I have a 6 yr old boy on focalin. We have tried 3 other stimulant meds and all have resulted in appitite loss. Here’s the scenirio. He goes to kindergarten at 12:30. If I give him medicine in the morning he won’t eat lunch, so I let him go without medicine in the morning. He is like night and day. Example, we are on a reward token system. He gets tokens if he baths himself. He’s fine on medicine but off medicine he doesn’t have the attention span to rinse his hair. It’s sad. He finally gives up and cries for my help.
How do you keep them on medicine and get them fed?
Re: meds causing appitite loss
You don’t! At least in my case.
My son has always been painfully thin so more painfully thin isnt a huge issue.
I kept my son off meds on weekends and over the summer and he did not gain any significant amount of weight. I now give the meds daily. He is ADD inattentive(no hyper or behavior issues) and misses too much of the world around him off meds. I decided the loss of appetite was a small price to pay for the benefits, but it took me over a year to ‘get that’ and decide what was right for my son.
Others here are able to take kids off meds for summer and realize great gains in weight. That might be an option for your child
If hes healthy, skinny isnt all bad! My son weighs is 11 andweighs 62 lbs, slightly above average in height
here are some thoughts..
There is a reduction in appetite but eventually the child adjusts to it and eats more. My daughter has been on Concerta for about 4 years now. She is doing really well. She eats like a horse. When she was first on them she didn’t have much of an appetite. My son who was on Dexedrine didn’t have an appetite but he would force himself to eat because he knew he had to. He would always drink lots of milk and ate vegetables and fruits and loved home made bread, but he was more of a snacker, he would eat little bits all day long….
I think consistency is the key because their body has to get used to the medication and eventually they get to the point where they will start eating more when they have a growth spurt. I know others when they are on meds have to eat otherwise they get a headache, so the body will send signals when it needs more food. Just make sure you have lots of things he likes that are good for him to eat when he is hungry he will eat..
Re: meds causing appitite loss
My grandson also has a poor appetite from meds. He is 11, add, and small for his age.I give him a can of Ensure which is very good if it is almost frozen like a milk shake. They also have Pedisure for the younger kids.I hope this idea helps.
Re: meds causing appitite loss
Also, be sure to express your concerns to the prescribing physician. The doc should be doing regular (at least every 6 months) checks on growth when they are on meds, maybe more often with a kid this young.
Re: meds causing appitite loss
On the other hand, some kids don’t adjust to stimulant medication and continue to have problems with loss of appetite. My 13 1/2 year old son has been on just about every stimulant since Kindergarten. They all affected his appetite negatively along with afternoon grumpiness, difficulty falling asleep, etc. Yet, on weekends,breaks,and summer vacation off of meds, he ate and slept normally. The new medication, Strattera, is supposed to not affect the appetite because it is not a stimulant. We have samples but have not tried it yet as our pediatric neurologist feels it helps with the hyperactivity, a problem my son has grown out of, but not the inattention, my son’s biggest problem in school.
Some of the antidepressant drugs, Imipramine in particular, was about the only drug that really helped my son marginally in school but did not bother his appetite too much.
Re: meds causing appitite loss
My son had a similar problem when he was on Adderall. We made sure that whatever he ate was calorie and nutrient dense so that he got the most from what he ate. Cliff bars and Kashi bars are great snacks. I made whatever he ate richer in calories by adding sugar, butter, or whipping cream (Scrambled eggs made with whipping cream are wonderful.). I found ways to hide foods that he needed in bread and other baked goods— the library had cookbooks with all sorts of ideas to hide fruits and vegetables. I kept egg nog ready to serve year round (using the liquid eggs in a carton, not raw eggs) as change of pace from whole milk.
He is now on Straterra, which is not a stmulant, and lasts 24 hours a day. His appetite improved as soon as he started it and has leveled off to where he gets hungry for meals and snacks. I don’t know if Straterra would help your son or not. It’s very new and some people have not had as good results as we’ve had. Your doctor would be the best person to talk to about that.
My son is 7 and on ritalin. Supposedly when he is off the meds his appetite should not be surpressed. Well, he’s growing in height, but he’s getting worrisomely (?) thin. I’m very interested in seeing the answers to your post.