My child's dr. has recommended that he start combining guanfacine w/ a stimulant med. to control the impulsivity we're now seeing. I've been doing some reading about this med., and I don't see any long-term studies on it. I'm also concerned that it's only approved for kids 12+. I know that means they just haven't tested it enough on younger kids, and I know the pharmaceutical co. is now working on a once-a-day version for ADHD for kids 6+, so they're doing some research on this.
Still, I'm concerned about the lack of long-term evidence of safety at any age, and the lack of short- or long-term evidence for <12 years old (my ds is 7). Has anyone's child been taking this med. for a long time?
Shire should get approval of the long acting form later this year. They completed the phase III studies last year and have submitted the data to the FDA for evaluation. If approved it will be because the data supports safety and efficacy in the usual 6-12 year old group for ADHD. They have also started new studies on ADHD plus ODD. Like most meds, long term studies are not done prior to market, and are part of the Phase IV post market monitoring. The med is approved for high blood pressure treatment in adults, so has been shown to be safe and effective in adults. I hope this clarifies where the data stands to date.
vickie39214.3399074074Hey there Mom2ADHDboy,Clonidine is a drug similar to Tenex (guanfacine) and I think it has been
around for longer. One difference between the two is that Tenex has less
side-effects. If you would like to learn about some of the long-term
effects, looking into Clonidine might help because they are so similar.
Clonidine and guanfacine are both beta blockers. They are most commonly used to treat high blood pressure. However ,they also are used to relieve angina, to treat irregular heartbeat, to treat anxiety, tremors and vascular headaches[migraines] They have been approved to treat children with any of these conditions. As far as I know, no major studies have been done on long term effects. But the beta blocker is one of the first 'heart drugs' ever manufactured. So there is a well documented history of effects on humans.
Clonidine is the 'dirtier' of the 2 meds as dosages contantly ned to be increased and the withdrawal symptoms can be nasty.
A warning to those whose older children[ or adult adhders] may experiment with pot or alcohol. Both are a big no no while taking either of these meds. It could cause a rapid [and dangerous] drop in blood pressure.