Hi All,
DS diagnosed ADHD (very impulsive), SPD - stimulis seeking and gifted. About a year ago, we tried both families of stimulants ..negative result (aggressive physical behaviors). We have hooked up with a new clinic and after a psych evaluation, Dr is recommending TENEX 1mg.
Anyone here have experience with Tenex only. It appears that it is often used in conjunction with stimulants...but haven't seen much discussion of it as a stand alone. We are having a consultation with his primary care physician tomorrow, but would like some independent input.
Thank you in advance for any comments. FYI - I have posted this also on the Medication forum.
My son takes Tenex along with Ritalin but his doc said that some kids take Tenex by itself and it works well to calm them overall. It is a medication that has to build up in the system so it will take several weeks to get the full effect. There is also Strattera if the Tenex doesn't work...
My adHHHHd son, now 12, needs both a stimulant and 1 mg of tenex. There is NO way that just the tenex he would have a successful day.
I believe there is a mom on these boards that has done this and it worked successful, BUT, her child is not adHHHHd. Her child is more add, inattentive not hyper and impulsive.
May I ask, why no stimulant???????
Hi Bethann,
Tried simulants from both families...super aggressive response (scary). Drs. didn't want to try from anti-depressants because DS is clearly not depressed or anxious (the opposite). Dr. considers him in the 20% or so not helped by stimulants. I kind of agree... basically we are looking for something to "turn him down just a bit". School isn't an issue at this time because we homeschool and can make accommodations so that he is still very successful. He is very impulsive..and that leads to chaos in most places/locations..including at home when he isn't in school/one on one.
Thanks for the input!
We tried Tenax for my son who is very implusive and it did nothing for him. We also tried the ADHD meds and they also did nothing for him so I don't have a clue what to do next, but maybe the Tenax will work for you. Give it a try.
Marie
DS 9 PDD/NOS, OCD, Anxiety, SID, ADHD
I am sorry to read that. My son would never make it through the day without his stims. What did he try?
what we all go through with our children and their meds just to help them have a positive day, is so difficult and emotional. All we want for them is a "normal" life, just like what we wanted through the 9 months of carrying them to birth.
I wish you all the very best. I hope that things work out.
We are so very happy with tenex!!
Update:
DS primary care physician agrees that Tenex is a reasonable thing to try. So, hopefully we will be able to get the prescription today. Hopefully this helps!
Good luck and remember, it takes a little while to see results! Keep us posted!
I hope this works for him. Guanfacine (generic Tenex) has been helpful for lowering my son's impulsivity and hyperactivity. It's also helped lower his anxiety (he has Generalized Anxiety Disorder). I should say that he also takes a stimulant, and he definitely needs it.
Since you're just starting this route, you may want to try Intuniv instead of Tenex. Tenex is short-acting guanfacine, and Intuniv is 24-hour guanfacine. My child's doctor told me on Monday that the big launch of it probably is next week. My doctor is participating in pilot tests of it, so he already has the medication, but we've decided to wait until Winter Break to make the switch to it. My child's doctor said that the research studies found improved ADHD control in mornings for children taking Intuniv.
Anyway, just giving you some options to think about! I hope it works. As others said, you'll unfortunately have to wait awhile to see if it works. It takes about 3 weeks to build up to optimal level in your system, though you may see some benefits sooner than that.
Also, be patient about side effects. My child was so drowsy the first couple of days he took it, but then that went away entirely (other than no longer needing melatonin to fall asleep).
Mom2ADHDboy40123.3626273148Update:
DS started Guanfacine (generic Tenex) 1 mg Thursday. He take the pill at night before he goes to bed. Amazingly, we are seeing some improvement. We went for a hike today and instead of running ahead and yelling..he walked with us and held my hand for part of the way. He has never been a kid who would willingly hold our hands..that was such a sweet experience. Also, we went to the swimming pool for his sister's lessons..and he usually runs around (sometimes screaming and taunting us), but today he found another boy and sat and played so nicely with his Nintendo DS. He does seem a little tired and sleeping soundly at night..still up early.
I am very curious about school on Monday (we homeschool). So, for now this does seem to be providing DS with some capacity to control himself and smoothing out some of the frustrations..
I am curious about the Intuniv .. if this continues to work..we will probably investigate with his Dr.
We have had two pretty good days! Hurrah!
It's so great that you're seeing results!!! I hope it continues. Please give us an update to let us know how it's going.Update:
Not so good...DS started yesterday acting exactly like he wasn't on any medication (maybe even a little more hyper). Dr. recommended upping the dosage to 2mgs. Today, no difference.. I know that this med needs to build up in the system and we are in it for the long haul. But, the first 5 days were incredible..and now nothing. It hardly seems fair. Hoping for a miracle here..this is possibly the last type of med that he can try. Anyone else have this experience with Tenex (Guanfacine -generic)?
It may very well be that the increase in dose will do the trick. Many times their systems adjust quickly to the meds and you need to increase it to the point that the body doesn't go back to normal. I wish you the best!