Just a little update on how my son is doing. We have been giving him Metadate CD since last Wednesday. It seems like I noticed the most difference in him on the first day. He seemed more calm, not so upset, more easy-going. The rest of the week seems only somewhat better when he is taking the medication. The first day he didn't eat as much as he usuall does, which was expected. The other days he's eating somewhat normally. And now I've noticed he is staying awake later and later after we tuck him in. Last night he was awake until 11 p.m. We'll see how late he falls asleep tonight.
Now I'm thinking if he's acting almost the same as without the medication, why bother taking the medication. I do see some positives, but not enough to say this medicine is like night and day with him. Am I expecting too much? Does he need to be taking it longer to see better results? Do I discuss this with the doctor or wait longer? Thanks.
What you are seeing is normal during the process of finding the right dose. These meds need to be tritrated up to the effective dose that does not lose effectiveness, yet still has few side effects. Docs usually have a schedule they like to use for this process. It allows the body to adjust to the med at each increasing dose and reduces or eliminates side effects. If the appointment is more than 2 weeks from the start of meds, I would call the doc and report the progress so the doc can decide if he wants to increase the dose yet.
Also ask if you can give melatonin a try to help with the sleep issues.
I would also call if he is staying up that late. Sleep issues and lack of appetite are the number one side effects to the stimulant meds. Obviously your 5 year old shouldnt be awake until 11:00 at night. The doctor may change the dose to address symptom relief and add something for sleep, or try something different. Every medication is different. Even if the drug itself is the same each delivery system is metabolized differently and one may cause a side effect that you dont see with another. It is very frustrating deciding what works, but you'll know when something is working. The whole battle is the balance of managing symptom relief and little/no side effects. As Vickie states quite often you may need to treat the side effects if symptoms are relieved. IT is quite common to treat sleep/appetite issues with something else.we have never used Metadate (one of the few we never used), but have been using meds for almost 4 years. We've used ones you can sprinkle, learned to take pills, done most of it! Good luck. I can understand you are nervous, but most children do VERY well on meds with minimal side effects. Always remember your goal is symptom relief with little/no side effects. Most side effects (if any) will subside after a few days.
Keep us informed!
My 8 year old son was taking Metadate CD 10mg during school. It makes him very calm, he complains of being tired all day, and suppresses his appetite. It can be sprinked we used ice cream.
We have taking him off for the summer. He bouncing around full of energy and I think he has gained a few pounds. We're going to try some herbal alternatives next week to see if something else helps without the appetite suppression.
My 5 year old son was diagnosed with adhd last summer. We have finally decided to try medication and we were given a prescription for Metadate CD. We will start tomorrow. Our doctor said we can break open the capsule and sprinkle it on a spoon of yogurt or applesauce. Does anyone else use this medication? Anyone want to share their experiences with it? I am very nervous to even try medication with him because of all the side effects I hear about, but I am also anxious to see how it works for him. Thanks.