Thomas has ADHD. He currently is taking Concerta. However...

This med kills his appetite, something that, at going on 9 years old, and weighing 47 lbs, he can't afford. Also, the Concerta wears off about 8 pm at night, and we enter the witching hours at this point. His growth is less than his identical twin brother, and currently there are 10 lbs, and nearly 2 inches seperating the two.

Does anyone have any children on ADHD Meds (and his case is probably not severe, but severe enough that after 8pm at night he's unbearable) that doesn't affect their appetite, their sleep cycle, and doesn't wear off at 8pm?

MTM - mom to Michael(84),Stephan(85), Thomas, Matthew and Kathryn - born 12/27/99 at 32w 0 days

Hey Ruth,

In my professional experiences, EONS AGO, it seemed that Concerta had this effect on every kiddo that I worked with. One even got so "hopped up" on them (unintentionally) that he was rushed to the hospital after he passed out from not eating and sleeping, and had to be rehydrated/rested. He was sixteen and lost about 10 to 15 lbs., off of his already skinny frame.

Have you tried Ritalin or Adderal? I don't remember their specific side effects, but they weren't as bad as concerta. You could probably check out WebMD before you talk to your doc.

What helped my old clients with the witching hours was that they would take their meds before school and the psychiatrist would prescribe them a lesser dose of the same med that they would take around 4:00 or 5:00 PM to beat off the crazies at that hour. It seemed to work for them. I don't know if you tried that approach yet, but just a suggestion. I am not a doc or a psychiatrist though.....Good luck with Thomas!!!

Jamye

Love my GGG ~


20 months old.....and counting
Born on 08/07/06

http://www.babysites.com/sites/3petes/

Both of my older boys are on Aderall. We started on Concerta, which is the same medication as Ritalin in XR form by the way, with my oldest son and had terrible results. He stopped eating, stopped sleeping, and became an emotional wreck.

We moved on the Adderall and have had much sucess.

Another option out there is Stratera. It is a non-stimilant medication that works well with some kids. We tried it and with my boys it made them very plesant to be around, but they didn't benefit from the medication (i.e. their grades were slipping).

My oldest is now on Adderall XR so that he doesn't have to take medication mid-day at school. My 10-year-old is on regular Adderall and has never taken a mid-day dose. He seems to do well with just the AM medication.

Jonna

G 25
B 17
B 13
G (Stillborn Angel 4/16/05)
BGB 1/06 @ 27 wks
Grandaughter 3

I don't have a lot of experience with the meds yet. I have my 4-1/2 year old on Adderall XR. His ADHD was really bad. The adderall has definitely helped but it does affect his appetite. I am constantly trying to make high calorie foods for him. Add to that that he has a lot of food allergies and is a terribly picky eater.

I have read and was also told by my ped that the side effects of Focalin are typically much milder than the other ADHD meds. That might be something to inquire about. We can't use the focalin yet as he is too young for it.

Good luck - this ADHD stuff is no fun, but at least it is manageable.

http://www.brianandcharlie.com/blog
^Alexandra^, Brian, Charlie 07/28/2003
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My son is 5 and is on Focalin. I noticed the pamphlet said for children over 6, but my pediatric neurologist is highly respected but I am nervous about the meds (we just started!)

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days

Ds initially started on Adderall and then switched to Concerta because his appetite was nil on the Adderall. His apetite still isn't what it should be, but it is better on the Concerta. He eats like a PIG at breakfast and then right before bed.
With ADHD meds, everyone may react differently to each med. Finding the right med and dosage is trial and error, which can be a real PITA.

My son started on Focalin but was having nightmares. We switched to Concerta. We don't have the growth issue luckily. My son knows he needs to eat to alieviate his upset stomach. The neuro told us to try all of the meds until you find what works best. They are all vitually the same (some version of Ritalin) but each child reacts to each one different. Strattera was advised against by the neuro and my kids dad (a pharmacist) because of bad side effects and lack of testing but threst were up for grabs. What time does your son go to bed? They generally don't want them to have meds late because they can't sleep. Rule of thumb for us is that it needs to be worn of by 7:00 pm. Good luck finding the right fit for your son.

Chris

I don't have too much helpful advice, however, my 9 year old daughter with ADHD is on Adderal XR and it only lasts till 4:00 or 5:00. This gives her time to be moody and get her energy out before it is bedtime. Granted she is a wild woman till bedtime, but then we use Melatonin 6mg at bedtime and that really helps.

I haven't written on this site in a long time, but if I remember right, he is an identical with his brother, right?? Does the identical also get treated for ADHD?? We are just in the process of getting Nicole's identical tested for ADD, with her physical limitations, it is hard for her to show the hyperactivity. I was just curious how people see ADHD with identicals.

Laurel mom to Jimmy 11, Danielle (B-Symes amputation), Nicole (ADHD), and Shannon (Dyslexic) all 9!!

47lbs is really small. Have you talked to the Drs? What about a supplemental drink added to a milkshake at night to help with the pounds? I remember drinking carnation instant breakfast with every meal when I was pregnant, what about adding it to his milk?

As far as meds, we are on clonidine. My daughter is 6. We tried Focalin, Adderal, Adderal XR, Ritalin XR last year, gave it all up, tried diet, gave that up and now are on clonidine. The dose is nightly for 3-5 nights and than in the AM. Maggie didn't responde well to the twice a day, but does well withthe nightly dose only. It takes the hyperness and jumpiness out of her and she doesn't have the anxiety with writing like she used to.

good luck! this is sooo hard.
Karen
mom to 5 beauties!

