chasesmom79 has chase on this and has had success:
http://www.adhdnews.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23985& KW=chasesmom79
No side effects at all...and he is hungrier on it for sure. It is only something cash price, and it is only an antihistamine like zyrtec or claritin...just a little sedating, so it helped Chase sleep. After 3 days or so, he was eating more normally, but he takes 4mg in the AM and 4mg in the PM. The only information I found on Periactin was the fact that it's an antihistimine (cyproheptadine) Although stated that it's used for other purposes, I have yet to see it being prescribed to anyone with ADD/ADHD ... curious though, have you spoken to your Doctor about the reason he's changed the medication??The periactin is being used in addition to the focalin xr 20mg
The periactin is just a med to stimulate the appetite, and when I researched it for a couple weeks last Fall, I found a website for the American Academy of Pediatrics(it was in San Diego, I think...) that recommended that pediatricians prescribe this med to "counteract the appetite suppression that is common with ADHD stimulant medications". When I called my pediatrician's office to inquire about giving the med to Chase, the nurse looked it up and said that it is also given to anorexic patients and the elderly when their appetite is suffering. You have to figure it is relatively safe if it is given to anorexic patients, whose immune systems have to be severly compromised.
It is also an over the counter antihistamine in Canada, just like Benadryl....
Wow- that is interesting that it is over the counter in Canada- temps me a little bit. I had asked my ds's pediatrician about periactin and she said it's use for weight issues was very controversial. My son was with me at the time, so I didn't ask her what the controversy was about. When I asked her about guanfacine, she said she hadn't heard of using it for adhd and she would have to study up on it. I am starting to get annoyed feeling that I know more than the pediatrician.
Bubbles
Does Chase still take it? I've heard that you can grow tollerant to it's effects, have you found that to be true? Thanks so much for the info.
Bubbles
I know what you mean, I love my pedi a lot, he has been great but I know more about the newer ADHD meds and adjunct meds than he does. That is why we got an apt with a psych next month. See how it goes. We did have periactin prescribed, just have been extremely busy with sick kids and with the cost of all the other meds that was one we had to wait on. We have the same co-pay no matter what med. Good for the pricey ones but bad when you get several at one time. I am going to go pick the periactin up this week though and start that. Poor Ty looks like a little skeleton.
I would like to know what the controversy is though, I have never heard it.
None of our pedi docs knew anything about the guanfacine