Focalin...our Christmas miracle!
After months of soul searching, diet modifications, researching the internet, reading every book I could get my hands on, and countless hours reading posts on this board, we decided (with the support and encouragement of a wonderful, experienced nurse practitioner) to put our almost six yr. old son Kendal, (diagnosed pdd nos and adhd), on Focalin XR. First attempt was the morning before Christmas and it was a disaster!!! He spit the focalin sprinkles in applesauce out all over the place, and refused to try again. So I called the pharmacist and he said to try it in a tiny bit of chocolate ice cream. Again...disaster, this time he gagged and choked and screamed that it felt like meteors were attacking his mouth (his sensory issues). So, two 5 mg. pills gone and me in tears and my husband saying he refuses to put him through this anymore...hence, a big arguement ensued. Christmas morning we try again, but this time make a big game out of it, letting him select which capsule he wanted, hiding the sprinkles inside a dab of ice cream on top and bottom, and holding a few unopened Christmas gifts as hostage. To our surprise, he takes it with no problems, and within hours we can see a difference! There was no impulsive shrieking, no racing around the house, and no meltdowns when he didn't get his own way. Another succesful dose this morning, and so far today, another happy boy....and happy parents! Not to say there is not still room for improvement in his behavior, but I am so hopeful that once we get the dosage right, Kendal is finally going to have a chance to have a much happier life. Tuesday, we're going back to the nurse practitioner, and if all is continuing to go well, his dosage will be upped to 10 mg. My wish for the New Year is that he can start back to kindergarten and NOT be the little boy who is always getting reprimanded, put in time out, and made to eat with a teacher's aide rather than in the cafeteria with his classmates. Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who have shared your experiences on this board, and especially to those moms who have replied to my prior posts, giving me the support and encouragement I needed in order to be able to make this decision!I'm SOOOOOO happy for you!
It's wonderful to see such immediate drastic results isn't it? With my son it's like flipping a light switch. When the meds kick in...WOW what a difference! You're finally getting a look at how your son REALLY is. When the ADHD isn't getting in the way this is what's real.
His body will be adjusting to the medicine so his behavior may go back to the way it was before...that usually just means the dose needs to go up. My son's body adjusts with lightening speed to medication. We know when we've hit the right dose when he no longer adjusts to it.
Also, watch for rebound. Are you familiar with that?
Even if this medicine or dose isn't right for him it is a really good sign that you're seeing such good results right away. My son's doc said that it means stimulants can work for him it's just a matter of adjusting now.
Enjoy your new calm and please keep us posted
!
Hi Logan's Mom,
I've heard of rebound but I am not exactly sure what it is...could you fill me in? It's funny, the meds seem to wear off around 3 or 4, and he almost immediately reverts back to his typical behavior, so you sure are right, it's like flipping a switch! The NP said if we wanted, after he adjusts to the med dosage, we could give him a short acting dose in the afternoon, but I'm just going to see how it goes. One small concern is that he did throw up his lunch today, don't know if it was the meds, or the lunch at the restaurant, so I will have to keep my eye on that. I know this will be trial and error for awhile, but the fact that we can now see that stimulants work for him is enough to make me jump for joy!!! Thanks so much for all your advice, Kathy
Many kids on the long acting meds need a booster in the evening. The only problem sometimes is it interferes with sleep. We thankfully never had that problem. Even if there are sleep issues many times they go away after a few weeks.
The throwing up may be a side effect. Sometimes stomach upset can happen. If it is a side effect hopefully once his body adjusts it will get better.
Rebound is when the body is coming off of the medication and the symptoms come back worse. My son had horrible emotional rebound with Adderall. If his dose was too low or it wore off earlier than expected he would rebound. Crying, yelling, mad about things that didn't really make any sense, inconsolable...you get the picture! 
If you don't do the booster in the afternoon with your son, you may see rebound. Just keep your eyes open. My son's was explosive, but I think it can be much more subtle. Most of the time it can be avoided with timing the doses properly, increasing the dose, or changing meds altogether. When we switched to Ritalin the rebound went away completely! 
It's great that you're getting some positive signs. Hopefully, it'll stay that way and your child will have a better future
Hi,
I was just wondering how your son has adjusted to the Focalin. I am "almost" there with giving it to my son and was just wondering how the side effects are. I read in your post that your son threw up the second day............how is he now?
Thanks so much,
Andrea
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