Just found the board and there is a lot of excellent information here =)
Our son will get a dx of ADHD on Thursday when we go back to see his Ped after turning in the needed paperwork from his teacher and us. I did research to find the grading scale for the information and he is definately going to get the dx which we have known for a while now....He has the hyperactivity (impulsive) - not a big problem but there and the focusing/concentration issues.
We have asked for a extended release medication since he will turn 7 on Friday and we are new to all this and want to try something that will last hopefully 12 hours. I have researched this medication but one thing I have not found is WHEN is the best time for a child to take this medication in the morning to give the longest effect? We have the insurance with 3 tiers also and have to begin with Adderall or Adderall XR OR Metadate CR or ER. They want the patient to have tried one of these medications before moving on to something like Concerta or Ritalin etc....
We get him up at 730 and he gets on the bus at 830 for school to begin at 845. I have read that this medication (Adderall XR) has a incline and then "drop off". He is up 730 and bedtime is 830...
ANY information would be helpful. We will receive one of the above medications and she expressed that it would be a time release since it is his first try.
Well, i'm not sure if this will help, but i take adderal XR (10mg) twice a day. I take the first one in the morning when I get up. Usually around 7:30 or 8. Depends on when my 4 month old girl gets up. (Wifes works during the day and I work until 12 midnight.) On an empty stomach it starts to kick in (for me) in about an hour, or sooner if I drink a warm beverage. (decaff coffee) On a full stomach it takes about 1 hour 45 minutes before I start to benefit from it. I'm not 100% sure if body weight (150 here) has anything to do with it. I've read different things on the subject and i haven't been able to draw any conclusions one way or the other. I always forget to ask my doctor when I go. Everyone is different and will react differently. If he's getting up at 7:30 it might be a good idea for him to take it right before he eats. It just may work for him while he is at school and start to taper off shortly before or after he gets home. I find that one dose (before 8 am) will last until 2:00-2:30 for me. I don't go into work until 3:30 so that's when I take the other. Again, this is my .02 cents. I've been taking meds off and on for the last 25 years. I was dx'd when I was 5. (1980) seems so long ago. lol... In any event I hope this helps some. Also, it might be a good idea to maybe have him do it on saturday morning. That way you can gauge exactly how long and what affects he might have. A test run of sorts, close to or at home. Aderall is pretty strong stuff. Good LuckIn general, Adderall XR lasts about 12 hours. Of course, you will speak to the doctor to get good info about how to take it.My daughter and I both take Adderall XR. I give hers to her at about 7:30 of mornings, as she catches the bus for school at 8. It does not seem to make a difference with her as to whether she takes it after eating or on an empty stomach. I usually take my dose at the same time, simply for the convenience of remembering. Her dose wears off between 4 and 5 pm, but she has always had a very fast metabolic rate. Mine usually lasts until around 6 pm.
As John mentioned, it can cause some emotional sensitivity and moodiness. It did when my daughter first began taking it. She was also very lethargic and zombie-like for several days. She also experienced a few headaches at that time. As I remember, most of her side effects ended after about a week. The only side effect that I had at the beginning was jaw stiffness and grinding my teeth. I hung in there, and thankfully, it went away after about a month.
Well your son is fortunate to have parents so caring and willing to get informed for his sake! Good for you and keep it up!
I like the advice given to you so far and agree... have your son try his meds first on the weekend. Do ask your doctor to describe to you and your son what he might expect to feel (physical things like his heart beating faster perhaps for a little while, etc..). I take one 20 mg. Adderall xr around 7 a.m. every morning, another when the fist one starts wearing off 6 hours later. (I think the "12 hour" effect claimed for Adderall is exaggerated).
I found that the xr is much smoother "kicking in" than the regular release. I expect though, for the first week or two, your son will definately feel it kicking in, which is why trying it first on the weekend is a good idea.
Be watchful for emotional changes in your son...apparently not common but this medication made me quite sensitive emotionally, and I'm 50 years old! So you might see some modiness in your son at first. Give him big hugs. Let us know how it goes...
Thank you all so much for your information
We go in on Thursday morning. I don't know which medication she will be starting with but I was planning on beginning the medication on Saturday morning first thing before breakfast. I have read it is better 1 hour before a meal and also 2 hours after a meal. Well before a meal I would have to literally get him up at 6:30 and he is starving when he gets up so that would be difficult to accomplish the goal in itself. I have researched so much about ADHD and also the medications that go along with it but you can't quite get a grasp of 'personal' feeling when it is documentation instead of seeing what others have experienced. I have read all the side effects that are possible just about everything you can get your hands on and was so happy to find this message board....
He is great when he gets up and gets on the bus...Overall he is hyper - as in his "motor is constantly going" - and that happens both here at home and at school. He is not a disipline problem at school but here at home he gets 'bored easily' and that makes the situations much harder to deal with. He is a great sleeper also and always has been so that we are thankful for. At school his 'focus/concentration' is there but not to the degree it should be. He had a very inattentive teacher last year we tried to work with desperately but she just wasn't as willing of a teacher as she should have been to give her time. We contemplated holding him back and having him repeat the 1st grade but after discussing it with his teacher (which was just no help at all to us) and the principle and I called the school psychologist we decided against it but left the door open for a possible change at the end of the first 3 weeks of school (we do 9 week sessions here) and when we came to the end of that session we requested to have a meeting with is teacher. She was wonderful!! She showed us his strength's and weaknesses and where he 'should be' in the 2nd grade compared to just where he is. His concentration level is what has caused some of this along with what we feel was a non productive year last year and the principle is very aware of how we feel about that. She said she has about 4 students in her class that she can already see it will be a 'struggle' for them to progress through the year ahead. We made our decision that night that we were going into see the principle and have him moved back into the 1st grade. He has always been the youngest in his class so he will also be with children his age as well as education level although he has many strengths he will be able to further gain strength in those areas...and pick up what he didn't gain last year.
I am excited about the new beginning for him as well as for us. Thank you all for your comments I greatly appreciate them....