My daughter initially lost weight when we started stimulants. She leveled off and then started gaining weight again. Her weight and height are proportional and in the average range, so we aren't concerned.
We also had a growth spurt over the summer. I think much of it was hormones as we didn't stop med's over the summer. I also think my daughter eats better when she isn't in school. We have more flexibility to feed her when she is hungry and not a schedule that doesn't work for her.
My son didn't lose on Focalin, but it was over a year before he gained and I'm pretty sure that was the result of playing football and eating incedible amounts of food after practice- but it was 4 pounds (plus 1.5 inch in height) in a month, so I'm not complaining.
You also have to take into account her weight when she started. If she was at a healthy weight or slightly above average (or even a little below) then there's really no need to worry. I think doctors only tend to worry if the child is on the small side to begin with. My nephew, who was always in the very lowest end of the growth charts to begin with, lost 6 pound in 2 weeks on one of the meds he tried- obviously that was problematic.
And they do eventually start eating again. With my son it happened very gradually, somewhere between month 3 and 4 on the meds.
Our daughter was naturally thin to begin with, and began taking Adderall XR when she was 6 years old. She is now 10. It supressed her appetite for the first couple of years, and we worried about it. We tried giving her vitamins, ensure, boost, etc. Our doctor finally told her to eat ice cream every day! She took him literally. So, for the past couple of years she has followed through. Her appetite really began to kick in during this past summer. She has finally gained a few pounds, and looks healthier.
The Adderall has never seemed to prevent her from growing taller. In the past, she has seemed to stay at the same weight as she grew.
She is currently taking 10mg of Focalin XR in the morning and 5mg regular Focalin in the afternoon. It's the only drug we've tried. During the day at school I'm told she is doing great. However the evening hours is what we're still having some trouble with.My 6 year old daughter has been on ADHD medication for October and has barely any appetite and has lost weight. I'm very concerned but her doctor is not yet. Is this a side affect that will wear off and she'll eventually get her appetite back or should we consider changing meds?Both.
This side effect can get better with time. Others end up switching meds. It's all about the benefits outweighing the side effects. Most people try to get a good breakfast in and a solid/high calorie dinner. Lunch is usually not good for most kids while on stimulants. This is a common side effect on all stimulants.
We found with time the weight loss stopped but then the weight stayed the same. Because the youngest is so thin, we moved to focalin which does not cause weight loss in some kids (my youngest included). Regardless, with a med break during the summer, she gained 12 pounds, 5 inches and looks like a young lady rather than a little girl. Not sure how much was the stimulant break or the hormones at this age.
Give it a liitle time and see if it gets better as Diane has suggested. If it continues there are options.
My dd who is 8 starting taking meds a year ago November. She went from 46 lbs to 39 lbs! We give her med breaks on the weekends now. She has finally gained a few pounds & is currently up to 43 lbs. She is still very tiny. Her pediatrician just gave us a referral for a nutritionist that we will go see after the first of the year. Hopefully we can get some more weight on her. She is below where she should be.We are currently on our 4th med. Adderal suppressed his appetide the most, modifinal caused a 35 pound weight gain in 6 months. Currently we are on vyvanse and have had a steady increase in weight and growth (8lbs anhd 1.5 inches) since we started in August. I really am not sure if it is the change in meds or just puberty or the combination.
I have lots of food availale for my son and he eats as the mood hits him along with meals. He is a super picky eater that has started adding new foods to his list. He just started adding dairy to his diet. I still suplemnt his diet with a good multivitamin, calcuim and fish oil for the Omega 3s. It seems to be helping
During his elementary days he lived on pretzals and peanut butter for lunch. I always had a cookie in there to keep up the blood sugar. It also help prevent that afternoon crabbiness.