Our Child’s ADHD Medication Journey: A Real Life Case Study

Our Child’s ADHD Medication Journey A Real Life Case Study

Starting ADHD medication for a child is one of the most emotionally complicated decisions we’ve ever made as parents. There’s no clear answer, no guaranteed outcome, and no way to truly know how it will go until you’re living it day by day. This article is our real-life ADHD medication journey with our 6 year old, written honestly and updated over time as things change.

This is not medical advice. This is not a recommendation. This is simply our experience as parents walking through trial and error, side effects, small wins, setbacks, and moments of hope. We wanted something real when we were searching for answers, so this is us putting our story out there for other families who might be standing where we once stood.

Why We Decided to Share This ADHD Medication Journey Publicly

We debated for a long time about whether to write this. ADHD medication can feel very personal, especially when it involves a young child. But the more we searched online, the more we realized something was missing.

Most ADHD medication content falls into two categories. Either it’s extremely clinical and impersonal, or it’s overly simplified and unrealistic. What we wanted was a real-life case study from parents who were actually living it, not just summarizing research.

So we decided to share our child’s ADHD medication journey openly, knowing it won’t be perfect, polished, or always positive. Our hope is that this becomes a living resource for parents who want to understand what ADHD medication can look like in real life, beyond labels and pamphlets.

A Quick Look at Our Family and ADHD

ADHD is not new to our household. I was diagnosed as a child, and my wife has ADHD traits as well. While my ADHD affects me far less now as an adult than it did when I was young, anxiety and depression have played a role for me over the years. My wife’s ADHD shows up differently, mostly in constant motion, multitasking, and occasional forgetfulness mid-sentence.

Our almost 7 year old has ADHD, and this journey centers around him. We also have a younger child who is still too young to know whether ADHD will be part of his story or not. ADHD doesn’t just affect one person in our house. It affects routines, emotions, sleep, school, and how we function as a family.

If you’re new here and want broader context, we share more about daily life in living with ADHD what it really looks like in our home, which gives a fuller picture of how ADHD shapes our family beyond medication alone.

Why ADHD Medication Became Part of the Conversation

Medication was never our first step. Like many parents, we tried structure, routines, behavior strategies, school support, and patience. Lots of patience.

Over time, though, it became clear that ADHD was significantly impacting our child’s ability to function day to day. Focus at school was extremely difficult. Emotional regulation was a constant struggle. Anxiety was building. Sleep became a major issue. Even simple tasks often felt overwhelming for him.

We didn’t arrive at ADHD medication quickly or casually. It came after months of watching our child struggle despite our best efforts. At some point, we realized that medication wasn’t about changing who he was. It was about giving him a fair chance to access the world without his brain constantly working against him.

What This ADHD Medication Case Study Is and Isn’t

Before going any further, this matters.

This article is:

• A real-life case study
• Written by parents, not professionals
• Updated over time with honest observations
• Focused on one child’s experience

This article is not:

• Medical advice
• A recommendation for any medication
• A promise of results
• A one-size-fits-all guide

ADHD medication affects every child differently. What works for one can be a disaster for another. Our goal is transparency, not persuasion.

Current ADHD Medications We Are Using Right Now

This section reflects where we are as of December 28, 2025. It will be updated as things change.

Daytime ADHD Medication

Our child is currently taking Vyvanse during the day.

Start date: December 28, 2025

What we are hoping this helps with:

• Focus at school
• Emotional regulation
• Impulse control
• Overall daily functioning

At this stage, we are observing rather than judging. We are intentionally moving slowly and paying attention to both positives and negatives.

Nighttime Medication for Sleep and Anxiety

At night, our child is taking mirtazipine.

The goal here is not sedation, but support:

• Helping him fall asleep
• Reducing nighttime anxiety
• Improving overall sleep quality

Sleep has been one of the biggest challenges in our home, and we’ve learned that daytime success often starts with nighttime stability.

How We Are Tracking This ADHD Medication Journey

We realized early on that memory alone wouldn’t be enough. ADHD medication changes can be subtle, and emotions can cloud perspective.

Here’s how we’re tracking things:

• Daily notes
• Weekly summaries
• School feedback
• Sleep patterns
• Appetite changes
• Emotional regulation
• Side effects

This structure allows us to look back and see trends instead of relying on how one hard day felt.

ADHD Medication Updates and Observations

This section will grow over time. Below is the structure we’ll continue using so updates stay clear and consistent.

OUR DAILY CASE STUDY JOURNAL

October 1st, 2024. Official ADHD diagnosis was given, unspecified type, which started our medication journey and opened the door to trying different treatment options to help him function better at school and at home.

October 10th, 2024 – December 8th, 2024. Started Adderall 5mg SR (opened and sprinkled). This dose ended up being ineffective and did not provide noticeable improvements in focus or emotional regulation.

December 9th, 2024 – December 27th, 2024. Increased to Adderall 10mg SR (opened and sprinkled). This caused irritability, defiant behavior, sadness, and moments where he would hit himself in the head when he didn’t get what he wanted.

December 28th, 2024 – January 28th, 2025. We were in a waiting period trying to get approval for new ADHD medications, including a denial for Azstarys, which delayed progress and added frustration.

January 29th, 2025 – March 23rd, 2025. Started Vyvanse 10mg (opened and sprinkled). This dose was ineffective and did not provide enough symptom relief to be sustainable.

March 24th, 2025 – May 5th, 2025. Increased to Vyvanse 20mg (opened and sprinkled). While slightly better, it was still ineffective overall and caused ongoing struggles with emotional regulation.

