Meds. for JUST inattentive | ADHD Information
Maybe ice cream would work for him. I seemed to have ruined chocolate pudding for him for lifeThe appt. is in a couple hours so we'll see what they say about Focalin for him.
I am so nervous about putting him on anything (again) that I am a wreck.
We have an eye appt. first just to be sure there are no sight isses we overlooked.
Anyway, wish us luck!
Sending cyber wishes your way. Please let us know how it goes.
Smallmom,
Now you said that your son is doing well on Focalin, right?
What is the dosage? It didn't make him aggressive or moody?
I'm so nervous about this!
Yes, my son is doing well on Focalin XR. He is taking 15 mg -- he started on 10 mg, but it didn't do enough for his focus. It does not make him more aggressive or moody (in other words, no more aggressive or moody than his mood disorder makes him
).
OKAY! Wow, what a day.
We had his eye appt. at 3pm today and were very surprised to hear that he has astigmatism (sp?) in his left eye and he is also far sighted. Therefore he needs glasses which we ordered. The optomitrist explained that some of the inattentiveness and "zoning" may be at least partially to do with the fact that his brain is working twice as hard to compensate for the sight problems. Also explains the headaches and blinking.
We still know that he has inattentive ADD but we are not going to try a medication until he has time to adjust to the glasses. Hopefully there will be some improvement because he can actually read without struggling! I could kick myself for not having this checked sooner. he always passes the school eye tests and the yearly check-up eye test so I didn't think that could be a problem.
Anyway, the Dr. wants to see all the test results from the Neurologist and any other tests he has done before she will perscribe one of the ADD meds.
We talked a little about Focalin and that may be the one we try some day.
For now I guess we just get used to wearing glasses (and not losing them!)
I will ask about Focalin XR when we go tomorrow.
Is it a capsul that can be opened and sprinkled? Or liquid form?
My son cannot swallow pills--gag reflex.
What is the lowest dose?
When he was on adderal it was 5 mg. and it still presented problems. I just think that was the wrong one to begin with.
My son just started on the Focalin XR 5 days ago, I open the capsule and sprinkle it on his yogurt. He is only on 5mg, so far I have not seen any effects of the drug, positive or negative, perhaps the dose is too low. We follow up with the dr. in 2 weeks. My son is 5 1/2 maybe that is why the dr. started him on such a low dose.
Yes, the Focalin XR capsule can be opened and sprinkled in food (we use chocolate pudding). It comes in doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg. My son takes 15 mg by combining the contents of a 5 mg and 10 mg capsule.
PZMom, it is always good medical practice to try the lowest dose and work up. Side effects are usually seen right away, and if benefits are not seen, it is easy enough to work up to the next level.
Thanks SmallMom!
That is what I figured! I will keep you posted on our progress.
Does your son think it tastes bad? Even when mixed with something?
Bailey, my son has a bad gag reflex as well. We can't even get a throat culture on him anymore. He won't take meds in applesauce because he once gagged on it when we had to crush up an antibiotic in it. I don't believe Focalin adds taste to a food, but it does add texture (tiny granules). Kids are not supposed to chew or crush the granules, or it affects the time-release mechanism -- they're just supposed to swallow the little particles down whole. My son takes Focalin in chocolate pudding no problem, but he likes chocolate pudding.
Bailey,
Dont blame yourself . Kids often develop astigmatism when the body starts to change . Lots of kids who had prefect vision at younger ages tend to need glasses around 5-6th grade The eyes change when the body starts to change.
You're right -- what a day! Interesting that your son has astigmatism and is farsighted. I have the same diagnosis and have worn glasses since age 2! But I don't have ADHD. Hope the glasses make a difference. Please keep us posted on your son's progress.
I would like to hear from someone who has their child on meds. just for paying attention or focusing in school.
My son is not hyper. He just has issues with staying on task and completeing work. We have tried Adderal which was a nightmare. Has anyone had luck (no side effects) with something else?
As you well know from reading this board, meds are a trial and error process, and what works for one child may not work for another, and vice versa. Having said that, here are the ADHD med choices according to an April 2005 article in the New England Journal of Medicine:
Methylphenidate (stimulant) - short-acting Ritalin and Focalin and long-acting Concerta, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA and Focalin XR
Detroamphetamine (stimulant) - short acting Dexedrine and Adderall and long-acting Dexedrine Sansule and Adderall XR (which I know you have already tried and ruled out)
Atomoxatine (antidepressant in the SNRI family) - Strattera
Bupropion (antidepressant in the SNRI family) - Wellbutrin
In terms of our personal experience, my 12-year-old son, who has mainly inattentive ADHD, has tried Concerta (made him flat and inhibited), Adderall XR (made his tics worse), Strattera (gave him 2 full-blown migraines in 3 days) and Focalin XR, which he is currently taking on school days only. My son is doing very well on Focalin. Focalin is a refined version of Ritalin that is supposed to cause fewer side effects. The only side effect I have noticed is a slight decrease in appetite at lunchtime. My son more than makes up the calories at breakfast and dinner so I have not been concerned about this side effect. Again, however, every brain responds differently to every med.
Your ped certainly has to assess the risk to your son's heart that stimulants pose. Because my kids are sensitive to antidepressants and have mood disorders, I personally would shy away from Strattera because mood swings are one of the major side effects (but that does not mean you should shy away from Strattera). We have not had any experience with Wellbutrin so I cannot comment on that med (although again it is an antidepressant and may have a mood side effect if kids are prone to that).
One med that a psychiatrist mentioned to us a year ago when we consulted him about my son is Provigil, which is prescribed on label for sleep disorders but is beginning to be used off label for ADHD. I don't know anyone using it, but it might be something to ask your ped about. It is neither a stimulant nor an antidepressant. You might want to google it to learn more about it and see if it might be a good fit.
Good luck. This med stuff is never easy.