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Post by Kbugsmom on Feb 20, 2005 14:58:50 GMT -5
Obviously, this will be a personal choice based off of how well these meds. have worked with your own kids. What I would like to know is this: for those of you who have had your kids on any of these meds., which did you prefer and why? I do understand that what may work for your child may not work for mine.
DD is on Adderall XR and we have had both good and bad effects with this medication. It is working well while DD's in school but the emotional lability in the evening is a little extreme on occasion. I am also concerned about the recall in Canada. We have an appt. in two days and I am considering the possibility of a switch to a different med. Thank you for any feedback you can give me.
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Post by Linda on Feb 20, 2005 15:38:23 GMT -5
Hi Erin...We started Paul out with straight Ritalin when he was first dx at age 6. It worked very well with him with the exception of sometimes he had meltdowns.
When he went to middle school we switched to concerta because it was an all day med and it also worked very well....BUT no meltdowns. Hope this helps.
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Post by AnneM on Feb 20, 2005 16:07:34 GMT -5
Hello Erin ... I am similar to Linda in the respect that my son was put on straight Ritalin at age 13 ... but I didn't like the "roller coaster" effect and the meltdowns he so often had as it wore off.
We switched to Concerta and "never looked back" ... it was (for HIM) ... sooooo much better than the straight ritalin... and has suited Sam (now 16) very well !!
I cannot speak for Adderall as we don't have this in the UK! ...
GOOD LUCK!
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mothercat
Member Emeritus
With a little luck and a lot of Gods help anything is possible!
Posts: 1,468
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Post by mothercat on Feb 20, 2005 21:00:15 GMT -5
Concerta is the big hit here for Jared too. We also use ritalin in smaller doses when needed for homework but that isn't very often anymore it gives him bad stomache ache which someone told me is cured with simple alcoseltzer(SP) .
I havent ever tried addderall with him since the concerta works so well we stick with it. All kids are different tho.
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sportsmom
Member Emeritus
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Posts: 1,171
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Post by sportsmom on Feb 20, 2005 21:05:39 GMT -5
 We also started on straight ritalin 2x a day then went to concerta. Concerta worked great for his attention span but then Levi had many mirgraine headaches so we went to strattera and so far so good. At his next med check thou I am going to see if I can get a short acting stim to help with homework time. I have a girlfriend who's son was on concerta then they switched to adderall but he had very very emotional days so they switched him back to concerta just upped his dose and he is doing great. Good luck!!
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Post by savvymom1 on Feb 20, 2005 22:05:25 GMT -5
Hi Kbugsmom,
Both my dds started on concerta a couple of years ago and we have really liked it. However, we have had to increase both girls doses a couple of times and their appetites have really suffered.
We currently use Focalin, which is awesome! We give it twice a day. I just wish they had an all day formula. Several of our friends use Focalin and like it too. My girls feel like it keeps them sharp for school, but doesn't change them from their normal personality.
Personally, I can't wait until there is an effective medicine in a patch. Mornings are unbearable for us. Wouldn't it be great if our kids could wake up sharp and happy?!
Let me know if anyone out there knows of a solution!
Judy
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Post by finnmom on Feb 21, 2005 1:49:05 GMT -5
Kbug´smom
My ds started straight on concerta(18mg/day) and has been on it for1 and ½ years now, we´ve been very pleased with it so far, no special problem´s. We had to put 5 mg ritalin for schoolday´s as an afternoon boost and that is also working very well with him. I have no experience of Adderal, since concerta and ritalin are the only product´s they use in here.
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Post by brookesmom on Feb 21, 2005 8:17:59 GMT -5
My dd has been on 36 mg of Concerta since October. We just bumped her up to 54 mg because she was losing focus in school. Only major issue has been appetite otherwise it has been great.
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Post by Kbugsmom on Feb 21, 2005 11:25:40 GMT -5
Thanks for your replies. It is nice to know that other options do exist. The Adderall XR has not only led to some mood swings, but also a tendency for DD to want to stay home and not join her friends. There has also been some appetite issues as well, but those seem to be diminishing. On the up side, the feedback we have been getting from the teacher and troop leader have been quite positive, leaving me somewhat ambivalent about pursuing a switch.  I'll let you know what we decide after Wednesday's appt. Thanks again.
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Post by vickilyn32 on Feb 21, 2005 15:47:54 GMT -5
I guess I am opposite from everyone else who answered. We started on adderall in 2nd grade and it worked great from the start. We tried concerta in 6th because of DS going thru a depression, so the doc changed meds. He was on it for 7 months of he**. Terrible mood swings, angry all the time, temper tantrums, etc. We went back on Adderall XR before 7th grade. He is now in 8th, still on Adderall XR and having the best year ever. He does not take meds on weekends or hollidays, so he makes up for any appitite issues then. He sleeps well, and Eats ok sometimes on adderall, but has continued to grow and gain weight well.
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Post by bunny on Feb 21, 2005 20:51:13 GMT -5
He does not take meds on weekends or hollidays, so he makes up for any appitite issues then. Same as quote above for my son. He is 8yo and on Adderall XR. It's only been about 6 wks since he started meds, but this has proved to work well for him so far. He is actually asking more friends to come over, and seems happier. He had to be off meds all last week for other health issues, and on Friday told me that it had been a really rough week for him. I'm looking forward to getting him back to what I now feel is his "normal" self. I'd let the friend issue ride a while more, and then go with your instincts... they're usually right!  |
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Post by Kbugsmom on Feb 27, 2005 1:04:42 GMT -5
We went to the doc. on Wed. and since DD has been doing rather well, despite some ups and downs, we decided to stay with the Adderall xr 10 mg and will increase to 15 mg when this rx is done. DD had lost a little weight, but was doing just fine otherwise and her b/p was on the low side despite being on meds. DD is definitely more of a homebody now, but she seems to be happy and is still enjoying her friends from time to time. I almost wonder if the medication is causing her to feel more content at home and enjoy doing her own thing more.
If we do have any difficulties, I believe that Concerta would be the next step that I would request as it seems to be helping quite a few of your kids.
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