Hi everyone,
I’m really hoping to connect with other parents who’ve walked a similar road.
I’m a single mum to two boys, both diagnosed with ADHD (combined type) and Autism. My eldest, Noah (10), has had an incredibly tough few months, and so have we. He’s bright, creative, funny, and loving — but since starting stimulant medication, things spiralled. We’ve tried Elvanse (lisdexamfetamine) and Medikinet, but both caused severe rebound aggression and volatility in the evenings. It reached a point where he became unsafe at home, so under CAMHS guidance, we stopped the stimulants completely.
Noah is now on Guanfacine (1mg, approaching week 4) and we’re hoping to move up to 2mg soon. He’s still having big emotional outbursts, lots of noise and silliness, but at least the violent episodes have stopped. It’s just been such a long, exhausting journey, and I guess I’m looking for a bit of hope , does anyone have experience of Guanfacine taking longer to show its full benefits?
His younger brother (9) is doing really well on Elvanse + Guanfacine, so I know every child responds differently. I just want to help Noah find some peace , and for our home to feel calm and safe again.
If anyone’s been through the early Guanfacine weeks, I’d love to know:
- How long it took before you saw improvements
- Whether you increased to 2mg and what that change was like
- Any non-medication things that really helped alongside it (therapy, sensory supports, etc.)
Thank you for reading this far , I know so many of us are doing our best to navigate really complex situations. Sending love to anyone else in the trenches of this. 💜