Intuniv Er And Sleepy (Page 4)

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Hello there,
My son has been on Intuniv ER 1mg for four days. The Dr says give it time, but how much time he didnt say. My son takes it at 8am, and at 2pm each day he is tired. after a nap, still tired for the rest of the day. Anyone know how long this might last?
Thanks

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61

Thank you so much for sharing and your honesty. I am a special education teacher and also have a child with ADD and anxiety. You're right when you say that it isn't easy, but we try to do what is best for our children. Other people who don't have children with special needs really can't relate.

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62

I have a 7 y/o son with ASD and ADHD. He was prescribed Intuniv-1mg August 2013 and has been on it since. I was told to start off slowly-cutting the pill in 1/2. So technically he's only taking 1/2 mg/day-every am-same time. You have to be consistent with the dose AND the time. I tried giving him the whole 1mg but he ended up taking a 3 hour nap in the afternoon-something he cant do while in school, so I went right back to giving him the 1/2. It has helped him in school although he does have some days where the meds are wearing off by the time he is getting on the bus to go home- so he has a moment here and there on the way home in the schoolbus. For the most part, I think that it has helped him.. he is able to focus more, and he is less irritable. He isn't 100% BUT he is MUCH better than when he wasn't on meds. PS I have a serious problem giving him meds, BUT I found the best solution thus far! I buy cereals with Marshmellows...pref Fruit Loops with Marsh...and I take the pill and stuff in between 2 marshmellows...it might be cruchy but its offset with the crunch from the cereal!!! :D I was crusshing it in the beginning but it wasnt as effective. ..just a tip maybe someone else woould like to give a try! Being a parent is a TOUGHjob, and being a parent of a child with a disability is even HARDER...PLEASEEE have patience with these children. They cannot control their behaviors..their brains fuction differently! Its bad enough society can be cruel, dont be like them!! You are the only advocate your child has!!! Stay strong Moms & Dads!! :)

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63

My daughter takes it at 8pm and doesn't take any more. The doctor had her on 2 a day. She napped like that and he said it was too much. Apparently it works best about 12-17 hours after getting into your system, which is why we opted for the evening dose. This doctor started her out with 1 dose and went to 2 after about 3 weeks. It can cause your heart to slow down, so he was very cautious. It has been working very well though.

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64

I've found that there are various degrees relative to ADHD and other issues these kids face. When my granddaughter was diagnosed at 4 years of age we all agreed that we would first attempt every natural means - homeopathics, diet, exercise, etc. They helped for the time but when she turned 6 her frustration and disappointments had mounted and there were significant issues that lead to us choosing to go with the pharmaceuticals. She wants to be in control and tells us all how much better she feels people are not turning their backs to her anymore. She has also chosen to walk away from many of those who now attempt to befriend her as those are the same types who had once turned their backs on her. To me, it is an individual choice but if there is overwhelming hyperactivity that child will never be able to calm long enough to even realize all the choices available to him/her.
Both my husband and middle daughter had be diagnosed with ADHD more than 10 years ago and both rejected pharmaceuticals at that time. Since my granddaughter's issues arose, both my husband and daughter turned to the pharmaceuticals and therapy, as they regretted not be able to make as much progress in their lives over the past 10 years that my granddaughter had been able to make in 2 weeks.

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65

I have heard this medication makes you hungry for carbs. I am about to try my 6 year old diagnosed with ADHD on this. Why I'm reading these reviews! But I had a microbial faecal test done through a great Naturopath (Mandi Whyte) specializing in mood disorders and it came back with very high counts of bad bacteria. The things she's put him on have help so much, he has really improved, more in control of his behaviour and happier. Still needs help in the focus department though. We will get there :)

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66

Thank you so much for writing this. You phrased it much better than I would have. Yes, there is a huge difference between an active child and one with ADHD. Here's an example. One day my son went on a field trip with his class, When they came back everyone had so much energy that they ran around the playground. When they were finished, all the kids except my son were exhausted. My son was even more spastic then before.

He's a very sweet and sensitive boy but, he had no impulse control before Intuniv. He would accidentally hurt his his sister or me. Once he was so excited to see me he ran up to me and yanked my arm so hard he pulled my elbow and shoulder out of their sockets. I was injured enough that I could no longer have my massage practice. He's get so upset that he hurt us, he'd cry for hours. It was after that incident that we went to a psychiatrist. We tried other stimulant medication but nothing worked as well as Intuniv ER. Yes, it took a little over a week for him to stop napping but, it was so worth it. He was much happier on the medication, He said he could focus better and he was no longer accidentally hurting others. Also, the stimulant medicine slowed his growth to a crawl. After Intuniv, he grew 2 1/2 inches in the year he's taken it. He went from being in the 3 percentile to 8th. I'm so happy and more importantly, he happy. I'm always careful to check in with him and how he feels - it's his body. I'm not going to force anything on him. Even if he's "only" 7

Now we're facing a new problem; he's grown so much he needs a higher dosage. We're dealing with the somnolence again. He was taking 1mg it's now upped to 2mg. We don't know if we should go back to taking everything at night, or one in the morning and one at night. The problem is each child is different so you need figure out the best way - together as a family.

