How quickly did you climb to 15 mg? If you raised to 15 mg too quickly, that could be increasing the side effects. When trying his first stimulant, my child was supposed to stay at each dose of Focalin XR (5, then 10, then 15, etc.) for 1-2 weeks (I forget the exact timeframe) so his body could adjust. We're actually going through this now. He recently switched to Metadate CD, and we're having to climb slower than the dr. originally anticipated due to seeing more appetite suppression on Metadate CD than we saw on an equivalent dose of Focalin XR. So, we're supposed to stay at each dose longer to help his body adjust. This approach is working, and appetite suppression is decreasing.
It's possible the appetite suppression always will be there for your chlid. Do you give the Focalin XR after breakfast? Can you juggle dinnertime to be after the med. wears off? The dr. tells me that it's total calories that count, not when you eat them.
My son has been taking Focalin XR for 4 days now without a lot of side effects. The medication is lasting for about 8-9 hours but while he has the medicine in his system he is eating almost NOTHING!!! He is eating at night but still not a whole lot. Is this a side effect that may get better with time? He is 13 years old and 5'2 yet only 90 lbs. so this is a huge concern for me. Right now he takes 15 mg. of Focalin in the morning and 25 mg. of Straterra at night. This seems like a weird combination to me but his Dr. says he wants to try these 2 meds at low doses because we have had so much trouble with negative side effects.Yes, this is a side effect of the med. For my son, he didn't go away completely but it did get better after a few months. He lost weight at first, then was the same weight for a few months now he has gained a pound here and there. He was only 36lbs. (almost 6 yo) to begin with. He also has trouble falling asleep at night so the dr. prescribed trazodone. One of the effects of this medicine is that it makes him hungry and then tired. He takes the trazodone around 7 p.m., starts eating about 8 p.m. and then falls alseep about 8:45 or so. He eats most of his calories in the evening. Lunch is almost non-existant. We make lots of high calorie shakes in the afternoon with ice cream, half and half, and carnation instant breakfast. He says eating is boring and he doesn't sit at the table well so a shake is perfect for on the go. Hope this helps and welcome!You should REALLY look into the daytrana patch. the daytrana patch is a mph (just like focalin xr) but the medication goes directly into your bloodstream and bypasses your first pass system (gi) so the side effect profile on daytrana is very low. ESPECIALLY decreased appetite! I do a lot of research on adhd medications and the reason the doctor most likely started on focalin xr b/c it is targeted to have lower side effects which just isn't the case. I think this may be a great option for you so you may want to look into it! Hope this helps!