Intuniv Er And Sleepy

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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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1

Intuniv ER contains the active ingredient Guanfacine, it is used to lower blood pressure and treat ADHD.

Drowsiness and fatigue are normal side effects, they should taper off as his body gets used to the medication, this could take from 2 weeks to a month.

If it gets worse or does not improve, then make sure to speak to your doctor, again.

Other side effects can include: headache, constipation and loss of appetite.

You can read more on the medication itself here:

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Intuniv/­

Is there anything else I can help you with?

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2

The side effects from Intuniv can also get worse to some degree with time, with some emerging over the course of several weeks.

http://healthlifeandstuff.com/2009/09/intuniv-for-adhd-concerns-efficacy/

On the other hand, they can also subside as your body gets used to them.

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3

Have you tried giving it to him at night instead of in the morning? That's how my doctor prescribed it.

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4

Hi, my five year old daughter has been on Intunive ER for a week and a half. The first six days she was exhausted everyday; wanting to go to bed for the night at 5pm. But the past few days the combativeness has come back...and she is WAY less tired...Anyone else have this? What should I expect next?

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5

Shawna,
My son was the same way, super tired, then right back to being agressive. The Dr. put him on 2mg. we went through the tired stge again, then although he is still way full of energy, he has not been so agressive. It has helped him a lot in pre school, he has not hurt any other kids. We still have issues with him having problems following directions, but we are working on those issues. I am just thankful that the intuniv has helped him to gain a little self control when it comes to being agressive, especially toward other kids.

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6

if this causes our kids to be soooo tired all the time. what have we gained here, is it our point to drug the kid to sleep 10-15 hrs a day ??? i think not.i dont mind him being soo active but after just a few days he is sometimes listless, i dont want to raise a zombie

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7

Confused,
No, the point is to help these kids gain some self control. They arent happy when they are constantly in trouble. With many medications there is an adjustment period, when I wrote my original question, thats what we were dealing with. Once our son got through that period, all is well. As time goes by he is learning more and more how to control himself. It has helped his agression in a HUGE way. He is still himself, very active, even on the hyper side, but is now managable. Attention is still an issue, but we are working on that, and he is improving. Before the Intunive, we were getting nowhere. Im sure intuniv isnt for every child, but in our case its working very well.

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8

ANY NEW MED THAT YOU TRY WILL TAKE A GOOD 3 TO 4 WEEKS TO GET IN TO YOU SYSTEM. IF SYMPTOMS CONTINUE I WOULD CONTACT YOUR CHILDS DOCTOR. SOMETIMES WITH ADHD MED ITS TRIAL AND ERRIOR TILL YOU FIND THE RIGHT ONE THAT WORKS FOR YOU CHILDS NEEDS.

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9

Many medications have side effects that subside as the body gets used to it. Tired and slightly lethargic would be tolerable knowing that in the long run my daughter would be less agressive and would gain more self control. It is a trade-off I'd be willing to accept. We will be starting Intuniv next week

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10

I just started my son (who is 12yrs old) on 1mg a.m. and 1mg around 2:30pm. Believe me, I am no advocate of any medications and have great concern over the drugging up of our society. With that being said, I will say that I have tried every other option known..counseling, talking, punishing, etc. I am very close to my son and he is a very loving and empathetic kid. But he has no self control and his impulsivity was greatly interfering with our household as well as his happiness. This is a child who was always happy, a real clown. Your typical kid, but over the last few years, his lack of control really started to come to the forefront. The word no was just acceptable to him. I have a younger child as well and she was starting to really feel the effects of his behavior. He has major anxiety and self induced stress (as alot of kids his age go thru), but this is just extreme. I've been told that this medication will help with his impulsivity - instant rage at being told no, hitting walls because he didn't get to do what he wanted, raising his voice in disrespect. It is also supposed to assist in helping him be able to focus and become more organized. He does not have ADHD, but he is preoccupied with the fact that he knows he is out of control. I will post to this site in a month or two with an update as to the effects of the med. It does take a good month for any medication to really get into your system and adjust accordingly. I am hopeful. Most kids will most likely not be on this medication forever,as with alot of meds, this is supposed to be a temporary measure in order to assist in teaching children to become aware of their impulses, triggers to outbursts, focus and concentration,etc. I will be very observant about this medication and any potential effects it will have on my son. Good luck to all you other parents who may be in similar situations with your children. At least you are doing what you feel is best for your child. I work in a field where I see adults who didn't get the help they required much earlier in life and now they are seeking Social Security benefits because they simply cannot cope and did not obtain any life coping skills. Some kids just need a little more assistance than others. If they grow up to be productive, responsible and happy individuals, then I know I did the right thing.

