how can i help my child gain weight?

Cyndi - posted on 04/27/2013

My 9 year old daughter weighs 51 # and 4' 1. She is so picky and has trouble with pain in stomach after eating some foods. she is on no meds. I need some info on how to get her to eat and gain some weight!

Kristin - posted on 04/24/2013

I have had the same problem. My son has been on many different medications since he started kindergarten, starting with Strattera, then Adderall, then Focalin and Clonidine. I felt that combo worked best but he had a melt down while in a summer day camp/therapy program where we used to live, and they put him in a ten day crisis program right before the start of first grade. I guess the psychiatrist did not get his prior history because she put him back on Strattera and I pleaded with them until about a month into the school year when they finally switched him to Vyvanse and Intuniv. This combo seems to work well, but he does seem moody at times, although I don't know if this is due to the meds, or if it's because he also has Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The biggest problem I've found with this one is no weight gain, and he sometimes loses weight. He was already small for his age, as this is a characteristic of our family, even if we eat a lot, and he used to, our metabolisms are too high to gain weight during childhood. He also has Asthma and his pulmologist gave me a sheet of things to do to help him gain weight. Basically it says to add more fats to everything he eats. Most suggestions included adding butter and cream to just about everything, cheese, and also adding in good fats like avocados and olives. He's lactose intolerant so we can't do all of these things but we try as much as we can. We do overload breakfast. He's also allowed to snack at school anytime, which I was grateful the school allowed this because his last school didn't. He was off meds for a month or two when we moved, and went from 36 lbs. to 43, but his appetite has gone down again being back on them. I too would like to try a different med combo, but we don't want to deal with the trial and error again. His old psychiatrist had us giving him Carnation instant breakfast at night, and the new one suggested Pediasure. I haven't tried it yet but while reading this I came up with an idea, possibly make a night time shake with Carnation, Pediasure, full fat lactose free milk, peanut butter and bananas? I'm going to try it tonight and see if it helps at all, I will keep you all updated.

Brooke - posted on 07/07/2012

We do a Vyvance Focalin combo and feel it has worked well. BUT, with that being said we have the weight issues you are all speaking of. My son turned 8 in June and is in the 1%ile for weight (43.6 lbs)...he weighed less at his 8 year well child appointment than he did for his 7 year one. This was just this week so we are new on this journey. I did buy a blender figuring I can make some shakes for him at home. We do pb sandwiches..... I did hear pediasure makes a weigh gain version?

Claire - posted on 04/11/2012

My son will be 9 in June and is 49" tall. He only weighs 46lb and has been on Vyvanse (50mg now) for 3 years. This year is the only year that I did not have to up the dosage. According to the dr, he has only gained .2lb in one year!! He will not eat at school. It's not a fight to get him to eat breakfast, but it is for supper. He eats a snack when he comes home, but I have to make him stop at 5pm or else he won't eat supper at all. I just bought some Pediasure and we are on our 2nd day drinking it (dr said only every two days). I personally don't feel that Vyvanse does for him what it claims to do. It does work, to a point, but he is still very distracted. I can't take him off on the weekends or any other day that he is out of school, because it drastically affects his behavior once he takes it again. It takes two full days of being back on it for him to get to his "new normal". I'm scared to switch, what if that doesn't work and I have to switch again, and again?? Plus, it's expensive. He is also on Periactin and we tried Intuniv, but Intuniv costs just as much as the Vyvanse does. I can't afford that. If Vyvanse needs the assistance of another medicine that costs just as much, then why not change completely?? But then, I'm back to my concern about switching meds. We we prescribed Focalin, but never tried it. Wondering if I should have???

Amber - posted on 04/02/2012

how tall is he?

Maria - posted on 02/13/2012

I am letting my son order "a la carte" breakfast: frozen pankakes, waffles, french toast, cookies plus fruit, yogurt, and milk. I make sure to feed him a good breakfast and a good dinner because he would not eat anything in lunch time. He is on Concerta 54 and is also skinny. I could not keep him off Concerta on the weekends because is impulsivity and hyperactivity is dangerous to himself and others. He is 9 and doe snot like feeling as hyper anymore. I am also afraid that hyper kids seem to get killed faster than any other kid because of the obvious, distracted, impulssive, hyperactive.

