Medication Questions

Adderall XR has worked much better for my 12 year old daughter, with no different side effects (she never ate much lunch on regular adderall either…)

You might check with your doc because as kids grow, gain weight, etc. they can benefit from higher doses to get same effect. We’ve adjusted our daughter’s dose of adderall up over the years as she has grown (she started way back when at 5 mg, now we’re considering upping to 40 from 30, specifically because of growth).

Our doc does a weight check every 3 months, to monitor growth in relation to meds (especially if there is not much growth due to low appetite).

The rate at which adderall xr is absorbed can also be affected by the food you eat. A recent study showed that if it is taken with a high fat breakfast the effectiveness of the medication is greatly reduced.

Andrea

its possible his schedule last year was light in the afternoon-PE, library-and the meds wearing off simply didnt matter.

Weve been happy with XR-he was having to take second dose of regular at school and that was a pain

His new pediatrician suggested that being underweight is a sign of the disorder and that meds often get the rap for something that was there in the first place. With mine, I have to admit the possibility-hes has always been a stick boy! And not giving it on weekends with the idea hed eat more and make it up-never worked.

Ds has a lower frustration level off the meds-not ballistic and he tends to cry, not act out-but that is often how I can tell its worn off. It seems to last at least 10 hrs but probably not 12

I have two children on medicine for ADHD. They both lose their appetites while on the medicine. They are not on any medicine during the weekend and usally have headaches and are basically “wiped out” when they come home from school on Mondays. They are off medicine in the summer and that is when they have the most weight gain and growth spurts. As soon as one of my children starts the meds in the fall, there is a weight reduction. We always use Boost or Ensure as a pick me up and high caloric breakfasts to hold them through the school day; after school snacks usually consists of a mini meal and again I look for “snack” foods that contain nutrition, such as string cheese, yogurt, milkshakes with added fruit, anything to get calories and nutrition in their bodies!

My son just started the XR a few months ago. Teachers swear he is a new child. Unfortunately, I see him in the a.m. (when it hasn’t kicked in) and after school (when it’s worn off). He went from eating too much to not having an appetite. He’s lost almost 10 pounds and is tick(sp?)ing. He makes funny movements with his arms, and has begun constant nail biting. Although it’s supposed to be longer lasting—it isn’t long enough. If I decide to stay on this (which I double), we’ll need to give him something to supplement it—my son still takes clonidine to sleep in evening (side effect—bed wetting). UGH….will they ever come up with something that works???!?!?

If there are ticks developing I would discontinue the medicine. How often are you seeing your child’s physician for meds check?

I am still unclear on “tics” Can someone give me an example on what to look for….We see his doctor every 6months he has his next appointment on Oct 14…Thank you everyone for your input it really helps me

All of the questions you asked in your original post are good questions for your doctor when you visit next week. Also, he will be able to observe your son during the office visit to see if there are concerns with tics. Your son may have had a growth spurt or weight gain during the summer which is affecting the medicine’s strength this year. My children almost always have the largest growth and weight gains during the summer while off medicine.

Thanks Again!!!!!!!!

Maybe I can Help….You state that the medicine is supposed to be long lasting and I can assure you that it is according to the dose your child is taking. Remember this medication generally will last up to 12 hours and if you are not seeing that than you need to talk to your doctor about increasing your mg. One great advantage with amphetamines is the ability to increase the mg and extend the amount of time for ADHD sympton control. I have heard of studies that also show that stimulants used in early evening may help a child go to bed. Remember stimulants do not linger in a child’s system and this is sometimes confused when a child has a hard time going to sleep. When a child’s meds have worn off it is the ADHD that creates chaos and unables them to slow down to go to sleep. Maybe that will alleviate the bed wetting you are experiencing.

Hope this will help!

That is incorrect information and I know first had because I have seen the FDA regulated information that shows otherwise. The information you are speaking of has come from a competitor product without FDA regulations among other reasons that make the information unreliable and embaressing for the company that they had the nerve to even show it to someone. My doctor went over the details and having educated myself on ADHD I would have felt the same way you did until I saw first hand.

