I have a 4 yr old son and he is on adderall. He has been diagnosed with adhd. He is on 5 mg a day. I don't understand why he is so angry sometimes, he can be happy one minute and the next minute he is very mean and aggresive. He has hit me and was completely out of control. He talks to his toys like they are really people and has gotten mean and violent to them also. I don't know what can be going on. The counselor and psyciatrist think that he may also may have bipolar. I would love some feedback and advice or thoughts. Thank You a very concerned mom, Audra:confused:

bipolar??? to my best recollection it is quite rare to diagonse bipolar for a 4-yr-old.

have you looked into ODD? i *think* it stands for oppostional defiant disorder.

i'm glad you're here asking questions. i hope you keep asking questions until you get answers that make sense to you!

take care.

I can't offer much about this.
My son is very defiant since birth but it just seems to be a controll
issue here.
I wonder what does he say to his toys when he is angry?
I used to and still do talk to things. But not angry. Everything is alive to me.
Perhaps it is good that he takes some of the anger out on his toys.
Please keep us posted!

JellyBean, it's not good for a child to practice the act of violence on their toys. They ARE old enough to learn ways of verbally expressing what they are angry about.

Audra, If your son is violent with his toys, take them away. Keep taking them away until he has no more toys if necessary. That part of being a 4 year old can be completely normal. Even talking to the toys is normal. (I have 5 kids from 3 to 25 years old).

I'm concerned that any doctor would diagnose and give meds to a 4 year old for something like ADHD. Children are easily misdiagnosed under the age of 5 and are typically VERY susceptible to things like allergic reactions to food, fabric softener, and a many other things.

You should get the book Allergies and the Hyperactive Child before going too far with meds. You son is very likely to be reacting to something he eats.

My son, who is now 5, was VERY similar to your son. Until we eliminated some allergens in his diet he had symptoms that were textbook bipolar. He also suffers from headaches at times due to an issue with his neck which is mostly resolved by neck massage at night before he sleeps.

I could go on and on with suggestions. Read that book and you WILL be amazed at the things in our seemingly safe and healthy foods that cause all sorts of reactions!

I agree about the allergies thing, I havn'et experienced it myself but ADDers are often very sensitive to things, and are more likely to have an allergy to a food dye or other things.

ALSO, if the moods thing started after he began Adderall, it could definately be a side effect. Stimulants have a "come-down" effect on many people, and also for some people just the medication itself can throw moods out of wack. When I tried Adderall (10mg 3x a day) I didn't even realize it at first, but I was MUCH more easily thrown into different moods... I would go through a couple of hours of feeling apathetic, unable to make decisions about what to eat... things like that, then someone would call me and I'd be super happy all of a sudden. I got angry much more easily. I was irritable sometimes... and I almost ripped up my notebook and walked out of the classroom after sitting thorugh half a lecture not understanding anything at all. (The guy next to me kept saying "oh! ok - uh huh" under his breath and it was driving me insane... )

What i'm trying to say is that meds can really affect things like that. Or they might not... it all depends on the person and the med, they have to be a good match. of course, bipolar is also a possibility. or maybe other things.


I always talked to my stuffed animals, and my two imaginary friends... adn also to myself. It's perfectly normal to do that, especially for a kid with a wild imagination. I really believed my stuffed animals had feelings... I felt bad for the ones who got left out on the floor at night :sad:

But I was never violent toward them... that doens't seem very good. I agree about taking them away.

Well I guess I meant more like that he was saying his angry feelings out loud to his toys. I wasn't imagining him throwing them etc..
I wasn't thinking into enough apparrenty.

I agree with the food allergies. I once knew a kid who freaked out from oranges, it was years before they found out the cause.

My son was diganosed with ADHD when he was 5 and I had looked into everything. I had changed his diet reduced the amount of food colorings that he was getting and allowed absolutly no suguar. I was going out of my mind no one believed me that there was a problem. when he broke my glasses (eye) for the 3rd time and bloodied my nose. I decided that I needed help. come to find out I was right. just wanted you to know that your not alone. I would literally pin my son in my lap and rock him until he would calm down. The meds helped but you have to watch for depresion.

You might try looking into food sensitivities. Many add'ers have them. I find I get out of control angry even now as an adult if I eat wheat & as a child I sounded similar to your little one & was unable to control violent tendencies. An good allergist, dietition or naturopath can do a challenge test (where you eliminate foods & then reintroduce them) to see what foods are a problem. Beware tho' some mainstream medical practitioners do not believe in food sensitivities. BTW I'm fine now as long as I avoid wheat.

check and see if the med is making him act that way as a reaction