Focalin

Dexmethylphenidate

Dexmethylphenidate, sold under the brand name Focalin among others, is a medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in those over the age of five years.[3] If no benefit is seen after four weeks it is reasonable to discontinue its use.[3] It is taken by mouth.[3] The immediate release formulation lasts up to five hours while the extended release formulation lasts up to twelve hours.[4] Common side ef...

Dexmethylphenidate Hydrochloride

Dexmethylphenidate, sold under the brand name Focalin among others, is a medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in those over the age of five years.[3] If no benefit is seen after four weeks it is reasonable to discontinue its use.[3] It is taken by mouth.[3] The immediate release formulation lasts up to five hours while the extended release formulation lasts up to twelve hours.[4] Common side ef...

ADD/HD Medication, where can I find Focalin IR in the Ft. Worth, Texas area? My 11 yo. son is taking 10 mg. Focalin XR in AM, and prescribed 10 mg Foclin IR at noon, but cannot find it. ## Hi, I just got put on Focalin 2 weeks ago and still have yet to find a Pharmacy that has it or is willing to order it in Austin, TX. I feel your pain. Do you think its a Texas thing or is this shortage happening all over? Was wondering if Texas might have stricter regulations on Focalin compared to other states.

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I am 49 years old and Focalin 5mg gives me energy. Is it addictive? ## Has it been prescribed by your doctor? Focalin contains the active ingredient Dexmethylphenidate, which is a stimulant used to treat conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy, so yes, it can be addictive and also carries other risks. You can learn more here:

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take 1x daily for A.D.D.,med.green capsule. ## Does anyone know why Focalin XR 5mg has been recalled? I went to pick up my son's perscription and they told me it had been recalled, but didn't know why. ## I really hope that you have some bad information, my pedi just prescribed the FocalinXR5mg for our 10 year old son, I gave him his first dose today. It was a 30 day free persription to see if this is what he needs. We went to our pharmecy at Kroger, and even though they didn't carry it, they were sure that Walgreens or CVS would. There was no talk of a recall, but the pharmecist at Kroger didn't know why they didn't carry it. ## I contacted the doctor and they said that they didn't know anything about the recall. We have continued to give our child the medicatio...

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Unless mistaken Focalin was removed due to liver damage. ## High mortality and morbidity, And liver necrosis had that sympathetic amines in that Rx had it removed long ago. Anyway, The new deal prodrug drugs, like patches with long active fomulas and more effective.You cannot inject them or swallow them after crushing a patch.. ## Hello, Kim! How are you? No, Focalin is still available in the U.S., it is now classified by the FDA as a schedule 2 drug, due to its abuse potential. Focalin contains the active ingredient Dexmethylphenidate, it is most commonly used to treat ADHD. Typical side effects are listed as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, irritability, nervousness and weight loss. Is there anything else I can help with?

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My son has been on Focaling regular release for two years, we have never had a problem getting his medicine filled until this past month. Since he was diagnosed at 4 we have tried EVERY other medicine out there but nothing works for him but Focalin. He is finally where he needs to be and is doing well at home and in school. I am not sure what to do, is there any idea when this shortage will be over? He takes 20MG in the monring 15 at lunch and 10 in the afternoon. So our prescription is fairly large. He cannot take the XR because it has to many ups and downs. It is sad that because of the drug abusers that my child who cannot function without this medication cannot get what they need. It makes me SICK that some of these comments are from adults just using this drug to have energy or to ...

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This month my Focalin dosage was raised to 60mg and I had to pay $609. My insurance won't help at all. Is it worth changing my insurance? ## I have no idea what type of insurance plan you have, nor what others may be available to you. I suggest you do some research and see which plans you can get and what they will cover. ## I have my regular insurance from the school distrist I taught in. And I just turned 65: Medicare won't help either. I am still researching. ## see reply 2 to: Focalin And Insurance ## I have no insurance and pay out of pocket. My doctor prescribed me the generic form of Focalin; dexmethylphenidate and it cost $38.00 out of pocket at CVS. ## go figure

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My first semester in college was a disaster as I began at the age of 25 and only 3 months after leaving an all together different environment in the military where I served 4 tours in the Middle East. I never missed a class and yet my GPA at the end was a 1.75. I literally couldn’t absorb anything in class, fought off falling asleep more often than not, and couldn’t seem to apply my discipline to making myself sit and read. So, in the Fall of ’05 I began taking Focalin 10mg and the difference was night and day. Not only did I retain information from class, but I was able to sit down and read without losing focus, I actually enjoyed it, and my second semester GPA was a 3.63! Now it is the beginning of Fall 2008, I graduated in May, and have started an already successful...

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Is adderal and focalin made out of the same ingredients ## No, they are not. Adderall contains mixed Amphetamine salts. Learn more Adderall details here. And Focalin contains Dexmethylphenidate. Learn more Focalin details here. They are commonly used to treat many of the same conditions, but the active ingredients are different. Have you been switched from one to the other? ## My son is being treated for ADD as was his older brother many years ago. Like his brother, it was trial and error to find a med that didn't produce unwanted emotional side effects. Adderal didn't work for either and now the doctor is suggesting Focalin. Doing my research it appears that Focalin may have more addictive/dependency side effects. True?

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As you'll know, I have been paying $600 a month for Focalin because my insurance won't help with script cost. No one on this site was able to help, but through my own research, I finally found the one person in Medicare who researched for a program that helped with Focalin! What a relief. Insurance per month @$48 & script $35...hey, that is wwaaayyy better than $600. Thanks anyway for listening. ## That is great news Thana, thank you for sharing this information. Do you have any details which you could post back so that others with a similar challenge would be able to contact them? Feel free to post a reply or a new discussion if you have anything else to add, or any other questions. ## Why waste money on Focalin when Ritalin is the same thing? It just contains the active as...

