Question about booster doses of stimulant | ADHD Information

We use Daytrana as a booster, if needed for evening events. We apply it, then take it off an hour or two later, and DD is covered for about 4-5 hours.

We've used boosters both in the morning and afternoon at different times.

So with morning boosters, we'd give it immediately upon waking (I'd even wake her at 5:00), then take the long acting on the way out the door.

For afternoons we gave the long acting med early upon waking then the short acting when she came in form school around 3:00. Both worked well.

We used generic Ritalin 5 mg as our booster and we used it with Ritalin LA and Daytrana. I would think you'd use the same family of med meaning if you use a long acting methylphediante you should use another methyphedinate booster. If you use Adderall or Vyvanse you'd use an Adderall IR booster. I have a friend whos son who takes Adderall XR immediately upon waking and Adderall IR 10mg when he gets home from school, it works perfectly.

in asked my dr about the daytrana, but unfortunately my insurance refuses to pay for it. so unfortunately for us its not even an option. :( they will actually only cover several medicines, one is the metadate cd, adderall xr and strattera.My kids are on the patch also, but before that they took extended release meds.....  I dont know anything about boosters, but I would love to get more info also.  I work until 7 every night, and my kids are with my mother, who is getting to the point where she doesnt have the patience to deal with teenagers/ADHD.  So, most nights my 8 y/o comes home with homework that still needs to be done.  And by that time, I might as well just not even try, its awful!  Can you give booster meds that late at night without affecting their sleep?  She already has trouble going to bed at night. When we used a booster,  it was around 4 pm and a short acting Ritalin.   We keep ritalin 2.5mg. chewables around for those situations and for non-
school days when he doesn't used daytrana. It's great because it's portable
and he doesn't even need to drink with it.   They make it in other dosages
too - it's called methlyn (generic) on the label.

The daytrana patch lasts a long time so we only need a booster if there is an
evening event.   FYI - we've tried both metadate cd and ritalin la and one of
the reasons we switched to daytrana was because it got him through
homework, less rebound too.

Not trying to confuse you, but it's always good to know all the options.

The time has come that I'm going to have to add a PM booster dose of the stimulant.  My child's behavior is completely out of control when the stimulant wears off, and we cannot continue living like this.  I have two questions about it.

1. How do others time this?  I'm wondering how you do it so the 1st stimulant doesn't fully wear off, yet I also don't want to overmedicate my child and make him a zombie. 

2. Do you use the same stimulant for which you use an extended release, or do you use a different stimulant?  My child takes Metadate CD. 

Mom2ADHDboy39549.7723958333Really good questions, I am interested to find out.

My son started out on 20mg of metadate cd in the am before school but his body was metabolizing it to fast. so they added a booster dose at lunch time at school of 10mg. of the same medicine.

then he had some really toxic reactions so they cut his morning dose down to 10mg in the am and 10mg at lunch time. he's doing wonderful on it, but there are days when i can tell by 4pm its wearing off, then there are days that he's good through homework.

i would discuss it with the dr and also determine the best you can at about what time his initial dose is wearing off. then i would give it half hour before that normally happens. hope this helps.