increase ritalin?

MM,I have heard that the SR version of ritalin is not as effective as other medications, including regular old ritalin and that it is not as long-lasting. If the meds really are wearing off in the afternoon (and maybe you should have the teacher fill out Connors scales to see whether that is so), maybe, instead of increasing the dose you could ask your doctor about trying Concerta, which is a longer acting (12 hour) version of ritalin.Andrea

40 mg of Ritalin a day? You have got to be kidding. No way no how.I encourage you to do more homework on stimulant medications. They are not always the answer. Of course the teacher wants your daughter on more. She wants to make her job easier. Ask her one question for me please. “If this was your child would you load her up on medication?” You might be very surprised to here the answer.

: There are formulas for figuring out what is and is not a large dose of medication. When you take aspirin or Tylenol, look at the bottle sometime. You’re taking 250 mgs. of aspirin, sometimes even 500 mgs. How much really then is 20 mgs. or even 40 mgs. of Ritalin?Those are not large doses of Ritalin. In reality, they’re very small. I had a first graders who took 20 mgs. of Ritalin and your dear daughter is in the 4th grade.Your daughter’ statement that she is bored by the afternoon and tends to daydream is the classic statement made by the ADD inattentive child. Your daughter is describing the typical behavior of an ADD inattentive child and that’s what she becomes as her medication wears off.Does she take a second dose at lunchtime? If not, perhaps she could do that instead of doubling the morning dose. Perhaps you could split the difference with her doctor and go to 30 mgs. and see if that helps although then you’ll be breaking pills in half.My 9 y.o. 4th grade daughter was diagnosed w/ ADD-inattentive last
: fall. She has been on 20 mg SR Ritalin since. It is helping, she
: is doing fairly well in school despite and ADD and being LD in
: reading/spelling. However, last week her teacher sent a note home
: saying my dau was focusing well in morning but NOT in the
: afternoon. Her doctor said increase dose (double). I am reluctant
: to give my dau so much medication. She is bringing home good
: grades. My dau says she gets bored by the afternoon and so
: sometimes daydreams. Her teacher is 8 mos pregnant and will be off
: soon. I’m debating on just waiting til the sub comes on board and
: ask her if it’s a problem. Any advice? Thanks MM

: Perhaps instead of giving her a double dose of Ritalin, she could take a longer acting dose — the time release Ritalin or perhaps Concerta which I have been told is supposed to last longer. Maybe its not the dosage, but how the dosage is utilized in her system that needs a change.Those are not large doses of Ritalin. In reality, they’re very small.
: I had a first graders who took 20 mgs. of Ritalin and your dear
: daughter is in the 4th grade.: Your daughter’ statement that she is bored by the afternoon and tends
: to daydream is the classic statement made by the ADD inattentive
: child. Your daughter is describing the typical behavior of an ADD
: inattentive child and that’s what she becomes as her medication
: wears off.: Does she take a second dose at lunchtime? If not, perhaps she could
: do that instead of doubling the morning dose. Perhaps you could
: split the difference with her doctor and go to 30 mgs. and see if
: that helps although then you’ll be breaking pills in half.: My 9 y.o. 4th grade daughter was diagnosed w/ ADD-inattentive last

If the 20 mg Ritalin SR is effective in the morning, but wearing off in the afternoon then I would NOT double the dose. This would only increase the liklihood of side effects in the morning and do nothing for the afternoon problem. The poster named Sara is on very dangerous ground if she is comparing mg of Tylenol to mg of a drug like Ritalin and thinking it is a small dose. The potencies of drugs vary enormously and drugs with different mechanisms of action and taken for different purposes are not comparable with regard to what is a safe or effective dose. The idea of trying the 18mg dose of Concerta makes more sense. This new formulation is supposed to be a more prolonged release and may do the trick. If that does not work, I would consider asking the teacher to get the schedule set up so that more academic subjects are in the morning and topics such as P.E., art or activities for academic subjects that are more hands on (less dependent on reading and writing) are in the afternoon. Your daughter is not the only one who fades in the afternoon. Lots of kids get restless or sleepy after lunch and need tasks that involve being up and moving. If you are not currently giving the Ritalin SR on the weekends, try doing so on a Saturday and do one academic activity in the morning and one in the afternoon and see if there is a big difference.

HI, My two cents is that that:I think that it sounds like a very high dose. My son is 11 12 and in the 5th grade.He started taking generic ritalin in fourth grade . he is a.d.h.d and has dyslexia.He started with 5mgs in the mornings and that worked but wore off around lunch. Now he takes 5 in the morning and 5 around 12:30 (lunch)and this seems to help him stay focussed and get his work done and even still works for the begining of homework.However every child is different and his weight may play a role in the low dose he is just hitting 60lbs .I would not give my child that much of this powerful and probably addictive medicine.As little as you can to give the help they need, they also very much need personal support from the teacher , a tutor , a counselor ,parents , it really takes a group effort to give the children what they need , medicine is not the only tool they need !! good luck to you and I hope every thing works out well for your child.Galadriel40 mg of Ritalin a day? You have got to be kidding. No way no how.: I encourage you to do more homework on stimulant medications. They
: are not always the answer. Of course the teacher wants your
: daughter on more. She wants to make her job easier. Ask her one
: question for me please. “If this was your child would you
: load her up on medication?” You might be very surprised to
: here the answer.

EMAILNOTICES>noPASSWORD>aaetA44bKITAIRemember stimulants work differently in every child.Even antibiotic dosages are determined not only by the weight of the child but also the type and strength of the infection. Stimulants work the same way. Two children might take the same drug for the same problem but require two totally different dosages. The dosages given on bottles etc. are only the recommended that has been figured for the “average” person. My one son has been on 20 mg of Ritalin 3X a day since the 4th grade. My other son tried Ritalin but it did nothing for him.My one son’s experience with the SR form of the drug sounds just like your daughter’s. It was leaving his system hours earlier than expected. The doctor said that in some children the SR version may only last about the same amount of time that the regular does. They may even be getting less of the drug per hour due to the way that it is being released and absorbed. If there are problems with the Ritalin lasting as long as before, your daughter might want to try the regular version with a second dose taken at school or Concerta.My son’s doctor also said that sometimes when the child is given a higher dose it tends to stay in the body longer. I don’t understand how myself but you might want to try it for a day or two to see if there is any difference. She might need more because she has grown and put on weight. I wouldn’t judge the dose by anyone else’s only at how your daughter responds.: HI, My two cents is that that:I think that it sounds like a very high
: dose. My son is 11 12 and in the 5th grade.He started taking
: generic ritalin in fourth grade . he is a.d.h.d and has
: dyslexia.He started with 5mgs in the mornings and that worked but
: wore off around lunch. Now he takes 5 in the morning and 5 around
: 12:30 (lunch)and this seems to help him stay focussed and get his
: work done and even still works for the begining of
: homework.However every child is different and his weight may play
: a role in the low dose he is just hitting 60lbs .I would not give
: my child that much of this powerful and probably addictive
: medicine.As little as you can to give the help they need, they
: also very much need personal support from the teacher , a tutor ,
: a counselor ,parents , it really takes a group effort to give the
: children what they need , medicine is not the only tool they need
: !! good luck to you and I hope every thing works out well for your
: child.: Galadriel: 40 mg of Ritalin a day? You have got to be kidding. No way no how.