My son is losing weight on his meds | ADHD Information

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josh is too very skinny,he just turned 10 and weighs 59lbs. josh is though lactose intolerant so we can't do whole milk. but you can ask the dr,some have dietician assoc. with them, where josh's stomach dr is the dietician gave us a bag of samples of pediasure,boost plus and calorie shakes. ensure and boost have the plus which are extra calories as does most stores have store brands which are a little cheaper.

I do the double dinner also, at the same times as Corrina. My son eats 2 "dinners" - one at about 6 and the other at about 8.

Also - talk to your doctor about the weight loss. My son had his meds
adjusted down. They aren't quite as effective - but still way better than no
meds at all - and his weight loss has tapered off.Hi all... I’m looking for some help…

My 10 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD last year and one of the major problems I'm having is that the meds he's taking are suppressing his appetite and he's losing weight. The doctor warned me that this may happen and told me to monitor his weight and add calories to his diet if needed.

My son is naturally thin and lean, he is an extremely picky eater (he doesn't even care for sweets that much) and he does not skip meals for the most part. In an effort to introduce more calories into his diet I’ve been feeding him more fried foods and carbs. While it slows and slightly prevents weight loss, it's not helping him to regain the weight he’s slowly losing over time. Plus, eating lots of deep fried food is unhealthy and it’s not a good long term solution.

One plus is that he drinks like a horse and he loves milk. At this point I'm wondering if there's some kind of supplement that can add calories to his diet in the form of a drink. Ideally, he would get the calories he needs to maintain a healthy weight and I could prepare healthier meals for him. I'm thinking about protein powder that bodybuilders use however I'm not sure how safe it is for a child or possibly a pre-made high calorie drink like Boost.

Right now, I'm just looking for ideas and any experiences that others have had dealing with this problem. I want to make sure I have a good understanding of some options available before I speak with his doctor again.


Carnation Instant Breakfast is a good option.   Putting it in whole milk will also add more calories.   Some people also add ice cream.

Protein powder should be fine.   Just double check that it's just protein and doesn't have extra stuff you don't need.    There are also meal replacement type shakes that have lots of protein & calories.   Some are lower in carbs than others.   Labrada makes a good tasting mix. 
I only buy whole milk and he loves it. He doesn't care for ice cream that much.

Aside from the protein powder, Carnation Instant Breakfast sounds like a good option if he likes the tastes of it. Taste is the big hurdle here, finding something he likes isn't easy.

The more ideas the better, SOMETHING has to work!
Carnation Instant Breakfast is really good. My 7 year old has this problem - he is 42 lbs at 7 years old. But my son loves this!

We went through this the first year of meds. My son started wearing slims. He also stayed in the same pant size for a while. Eventually his body adjusted to the meds. He did grow and gain weight but the weight wasn't keeping up to the height at first. He is now "normal" in both areas. I also think that his guanfacine helps him to eat.

We used to let him eat late at night when the meds wore off as well. Anything to get the calories into him.

We did the shakes that they sell in the fruit deparment - chocolate, banana, etc. the ones to mix with fruit as well. We used whole milk and bananas for both chocolate and vanilla, then we found banana flavored. We also did the carnation.

I also wonder if these meds alter their tastes buds?!  for a while at least?!

BETHANN39959.1117708333We also gave our 10 year old Carnation Instant Breakfast when he was losing weight but he HATES it but we made him drink, sometimes I made a milkshake out of it with ice cream.  I also made panckakes with protien powder in the mix, he never noticed. Now he just eats alot after dinner and before bed. He also eats a big breakfast and snacks and a part of a sandwich for lunch.He is still skinney.

Carnation Breakfast works with weight gain.  I may need to try that.  My son has gained 5 or 6 pounds in 2 years.  He's not underweight which is great.  He'll probably be tall and lean when he gets older.  My husband and I have been trying to get him to gain weight but we aren't going to press the issue especially since he hasn't lost any weight.  Honestly he played football last year and he went to tackle another player by the jersey and he was literally flapping in the wind behind the other player.  He's playing football this year as well and to keep his weight up he eats breakfast at home then again at school, he takes his lunch that he picks out (since lunch cost so much at school), when he comes home from school he eats a big bowl of cereal or some ramen or something like that, he goest to football pactice and when he comes home he eats a big plate of food.  And then he goes to bed. And sometimes before he goes to bed but after he has eaten dinner he'll ask for a big bowl of cereal.   Hopefully he'll gain some height and weight in the coming months.

My son had the same problem until we switched meds.  Make sure he has a good breakfast in the morning before he takes the meds.. eggs, and whatever protein you can give him. 

My sons pedi. also said to give him protein shakes, but I never found one he liked.  At night my son would want to eat, right before bed. I just saved his dinner from the night and let him eat it before bed.  I also made milkshakes with ice cream, bananas, and a little peanut butter. Just to give him the fat and protein. 

It's hard because you want your kids to eat right, but when they aren't gaining weight, you want something that has high calories.  Oh and also try those protein bars.  My son loves them. 

Good luck!

My son also lost weight when he started taking Focalin Xr. He was 7 when
he started the meds and his weight dropped about 4 pounds in 5 months.
Not that big of a deal but still. We took him off the meds for summer and he
is back up 4 pounds.   
The doc says when he starts meds again he should have a big breakfast
before taking them. He eats 2 sausage sandwiches on high fiber english
muffins. For lunch she said to pack him anything I know he likes plus a
boost shake for kids.   After school he would eat a snack and then dinner
around 6. I am hoping that this year we can keep his weight up. It is such a
worry for parents when their child starts to lose weight or their height
becomes affected. My sons doctor at the cleveland clinic did tell us that
even though his growth may be affected NOW, he will make up for it LATER.