Jennifer - posted on 02/12/2012

I agree with Valeria. My son is almost 9 and has been on Vyvanse and Intuniv for 2yrs. I give him a hearty breakfast every morning before he takes his meds and I let him eat whenever he is hungry. Pediasure everynight! It's hard because you want them to gain weight, but you want them to gain healthy weight - good fats, protein and carbs. It's ok to let them have that ice cream treat, too. It came to a point where his body adjusted to the meds and he didn't need the Pediasure anymore. I'm not sure if this is just WJ or if this happens to most kids. You can also have the Dr put him on another med to help him gain weight, but I preferred to try to maintain my son's weight myself first. The best time to get him to eat is when the meds is not in his system - morning and evening - that's when you let him eat the most. Good luck, don't get discouraged and communicate with your doctor as much as possible!

Lachelle - posted on 02/11/2012

My daghter wont gain weight. Why,?

Deb - posted on 04/30/2010

Carnation instant Breakfast drink-mix flavors with milk. I use the Whole Milk and I make sure He drinks a glass with each meal just to make sure he's getting the nutrients. It's a fight but I hope he gets used to it.

Tiffany - posted on 04/30/2010

my daughter is 6 1/2 years old she weigh just a little bit more than my 2 years old she eats a lot and seems to my that she may have an over active metabolism and she is on adderall 7.5 mg and the doctor has told me not to give it to on the weekends and on days she doesn't go to school but she drives me insane sometimes

Rebecca - posted on 03/15/2010

I would also like to get the name of the shakes and any other information you all can share regarding this matter.My son has been on Vyance and has lost 6 pounds in 8 mo. .The doctor has talk to my son and told him it is important for him to start eating.Any advice would help

Emily - posted on 02/21/2010

my daughter is on concerta 45 mg, she is 11 years old, was only 50 something pounds, weighing the same as my 9 year old, the doctor put her on an antihistamine called Periactin, and it increased her apetite. She put on 9 pounds in 2 months. I was hesitant with using meds to counteract side effects , but the pros outweigh the cons here hands down.

Debie - posted on 02/21/2010

I found that if you take your kid off their meds on the weekends that it helps them put on weight and the medicine dont have enough time to get completely out of their system. My 9 year old was the same way until this school year when i started doing that and i just let him eat on the weekends and he gained like 25 pounds since the beginning of school. Yeah they are more hyper, but i think it is worth it cause they get to have some meat on their bones and look healthier.

Donna - posted on 02/20/2010

I'm going to talk to my son's doc about this Intuniv. He's in danger of getting an NG tube to help him gain weight. The stimulants haven't decreased his appetite, but I'd rather he was on something else.

Brandi - posted on 02/19/2010

We had to go off of the Vyvanse becasue of the decrease in appetite. There are other meds that do not affect appetite. Intuniv is a new one that we are pleased with! No side effect, appetite decrease, melt-down or tics. My son lost 25 pounds while on Vyvanse. He was thin already and was in 5th grade. We changed meds and his appetite came back.

Donna - posted on 02/13/2010

Pediasure

Ana - posted on 02/11/2010

Valeria, i would love the name of the shakes and anything else you have for me. thank you so much.

Jennifer - posted on 02/01/2010

My daughter was on Vyvanse 30 mg for a yr and a half. She lost 8 lbs right off the bat.Her shoes were flopping off her feet.She was only able to gain 4 of it back and then it quit working .The Dr. now has her on Focalyn XR 20mg and right away she got her appetite back.It would benefit your son to change meds I think.It is so nice not to have to push food on her anymore.She is actually happy to eat and the new med is working extremely well.

Good luck to you and your boy!

Valeria - posted on 02/01/2010

I am in the same boat as you are hun. My 11 1/2 yr old son weighs 70 pounds and we are now up to that weight with protein shakes before bed. He takes multivitamins every day and protein type shakes at night. If you would like the name of it please let me know I can get the information for you. Also peanut butter sandwiches are also good. We let ours eat when ever he feels hungry but also we make him eat everything on his plate when it is supper time. Our doctor told us that his mind is telling him he is not hungry but once he starts eating it he relizes that he really is hungry and will eat. If I run across any other ideas I will pass them along to you. I also take any advice that people like to give on this issue.