which meds for ADHD work for you?

Johanna - posted 5 days ago

10mg of Focalin a friend who is a psych doc said is way too much fto begin with so we are going to talk with prescribing doc about it. He said half if not 2.5 would be better to begin with. No med today and no dry mouth movement or comments.
Just want to make the best choice we can for him. I will read more on intuniv. Med matching, ahhh.

Teresa - posted 5 days ago

Grandson is 6. He has been on three stimulant type meds and developed tics (picking nails and pulling on clothing), weight loss and agression. They finally put him on Intuniv 2 mg three weeks ago. He is a different child. Happy, gaining weight, a pleasure. It was a long two years and we are happy that he is happy.

Johanna - posted 5 days ago

6yr old son started Focalin Monday and was displaying tic movements with his mouth within 3 hrs of taking med. They were more apparent as day went on. Initially it looked like dry mouth movements. He was complaining of a dry mouth. As med wore off and by 7pm no more mouth movements. No more Focalin for him! Next?

Lori - posted on 06/07/2013

I just posted my details under the intuniv post because of my son having severe tics from I think the concerta he was taking. Has anyone's child developed tics after taking concerta? They decreased once we stopped it and began again with vyvanse. I was reading about tic disorders and often they are common with ADHD. They say they treat the ADHD, because of those behaviors being more significant. I'm having a difficult time watching him have the tics and now noticing them more in himself; having people stare at him and him looking different. He's only 11 and at an age where people can be very cruel. I'm so upset about it all! Help!

Xc - posted on 06/05/2013

2mg intuniv xr 9 yr old boy 55 lbs

Jean - posted on 05/16/2013

My son is 11 and we just started him on a natural supplement that so far is working really well. http://qfamily.info I noticed improvements (small but still improvements) after just 4 days (being able to sit longer and concentrate) and so far it is helping him sleep better too.

Kat - posted on 02/19/2013

Concerta made my son worse. He was litterally bouncing off the walls.

Nicole - posted on 02/19/2013

My daughter started on concerta 3 years ago and until a month ago was working ok. I saw a big change in her behavior and her grades started going up. She will be 13 next month and we just change to Dexedrine a couple weeks ago. I think her body got immune to the medication and she was at the max mg but also my grandfather passed away Xmas eve and a few days later my daughter walked in on my grandmother having a seizure so the week was hard to deal with. I think besides meds te child attends as group therapy or individual session. With my daughter she doesn't feel "normal" and we talk all the time. Dexedrine seems to be working and she's not a zombie.
When my daughter was diagnosed 4 years ago I was in denial and thought what I did wrong. But seeing the change in her makes me feel better about the decision I made. Hope this helps

Megan - posted on 02/18/2013

I have a 15 yr old son who has been on concerta, ritalin, adderall (which made him EVIL) and now is on strattera. The concerta and ritalin worked for a little bit but then stopped suddenly. I LOVE the strattera and he does too. The only problem with the strattera is that it takes about 3-4 weeks to work. So for that time, he was taking the concerta and the strattera so he had some help. He is now happy (as much as a typical teen can be) and doing great in school. His social life is also blossoming wonderfully. Good luck!! :)

Kelly - posted on 02/18/2013

If you have not tried herbal remedies, you might consider them. Everyone is different. Every child is different. You have to decide what is right for you. I have my daughter using organic ginko biloba (600mg) and Holy Basil (300mg) per day, along with a whole foods vitamin. I do work with her on being aware of her mental state and working on keeping her "busy brain" distracted enough to pay attention. She doodles, draws, squeezes a stress ball, listens to music, or other distracting things which allow her to focus on what she needs to do. I know this goes against traditional thinking, but my experience, as an adult with ADHD, is that my brain needs some distraction in order to most effectively absorb necessary information.
She does not have wheat or gluten in her diet. She eats whole food meals, which I prepare. There are foods which can exacerbate ADD. She notices when she forgets her ginko and holy basil. She can't focus in school, or pay attention for her homework. They really help her to use her brain to the best of her ability. This is my solution, after years of working with her and other supplements.
I avoid the prescriptions because I don't want to give myself or my daughter anything which I feels changes how her brain functions artificially. That is my personal choice. Take what works for you from it.

