My 8 yo takes Adderall 7.5mg daily at 6:30am-not XL for ADHD.MD ordered Seroquel for sleep?

06/22/09

luckyme

Topics:Is Seroquel safe for young children without psychosis-or signs of bipolar DO or schizophrenia , Adderall , sleep , Sleep problems

I have an 8 year old boy with ADHD and has had good results with Adderall 7.5-not the extended release. He takes it very early in am-6:30am. My question is about his sleep. We began with benadryl nightly until I needed to up dose for min effect. His doctor has ordered Seroquel 25mg -but Im concerned as he has no depression, or bipolar type of behavior. I know this is classified as an antipsychotic med. Previous to him beginning this med, his mood was, at times, angry, intolerant and at times mean when provoked(mainly by his sister-and an annoying younger neighbor). We associated this with his lack of sleep-I mean nightly-up until 3-4am-sometimes 5am. So, Seroquel does the job and he is doing well. I still can't help but feel that an antipsychotic med for a child could be dangerous. Any info or recommendations?

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Answers (1)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Eileen Bailey

Thank you for your question and welcome to ADHDCentral.com.

There are many instances when doctors prescribe medication for other than their approved use. This is considered "off-label" use. Sometimes, medications are not originally intended to treat a specific disorder or illness, but it is found to be effective when used off-label. For example, Provigil is not approved by the FDA to treat ADHD but has been found to be effective and so may be prescribed off-label. It seems this is what your doctor is doing with the Seroquel.

If you have concerns, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about what side effects you should look for and which side effects would necessitate you contacting your doctor.

Eileen