It is possible to give him the short acting meds and make sure to time it so he has food available in between doses (just as one is wearing off and before the other one kicks in). Sometimes that's hard to do in school but many kids get very hungry after the meds wear off.
Also, a different medication may have a different effect on his appetite. When my son was on Adderall he began to eat better after his body got used to it but his appetite never got as good as it has been on Ritalin.
Also you mentioned that he seemed "disconnected" at times. I can't remember if I've told you this or not, but my son was like that on Adderall. Each time we tried to raise the dose (which he needed) he would get spacey (sp?) and "out of it". It was really sad. Ritalin has never done that to him no matter how high the dose.
We took our son off Focalin xr about 2 wks ago due to the fact we were on vacation and we wanted to give him a break. His appetite had been extremely poor and he seemed disconnected alot of the time on the medicine. He did wonderfully on vacation (ate well, slept well, behaved well) but this last week of school has been a VERY different story. He is behaving horribly, not listening even with redirection. His teacher is very concerned about him making it in first grade without medication, even though academically he is far above grade level.
My question is.... would a short acting med be better as far as his appetite suppression goes? If we could time it so lunch and dinner would be when the meds are winding down, would that be better than a long acting medicine that is in his system all day? Another question... would there be a chance that another extended release med other than focalin may not suppress his appetite as much, or are all the extended release stimulants pretty much the same in this area?
Kathleen051540344.3988657407My younger son was on Vyvanse...... great for his