Rachel - posted on 02/17/2013

U have to be careful with the meds they dish out... From a pediatrician ur better off then a psychiatrist ... They make a percentage off every script they write.. N are very quik to diagnose... As for ur pediatrician is more aware of ur family and is trust worthy.. A lot of meds with lOng term use can hurt u from ur liver to ur libido.. Do ur homework guys

Rachel - posted on 02/17/2013

My son is on metadate ... An let me just say the side affects are far... I have 2 kids with ADHD and have been thru a lot of meds from adderal to focalin to strattera n so on... Metadate is wonderful it's not an anphedamine based drug so the side affects are a whole lot less...i will not put him on Other meds so I also use a natural sleep aid called melatonin .. Which works well... There are a lot of natural remedies that health food stores sell I have used also for my other son..

C - posted on 02/13/2013

Sorry, crazy phone... he had nose bleeds on vyvanse. Noise that he's out all of it he's worse than he was before he started any of them.

C - posted on 02/13/2013

He lasted on vyvanse for three days with dizziness and noiseless. We took him of and don't know what to do now. We're afraid to try angry more, it's a horrible roller coaster. Any help?

C - posted on 02/13/2013

My little boy is 6 yrs old and was diagnosed adhd in Dec2012. Started on ritalin 5mg, half in morning and half in afternoon. He became obsessed with anything that made him angry or sad, it was almost impossible to claim him down so we could handle whatever the problem was. It didn't help much with his focus or energy or impulse actions. It only amplified his emotions. After about the weeks he was changed to adderol and the effects were about their danger. With both when they wore off Jr was horrible, confrontational, angry and emotional.

Bridgette - posted on 11/06/2012

The medication that worked for us was Focalin and at low doses which was good. However, when his father was not giving it to him when my son was with him, it stopped working. It can be a long road to finding the right medication. I STRONGLY suggest getting the help of a behavioral therapist also- the help for your child can make all the difference in the world!! Too many people get the right medication and stop there. I know I allowed certain behaviors because I became tired of fighting with my son. I also didn't want him to not feel loved because I was always on him. Once the medication had him focusing, the behavioral therapist helped us "back track" and learn to have boundaries again. Good luck

Michelle - posted on 11/05/2012

My son started on Daytrana, as it supposedly has the least amount of side effects and is delivered via patch. Two problems with this one: It falls off easily or they take it off if it bothers them, which leads to the second problem in that it caused an itchy rash for my son and he would constantly take it off.



He is no on Focalin XR 20 mg in the morning and Ritalin 20 mg in the afternoon along with Risperdal 0.5 mg in the morning and in the afternoon, and Intuniv was just added at night (I think 1 mg).



I was one of those moms that said she would never put her kids on meds until I met my son!

Hana - posted on 11/04/2012

My son is on Intunive and Vyvanse together and he is 7 and it works wonders. My 13 yr has been on Adderall for a few years now and that works just fine for him. We have had to increase and decrease the dosage to figure what worked for him but it has been the same for a long time now.

Lana - posted on 10/26/2012

My son also used Daytrana for about three years after he saw a commercial about it on TV and recommended that we switch. His reasoning was that he could take off the patch immediately after school, and the medicine would leave his system earlier than an extended-release drug such as Adderal XR or Vyvanse. The other thing we liked about it was that we could put the patch on him about half an hour to 45 minutes before his wake-up time, so that he woke up with meds in his system. This helped enormously with morning get-ready time.



