid for ADHD i recommend Adderall, it's specifically targeted for that disorder and has lower pshychological effects than ritalin, I've been taking adderall for over two years now, it works well as long as the right dose is taken and it is not consumed irresponsibly or sporadically...however, the effects of drugs that treat ADD and ADHD vary per person so i suggest you hed the kid checked out by a professional psychiatrist (preferably not the kind that writes prescriptions to treat anything from mosquito bites to blinking and thinks everything equates depression...you know the kind)....I've seen my mom on Wellbutrin--one of the worst years of her life, and mine, it's unfortunate she can barely remember most of it....and I've seen my friend on it as well--tried suicide a few times....please do not resort to anti-depressants, they rarely fix what they're meant to fix, and they're definitely not intended to treat ADHD...

-Best of luck

Answer 6

I don't know much about Wellburtin XL, but please be guided by your child's doctor, your not going to get very many real genuine answers here. I have included a link for you to check out.

I may daughter has ADHD who was on Ritalin, and was given this medication through the week, and if we had a special occasion to attend on the weekend. My daughter was eventually put on a anti-depressant.
When asked by the Doctor, what the medication does for her, the reply was "I can think clearly, all the noise in my head goes, and I can concentrate better" we noticed the difference, but we struggled with giving her medication, hence only through the week. Never on school holidays, and weekends.

Good luck

Answer 7

my 8 year old has ADHD and his doctor never even thought to prescribe that for him. He's been on Concerta for 3 years now and he absolutely loves it! He's able to concentrate when he wants to and be "crazy" when he wants to. But I've NEVER heard of a doctor prescribing Wellbutrin XL for ADHD!

Answer 8

I worked in a children's home where every single kid in the place was on some kind of med. It was a circus. Anyway, there was 1 kid on Wellbutrin, but it was NOT for ADHD, it was for depression. It will not treat ADHD.

Did your doctor advise this? I highly doubt it, just follow doctor's orders.

Anyway, the kid that was on Wellbutrin, if not on his meds would be down, sad and lazy. When he was on them, he was happy, a little hyper and active. Seems like you would want the opposite effect.

Answer 9

I feel strongly against giving any child meds like that. Not many of them have been tested for years and years, so you could be giving him something that will mess him up 10 or 20 years from now. Please just use your time and patience to deal with this child. Very few children actually need these meds docs are throwing around . 20 or 30 years ago, how many kids were going to the office to take their meds? Not too many. I don't remember anyone needing anything like that. Some kids are just high strung. That's what makes them who they are. It is very hard to hold the attention of 20 ten year old in a classroom . so now that everyone is labeled with adhd or some other "disorder" teachers ask to speak to the parents and tell them. I'm having a hard time with your child yelling out in class and not following directions. Every parent feels like their child is the only one so they take them to the doctor and low and behold they have ADHD. It just isn't that common for so many children to be truly ADHD. So please don't give your child any form of mind altering drugs. It will change who he or she is . It changes the chemical makeup in their heads. Please think long and hard about this. My daughter use to be in a class where there was this little boy that would sit at his desk and drool about an hour after he went to the office for his meds. He was 12!!!!!!

Answer 10

My 9 year old son has ADHD. he cannot take the typical ADHD medication like Ritalin or Concetta, because he also has Tourettes syndrome. He takes Clonidine. it has worked beautifully for him. It helps to takes care of both disorders. I don't know if it would be right for your child but you could get a second opinion. I took my son to three different doctors who all gave me the same diagnosis. I just wanted to make sure of his condition before i put him on medication. do some research on the internet for info on different meds. good luck.