Focaliln XR 10 mg ramp up? | ADHD Information

My son has been taking focalin xr since april/may of 06. We saw instant results. Im very satisfied. I uped it from 10mg to 15 mg last week. I went in for his appt. today with the dev. ped. and told her im putting it back to 10 mg and giving him a magnesium/vit b supplement for after school. The 15 was too much. It took longer to kick in, he turned into a zombie and his rebound was horrible! It lasted through till morning even! I didnt actually speak to the dr, our appt. apparently at 10:45 and I thought it was 1pm...I said "I would never make him an appt. that early, hes in school"-whatever. The dr happen to be in the hallway and I handed her the papers she had requested from his teacher and the info on the magnesium. I had written a note since the receptionist said I couldnt see her. Its all good, at least I didnt have to pay the gd co-pay

I also said that if she had a problem with my note she could call me at home. My intent with the meds is to HELP him at school and ease my frustration with him at home...not to squash his charm and happy attitude. His teacher even commented today on how somber and quiet he was in class. I dont like that.

What about giving a multivitamin with vitamin C in it? Will that mess it up? I started giving him his vitamin at night, just in case. This is my first post. My 5 yr old son was just diagnosed with ADHD (he's hyperactive-impulsive with behavior issues at school and at home) and has been put on Focalin XR 10mg in the morning. The first day he seemed "drugged" for about 3 hours, complained of being tired,etc. Then around noon he went through a period of irritability, then it seemed to wear off. The second day we sent him to school and he came home with a great report (unusual for him) and the teacher said she saw an amazing difference in him. It seemed to have pretty much worn off by the time he got home, although he was much more pleasant last night than usual (following directions, not fighting with his siblings-but still very active). Today is day 3, and I noticed he seemed a little "out of it" this morning but he went in to class and sat right at his desk (instead of wandering around the classroom disrupting everyone and having to be TOLD over and over again to go sit down) and started coloring. His teacher is very good with him and is good at communicting with me-she is going to let me know how he seems on the meds. I am concerned about him losing his "personality" and being doped up all the time. Does it seem like there is an adjsutment period. We are not so far having any sleep issues or loss of appetite (maybe a little, but he is still eating OK) and he seems to be doing better at school and follows directions better. I would say it seems to be working pretty well, other than him seeming so tired when it takes effect in the morning. I was just curious what others have seen with this drug and what I can expect? And advice is appreciated!Daffodil, You have a very interesting theory.  What brand of protein bars are you using?  I think I could get my son to eat a few bites....the whole thing would be too much.  I got the Power Bar Protein Plus Reduced Sugar bars. I only give about 1/3 the bar at a time. I think it helps.  They taste good, anyway, and if they are going to have a snack, better something with protein and vitamins, especially since they aren't that hungry with the meds. [QUOTE=dmid]

We saw immediate increased focus - but also increased hyperactivity.  [/QUOTE]

This is interesting, because I think we also saw increased hyperactivity, or at least no decrease in it, while at the same time some improvement in his ability to concentrate.  As a result, his teacher reported that his work product improved greatly, but that he was still constantly raising his hand in class and moving around.

My ped. said that for AdderallXR protein is VERY important! When my son was on it I gave him all kinds of non-breakfast proteins for breakfast. IE grilled chicken strips, fried bologna, ham, bacon....cheese sticks or cheese toast. Don't forget, NO citrus.

We saw immediate increased focus - but also increased hyperactivity.  I think that it took him about a week and a half to really adjust to the meds and for us to see the hyperactivity slow down.  A week ago we upped his meds to 7.5mg and he had 3 terrific, almost perfect, days at school.  Now yesterday was not as good - more moving around during group time, etc. so we may be looking at a move to 10 mg eventually.

Our first week and a half were ROUGH at night - but  it seems like his body is now used to the stimulant and he is doing much better.

 

My 10-yr old son started Adderall XR 10mg last week, and it was somewhat helpful, but not totally. The Dr. said I could give 2 capsules if 10 mg. was not enough. I was afraid to give that much more, so I opened a capsule and gave 1/2 along with the 10mg for a total of 15 mg, but that seemed too much for him, he seemed tired and complained of feeling weak. So I went back to just 10 mg, hoping that after a couple of days it would do better for him, but he seemed to have better days and worse days. His memory in particular was terrible, and he had tests to study for. Then one afternoon I gave him a piece of a protein bar and a grapeseed extract capsule, and he had a great study time! His memory really seemed to improve. So yesterday morning before school I gave him another piece of protein bar and another grapeseed capsule, and he said he had a great day at school, the best day ever, and the 10 mg Adderall was enough. So I don't know if it was the added protein, the grapeseed extract, or just a coincidence. I tend to think it was the protein, unless it really just takes several days to get the full effect of a new med. I just don't know, but it can't hurt to eat a lot of protein or take some bites of a protein bar or have a protein shake. Maybe the stimulants can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters, but you have to have the basic building blocks in place to make them, which is protein. Just guessing.

My 8 year old son is on day 7 of 10 mg of Focalin XR.  My husband and I have seen only slight improvement in our son.  But, his teacher says he's doing better concentrating on his work at school.  We have a follow up next Tuesday and I'll let you know whether our son's dosage is upped.

Just started taking Focalin xr.  two days of 5mg did not seem to do anything and just started 10mg on day three and still dont see much of a dif today.  Is there a ramp up period?  How long do I need to take it before it starts working (or before I need to go back to the DR for something new?

Our DS started on 5mg, nothing happenned. On 10mg, he was better, then he went on 10mg, once in am, once at noon, that did it. Dr did recommend increasing it to 15mg in am and 10 in the evening, I said no, I thought it was too much.  The meds help but behavior mod is a must with it.Our doctor - and the Focalin web site - said we'd see immediate changes.  And we did.  Within an hour, my dd was noticably more focused. Some of the drugs take 2 weeks to see a change, but Focalin isn't one of them. We were told to wait 5-7 days on a dosage before increasing.