the different medications can operate differently. Some deliver a stronger dose in the morning, others may have a more even distribution. Focalin doesn't have as many of the side effects of some of the other methylphenidate forms because it is a variant called dexmethylphenidate. I believe there is a form of Metadate that comes in a capsule form that can be broken and sprinkled over food or in a drink. Everyone's body metabolizes medications at a different rate and may respond differently. Many times it's a matter of trial and error.

You also need to pay attention to when the side effects are occurring. Are they constant, only in the morning, at the end of the day when the medication is wearing off? Drinks with citric acid, such as orange juice, if taken with the medication, can reduce the effectiveness of the medication.

Good luck with finding what works for your child.

Elaine

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since the Concerta worked well for him, you might want to ask your doctor about the Metadate that comes in the capsule form since it is another form of methylphenidate. Also, some children become more emotional as the medication is coming out of their system. And the dosage might be too strong.

Elaine

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Elaine, Thanks for the encouragement. It was so disappointing when we realized he couldn't swallow the concerta without a long struggle. The two days he took it, it worked wonderfully! I had never considered the fact that the amount of methylphenidate in his system varied during the day depending on what type of med he was on. I will definitely hang in there and keep working with him! Jessica

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My 6 year old takes concerta. When she was first diagnosed at 5 years old we gave it to her in yogurt. She took it great and now takes it just with water. We tried the Daytrana patch but she had more side effects and we went back to Concerta. She takes a small ritalin tablet first thing when she wakes up so we can get her dressed for school and she then takes the concerta. She is doing so much better.

Marilyn

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I don't have a perspective on your specific question, but in our experience, when trying new medications, my son has had a week or two of emotional side effects and then things have smoothed out. In general though, I haven't found nearly enough information (beyond trial-and-error) when it comes to side effects like those you describe between different formulations and medications. It's true that my 6 y.o. hasn't had bad side effects on Focalin. The pills are tiny, Could your child "practice" on something maybe less threatening, ie. a tiny candy or something?

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When Justin was about 3 1/2 years old he choked on a fruit snack. He was able to cough it up and there were no serious complications, but every since then he has been told to "chew your food before you swallow it" and he has always been scared of choking. Even though we've explained to him that the concerta pill will not hurt him, he doesn't seem able to get over the fear of choking. We tried milkshakes, pudding, applesauce, drinking through a straw, Redi Whip and Jell-O. That was about four weeks ago. Now he has agreed to start practicing with mini M&Ms, that way it is non-threatening and he can chew it up if he gets scared. While we practice swallowing pills, we will continue the trial and error of finding a different medicine. I am hoping that the Metadate CD might be a good option. It goes into the blood stream, peaks and declines at a similar rate to Concerta, where as the Daytrana patch had a rapid rise, peak and then a very rapid decline. I think that is what made it so hard for him as the medicine wore off. It was not gradual at all.

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My son developed tics when taking Ritalin, but did okay on Daytrana. Both meds though impacted his appetite terribly.

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