My son has been on Focalin 10 mg 3 times a day for 2 1/2 years (not the XR). We had to add Adderal XR 30 mg to the mix to help with his hyperness. He is very maticulous with his school work and just couldn't sit still long enough to finish it.
We have since added Risperidol 1st thing in the morning and then again before bed, to help with his appetite and sleeping.
It takes some time to find the best medicine(s) to help your child! GOOD LUCK!
Brandi
My son is 5, diagnosed with ADHD and we started him on 5mg of Focalin XR a week and a half ago.
His rebound has been bad - but now that I have talked him through a few of them, I think that he felt funny and it scared him, causing him to kind of freak out.
At school, they have noticed that he is more attentive, but his body is more hyper. Like he can't keep his body still, but he is focusing on what the teacher is saying?
We tried mvoing him up to 7.5 mg, and it seemed like the hyperness got worse, so I moved him back to 5mg. Of course, we only see him in the morning and at night during the week, so it is hard to tell whether it is helping or not.
He also seems worse in the afternoon than morning, so is it possible that it is wearing off too soon? The dr. didn't seem to give much guidance on how you know and we dont' go back till 11/9.
Any thoughts?
How is your son doing now?
My son is 6 and we had him on 5 mg of Focalin XR for a week and a half. Some improvement - not a ton. He was having rebound, no other side effects. We moved him from 5 to 10 mg started yesterday = PERFECT DAY....hope it lasts, no rebound last night. I do not know anyone in my area or circle of friends that have ever used Focalin so I am curious to how other kids are doing on it
""We tried moving him up to 7.5 mg, and it seemed like the hyperness got worse,""
This makes me wonder if he indeed has adhd. You may want to consider getting him tested for being gifted. (I have a gifted child and one that is adhd)Gifted children tend to have the same attention problems etc... in the classroom, and this sounds like the reaction to the stimulant on someone who isn't adhd. Remember, those who do not have adhd have actually used ritalin etc. as a recreational drug, but those with adhd don't because it does not affect them the same way.If not, I would clearly take him off, could be dangerous.
Call the doctor about your concerns about the hyperness. The afternoon issue may be rebound as the med wears off.
Focalin is a more"pure" form of methylphenidate than concerta or ritalin and has more noticeable effects on mental activities than on motor function (works on focus before it helps hyperactivity) It should not cause hyperactivity but can cause restlessness early on in treatment:
HTH
Luvmykids0240543.3804398148My 4 yr old son is on Foclain XR 10 mg in the morning. We sprinkle it over a spoonful of applesauce. Then in the afternoon to help with the really bad rebound and bedtime troubles, we have added a 5mg dose of the simple Focalin.
He does not have the hyper activity anymore and the rebound has almost stopped. Make sure to give your child time to adjust to the meds. The first week we had Tyler on the XR, he seemed a bit spacey and I was ready to stop it immediately. But, after about 5 days, he was super. It's all about trial and error. Don't be afraid to voice your concerns or opinions. You know him best.
HisWife39084.4117476852My son has been taking Focalin XR now for 13 days. He has had little focus and of course loss of appetite, constipation, and now sleepless nights. When he is on the medicine he is very down and doesn't get up and play to much. About halfway through the day he complains with his stomach. Then he rolls around for hours in the bed until about 2:00a.m. We had him on Adderall XR for about 5 days and he had emotional problems.