We had him evaluated 2 months ago. He's on the Autistic spectrum. That explains both the ADHD and the anxiety. We're starting behavioral therapy very soon, I can't wait. I want more tips on how to help my child better control himself.

By the way, in my humble opinion, labels are great for getting the support your child needs. Hospitals, therapists, and school need labels to know how to proceed. For me, my son is the same boy he was before labels. I just want him to be the him he can, whatever that turns out to be.

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67

Thank you for this update. We are having a hard time watching our 8 year-old daughter suffer such drowsiness (for a few weeks now) on 2 mg Intuniv. The reason we're hanging on is that it's been remarkably effective for her inattentive-type ADD! At 1mg we did not see the positive effects; with p.m. dosage she had sleep disruption. We'll try having her take it in the after afternoon. I hope this will help as it did your daughter!

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68

Wow! I love your positive Christian outlook. You have reassured me because I believe what you say to be true but there are days when doubt creeps in and I begin to doubt. Thank you for posting

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69

Both my kids have been diagnosed with ADHD and PTSD, and so yesterday we began 1mg of Intuniv AM for focusing for them. Both developed what seems to be a stomach bug concurrent with the medication. My younger one did terribly yesterday, then today, her teacher phoned me to say that she was near tears thinking of how much calmer and self-possessed she seemed. Around 7pm the dose wore off; she was visibly rewired. My older one was great yesterday then hit the headache and constipation wall today-- both have been home part of the day, and he's been a mess even after the dosage ebbed. So I wonder how you are all handling the shifts in the evening, plus I wonder if over time the medication would be more readily present in their neurochemistry so that they won't be hitting a wall every evening. Thanks for sharing!

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70

I am so happy that you have found a way to improve your daughter's quality of life. I am praying that my daughter has the same result on this medication. She deserves a normal, happy life. Reading your post gives me hope.

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71

Keep trying momma. You're doing the best thing to keep on trying. It takes time and sometimes many diff meds to find the right one for him. my son is 13 and it took years to find the combo that works for him. Trust me he's grateful to know he has you on his team to help combat this.

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72

I so needed to read your comment. I am so worried about my son's future. He is a wonderful 15 year old, however he is struggling in school. He was diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive at age 6 and we started him on mes at age 8. He has always been an average student until HS. Because he doesn't have the best grades I am so worried about college and what his future will look. I love hearing about success stories especially when what I usually hear is all negative. Thank you!

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73

Hi - my Dr told me to give my son the Intuniv 1mg at 7pm - before bed to help him sleep. It does. He wakes in the morning and is alive. The 1mg per day does make him a zombie though in my opinion. He is so calm compared to before it is concerning.

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74

Hi - Columbia university has just published an interesting paper on ADHD. It seems it isn't just a behavioral issue. The ADHD sufferers brains are in fact wired differently and respond differently to those considered "normal". So it's not something that a kid can control. I too advocate that my son gets enough exercise to be happy and healthy - swimming, running, climbing, jumping, TKD, gymnastics - being a kid! and balance that with his love for video games. People who don't have ADHD kids judge. We need to help them realise that it isn't poor parenting or easy choices but that the kids have real problems of no-one elses making - not even their own. It's just who they are and they're not being bad. Good luck!!

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75

My son is tired first couple of days but improving .Anyone worried about BP being to low .Sometimea gets dizzy and taking a lot of deep breaths .Any advice he is much better behavior wise

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76

Hi Kim I know this is an old post but do you remember how long it took your son for the fatigue with intuniv to wear off?

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77

I know this post is old but dealing with this right now with my 7 year old son. Did intuniv end up working? How long before the fatigue wore off?

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78

My son's Drs advise to take it before bedtime to ensure a good nights sleep. He is still a little sleepy during the day (it's been 9 months now).

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79

Mom of 3 boys does it help his concentration in school enough to be worth the fatigue? Thanks! We haven't see any benefit yet (actually worse because dr pulled him off strattera to try the intuniv) but he's only on 1 mg now at night. Praying it will start to help. Almost at the 2 week mark

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80

It does help his concentration. He notices a difference to being on meds or not on meds. He's 9 and it's his choice as to whether he needs them or not. He also realised that it easmt working enough on 2mg so he asked to increase his dosage. That shows incredible maturity and understanding.

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