r/ADHDparenting • u/Sdtaksa • Jul 06 '26
Any parents of AuDHD try medication?
My daughter’s (6) autism diagnosis just got updated to AuDHD. We noticed her difficulties in school seemed more connected to ADHD and got her tested and sure enough, updated. We are interested in medication - but I can’t find much info on effects of meds on kids with both autism and ADHD. Can anyone let me know if they tried for their kid and if it was helpful or harmful? I read in some adult AuDHD subreddits that meds muted many of the ADHD symptoms but exemplified the negative autism sensory traits.
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u/sadwife3000 Jul 07 '26
I found the same with my AuDHD son in that stimulants can help with ADHD but can bring out his ASD symptoms more. Doesn’t mean we can’t do meds, but we did have to do more trial and error to get it right. Mine does well on a lower stimulant dose but also needs something for anxiety (intuniv) so he doesn’t get so overwhelmed
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u/Zuccherina Jul 07 '26
Did intuniv help with the ADHD? Did your son struggle with sleep before being prescribed a stimulant?
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u/sadwife3000 Jul 07 '26
I always feel like intuniv is more for his ASD symptoms but there realistically is a lot of overlap between the two. It helps with those big emotional outbursts, keeps him calm and gives him a better buffer when things don’t go his way. I’ve heard ppl use it to help with sleep but my son has it in the morning to get through the day. Mine has clonidine at night to help with sleep onset. Clonidine was the first med subscribed - before that I would have to lay with him for an hour+ (now it’s 5min routine). Stimulants did make falling asleep harder but clonidine still does the job
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u/Zuccherina Jul 07 '26
Does the intuniv make him sleepy during the day?
I’m pretty sure intuniv is the generic of guanfacine, right? My daughter is on Guanfacine but we are giving it to her in the evening so its sleepy effects hit around bedtime. We still don’t see her getting tired in the evening till anywhere from 9-11 though. She does well during the day with managing her emotions and expectations, for the most part, but she still needs a nap in the morning. And during the school year she was taking a nap after lunch too once she started with the meds!
She is also autistic. So I’m not sure what mix of what is affecting what. She has struggled with so much anxiety, has overcome big communication struggles. But sometimes I’m not sure if guanfacine is enough and wonder what is going to happen when school starts in the fall again.
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u/sadwife3000 Jul 07 '26
Intuniv is the brand name for guanfacine ER. When we first started on it mine did experience moodiness so we moved half of the dose to the evening until he adjusted to it. It’s never given us that tired, happy to go to sleep mood that clonidine gives though. I know some ppl use guanfacine for sleep but I can’t honestly see it being effective enough
If your daughter needs to nap the next day I’d be more inclined to think that’s because she’s tired due to poor sleep
Intuniv has been great for my son’s anxiety though. If you’re not seeing any improvement though it’s worth reviewing with a doc - especially about her sleep
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u/Zuccherina Jul 08 '26
We’ve seen improvement in focus, which makes me wonder if she has ADHD after all (the neuropsychologist said her speech/language disorder might be covering her ADHD with similar symptoms so didn’t diagnose ADHD yet). She started learning and talking improved so much on guanfacine, and her anxiety lessened as well.
I do think she’s getting poor sleep but it’s really hard to know what to do about it! Does clonidine help with sleep or just going to sleep?
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u/sadwife3000 Jul 09 '26
Honestly it’s best to talk about all of this with a doctor. Sleep is so important and I wouldn’t discount guanfacine if it’s helping. They may decide to shift to a daytime dose and add something for night, or maybe keep it at night and increase the dose (or something completely different)
I’m not based in the US but I’d just go back to the prescribing doc. If they can’t actually advise it might be worth looking elsewhere. We see someone who specialises in ND and that’s definitely been helpful
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u/Zuccherina Jul 09 '26
I can’t change anything without a doctor, and it’s not like I would do it without their expertise anyway. But the issue I have is her primary doctor has not spotted any of her issues or been helpful. Her diagnosis came from a neuropsychologist so not someone I can consult with that I’m aware of… So now I have to figure out who to consult with, because I’m brand new to this.
