From Ritalin LA to Adderall XR
And just to give the doc a fair shake, she didn't actually try to predict whether Adderall XR would cause more or less side effects/will or won't work. She just said she had had good luck using this med with kids and has seen many cases where it has had fewer side effects.
I do have to call her back tomorrow to ask about our previous schedule of an afternoon short-acting Ritalin when the LA wears off. Completely forgot to ask about it today in all the confusion over which med did what! I'm assuming we can't use Ritalin and Adderall one after the other like that.
Focalin XR is available in 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg. But the capsules open and the contents can be sprinkled in food so you can get a 15 mg dose (my son has taken 10 mg and 15 mg). You should know, however, that you take half the amount of Ritalin LA so if your son was on 20 mg Ritalin LA, he would take 10 mg Focalin XR. If he's on 15 mg Ritalin LA, he would take 7.5 mg Focalin XR, which would mean he would take one 5 mg capsule and half of a second 5 mg capsule.
You cannot take Adderall XR followed by short-acting Ritalin, BUT there is a short-acting Adderall. There is also short-acting Focalin. Before my 12-year-old son's bipolar dx, he was taking 15 mg Focalin XR in the morning before school and 5 mg short-acting Focalin after school for homework. We've cut his dose down in the hopes of not activating him while his mood stabilizer kicks in (takes up to 8 weeks).
What side effects did your son experience on Ritalin LA?
Good luck with the Adderal. We did NOT have a good experience with it.
My son was 7 and on 10mg of Adderal XR. He had zero appetite, couldn't sleep, had horrible mood swings, and headaches that made him throw-up.
Also, it did not last for 8 hours. Six at the most.
I posted this under medications, but there's nothing like hearing from other parents ... any thoughts?
Okay, I've talked to the doctors and the pharmacists, now I need some real-life experiences ....
My son will probably be switching from Ritalin LA 20 mg. to Adderall XR 15 mg. We are trying to reduce his overall dose of stimulants, but Ritalin LA doesn't come in 15 mg. Doc recommends the XR, saying the dosing is equivalent. She also says her experience is that it carries fewer side effects.
So, can we really switch right from one to the other?
How long does the XR usually last? (doc said same as Rit LA)
Side effects?
Thanks!
Sheila
Yes, you can really switch from one to another. I'm not sure why the doc says one carries fewer side effects than another because each child is different and reacts differently to meds. In my experience, there is NO predicting what will and won't work. And yes, LA is the same as XR (approximately 8 hours). Concerta is the only one that lasts 10 to 12 hours.
BTW, if you like Ritalin LA, you could switch over to Focalin XR, which is a refined version of Ritalin that is supposed to cause fewer side effects.
HTH.
weird....I posted a reply under this topic earlier, but it's not showing up....In a nutshell, from what I remember posting:
Adderall typically has a longer half life than ritalin; therefore, it lasts longer than ritalin. Adderall XR is supposed to last 10-12 hrs.
Adderall is also a "stronger" drug than ritalin, so if your son's ideal dose of ritalin was 15mg, then he should not jump immediately to 15mg of adderall, because this could very well be too much medication. (Some studies have estimated that adderall is twice as 'potent' as ritalin, so 10mg adderall = 20mg ritalin).
Side effects vary from person to person. I take adderall and adderall xr and am fortunate to say that I don't suffer from any side effects. Others have complained of loss of appetite, and moodiness, amongst others. Good luck! (sorry if I repeated posts' info)
Hi everyone -- thanks for all the info. We tried Adderall XR this morning and let me tell you, it is NOT for us.In DS's words, it felt "gross" about an hour after he took it. He got pale, shaky, nauseated, sweaty, headache, dizzy .... bad news. He is home today and a little better now. Hoping the 2nd half releasing doesn't make him feel worse again. What a nightmare.
Call into the doc now. I think it will either be backing down to 10 mg Ritalin LA or try the Focalin XR.
His side effects on Ritalin LA (at 20 mg but not at 10 mg) were a "down" time after the dose each morning. Sad, slow, unhappy. Didn't last long, but it was too long for us.
At 10 mg, I thought his ADHD was much better, and fine for home, but we were getting school reports that led to the increase. At this point I think they'll have to deal with him at a lower level of meds!
Maybe if he gets out of control at school they'll make more accomodations!
Can you tell I'm frustrated by this whole thing?!? I just felt so awful when he got so sick this morning.
Wish us luck!
Tilly, my daugher has been on Adderall XR for 2 years. Initially, she was bothered with some drowsiness and headaches which went away after she adjusted to being on it, but reappear briefly each time that her dose is increased. Basically, her main side effect has been a lack of appetite, and we still struggle with this. The medication lasts her about 8 hours.
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