ADHD Medication

[47jennifer]

My brother is 12 and has been on meds for ADHD for several years. He takes Adderall and then several other drugs (for anxiety, a sleeping pill, and another one I will need to check). He's expressed an interest in coming off of the meds.

Can you just "come off" Adderall or would he need to work with a Doctor? My mother is NOT ok with him coming off the drugs, but he confided in me that he has been skipping pills often. Is that safe or does he need to take them every day?

Obviously complicated with the family stuff too, but I'm just hoping to deal with the safety aspect of him missing pills.

Any information or links would be appreciated!

[columbusmomma]

My DS takes vyvanse for his adhd. Anyway, it is fine to just not take a stimulant adhd medication from one day to the next or to use them on a as needed basis. Many parents don't give their children adhd meds on the weekends,holidays, over the summer, etc. These meds don't need to build up to therapeutic levels in the bloodstream before becoming effective. They work almost instantly once ingested. Their are not documented side effects or health issues when stopping the med. as there are with some medications.