My daughter is 9 yrs old has Epilepsy, EMD, and also has behavior problems(rages) and started taking Risperdal last year which has worked wonderfully but she has gained alot of weight. She did try Ritalin 2 years ago for Attention and had a seizure the week she started taking the medicine so we went off of it. Do you think taking an ADHD med would help her behavior and weight gain or should be stick to the anti-psychotic drugs.
Thanks,
JB
Hi Joy,
Thank you for your question. Risperdal is associated with increased appetite and weight gain, as you may already know. While some ADHD meds are associated with reduced appetite and weight loss, it's not appropriate for a child (or anyone else) to take these medications for that purpose. Antipsychotics such as Risperdal and stimulants such as Ritalin are two totally different types of medications, and each type of medication should only be used in certain people. However, individuals with ADHD often suffer from co-existing, or comorbid, conditions. Eileen Bailey has written an article about comorbid conditions that often present with ADHD. Only your daughter's doctor will be able to tell you if the ADHD medications will help your daughter's condition. You should discuss with him or her the side effects that your daughter has been experiencing, and see if the doctor has any suggestions for how to reverse those effects. I hope this helps!
Best of luck,
Casey
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