We stopped the Daytrana only because we decided, this summer before he began 7th grade, to switch him to a non-stimulant medication, as we felt the stimulant caused his attitude to be more edgy at certain times of day. If we decided to resume a stimulant, we'd go back to Daytrana.



It is important to point out, however, that Daytrana isn't always covered fully in insurance plans, as it's viewed as a newer and less mainstream stimulant.



Another potential drawback is the fact that the patch can come off if it's immersed in water very long. This means showering at night, generally, and we found that it sometimes came off in the summer when we were swimming (however, when my son is having strenuous exercise, he often doesn't need as much medication).

Misty - posted on 10/24/2012

I have a 9 year old son, an 8 year old daughter and a % year old daughter. my son is ADHD and my oldest daughter is ADD. they are both on Vyvance 30 mg fir him and 20 for her. i am very happy with the change i have seem. He has been on the meds for 4 years and her 3. I can tell (alone with the school and daycare) just by the looks in their eyes if they have had their meds or not. My son has always has trouble sleeping and i was worried that the 12 hour time release meds would make it worse but they didn't and i am so glad!!! lol My 5 year old has yet to show any signs that she will need any meds any time soon. i hope this helps you out on finding something that helps. Good luck

Romina - posted on 10/20/2012

Intuniv and vyvans has been working well for my son. he has been takin them eversince 8. Goodluck

Amanda - posted on 10/20/2012

Its kind of a trial and error.. I document which each meds does my daughter has been on several before she started Kapvay. It helps with ADHD.

Emily - posted on 10/18/2012

My son has finally settled on 10mg of Adderall twice a day. He tried the XR on 3 different occasions. It was awful. He did great during the day until around noon and then he would crash and be over the top emotional. Before the last time he was on the XR I aws giving him 10mg in the morning, 5mg at lunch, and then 5mg around 4. He was doing great! Always in a good mood and always focused. I was under the impression that as his mother I could mess around with it a little to see what works best for him. I DO NOT mean change the dose either. I just meant give it to him a little earlier or later. Apparently this is a HUGE no no. I honestly didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I didn't want to increase his dose but he wasn't doing very well at the end of the day. He wasn't focused at all and was a little emotional.



His doctor was upset that I split is last dose and said that he is actually suppose to stop giving it to him. He also said that children can not take 3 doses a day. I could be wrong but I thought I had seen people saying that their child gets 3 small doses a day. Idk.



As of right now he is on 10mg in the am and 10mg in the afternoon. I would rather him have it in his system for all the homework he has to do. He doesn't have trouble sleeping and he actually gained a pound in the last 3 months.

Elizabeth - posted on 10/16/2012

I think it is a case by case decision. My husband and both children have ADHD and they are all three on different medications. You just have to try what the doctor suggests and see how the child reacts to the medication. You may have to change a few times to get it right. My son (11) is on Concerta now but started with Focalin. Eventually the Focalin didn't help his symptoms and we had to change. When he first started the Concerta he wouldn't each much so the doctor gave him something to help his appetite. Now he eats fine without the medicine to help his appetite. My daughter (15) is on Adderall and doing fine. She was on Concerta for a long time but it started causing anxiety. My husband is on Strattera, which is for adults. I would not recommend Strattera for a child. All of these medications cause loss of appetite. Some work better for one child than another. My kids not see a psychiatrist, specifically for their ADHD medications and my son has had some behavioral therapy. That was helpful too. Hope this was helpful.

Amy - posted on 10/12/2012

my son takes vyvanse and have been for a few years now and i find it works great we have tried the ones us listed and the patches and every one they have and the one i find the best is vyvanse he is not over medicated with it and he is an honor student it helps him show is true smarts and he is still a normal boy i really like it .. but what ever you choose make sure its something you feel comfortable with my son is 14 and has been on meds since he was 3 at 3 he was even a danger to him self but i have always been in control of his meds and made sure the dr understood i live with him i know how it effects him so just make sure they don't force a med that you are not comfortable with

Val - posted on 10/12/2012

Jen,

I know your pain. We have gotten good luck out of Focaline and Intuniv. It has been 6 months and no changes. The medication continues to work! We also found a really great pediatric nuerologist (People in San Antonio and surrounding areas Dr. John Seals is amazing!!!!!

