Intuniv Er And Sleepy (Page 2)
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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60

my son is 9 he started intuniv a few weeks ago for focusing. He was tired at first we then went up to 2mg and had to take him off of the 2mg we are back to the 1 mg and going on 2nd week at 1mg and things seem ok.

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59

My daughter is 7 1/2 and was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD about a month ago. Her dr prescribed her intuniv to see if that would help her out at school and home. We were very weary of starting the meds bc we are not into drugging our kids, however with all the research and trying this and that, nothing worked. So today we started her first week, 1mg dose, I rea side effects and I knew she could be more sleepy but he fell asleep FOUR TIMES in class today. So bad that her teacher emails me as she was concerned as well. I picked her up early from school and she went to sleep as soon as we got home. Is this kind of sleepiness normal? I know all kids are different and it takes time for ones body to adjust to new meds but this is insane! There is almost no point in sending her to school if she is just going to sleep through her class. HELP!

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58

Gamom, your son sounds like my daughter: not a bad child, not hyper, just tons of trouble with focus. I had hoped the Intuniv would help with that, but it didn't. We recently started Focalin and have LOVED it! It has improved her focus dramatically, and no side effects at all! (Which other stimulants definitely caused). If you find the Intuniv doesn't help, ask your doctor about Focalin. It has been a life changer for us.

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57

have you ever tried natural things..such as cod liver oil. and there ar eother things. my nephew took something which i can't spell right...but it started with a p. go to a natural health store..try it..it may help..or it may not. but cod liver oil will and does do a lot to help in many areas. the brain as well as mood..as well as fighting chronic infections..it helps the heart as well.

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56

My son is 9 yrs old is having trouble focusing in class and being distracted. Ped gave me the starter pack. I gave him the 1st dose last night and he slept great but was sleepy today at school. So tomorrow i will be doing the morning dose to see if that helps with him being so sleepy. I am really new to all this and very nervous and the more i read the more i get mixed emotions. He is not hyper not angry not a problem at school with behavior he just can not focus and with all the testing going on it is even harder on him. I just am looking for some support and people who have been in my shoes. Thanks so much!

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55

I did my homework and have countless sources on the subject who have degrees much larger than a nursing. If you investigate the shootings, ALL of the kids and people involved were on ADHD medication and/or SSRI's. What medication is advertised in your child's pediatricians office? Maybe your child is overstimulated? Some children may need help but not as a first line treatment.

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54

i'm a stay at home parent, coach baseball and football, take my child to the gym for him to workout...we ride bikes, hike, and camp. my child is still adhd and still requires medication. as a nurse, the statistics are the same or close enough to be the same. my child is active 365 days a year in sports, scouting, and outside adventures. blanket statements do no more good for those who need it than those who don't. perhaps you assume everything you read on the internet searches are true, and perhaps you don't it really wouldn't matter I don't think because you would blanket that as well. there really are problems out there that some kids have, then they're are problems that kids have that their parents don't want to see which leads to problems in other areas. school shootings are a result of kids with problems who's parents said, "not my child, i'm a great parent and I know my child and he has no issues". once they shoot themselves after killing countless others, you are correct, they have no issues. do your homework, become a true researcher in the real world, or otherwise refrain from stating in areas you know nothing about

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53

The tiredness gets much better after the first three weeks.

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52

My daughter is on 1mg and it works well. 2 mg was too much. Our doctor is asking the company to make a .5 and is hopeful they will do this soon as some kids may only need .5 or 1.5 and they are time released, so they don't know the effects if you break them. It's noticeable if she comes off of them. It's been all + for us.

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51

It may never go away. Your son is on an anti-hypertensive medication that hasn't been proven effective for longer than 8 weeks. I've done research on the medication of children and I would say take him off it if he is sleepy and/or low heartrate. It was designed for adults with high blood pressure. Look it up, it was TENEX before INTUNIV.

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50

It nevers goes away. Trust me. It doesnt. I had to switch to intuniv from Adderall because it increased my pulse rate way too high. I dont know what to do, but im scheduled to see a psychiatrist soon. Im really sorry but it doesnt go away :(

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49

Your post sounds JUST like my son. He is 6. ADHD and ODD. We are going through the trial and error now. He is the same way. hitting walls screaming at me in disrespect. Hes always mad and sad. He is on Vyvanse and its working focus wise but his anger is getting really bad. So we were prescribed Intuniv yesterday. Really interested in how it will go, and hopeful as well ;)

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48

Anyone have a child on this who is not sleeping? My 8 year old takes it at 7 and does not fall asleep until 3-5am.

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47

Hi. My child did 1 week of Intuniv at 1 mg, then 1 week at 2, then 1 week at 3 mg. I don't remember exactly when he stopped being tired, but I remember that he was extremely tired at the beginning, but is not any more. Hang in there, it has been extremely helpful. BTW, we wwent down from 3 mg to 2 mg because we decided after a couple of weeks at 3 mg that he was too tired at 3 mg.

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