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shellyd67 said: So glad I found this site. My 9 year old started Intuniv 1mg for 7 days and then increased to 2mg. He is so tired and his teacher said he was lethargic the last few days. I know all kids are different, but does anyone have any feedback of how long the sleepiness lasts? His pediatrician said to "ride it out" but I need as much info as I can get to rest easy. Thanks !

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I wanted to share my recent experience with Intuniv. My 10 year old son has been on Vyvanse 40mg for the past 2.5 years. The last couple of months, he has really complained about stomachaches and never ate anything from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00. (He made up for it at night) We have also noticed that he just didn't seem to be as happy, and seemed crabby all of the time, especially right after school for a couple of hours. So about 2 weeks ago, our Dr. said we should try Intuniv, and we filled the 3 mg. prescription. Well, by day 2, he was falling asleep by 6:00, and I took his blood pressure which was so low that I had to call the dr and probably should have taken him to the ER. We took him off everything for a few days, and re started him on the 1mg.(which he was supposed to start at and gradually go up to 3 mg.) He has been on 1 mg. for a week and we are starting 2mg tomorrow. It is not working yet and have received calls from the school almost every day this week due ot behavior issues, and he has missed recess 4 times this week due to detentions/ incompleted work. I have explained that it takes time for this medicine to work. On the Vyvanse, I hardly ever received calls. I am giving it time and am so hopeful that the 2mg will make the difference. The positives so far are that he has no more stomachaches, he comes home happier, eats lunch now which makes him feel like he is part of the group. We never realized how sad and angry he was on the Vyvanse until he was off of it for 2 weeks.He begged me to let him keep trying the intuniv because he feels so much better overall. After reading the other posts, I think it is time for me to get a 504 plan for him as well. I will keep you posted.

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Any recent experiences with Intuniv? My 7 yr old has inattentive type ADHD. Various stimulants didn't work, barely ate or slept, made him very sad and he developed a blinking tic. We've been working our way up on Intuniv, started with 1mg, then 2mg, now, after about 6 wks, he's at 3mg. Had started to see a bit more cooperation at home and slightly better focus at school on 2mg. After a few days on 3mg, he's been very tired during the late afternoon, has even fallen asleep before dinner, isn't as cooperative and is more irritable than usual. The doctor says to give it a little time, negative symptoms should subside...

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My five year old has been on Intuniv since February, taking 2mg for the past month or so. This is the first and only medication he's tried. When he first started on 1mg, the first week at school was like a different boy, his behavior and work habits were perfect. After a week though, we had to up to 2mg as his focus and behavior were deteriorating again. It improved after starting 2mg, but still hasn't been quite as great as the first week he started Intuniv. There's an overall improvement, but he still has problems with focus and work. That being said, he has the same problem your son is experiencing with the late afternoon tiredness and lethargy. He gets grouchy and tired around 4PM or so, and often falls asleep by five or six PM. He's going to a day camp at the local children's museum this week, and was asleep on the floor there when my husband picked him up at 5PM. They said he'd been out for 20 minutes. I'm hoping it passes soon. He probably could benefit at school from being on 3mg, but with the way it hits him like a ton of bricks every afternoon, I'm not eager to try it yet.

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Did you try administering the Intuniv at night? That seemed to have helped a little with my son when he was only taking that. As an update for me, we have now had to add Concerta to his daily med menu. That seems to be the ticket for him. He is much better behaved at school and the teacher has reported good days CONSISTENTLY over the last two weeks that he's been on it. She told me he got a little teary when he didn't complete his math quiz during the allotted time but there was no meltdown! Yay! I certainly don't want him to be on all of these meds (Intuniv/Abilify/Concerta) but the doc does not want to take him off of any one just yet. I guess he's waiting to see how he adjusts with the added Concerta first. My advice to you (and anyone reading this) is to just 'keep on keepin' on'. You will find the solution that is right for your child. I have to keep telling myself that, too!

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my almost 4 year old son was put on tenex(1mg in am and 1/2 mg in the evening) and melatonin about 2 months ago,we started noticing that he was having big tantrums around 3pm and very irratiable.our doctor just started my son 3 days ago on intuniv (1mg) i have noticed since he started taking this he has been very very hyper and sensitive. he was more sleepy but could focus on the tenex,but the meltdowns cause the doc to want to try intuniv.has anyone had this happen with the hyper behavior?