I responded to another message just like yours and the bottom line is that you need to increase your dose if you are only seeing 8-9 hours of coverage. The biggest advantage of amphetamines is the ability to increase the mg and stretch the coverage time of ADHD symptoms. Hope this has helped! GOOD LUCK

I think you are right that the study was funded by the company that makes Concerta, a rival product to Adderall XR. I’m not sure that fact alone means that the study itself is unreliable, but it is good to keep it in mind. Certainly it couldn’t hurt to be mindful of the possibility that high consumption of fat might have an adverse effect on how the medication is metabolized.

It sure sounds like it from your various “trying to help” posts. If so, you really don’t belong on this board. (For those who don’t know it, Shire manufactures adderall (which is now out in generic form_ and the new adderall xr.

Tics fall into 2 categories vocal or motor. They can present themselves singularly like a grunt (vocal) or in combination, grunt, sniff, throat clearing throat clearing, grunt (vocal). Then there is the combined vocal/motor. And they can present themselves, stop and restart over time and in different combinations.

My 9 yr old son (ADHD-impulsive/inattentive) has demonstrated vocal tics on Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta. They are a direct result of stimulant use. I notice his tics at times of extreme concentration where he is non-verbal like watching TV, homework, reading. Sometimes it is very subtle other times it can be very pronounced, distracting to others. Students have complained that he makes noises.

For us it’s just one of his idiosyncrasies. Our Ped and Psych both said that if motor tics were involved or a combination of vocal/motor then we were going to take him off meds. On a side note we have a family history of Parkinson’s and Essential Tremor on both sides of the biological tree, but child is showing no motor tics.

Good luck and God Bless.

I found Hope I can Help very helpful and didn’t feel suspicious of his or her help. YOU, I would be suspicious of, since you post under the name of “anonomyous”. Don’t understand your attitude. agie people a break for God’s sake!

I totally disagree in drugging your children to support the Drug Companies in America.

Not only do they drug our children but adults too.

The principal at my son’s school is in agreement with me. He believes that there are other alternatives besides drugs. (Herbal, Support groups, personal praise at home). etc.

My son has gone through 2 other schools and the other 2 schools are both supported by the Drug Companies. I had complete pressure to have my son on drugs. Schools recieve money from the Drug Companies to promote them.

The principal also informed me that in latest studies of Ritalin that when children come off of the drug they experience tics (I believe this is probably when they are on it for a long period of time). I don’t think that there is enough study of this drug and they are using our kids as guinea pigs.

Check out the site gary.null.com under world issues.

I fought with the previous 2 schools that my son was in. I was even threatened if I don’t put my son on drugs.

I am very happy to find this Principal of this school who is in agreement with me. He apparently was a principal of a school with 14 special classes in it with all kinds of problems so he is very well experiences in these issue. Don’t let society pressure you into thinking that drugs are the only way.

Lisa wrote:
>
> My 9yro son was diagnose with ADD a little over 2yrs ago. We
> have tried Ritilan & Concerta neither worked. My son is now
> taking Adderall 10 mg. It worked very well last school year
> but this year I have some doughts. When he gets home from
> school he seems withdrawn and homework is almost impossible
> to get thru. He has been fortunate though and doesn’t suffer
> with social or behavior problems alot of ADHD/ADD children
> do. This last week though he has been having trouble the last
> 2hrs of school. I am sure the medicine is waring off. Why
> didn’t this happen all last year in school ? I was thinking
> of asking his doctor about Adderall XR. I know it is a time
> release and last longer but what side affects could go along
> with a longer lasting medicine. Will he have a hard time
> falling asleep? Will he eat less ? He barely eats now. I am
> also wondering if anyone has noticed their child getting
> easily angered when they are not taking it. My son does not
> take medication on weekends. Also, what type of tics has
> anyone encountered ? I am unclear on what type of tics can
> happen. One thing he does do is lick his lips ALOT… They
> are always chapped. Is that considered a tic ? I was on
> another site earlier and someone mentioned a new non
> stimulant medication called Atomoxetine ihas anyone heard of
> it ? I don’t think ot os out yet but it will be soon.. Thank
> you for your input……Take Care