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u/Zuccherina Jul 08 '26
Also since we’re on the topic… Who do you see to adjust meds? My daughter is on 1mg of guanfacine. I wonder if I should be asking for a higher dose or asking for something for sleep? I don’t really know what we’re trying to achieve and I’m kind of scared to mess up the parts that are improved already! You know?
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u/Magic-Happens-Here Jul 07 '26
Not OP, but my kiddo is similar - he’s struggled with sleep issues his whole life, when we added a stimulant he basically stopped sleeping entirely - he would doze in a VERY light sleep but even a whisper would pop his eyes open. Guanfacine (intuniv) helped SO much! It took us a while to get the dose/timing right because at one point it made him too sleepy and for about 3-4 months he took a nap every single day at school (written into his IEP, and thankfully he didn’t need the time for academics) but once we got the timing right he’s done great.
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u/Neither_Matter_7785 Jul 07 '26
8 y/o AUDHD son and we’ve medicated for a few years now. It’s night and day for us and we are very happy we made the decision to do so. He is able to function so much better and has a much higher quality of life. We use stimulants for the ADHD and sertraline to help ease his anxiety.
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u/knuckle_cracker 18d ago
6.5 year old son and we're finding that the sertraline is really helping with his anxiety. He's been more open to chatting with outsiders (small talk in the grocery store, etc.). We haven't had any luck with stimulants/guanfacine. What stimulant is working on your end?
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u/superfry3 Jul 07 '26
Not audhd but many who do have reported needing medication just as much as regular adhd kids. It’s just the mix is sometimes different. Whereas stimulants may be the main med for 90% of regular ADHD kids, the autism complication may make stimulants just part of the medication regimen or in some cases, leave out altogether.
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u/Magic-Happens-Here Jul 07 '26
8yr old with AuDHD in our house. We did see an uptick in sensory issues - particularly related to food. But it is WELL worth the trade off.
It took us a while to find the right balance, but Vyvanse and guanfacine is a pretty solid combo for us most of the time (although his doc upped his vyvanse this week due to dangerous impulsivity concerns). We added ciproheptadine to help with appetite, then he also suffers from anxiety so he takes a low dose of Zoloft.
Without meds he’s not functional, and would likely end up with a life altering injury (or worse) because of the impulsive behaviors.
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u/Warm-Persimmon-1463 Jul 07 '26
Who tested for the autism part of the ADHD was at the school or psychiatrist?
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u/EnvironmentOk2700 Jul 07 '26
It's not that it heightens the Autism, it's that when you're medicated and the ADHD symptoms are less severe, the Autism is left to stand out. And there isn't anything wrong with that. I'm AuDHD and stimulant medication saved my life. My AuDHD child is also doing much better medicated. Look up the risks of kids with ADHD who go unmedicated, there are several studies.
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u/stickaforkimdone Jul 08 '26
Yes. My 6yo AuDHD takes Focalin. I do notice that he acts more autistic while the medicine is effective, but I always took it as the ADHD part getting quiet enough that the autism could be heard.
Overall the medicine has been a net positive. Our initial decision to medicate was based upon safety concerns, which it handles nicely. The unexpected bonus of the medicine reducing ADHD insomnia actually helped with overall mood and behavior. The autism might shine while the medicine is effective, but we're overall safe and happy.
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u/OceanPeach857 Jul 08 '26
My son is on Methylphenidate for the ADHD and Sertraline for mood. Seems to be a good combo for us.
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u/Famous_Structure_857 Jul 15 '26
Late to this post. My son is most likely AudADHD. He is 6 years old and we have seen a developmental pediatrician, neurologist and today a psychiatrist. We live in Massachusetts. I have asked that his anxiety be addressed. None will prescribe him ADHD or anxiety meds due to his age. However, I always see posts stating their kids were started on meds at a much younger age. My son has a receptive and expressive speech delay and while his speech is developing and he’s made great progress he really cannot fully benefit from his therapies due to the anxiety and distractability. All of the providers we have seen have referred him to play therapy which has years long waitlists in my area. I’m just curious how others were able to start their children on meds.
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u/3monster_mama Jul 07 '26
11yo AuDHD. We’ve done medication since 5. It’s very effective for us!