He was taking focalin xr 5mg for 1 month but he could not swallow it so we opened it and he took it in apple sauce. It didnt seem to do anything for him. So his dr. increased it to 10mg xr and in that month he started to swallow it. When we went back to dr in 1 month it seem the med was starting to work. His dr. said it worked better now that he could swallow the med. The next month was okay and not okay. He goes to daycare so i kinda had to rely on daycare to tell me about the side effects they were seeing which was not easy because one would say he was okay and another would say he seemed spaced out. On a day i was off of work during the week I gave him his med and he seemed spaced out. Then he started telling me his stomach was hurting and he started throwing up. So i took him to his family dr and he said he just had acid reflux and gave him some medicine for his stomach. The next day he was at daycare and they called me at work and said there was something wrong with him. That he was just sitting in a chair and would not play. That his heart was racing and he was breathing hard. He also has asthma so i thought he might be having an asthma attack. So we went back to family dr. and he agreed with me because by the time he came in it was over. Next day i called his dr. that we see for his adhd. He is also a family dr. but he very known in my area for his experience with adhd and his research on adhd. I didnt have luck with any other dr on the right med with my other son until i took him to this dr. Anyway, i stopped his focalin for 1 week and restarted it after that and he did some of the same stuff.
I took him back and told his dr. that i would not let him take the focalin xr another day. That we would go without until he got older but he suggested trying ritalin 5mg am and noon and 1/2 to 1 tab at 4pm if needed. It has been a month and he seems to do the same thing as he did on focalin but not as extreme. I do not like my kids to be zombies because the are kids. They need to run and play and have energy. My older son which in 8 has never had any problem with taking a med and making him like a zombie but he takes concerta 27mg and he also takes risperdal twice a day for his mood swings. But my 2 sons cases are not the same at all so i cant really compare one to the other.
Hope you can help me with this info.
My 5 year old has tried focalin xr and is on ritalin now. It seems neither one has done what I want. Maybe it is because he is so young. I dont know. I hate to keep switching his meds. Any suggestions?
Welcome! Unfortunately, ADHD meds are frequently a trial and error process. My 12-year-old son has been on Concerta, Strattera, Adderall and now Focalin XR. We happen to like Focalin, but what works for my child may not work for yours.
What happened when your child took the meds (how did he react)? What doses was he taking? What kind of doctor diagnosed him and what kind of doctor is prescribing his meds? If you can be more specific, I may be able to give you more specific suggestions.