Focalin Forums (Page 2)

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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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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My son who is 14 is adhd.. he has taken vyvannse but I can't afford it.. was wondering about trying focalin..no medical insurance . Any suggestions.. ## You may want to ask his doctor about having him try Adderall, since it's available as a generic. It is also a stimulant that's used to treat the same conditions. The FDA warns that it carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, insomnia and weight loss. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

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I need to know what this light blue capsule is ## Hello, Goldie! How are you? This tablet is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals and they list it as being a 5mg Focalin XR tablet, which is most commonly used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. The FDA warns that it may be habit forming and could cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness, headache, nervousness and insomnia. 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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Is there a generic name for focalin in 10mg & 20mg available? If so can CVS pharmacy get it? In the 10 & 20 mg? ## Hello, Twinkle! How are you? The generic name, as listed by the FDA, is Dexmethylphenidate and yes, CVS should be able to get it, in either strength. This medication is classified as a stimulant, so it carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, irritability, nervousness, insomnia and weight loss. Is there anything else I can help with?

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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 is 11now. What is the dosage of foccalin that I should give him daily? Thanks Ly. ## Hello, Lynn! How are you and your son? Focalin is a stimulant that's used to treat conditions, such as ADHD and narcolepsy, it does carry some risks due to its nature, so it should only be given if prescribed by his doctor and then only in the dosage the doctor prescribes. It carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, anorexia, insomnia and nervousness. What dosage does he currently take?

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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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D on one side little yellow pill 5 on the other- yet the pill is Shaped as A D ## Hello, Scottie! How are you? This is a 5mg Focalin tablet, which is most commonly used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. Its most common side effects may include nausea, dizziness, headache, irritability, anorexia and insomnia. Is there anything else I can help with?

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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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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 grandson has been on this medications and it has helped him so much. We in North Carolina and cannot get this meds what gives? There is no excuse for this shortage. ## Hello, Wanda! How are you? I'm sorry, but the FDA isn't currently listing a shortage for this medication. Who told you that there was one going on? ## There is a shortage of the generic form dexmethylphenidate I have not been able to get it since sept 2013. called express scripts mail order was told this. called my local pharmacy same thing. there is a shortage of ingredients to make it and FDA involved as well. I now have to pay for the higher name brand and will be like this in to march 2014 and maybe llobger ## Hi please see my post on the focalin Shortage there is A LOT of great information on there. ## kin...

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When I grew up in the 50's there were some kids that were slow, smart and in the middle. My 18 year old boy has trouble concentrating, and might not get the best grades in the world, but he is active and happy, and takes out all his hyperactivity in sports. Heis very smart and my friends think I am crazy not to put him on Focalin or other ADHD drugs. Well, then he would have to be on drugs the rest of his life because he will never learn how to deal with the way his mind works. I know when he finds something that really interests him, he will use his inner strength to make it work. I would be afraid that giving him a pill to help him focus would be telling him that he wasn't good enough naturally. Are parents, before they turn to drugs, changing the basics and trying new things ...

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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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Does anyone have a problem with Blue Cross/Blue Shield HMO Blue Covering their script? ## So far,I haven't found an insurance that will help with script?...am still researching. ## i was recently diagnosed with adult adhd and experienced the same problem. My dr wanted to prescribe me Vyvanse b/c I have insomnia w/o taking any meds and most of the stimulants keep you up but Vyvanse wears off around 8 hrs or so. Anyway, blue cross blue shield said I was "too old" to be prescribed the medicine and needed to get a pre-authorization. The pharmacist told me they usually take a long time to approve it. I went back to my pdoc and she gave me Focalin instead. They don't cover this either but the generic was only $45 vs the Vyvanse which was $205. I only took it for one day so far...

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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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bluish green capsule ## no thanks ## This is a 15mg Focalin XR capsule, it is most commonly used to treat ADHD. Learn more Focalin details here. Side effects may include nausea, headache, irritability, insomnia and anorexia. Are there any questions or comments?

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My psychiatrist prescribed me Focalin XR 10/mg... the first day was okay, but this week I have felt absolutely crazy- anxiety to the point of sheer panic, worry, overthought... fear. I can't focus on anything except my own racing thoughts, and am worried that I am alienating the people closest to me because I am such an emotional wreck. Has anyone else experienced this and will it go away? ## Just stay calm bro it all starts to straighten out after about a week or 2 if not tell your dr it just might not be the right one for you and they will switch it but pretty much with every new med you will try will be he'll the first week but believe it or not all of a sudden you feel back to normal but just more focused. ## For one full week I was horrible I lost 13 pounds in 1 week couldn...

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I found this capsule and I'm not sure what it is. Can you please help me with this? Thanks you. ## I'm happy to help! I believe the imprint you're looking at is actually NVR D35, which is a capsule with the NVR on the blue half and the D35 on the yellow. This is a 35mg Focalin XR capsule, which contains the active ingredient Dexmethylphenidate, which is most commonly used to treat ADHD. Where did you find it? You can learn more about Focalin here. ## Thank you for all you help. I appreciate it.

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