Rachel - posted on 10/12/2012

My son is 7 and he is on Daytrana it's a patch that you but on there hip.

DeAnne - posted on 10/11/2012

We started out on Stratera for 2 years and then my son kind of out grew the med so we switched to Vyvanse and I really like it and have seen improvement in his focus.

Angela - posted on 10/05/2012

I'm giving my 13 year old fish oil1,000 mg 3 times a day and he is still on ADHD meds. He just started on a new one. He always maxes out on his meds. But he is also Bipolar. The ADHD he just started is Daytrana patch.

Amy - posted on 10/03/2012

Hi Ruth,

My son is on Intuniv too. Worked great for a year and a half...now is not working at all. In fact, he has been a complete basketcase lately! Cries at the drop of a hat for nothing, mixed with melt down temper tantrums that we haven't seen in over a year. It's aweful!



Good luck,

Amy

Jennifer - posted on 10/02/2012

My son is going to be ten and has been on concerta for the past five years; I find this one has the least side effects .

Patricia - posted on 09/27/2012

i have found that ritalin slow release works for my daughter

Ruth - posted on 09/27/2012

Just put my son on intuniv and it has been amazing!! For the first time in a long time we are getting great reports back from school!

Amy - posted on 09/25/2012

Lloyd,

You sound like a spokesperson for the legalization of marijuana. LOL



Surely, there is something you can do besides smoking marijuana that will help you. I'm glad your better, just hate that it has to be something illegal. And - I agree with you about the cocaine comment. I too feel that stimulant drugs for ADHD are in the same class as cocaine. Unfortunately, that is what seems to help a lot of kids. I do not give it to my son anymore, but I certainly understand why parents do it. In a lot of cases, it's the only treatment that works :(



Amy

Lloyd - posted on 09/25/2012

I am not a mom but I am a single dad I was diagnosed with adhd when I was around 10. The meds the doctors gave me never worked infact made things worse in alot of ways. I became unsocial, very moody, crying for no reason, unable to sleep, inactive, and depressed with alot of thoughts af suicide that i never shared with anyone. I myself tried marijuana when I was around 14 and it did better than any medication my doctors ever put me on. Now dont get me wrong I AM NOT telling you to hand your child a joint nor will I ever hand my children one. My children doesnt know I use it and I haven't or ever will use it around them. I am just telling you that it alleviated my problems with adhd. I became focused and calm and able to sleep. For the first ever I had made A B honor role, my mood swings were no longer there, I stopped being such a little prick and actualy started having a social life and started feeling better about myself. I became more focused and able to concentrate on completing any task. I finished high school with a 3.5 GPA and the same in college. I own my own buisness and own my house out right at the age of 33 so please dont judge me and lable me as drug addict and a bad parent. I am no more dependent on this [drug] as your kids are on the ones they are forced to take. I am just letting you know what worked for me. I do not think giving any child a synthetic form of crystal meth or cocaine is good for them in any way shape or form and thats all most of these drugs are.

Sandra - posted on 09/24/2012

My older children have used concerta, strattera, and rispodal



My 5 year old was just diagnosed with ADHD. I have known for sometime that he had it but didn't want to medicate this young. Two of his brothers started meds in 6th grade and one has never had them although he is ADHD. All of them were very well behaved at school through at least 2nd or 3rd grade. Then a few minor problems.



He has been getting in trouble daily since he started kindergarten in August. He has been in mother's day out, preschool, then 5 day a week pre k with very little problems. I made the appointment not only to get conformation but to see what the dr suggested I do about school. I didn't plan on sending him until he was 6 then I changed my mind and registered him at the beginning of the year. Now I couldn't decide if I should take him out and put him back in a pre k program or home school for kindergarten.



