My son has been put on Focalin 2.5 mg and we had him on it for about 2 weeks.  We felt it was working as far as he wasn't as hyper or wild.  He still couldn't complete a task but not because he was hyper, more because he was emotional.  He did cry a bit more when he was on the meds.  More so about stupid things that wouldn't have bother him to that extend otherwise.  My question is, I know alot of you out there have your child on meds along with tenex.  What is tenex and does it help with this sort of situation. I really like the focalin because it didn't supress his appetite and it didn't make him nauseous.  It was a good fit other than the crying stuff.  (I will also add that when he stayed with my SIL for 4 days she said she had NO problems with him at all with the crying, it had just started when he got home)

He hasnt' been on it for a few weeks now and school is about to start here again.  Any advice about what you think about tenex would be great.

My situation was a lot like yours.  The Ritalin helped tremendously with the hyper/impulse problems but made him somewhat emotional.  I guess would call it more "anxious" really.  It also aggravated his sensory processing problems. So he started Tenex along with the Ritalin and it did the trick.  It calmed all of those issues.

Tenex (my son takes the generic-guanfacine) is actually a high blood pressure medication for adults but it's also regularly prescribed to ADHD kids because it has a calming effect.  It helps a lot of kids if they have trouble sleeping on the stimulants.  It also helps in the evenings when the stims wear off. 

Oh and just fyi, usually you have to see a psychiatrist or a neuropsychologist to get this type of medication.  Pediatricians sometimes uncomfortable using it because technically it's "off label"

It has worked VERY well for my son and it may be exactly what you need. Good luck!

Due to my son's impulsiveness as well has hyperactivity, he needs both a stimulant AND tenex.

I remember a while back reading of a mother that did what you are doing, just the tenex and had success. I wish you the same!!

Well npritikin I'm sorry to hear that!  I have heard several others say that their kids get very tired/sleepy on Tenex.  Did your doctor recommend taking her off or did you do it based on her reaction?  I'm just wondering because I'm curious if the drowsiness is one of those side effects that my go away after a few weeks. I know thatn Tenex doesn't act like the stimulants.  It take a while to build up in your system to get the full effect.  Anyway, hope you find something that works for you!

MominKC, I think this is the main side effect-drowsiness.  My son had anxiety as well and the Ritalin made it worse even though it helped a lot with his hyperness/impulsiveness.  We added the Tenex so we could raise the Ritalin level to where it needs to be. It has a calming effect on him and helps the anxiety.  It's worked very well so far...Good luck!

MominKC,

I find for my HHHH and im pulsive boy it works like a charm. He has had no side effects in 5 years.

npritikin,

Sorry to read your post.

We take it in addition to a stimulant. My son would NEVER work alone with tenex. He is very ADHD. Together with his concerta and at the right dose with the help of his doctor, he is where he needs to be.

We have been on this combo for 5 years. We have been working with our doctor and upping his concerta as needed and doing just fine.

I hope you get where we are. Hang in there and keep trying!!

npritikin, did you start out giving it 2x per day?  If so, perhaps it was too much for her system to adjust to that much medicine, and maybe a slower adjustment would have gone better?  My child's dr. had him do PM dose (1/2 mg) for 1 week, then we added the AM dose (1/2 mg), then we increased the PM dose to 1 mg, etc.  He was drowsy for the first couple of days.  He went to sleep the first time we gave him the PM dose about an hour later, which was way before bedtime.  However, that lasted only a couple of days (and we started it on the weekend, so it wasn't a big deal that he was tired).  When we added the AM dose, he was a little tired, but not much.

Wishful thinking here that it's still an option for your child and just a slower intro. to it is needed!  If not, I hope you figure out something else that works.