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Contemplating Intuniv
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<blockquote data-quote="WearyWoman" data-source="post: 386710"><p>Hi there, and welcome!</p><p> </p><p>I hope my experience can help you in some way. Our youngest boy, Bubby, age 9, has had quite severe ADHD, with symptoms since infancy. He also has an autism spectrum disorder (Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) - not otherwise specified). We have tried various stimulant medications and found Concerta to be ineffective (although it works alright for our older son) and Adderall to cause severe late-day aggressiveness. The best medication we found for the ADHD is Focalin XR. It works amazingly well, but with one caveat - it seems to result in irritability in the afternoon (not as bad as Adderall, though). So, while Bubby would do very well at school throughout the day, he'd come home and experience agitation in the evening. </p><p> </p><p>We've tried a lot of things, and recently our pediatrician recommended Intuniv. She has seen many children able to come off of their stimulants with the use of Intuniv. In addition, she explained that Intuniv seems to act as a mood stabilizer in children. Bubby has a marked tendency toward agitation and moodiness with his Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). While it's always an ordeal to make medication changes, we decided to give it a try. At first, the Intuniv caused daytime sleepiness, but Bubby eventually adjusted. We took him off the Focalin, but found that he was super hyper without it. It was a disappointment that he couldn't come off of the Focalin, but we put him back on it, as he clearly couldn't manage without it.</p><p> </p><p>With a lot of trial and error, what seems to be working quite well is a combination of Focalin XR and Intuniv. He takes just one dose of each in the morning. The Focalin helps his severe ADHD quite well, and the Intuniv has made it easier for him in the afternoons. In the afternoons, he is now happy, pleasant, and talkative, which is especially wonderful given his autism spectrum disorder. This is the best medication result we've had by far.</p><p> </p><p>The Intuniv requires gradual dosage increases, and we found that 3 mg was too much and actually caused opposite effects of what we wanted, but when we reduced the Intuniv back down to 2 mg, it worked really well. </p><p> </p><p>As for side effects, the Focalin does cause some appetite supression, however, Bubby does eat well later in the day. It can also cause difficulty with falling asleep, but the Intuniv seems to help that now. The Intuniv initially caused some noticeable drowsiness, but this didn't occur after a couple of weeks. And the higher dosage seemed to cause irritability.</p><p> </p><p>I know it's a big decision. I've been where you are - scared and wishing my child didn't need any medications. Honestly, though, now I'm so glad we pursued it. His life and ours are so much better.</p><p> </p><p>It's easy for someone else to say what you should or shouldn't do, but ultimately, your family is living with the very real effects of disruptive behaviors and the impact on quality of life for everyone involved. Many of these kids benefit from medications. Under the supervision of a qualified pediatrician or psychiatrist, it's probably worth a try. Each child is different. </p><p> </p><p>I hope you find something that helps.</p><p> </p><p>(((hugs)))</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="WearyWoman, post: 386710"] Hi there, and welcome! I hope my experience can help you in some way. Our youngest boy, Bubby, age 9, has had quite severe ADHD, with symptoms since infancy. He also has an autism spectrum disorder (Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) - not otherwise specified). We have tried various stimulant medications and found Concerta to be ineffective (although it works alright for our older son) and Adderall to cause severe late-day aggressiveness. The best medication we found for the ADHD is Focalin XR. It works amazingly well, but with one caveat - it seems to result in irritability in the afternoon (not as bad as Adderall, though). So, while Bubby would do very well at school throughout the day, he'd come home and experience agitation in the evening. We've tried a lot of things, and recently our pediatrician recommended Intuniv. She has seen many children able to come off of their stimulants with the use of Intuniv. In addition, she explained that Intuniv seems to act as a mood stabilizer in children. Bubby has a marked tendency toward agitation and moodiness with his Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). While it's always an ordeal to make medication changes, we decided to give it a try. At first, the Intuniv caused daytime sleepiness, but Bubby eventually adjusted. We took him off the Focalin, but found that he was super hyper without it. It was a disappointment that he couldn't come off of the Focalin, but we put him back on it, as he clearly couldn't manage without it. With a lot of trial and error, what seems to be working quite well is a combination of Focalin XR and Intuniv. He takes just one dose of each in the morning. The Focalin helps his severe ADHD quite well, and the Intuniv has made it easier for him in the afternoons. In the afternoons, he is now happy, pleasant, and talkative, which is especially wonderful given his autism spectrum disorder. This is the best medication result we've had by far. The Intuniv requires gradual dosage increases, and we found that 3 mg was too much and actually caused opposite effects of what we wanted, but when we reduced the Intuniv back down to 2 mg, it worked really well. As for side effects, the Focalin does cause some appetite supression, however, Bubby does eat well later in the day. It can also cause difficulty with falling asleep, but the Intuniv seems to help that now. The Intuniv initially caused some noticeable drowsiness, but this didn't occur after a couple of weeks. And the higher dosage seemed to cause irritability. I know it's a big decision. I've been where you are - scared and wishing my child didn't need any medications. Honestly, though, now I'm so glad we pursued it. His life and ours are so much better. It's easy for someone else to say what you should or shouldn't do, but ultimately, your family is living with the very real effects of disruptive behaviors and the impact on quality of life for everyone involved. Many of these kids benefit from medications. Under the supervision of a qualified pediatrician or psychiatrist, it's probably worth a try. Each child is different. I hope you find something that helps. (((hugs))) [/QUOTE]
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