May 12th, 2025 – June 12th, 2025. Tried Quillivant XR liquid (5mg per mL, 4mL dose). This caused concerning irrational thoughts, including asking if we were his real parents and expressing fear that we were going to leave him.

June 13th, 2025 – June 16th, 2025. Tried Focalin ER 10mg (opened and sprinkled). This led to severe emotional outbursts, frequent crying, him saying “I can’t control myself,” and an episode where he had to be physically held for about 30 minutes to prevent hurting himself.

June 30th, 2025 – August 1st, 2025. Increased to Qelbree 200mg. This caused trouble sleeping and was not as effective as hoped. We were given sample packs at the clinic, but insurance would not approve it due to non-formulary status, forcing another medication change.

August 27th, 2025. Started Guanfacine ER 1mg as the next step in managing symptoms, especially emotional regulation and impulse control.

Fall 2025.25. Started Qelbree 100mg for 7 days as a trial period.

Early December, 2025. Vyvanse 20mg morning + mirtazapine 22.5mg night time

Recently a couple of weeks ago switched to the Vyvanse and upped the dose on the mirtazapine based upon Dr recommendations. Fall 2025.

December 29th, 2025. Appetite was decent but not as normal before changed to these medications. Very rough night, took about 2 hours for him to be able to calm down enough to go to sleep. Acted tired most of the day. 45 min after taking the mirtazapine the attitude goes crazy and he will laugh and be loud and say he has thoughts in his head and it’s hard to know to go to bed or to walk around and be loud, he can’t pick which is good or bad.

December 30, 2025. It was a great day over all for him. Good mood. Slept well last night. Appetite was so-so. Good manners and seemed happy overall. Focus was iffy.

Dec 31, 2025: Staying up later until midnight for New Year’s Eve with us, very emotional toward bed time and having a few rage fits over silly things like board games etc. Was fine most rest of the day.

Vyvanse 20mg morning + 1/2mg guanfacine + mirtazapine 22.5mg night time

Jan 1, 2026 – Dr recommended adding guanfacine late afternoon to help the wearing off of the Vyvanse, this would now be him on 3 medications which we were Leary of, however he was nearly an angel today! Manners perfect, focus seemed great nearly all day, listened and could do tasks without being told a billion times. This was one of the best days overall from him in a long time. He also seemed to be able to control his emotions very well too. Ended up going to bed without as much trouble as normal too.

Jan 5, 2026 – SPECIAL NOTE. something to note over the past few weeks is he nearly uncontrollably laughs and doesn’t seem scared of anything and is super wound up at bed time running in and out of his room and laughing and stomping loud. He says “he can’t control it or help it”. Not sure exactly what could be causing this as months ago he was scared to be in his room alone and upset and now he is being super crazy laughing and being very loud, when his little brother has already gone to bed.

Jan 14, 2026 he has went to bed good now for a week straight with coming out of his room has been very minimal. Also multiple times he has come home from school in a great mood. These medications seem to be helping him overall. The focus can still be lacking but overall mood has been better. At night time he came out of him room being very serious and told us that he does not like taking his medicine and it makes him mad. He wouldn’t say anything else aside from he doesn’t know it just makes him mad.

Jan 21, 2026 the last few days he has talked literally non stop. Very repetitive and very high strung, I guess is the term? No changes in meds recently but he has been very on edge, hyper and barely takes a breath between sentences and talks just non stop without end.

Jan 27, 2026 not many changes over past few days but our family has all had the flu the past few days.

Side Effects We Are Watching Closely

We are paying close attention to potential side effects, including:

• Appetite suppression
• Trouble falling asleep
• Emotional blunting
• Increased anxiety
• Rebound behavior when medication wears off

Some side effects show up immediately. Others take time. We’re committed to being honest about all of it, not just the parts we hope for.

Improvements We Are Hoping to See (Even Small Ones)

We’re not chasing perfection. We’re watching for small, meaningful changes:

• Less frustration over simple tasks
• Slightly improved focus windows
• More emotional flexibility
• Better sleep consistency

In ADHD parenting, small improvements matter more than dramatic transformations.

What This Has Been Like Emotionally as Parents

This part is hard to put into words.

There’s fear in making the wrong choice. Guilt in wondering if we waited too long or started too soon. Hope that maybe this will help. Anxiety when things feel off. Relief when things feel better. Then doubt again.

ADHD medication decisions are rarely black and white. They live in the gray, and we’re learning to sit in that space together as parents instead of rushing to conclusions.

What We’ve Learned So Far About ADHD Medication

Even this early, a few things are already clear:

• There are no instant fixes
• Trial and error is real
• Consistency matters
• Communication matters
• One bad day doesn’t mean failure
• One good day doesn’t mean success forever

This is a process, not an event.

Why We’re Keeping This ADHD Medication Journal Going

We’re continuing this case study for three reasons:

1. To help other parents feel less alone
2. To keep ourselves grounded in facts, not emotions
3. To create the resource we wish we had found earlier

We’ll continue updating this article as things change, medications adjust, or new insights emerge.

For Parents Walking This Same Road

If you’re reading this while questioning your own decisions, wondering if you’re doing the right thing, or feeling overwhelmed by ADHD medication choices, we see you.

You’re not weak for considering medication.
You’re not failing if it doesn’t work.
You’re not alone in the uncertainty.

We share more real-life ADHD parenting stories on The ADHD Blog, and we also post ongoing updates and conversations on our Facebook page where other parents walk this road with us.

This journey isn’t about finding the perfect solution. It’s about showing up for your child, learning as you go, and adjusting with love.

We’ll keep updating this story as it unfolds.