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11

my grandson is taking this medication, and i have to say i dont like it at all, he was a very active 4 yr old , who just turned this and is not on this medication , i feel he is way to young, to be started on this stuff, he is a normal 4 yr old who now is like a zombie and does nothing but sleep, why? do we take what are children had a happy going child to just put them dowm to sleep and out of are way, is is all our faults ate children are like this we did not show them boundries of doing right and wrong, we have just let our kids do as they please now we scream there all adh??????? bull

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12

Hi, my 8 yr old son has been taking Intunic-1 mg for almost 3 weeks. He was too tired when it was administered in the a.m. so the doctor had us switch to bed time. He seems much better. His teacher is noticing some good results as well.

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13

To Always Optomistic and others that must deal with an ADHD child-My oldest son has just started on Intuniv, after physical problems with other medications. I have read your comments for him, but seeing the difficulty people have experienced, I wanted to discuss my second son's individual experience with ADHD. He is now 22 years old, and was diagnosed with ADHD at 6 1/2 (I knew at 3 1/2). He has a brother 18 months older and a sister 18 months younger. I went through the behavioral problems, his problems with siblings and others, and the things you have all mentioned. We tried various medications until we got it just right (and medication for anxiety depression for awhile). I also took him to a wonderful child psychologist that helped him deal with the difficulties of life with ADHD and OCD, even anxiety over having no friends (the counselor also talked to me each time, helping me cope). I would just like to encourage you to go the distance, discipline firmly and consistently, explain the reasons for your actions, go to support groups, and remain as patient as possible (difficult to do!). My son Jeff is now a junior in collge. He became disciplined, with help from the medication(s), and has the highest scholarship his university offers. He was not only a distinguished scholar, he was a distinguished service scholar in high school. He still takes non-stimulant medication with a small dose of stimulant to get him through evenings of studying. He still has to study longer to compensate for focus issues. He still has issues to deal with (don't we all?), but I couldn't be more proud of him. He is still on the combative side, although his faith causes him to apologize for this, but he is strong and will always help a friend in trouble (he has many friends). More than one person has told me that he is probably the most wonderful young man they have ever met, including their own! I know how difficult it is to raise a child with ADHD and other complications, so take heart, and remember that the values you teach them and the consistency in applying those values, will always be the most important factors in your child's development. I am amazed that he actually remembered these things, (although he does not remember me teaching them to him, of course), and has applied them in his life as a young adult. There is hope!

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14

UPDATE from my 10/10 post: My son has now been on the Intuniv for approx 3-1/2 months. His dosage was increased to 4mg a day (we did go thru a 2 week period where he refused to take the medication, but we are back on track now). The sleepiness does wear off, but it took my son approx 3 months for that to subside. Unfortunately, I do not see much of an improvement in his self control or impulsivity. I will give this more time as I do not want to give up too soon.
In response to "Karen" thank you for your words of encouragement. My son does not have ADHD, but was diagnosed with ADD and ODD. He was prescribed Cymbalta (for anxiety/depression) and after about 2 months has stopped taking that. That medication was in essence altering this kids personality and although his psychiatrist strongly disagrees, we have eliminated that medication for the time being. I will not give up hope.
In response to "worried", I agree with you about the lack of discipline in this society. Things have dramatically changed from when I grew up. You can thank the liberal mentality, media, schooling, etc for that. I will save my political views for another posting site. I can however assure you that I will not hesitate for a second to discipline my kids regardless of where we are (shopping, church, etc). I have a child that has as a few reputable doctors in my area have "diagnosed" him with - genetic mental issues inherited from his father. I will not just accept that and not have my child realize his full potential. Having my son on medication is a temporary situation and if his doctors cannot help him, then I will. I am a research freak when it comes to all of this terminology that has been attached to our children. I do not believe lifelong medication is the answer and you can bet that I will see to that, as far as my son is concerned. Where there is a will there is a way. Will try to update in the next month or two with any potential results....