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My son recently started taking Focalin. He is 7 and is having a hard time swallowing the pill (not capsule). Is it still effective when crushed and put in applesause? ## Yes. It works crushed and mixed in pudding, too! ## Does 'Foculin' come in a long-acting form? Like Concerta ## Focalin XR works well for my son, and lasts about 9 hours. If he needs to do homework or do serious sports in the evening or has a playdate in the evening, I use focalin in the mid to late afternoon. ## You can also try Focalin in Oatmel or grits..... Anything with thicker texture to it! ## This will actually depend if he is on the regular Focalin or the XR. If he is on the XR which is an extended time release version, it should not be crushed or broken, that will negate the time released effect and he...

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Is there a liquid form of Focalin, or can the tablet be compounded into a liquid? My son has autism and we cannot get him to take the pills or capsules. He his very orally sensitive and will not eat pudding, applesauce, etc. ## If your doctor orders it for you, a compounding pharmacy should be able to put the active ingredient into a liquid for you, you just need to ask his doctor to order it this way, then take it to your nearest compounding pharmacy. The FDA lists the typical side effects as possibly including nausea, headache, insomnia, nervousness, and irritability. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I need to know what drug I can take for my adhd along with my Clonazepam? I was disapproved for vyvanse 40, but what about focalin? ## I am a hypo manic depressive. I take lithium carbonate 900mg and 1mg 2x a day of klonopin . I've taken adderal but my psychiatrist will not give it to me if I want to continue my klonopin. I'd like to try focalin but I need to find out if the lithum and klonopin are compatible with focalin. Help? ## The main issue here is that both the Focalin and the Clonazepam treats opposite issues, one is a sedative, while the other is an upper, the same is going to be true of any other such medication that you try to add with the Clonazepam. I know this isn't usually a listed interaction, or warning, but since treating one condition can aggravate the oth...

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My son's focalin xr prescription was just increased from 5mg to 10. Could I give him two 5mg capsules safely, or should I just get rid of the remaining 5mg capsules? ## Hello, Angelle! How are you and your son? In theory, it should be okay to do so, since you're not breaking open the capsules, but I would suggest double checking with your pharmacist to be certain. This medication carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, irritability, insomnia and anorexia. Is there anything else I can help with? ## Thanks! I don't have any other questions right now but I know where to come if I ever have more. ## You are very welcome, I'm happy to help! Have an awesome day!

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My son was prescribed Focalin XR 40mg twice a day. He's 23. But having trouble getting it filled. Called the manufacturer, they say there are no back orders on any of the doses. Can't understand why I can't find a pharmacy that carries it. ## Are you actually going to the pharmacies, with the prescription in hand to ask if they have it? If you just call, you won't get an accurate answer, because they have no way of knowing if the person on the phone is a legitimate customer with a need or a potential thief. This medication carries the risk of being habit forming and could cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, insomnia and anorexia. ## Yes I went from pharmacy to pharmacy. Also some of the pharmacies called for me. I also called the manufacturer. They said there ...

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my 13 year old son was on 25 mg of Focalin XR and we recently started him on 20 mg in order to take him off of it this summer. Is it OK to stop 20 mg once school is out or do we need to go down to 15 mg before stopping all together? I told his doctor about taking him off for the summer and she didn't really indicate doing anything different. ## Are you sure taking him off the focalin for summer is a good idea. Yea school will be out so taking it to assist academic functions is not needed. However isnt this med needed to assist social development. Mason believe most people do not realize that all finctions, including academic and social are equally important which is why continuing medication during summer break is beneficial for treatment of adhd. Hope this helps. If you would like ...

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Anyone have a child with history of cardiac problems taking this medication? ## To the mom with the cardiac child and the focalin question --- my child is a high school teen, always been low normal ADHD, but by high school the classes were so hard, the homework SO OVERWHELMING, the days SO LONG, he finally ASKED for some help. We took him in and he was put on focalin. He has had 3 cardiac surgeries. We recently took him in to Stanford hospital and just to be certain it was ok - asked AGAIN, and was re-assured that while it wasn't known for certain ALL THE REASONS it was 100% safe, it has been used for quite some time in patients with cardiac defects (my son's are quite severe) and with no difficulties. He's been on it for a year now with extremely great success. He uses it o...

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I'm taking dexmethylphenadate er (I think that's how you spell it) 20mg. I just started taking it Friday morning and on my second dose today. Is it common to feel very tired and sleepy when my body is getting used to it? Plus ever since Friday I've been going number 2 a lot. Should I be worried or is this common with this medication? ## Hello, David! How are you? Yes, the FDA does list those issues as being possible side effects of this medication. You may also experience nausea, dizziness and, eventual insomnia. However, they are usually transient and tend to go after about 4 to 5 weeks, once your body gets used to a medication. Is there anything else I can help with?

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What is the usual dose in mg for a 6 year old? ## Hi Jeanne, As a psychotherapist and a holistic practitioner and the mother of two toddlers I wan to reply to your comment from a different angle. I am guessing that asking about Focolin Xr for your 6 year old has tod do with being told he/she has ADHD. If so, please be careful about giving such powerful drug to a child. The medical community still does not know the long term effects of many of these drugs on the brains of children. In fact, the whole diagnosis of ADHD and ADD is questionable. There could be many other factors attributing to your child's symptoms and I would want to encourage you to look into those other areas and see if you can help your child with out turning to drugs right away. I am a strong advocate of keeping ou...

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