2 of my triplets have ADHD. We just started Vyvanse the other day and it has worked already. It is like adderall but does not have the severe side effects. It is new and is designed to swallow whole or open it and disolve it in water which my kids drink it b/c they will not take pills. It goes past the stomach and stays in the small intestine so it is not affected by food and appetite. It releases a steady amount throughout the day instead of peaks and valleys and they still fall asleep. Something else my doctor told me for future knowledege is in the study of users, when injected or snorted, (we all know what ppl have done with ritalin) it had no high with it. I have had good results so far and other moms I've spoken with have too.
You can probably google it. Good Luck, were just getting started with this adhd stuff and it takes a long time to find what works for each child.

Jill
(29wk triplets)
Julia(8-22-96)
<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="" alt="Lilypie 4th Birthday Ticker" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="" alt="Lilypie 6th to

Son recently diagnosed with ADHD....like MTM's...my son is very small for his age and Im worried about his appetite being affected by the meds...Ive been doing research and seems like Focalin doesnt have as many side effects....so I wanted to bump this thread and ask what meds are your child currently taking and what side effects do you see most?

TIA!

We decided to try my son on meds this past February. He was not yet 5 so the insurance wouldn't cover the Focalin XR that our ped recommended. We started him on Adderall and while it did help the ADHD a lot his appetite was awful.

He turned 5 at the end of July. We started the Focalin the first week in September and I like it so much better. His appetite is so much better and we can already see a weight gain. We have had to make one dosage adjustment since we started it, but this new dose really seems to help the symptoms without making him too quiet if you know what I mean. He is more of himself, happy, bouncy but can still focus enough to sit through school and homework. It seems to start wearing off a little around dinnertime (5:30/6pm for us) so he has a bit of a hard time sitting at the table.

If you have the option of going with Focalin XR thats the one I would definitely try. The side affects for my son really do seem to be so much less on this med.

Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions or want to talk.

http://www.brianandcharlie.com/blog
^Alexandra^, Brian, Charlie 07/28/2003
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Can I ask what dosage he is on? We started on 5mg and after 2 weeks and no improvement, we are up to 10 mg. The doctor wants him on it for one month and if no improvement, will up to 15mg. BTW I should say my son is on it for his outbursts as he is autistic with behavioral issues. He has been on 10 mg for about 5 days and I swear he is worse! Ugh!! I have heard it takes a long time to get the right meds and dosage so I know I have to be patient but it is difficult to watch him and he knows he is not behaving correctly but can't help himself.

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days

With the Adderall we started at 5mg and worked out way up to 20mg. When we started the Focalin the Dr. started us at 10mg (the lowest available). After about 10 days I knew for certain that the dose was not high enough so the Dr. let us up it to 15mg. This dose seems to be pretty good for him - maybe a tad bit on the low side but he is able to focus in school and is learning to control himself.

It does take a while to get the right dosage. And my guess is that once you have the right dose figured out your child will start to grow some more and the dose will have to be changed again!.

How old/big is your son? My son is 5 and a little over 42 pounds right now. I'm not sure if size plays a factor in how much he needs but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

http://www.brianandcharlie.com/blog
^Alexandra^, Brian, Charlie 07/28/2003
[/

Thank you for for the information on Focalin. You know I got to thinking about it though...how do you get your son to take the pill? It says it should not be opened and sprinkled on anything....and my son has a pretty good gag reflex so now Im wondering how I will get him to take it? Are they small pills? Do they have a mediciney tasts? Also...Ive been doing research on the Daytrana Patch....do you have any experience with it? Thanks so much!
Becky
bgg 8/2001

Becky,

You CAN open the Focalin XR. Our pharmacist tried to tell us that it couldn't be opened - but he was wrong. The Dr. said it can be opened and so does the website for the drug. http://www.focalinxr.com/info/about/how-should-focalin.jsp

We give it to him with a spoonful of yogurt. We call it his 'yogurt bite'.

http://www.brianandcharlie.com/blog
^Alexandra^, Brian, Charlie 07/28/2003
[/

Just wanted to let you know we started DS on Focalin XR today...5 mg. I give it to him at 8 am (about 45 minutes after eating bkft) and Im hoping the meds last thru the day at school plus homework time so til about 4:30 pm. I may have some more questions as the days go on..thanks alot!

My nine year old is on Adderall XR 15 mg, which is takes in the morning. She does very well with the medication, but additionally testing indicated that she is not currently on a theraputic dose. She is also on Doxipen. That seems to help with her appetite. She has always been my best eater, but I didn't notice any decrease with the meds.

Finding the right meds for our individual children is a tough path to navigate. I sure hope you find what works for you son.

This is so hard. We went on so many meds last year. Maggie was 5 and 33lbs. Adderal (many strengths and XR), Ritalin and than to Focalin. I really liked it. We didn't notice the reduced amt of eating. It was a little, but not much. She developed OCD behavior. She was a compulsive picker.

WARNING!!! IF YOUR CHILD PICKS, YOU CAN'T KEEPING TELLING THEM "STOP PICKING". IT IS A SIDE EFFECT AND IT IS THEIR BRAIN TELLING THEM TO PICK. THE MEDS NEED TO BE STOPPED. I only say this because so many parents like the behavior they see and are willing to allow the picking. It gets so bad that they bleed and now they have something else to pick at (get the cycle)?

We switched psychiatrists. She is now on a half tablet of Clomid at night. This helps her sleep. In the AM she takes a half tablet of Buproprian. Maggie not only has ADHD, but also anxiety. This has helped her quite a bit. She's still a bit bouncy, but not so bad.

It may be a long road and you may have to try many combinations, but don't settle or give up!

good luck!
Karen

Mom to 5 Beauties
Allison,12,Grace,8
Margaret, Melissa, Michelle (6/20/02--34weeks 1day)

Showing other MOMS how to stay home, BE HEALTHIER and earn extra income!
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