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15

Hello my son has been taking intuniver 2 he started with the 1 for 7 days then went to the 2 and has been on the 2 mg for 2 1/2 weeks he seems very depressed and sleeps all the time he did not do this the first week of being on the 2 ml but the 2nd week and 1/2 he seems to be worse . Should I stop the meds for now ? He will not even play with his friends he comes home from school and goes to sleep. I have to wake him up to do his homework. We put him on these meds due to he has probems in school staying on tack and focusing and can not sit still to long with out moving around in his chair. He is not what I call hyper like some kids I have seen but has issues being still and paying attention in school. He is a very good and kind kid. I just want to make sure these meds do not depress him.He is over weight and has a hard time at school. He eats just to be eating due to he is a stress eater not that he is really wants to eat and he is a carb eater.

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16

Cndy rains, your son and mine are similar in that my son is a stress eater as well - he will eat whatever he can get his hands on. He is slightly overweight and as stated in my previous posts was diagnosed with ADD and anxiety, depression, (and ODD). I don't really see the depression part - I see self induced stress and worry mostly. My advice (and I am no doctor of course) but I would give it some time - my son acts the same as yours in school and he is currently taking 4mg a day. The docs appear to start off on small dosages and then increase accordingly until they think it is working. It took my son approx 3 months for the sleepiness to subside and as stated, although some have had success. With this time released med, so far I have not seen improvement...I too will give it a decent run before I have him stop. Will keep posting just in case it helps anyone with similar situations.

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17

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about, and have never had to raise a child with a disability. Mind your own business.

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18

Marisa my son is 7 and wears 46 pounds, he was on vyvanse and countiued to have aggressive problems in school. The Dr. has prescribed intuniv at night what time do you give it to your child?

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19

Hi. My 5 yr. old daughter started intuniv last night. At the 1 mg dose. gave at approx. 7 pm. She could hardly get up this morning, and did not enjoy summer camp today b/c sooo tired.. I mean Tired... Like walk three steps, lay down in the floor and go to sleep tired. She slept 2 hours this afternoon at the outdoor pool for summer camp swimming day.. OMG. Psychiatrist said would be sleepy, but this is ridiculous. She was walking like she was drunk, too- bumping into things and listless. I hope she's better tomorrow. did not give med tonight. too scared too.

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20

I am seeing the same listless, drunken-like behavior in my daughter. Iw as told the sleepiness wears off. But I don't know if I have the patience to wait. I will try the night time administration. But since she gets sleepy about 3 hours after she takes it, she's getting it early.

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Re: Verwon (# 1) Expand Referenced Message

I started at 1mg for 7 days was sleepy and it went away. Last night was my night to up the dose to 2mg, I had to see my primary doctor because I'm sick so they took my blood pressure and it was 91/63. I called my. Doctor and he said to stop taking, but acted like he didn't know why. Obviously it's a blood pressure medicine. This is my 4 medicine for adhd. I don't so well with stimulants.

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Re: marisa (# 12) Expand Referenced Message

My daughter is on intuniv 1 mg takes in morning. She is doing great up until about 1:30 2ish pm and then she gets tired and goes to sleep in class when teachers try to wake her she becomes very irritable. Is similar to what your son experienced?

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84

has this ever happened to anyone... I am worried, just want to know if he will be okay, or should I tell his doctor.

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83

Well now we have changed meds! Now it is guanfacine not er. He takes 0.5mg at night to help him sleep (focus enough on sleep to sleep!) and 0.5mg in the morning to help him get through school. It's been a long journey to reach this place. We discovered he was over medicated on 2mg and 1.5mg dosing. His parlour was white and he just wasn't a happy kid he was so sedated. This much reduced med sees color in his cheeks and you can see he's all there. Much happier since changing down the dosage. Not a tantrum or meltdown either since doing this and telling the school no homework. That's a huge difference no homework.

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82

My son took intuniv at 8 pm last night and we made a mistake and took intuniv again this morning at 7 am he was supposed to take the concerts at 7 am . Should I worry , because I am .

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81

Take it at night and it takes about 6 weeks to adjust

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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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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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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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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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