The doctor said that she would not suggest that I let him reenter kindergarten next year. She thinks that he is probably either gifted or has a high IQ. That plus the fact that he has been raised with 4 teenage brothers and is "street smart" she feels like he will be way above the level that the younger class would be. He would still be ADHD plus bored. We talked about it and I agreed to try medication for two weeks and see how it goes. He started 5 mg of Focalin (he is only 5 but very big for his age) on Saturday. I took him to work with me on Saturday and he tried my patience all morning. Around 11 he calmed down a little and we made it through the day. On Sunday he spent the day coloring and writing words most of the day. He also played hot wheels for awhile and played with another little boy.



Today was his first day to school on the meds. He came flying off of the bus today to tell me that he got outstanding on his behavior chart today (the highest mark) and it was so easy! He told me that he didn't talk or shout out one time all day. Today is also the first day he didn't forget his backpack on the bus and have to run back and get it. He got some gummy worms from the teacher for a reward.



This is the same little boy that has been walking from the bus stop dragging his backpack like it had the weight of the world in it. Whenever I asked him about why he had done something at school he would cry and say that he tried to be good but it was too hard.



He has no idea that he is taking the ADHD medicine. He takes meds for asthma and allergies and ear infections so he hasn't questioned the new one. The doctor and I discussed things while he was out looking at the fish. So there is no Placebo effect.



If he continues to do this well and has no bad side effects I will continue the medicine.

Amy - posted on 09/23/2012

Good job Christal!

My son started on stimulants when he was 6 yrs old and took them for almost a year. He lost a LOT of weight, stopped growing, started developing tics and his behavior was not much better than when he was off the medication. The side effects were terrible! Not worth it.

Now he just takes Intuniv in the evenings. He's calmer than off medicine and it helps him just enough that he doesn't need the stims.



Amy

Christal - posted on 09/23/2012

hi, my son is 4 gonna be 5, he was prescribed ritalin n i was so scared to give it to him, he was on it 2 days n would go into rages that he never had!. Threw the ritalin in the trash, then he was given adderall, he became toooo focused in things n began being overly emotional n sad, i took him off after 2 day, adderal in the trash. 2 days later, he started having this tic with his ears, shoulders, and itchy neck, n now eye blinking!. My son never had Tics, I am sooo Livid, the doc never told me this could happen..He is now on Tenex for the Tics n ADHD. All the tics went away except the eye blinking which seems to be going away now, Thank God..Im still guilty of even giving him the stimulants, but i have to remember why I gave it to him, B/c i wanted him to feel better, not so high strung and on the go all the time. Now, it seems the Tenex is working..It takes about 3 weeks to a month to see full effect but worth the try

Sandy - posted on 09/17/2012

Dexedrine, although old fashioned is the only one my daughter and I never had bad side effects from using. The short duration is nice, so you r not medicated all of the time.

Kay - posted on 09/14/2012

My daughter (now 8) has tried Ritalin, then the Daytrana Patch. About a year ago we started with Vyvanse, and it has been amazing. It's long lasting and it has a very easy uptake, and come down. This helps not only through the school day, but also through homework time. The Vyvanse is usually out of her system after about 10 hours. Don't be surprised with the weight loss....it's scary and you have to stay on top of it. Usually after a month or so, the weight will start to come back as the appetite increases.

Catherine - posted on 09/10/2012

My 8 year son has ADHD and I didn't want to put him on medications, but eventually I had to. We put him on Strattera near the end of the school year last year, and it took awhile to see the difference. But this year, he is like a different person. He stays focused on his schoolwork, he remains in his seat, he doesn't talk out of turn (most of the time, he is 8 after all), and he is generally well behaved. Homework is no longer a struggle and when i described his previous behavior, they were shocked because he is so well behaved.

