How to Manage ADHD Medication Rebound

How to Manage ADHD Medication Rebound ADHD Treatment Print How to Manage an ADHD Medication Rebound By Keath Low Keath Low, MA, is a therapist and clinical scientist with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina. She specializes in treatment of ADD/ADHD. Learn about our editorial policy Keath Low Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on July 30, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on October 21, 2019 ADHD Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Living With In Children Camille Tokerud/Getty Images Your child is doing well on ADHD medicationâ€"until it starts to wear off. Then, she suddenly develops a whole range of severe mood and behavior symptoms. If this sounds familiar, youre not alone. Your child is likely experiencing what is often referred to as medication rebound. A small percentage of children with ADHD do experience these rebound effects at the tail-end of their medication dosing. As the medicines effect wears off, people sometimes experience negative side effects such as a marked change in their demeanor, excessive moodiness, irritability, anger, nervousness, sadness, crying, fatigue, and even an increase in the severity of ADHD symptoms. The effects can be very impairing and troubling, and it is important to address this issue with the doctor so that it may be corrected. Rebound vs. Side Effects Medication rebound is not the same thing as a side effect. Side effects are negative reactions to the medication itself. A headache, stomach ache, or loss of appetite can all be side effects of ADHD medications, and in most cases, these become less of an issue over the course of the first weeks of medication. Rebound, however, is a result of the speed at which your particular child metabolizes the medication. Yes, she may be taking a four-hour pill, but thats an average duration of effectiveness. Your particular child may metabolize the medication more rapidly or slowly. If your child happens to have a fairly high metabolism, he may experience a quick drop off in medication effectiveness before its time for the next dose. Managing Side Effects of ADHD Medications The Negative Impacts of Medication Rebound Often, medication rebound occurs after school and before bedtime. It may result from the reality that there is no nurse available to remind your child that its time for medicationâ€"and, in many cases, parents are still at work or are distracted by the demands of dinner and other household chores. This is the period of time during which children tend to socialize and take part in after-school activities. Friendships and team memberships depend upon your childs ability to respond to a coachs instructions, collaborate with friends, or simply hang out and chat without taking over or giving offense. If medication rebound occurs at school, it can interfere with your childs sense of well-being as well as their educational, social, and personal success. How to Avoid Medication Rebound Talk to your childs doctor about your concerns. Rebound tends to occur more frequently with the shorter-acting stimulants that can move out of your childs system quickly. Sometimes doctors will add a very small dose of immediate-release medicine about an hour before this rebound effect occurs so that the transition off the medicine is smoother. For some people, the rebound effect is reduced in the longer-acting stimulants which move out of ones system more gradually. As always, good communication with the doctor is essential in correcting any negative side effects that are occurring with the medication, as well as monitoring overall treatment progress.