BPQW,
Our sons meds had worn off about that time too. And he had terrible rebound. That's why we started the simple Focalin around 3 pm.
Our son has only gained weight since he's started it. I think for him it's because he can actually sit through an entire meal and finish it. Before he was eating barely enough to keep a bird alive. He was pretty thin to begin with, so we are pleased with the gain.
My 6yo son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. He was put on Focalin XR in November. The teachers at school could tell immediately! More focused and ready to work. Rebounding was an issue, so we raised the dose to 10mg of the extended release. I could never really tell at home. The meds seem to wear off by 3:30-4:00 each day. I also go a prescription for 2.5 mg of regular Focalin for the homework days.
I have noticed that his fits are more regular with greater intensity these days. He is impulsive and wants it to be his way all the time. He never wins, but tries the same stuff all the time. He will put his hands up to fight, but never hits or swings at an adult. As fast as he falls apart, he can come back together. You never know! He is perfect at school, and plays well with other kids. He plays soccer and basketball on local leagues. The behavior is typically a problem at home, but he is now starting to misbehave in public. Does this sound like a medication issue? I took him off at the start of Christmas break 2 days ago--problems both days. I am trying the medication today to see if that helps. Any suggestions?
My son(8) was on Focalin XR 10 then upped to 20 mg. I liked the medicine and how it worked but it only lasted about 5-6 hours. Sounds to me like it may be time to institute a behavior program like Ogram's marble system or the one in the book, Transforming the Difficult child. It has really been a life saver for us. ADHD children often need both meds and a bheaviorial modification system in place. BTW, my son is now on 20 mg of Dexedrine spansules and doing very well.
Good Luck
He may not be on the right dosage...for our son, he was up to 10mg and it was working great, but still rough nights. All of a sudden, it was like he was not on meds at all during the day - the dr. upped it to 15 mg, and he did great again. They told me if it is not the right dose, it will work for a while then won't work anymore. They said that once he gets to the proper dose it will last longer. Nights seem better for us now too - he is busy and stimulated, but not angry or aggressive.
My son is on Focalin XR 10 mg in the am and he takes a simple Focalin 5 mg about 3 in the afternoon. I noticed that he is able to follow tasks and instruction better. He can sit and eat an entire meal with the family. He can color an entire picture without having to leave 5 times.
I have also noticed that he doesn't seem as happy go lucky as he was before. He sometimes breaks down crying over simple things such as his younger brother taking a turn playing with a toy.
I am trying to figure if this is the best we can get or if we should try another dose/med.
My son takes Focalin XR with no real side affects. He's a little argumentative in the pm, but then, he always was. We always do at least one med-free day on the weekend. He's been taking it for about four months now and has lost and regained back to his starting weight. I'm a little worried about that, although I have no idea what normal childhood weight gain is, since my older son reached adult size pretty young. He takes 10 mg of the XR with no rebound, although it seems to have worn off by 4 pm.