Ellen - posted on 09/05/2012

I've tried many ADD meds and finally found Vyvanse 20 mgper day and Ritalin 10 mg once a day as well. I was orig on a very high dose of Vyvanse 50 than 60 mg, that made me insane! I chewed my fingers until they bled. I couldn't relax at all. My body was so tired but my mind kept telling me to go go go. I also started smoking (I socially smoked only, very rarely) I was up to a pack a day! Now I'm on the lowest dose w/the Ritalin. I actually take the Ritalin in the AM, I gets me going and I am focused. And then around 10 am I take the Vyvanse. I'm very happy with the results! Also an FYI-Vyvanse has a coupon to use (is usually good for 6 mos) that is a huge money saver! Just go to their website a print it out or when u go to your Dr for the med chg, they usually have the coupons right in the office. Ive worked in Dr's offices for over 20 yrs so I know they keep this stuff on hand from the pharm reps. Just ask. Good luck!!

Val - posted on 08/29/2012

My daughter is 8 yrs. old, she has been on adhd meds since she was 5. We did not go through a pediatrician for medication because they started kids much later and I did not want her to get behind in school (she also was having great difficulty just sitting in class-that was impossible). If they are asking you what you want your child to take for his adhd that should be a red flag right there. The nuerologist we go to in San Antonio told us what he was going to use with her and why. He even went into the molecular structure of the medication and why it worked the way it did. From my research the best people to in the medical community to prescribe such medications would be a pediatric nuerologist or pediatric psychiatrist. At this time we have our daughter taking focaline and intuniv. We are having very good luck with them. Good luck with your son Jen, and may God Bless you all. Valen

Amanda - posted on 08/28/2012

Every child is different and you may have to try several different ones before you find the right one. For our 6 year old it took 3 before we found the right one. The first one we tried was 2.5mg of dexmethylphenidate twice a day. That one was okay but it didnt last through the school day. His doc then switched him to 10 mg of focalin xr. This was horrible for him. It made his ODD way off the wall and his doctor was not listening to our concerns and would not switch him. We than found a new doctor and this doctor diagnosed him with ADHD and ODD which made ALOT more sense! We are now on vyvanse 30mg a day and we have seen such a huge difference in attitude, behaviour, and focusing. Our child is also mentally delayed and we even notice a difference in his speech! So far we are liking vyvanse and he is still eating very well and growing appropriately for his age. Most meds you will have to watch is your child loses appetite or stunts growth or even developing tics. Meds is a very tough decision to make but for some it is needed.

Bri - posted on 08/25/2012

Kids don't outgrow ADD/ADHD. I just don't want you to be surprised when your child is an adult living with the disorder.

Sarah - posted on 08/24/2012

i found stratera and fish oil together good but it took a while to getmy daughter on the correct dosefor her weight x

Tatia - posted on 08/21/2012

My son has been taking ADHD meds since he was 3. He's 8 now and is on 60 mg of Vyvanse and 2 mg Intuniv. Those seem to do the trick for him and he's not drugged up like a zombie.

Meme - posted on 08/15/2012

Dear Jennifer
My son is 16 ,he start taking strattera ,it is a great medication.I like it but he doesnt like it because he wants concerta.Tommorrow I go to my psychiatrist to ask him for low dose of concerta and increase dose of strattera to 100mg.Just pry for me.

Val - posted on 08/14/2012

I started my daughter on meds at 5 she is now 8. Now after a year from H____, we have her taking 10 mg. foculine, and 3 mg intuniv, and it works. The worst medication regime for us was 30 mg. vyvance and prozac, Yikes! A joint colaberation between her teacher and nuerologist (not a good speller). Hope that helps you, there are so many combinations out there, good luck my friend.


Val Ford

Heather - posted on 08/14/2012

what is the additional benefits to fish oil Omega 3-6-9? Any other diet tips you can give me other than no sugar and dies.