ADD/ADHD

My 9 year old daughter has been taking FocalinXR in the morning and Focalin tabs in the afternoon for about 18 months now.  Her psychiatrist is now recommending that we try Wellbutrin in the morning and stop taking the Focalin tabs in the afternoon.  My daughter was diagnosed as ADHD & as having a "mood disorder". 

My question is this.. does anyone have experience with Wellbutrin and children?  Everything I'm reading is saying that Wellbutrin is NOT approved for use with children.  Please help!

HI, and welcome

Wellbutrin is not a first line med for ADHD, but it is commonly used in kids with Mood Disorders. Some studies have shown that it is as effective as Ritalin in some kids, and although it is not approved it is used " off label". ALot of meds are either not approved for kids, not for kids under a certain age etc, but are used...several come to mind. 

Has the Psychiatrist mentioned what type of mood disorder? Sometimes, the mood problem has to be controlled bfore ADHD meds( stims) can be used.

My experience with it is for one week total. DD was prescribed it by a  * cough cough*Psych( he has since been suspended) when she was 6, he said she was "depressed", and she went ballistic. This is a kid who is NOT hyper, NO behavior isssues,  and suddenly she WAS. I would have sworn she was insane the way she acted. We stopped it, and within a week she was back to normal...she took it 3 times total.

I'm convinced that my daughter has ODD (oppositional defiance disorder).  She ALWAYS has to be in control and if she's not she acts out.  When she doesn't want to do something that the teacher has the entire class do she'll pitch a fit and literally lay down on the floor.  Mind you, this doesn't happen ALL the time.  Just when she gets into a mood.  She was part of a partial hospitalization program back in the summer of 2008.  6 weeks of the program and her second grade year was almost perfect.  Now she's in 3rd grade and it's all unraveling.  I know that 3rd grade is supposed to be one of the most important years for kids and I don't want her to miss out on instruction and socialization.  *sigh* I'm considering adding the Wellbutrin to see if it can help stabilize her moods and with continued therapy we can have a good 3rd grade year.