guanfacine | ADHD Information
I am looking to see the the Guanfacine is available in a time release yet?I need to know if any one else has used this drug for ADHD for a 5 year old boy,Because i just looked this drug up on the internet and found out that it is for boold pressure not ADHD is this right please help me undertstand this stuff
We haven't used this, but are considering it. It is also known as Tenex. It is a blood pressure medicine that is often prescribed to the little guys to address impulsivity and aggression. From what I've read, it is somewhat safer than clonidine which is another blood pressure med prescribed to the younger set and often used as a sleep aid.
I'm not much help but wanted to share what little I know.
Hi There,
I have a 14 y/o currently on Tenex. We have run the gamit of medications for his ADHD and they either work and he hates the way it makes him feel or they dont work at all. We've tried Ritian, Adderall, Concerta, Straterra, Wellbutrin and many others. He also has a weight issue. He is on a high calorie, high protein diet (dont you wish we all could eat what we want?) for his lack of weight gain. SO most meds are not an option because of the appetite supressant. He has been on Tenex for about 3 weeks now, and I have to say that there IS an improvement. He eats like anormal 14 y/o, he is concertrating in school and he is a happy child. I do have to say, he still fidgits quite a bit, but we are so used to it that it really doesnt matter at this point. I think this may be "the one" for him that actually works and doesnt make him feel "weird: (as he puts it). I was very surprised to learn that it was a high blood pressure medication, but if it works for other illnesses all the better!
Good Luck,
Lisa
Hi there-My 8 year old son has been on Tenex(guanfacine) for over a year. It works really well for him. It helps tremendously with impulsive behavior. My son was unable to tolerate any stimulant based medication for a variety of reasons including exacerbating a tic disorder. If you google Tenex (or guanfacine) and ADHD together you should be able to find information online about Tenex and it's use with ADD children. I have read that it isn't very usefeul for distractability and focus. In the end once my son began the Tenex his entire world turned around for the better within the year-socially, academically-all areas! Good-luck to you.My 11 year old son just started taking Tenex TODAY! He is also on Wellbutrin. I noticed that while he may have seemed more positive on Wellbutrin, he was still very impulsive and sometimes very aggressive. With just the half a pill he had today, I actually already noticed a "calm" start to come over him. Now my concern is that once he works up to his full 2 pill dose, is he going to be a total zombie??? Anyone else have kids on both Wellbutrin and Tenex? Any experiences to share?
My nephew has beeen on both Tenex and Clonidine.He was doing ok on the Clonidine but beleive it or not he started getting tics off of it as though it was a stimulant .His neuro had taken him off of that to the Tenex and he broke out in a huge rash on his back and had uncontollable crying.We were told that the tenex was stronger the clonidine and that he may get a rash and sure enough he did.The only positive thing that I can say about Clonidine is that it helped him sleep at night.I am glad this medicine is helping your children out .I wish that it did the same for my nephew as we are still trying to find something that will work for him.
God Bless
TJ
Do a search on SPD503... the name Shire is calling it during it's ADHD testing. You may find some more specific results regarding its efficacy in ADHD as well as the doses they are using (which of course will vary some from the blood pressure doses).
Guanfacine is actually being developed and marketed by Shire Pharms as an ADHD med. It will probably be released with a different name sometime in 2006. It is not generally as effective as stimulants, but stands about equal with Strattera, and is therefore expected to pose some competition for Eli Lilly. Of course, some people respond better to non-stimulants, and it does have the added benefit that like Strattera, it doesn't tend to have as dramatic an impact on personality (ie feeling "weird") as stims sometimes do.My 7 year old has been on Tenex for over a year. I do not believe it is the ideal drug, but thus far, it has been the best. He also had a weight problem on ritalin and became very cranky on Straterra. The problem is that many drugs have not been tested on younger kids. I continue to research and hope for the right medication.
Good luck.