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My son is 10 yrs old and had been taking Adderall XR and Strattera for about 3 yrs now. We had been having some major issues with his behavior and him being so emiotional one moment and then so angry the next. Plus he does not sleep well. The biggest issue that we have is he does'nt want to go to school in the morning. Its like he despises to even think that he has to go to school. So last week our doctor told us about Intuniv, we started him on the 1mg and Friday we start 2mg. He is sleeping a lot better now, we really have'nt seen any change other then he is doing a little better with his outburst and he is listening better. I am hoping that we see more improvement in the next week or so when he takes the 2mg.

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ktweetyof3 said:

Its been about eight days now. we started with 1mg and moved five days later. Im very concerned with the fact that she is always tired.She seems to always be falling asleep and although it has helped her adhd I feel as if she is not our daughter so laid back and almost drugged looking in her eyes... Does this go away? I

I have the same concern and question. I have a very small six year old on 1 mg. of intuniv. It's our first attempt at medication for her adhd. She's very sleepy and looks zoned out. Her behavior is markedly better and I'm anxious to see how she does in school, returning after spring break tomorrow. I haven't seen any other comments where people felt their children seemed drugged besides the one above, and was wondering if this would subside if/when the sleepiness does. I switched from giving it to her in the am. to late afternoon, which is working better for her. Tomorrow going in to check bp.

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First of all, thanks to all who've written. I'm a little nervous about starting this med becaue of the low blood pressure issues. How have your kids fared with that aspect? Any fainting or low blood pressure readings? Just how sluggish were your kids when you started the meds?

I have two other kids with adhd/Inattentive issues and only one of those is on Strattera, which working great for him. The kid who is starting the Intuniv has just been diagnosed and is 7. He's a bit more impulsive and hyperactive, but doesn't have trouble at school behaviorally...besides not staying in his seat. I'm a little worried that this med will be too much for him. Yikes!

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So I took the jump and started Intuniv for our 6.5yr old. We are still on our starter pack of 1mg-tonight is our last night. Our son was previously on Vyvanse 30mg and tenex 1mg at night. This is so hard- day 4 was a down turn stomachache and lethargy. The biggest concern is the restless at night. I understand that Intuniv is suppose to have a side effect of being tired and stomach pains, but I thought for sure my son would be sleeping at night. I am so frustrated the doctor wants us to continue to the 2mg and "hopefully" his side effects will subside. I constantly feel like he is a science experiment. I just want him to get some rest. I also have him on melatonin 2mg. His appetite has also changed and not for the better. I trust our developmental ped, but does anyone have any feedback on how long the tiredness last? or any other experiences with side effects or any suggestions?I'll take anything right now!!!!!

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My son is Asperger's with comorbid ADHD. When I read many of these posts I have to wonder if the reason why some people are not finding good results with these medications (specifically the meltdowns, impulsivity, etc) is because the symptoms are not just ADHD. In our case we knew about the Asperger's first, and the ADHD second and I'm glad it worked out that way because we weren't "stuck" with treating only ADHD symptoms. My 7 yr old son takes Concerta 18 mg along with .5 Risperdal in the am and 1 mg in the evening. He's growing out of the Concerta (his height/weight... he's like a weed!) and I've seen some serious downturns in his behavior, esp at home, but I don't just assume that every last challenge is his ADHD. Many many many "disorders" (cringe, I hate that word!) present themselves exactly the same- for example - the defiance, intentionally disturbing others, need for control, arguing, meltdowns? All hallmarks of ODD. Also all hallmarks of Asperger's. The behavior is the same, the reasons FOR The behavior are what is different. The medications used to treat this group vary widely and are not limited to just ADD/ADHD medications. My pediatrician has found that more than 10 percent of cases that parents present as likely add/adhd wind up being allergy, dietary and sleep related. That's a big number and just illustrates that things are not always what they seem.

In our case I'm going to try Intuniv over the summer and see how we do. I'm very encouraged by what I've heard from other parents here and it sounds like it might be a better option than simply increasing medications.

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Has anyone mentioned giving him 5 mg of melatonin after dinner? Our pediatrician suggested it and boy does it work. All natural too!

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Molly Donnelly said: First of all, thanks to all who've written. I'm a little nervous about starting this med becaue of the low blood pressure issues. How have your kids fared with that aspect? Any fainting or low blood pressure readings? Just how sluggish were your kids when you started the meds?

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Just curious, anyone have any results using Intuniv with Prestiq?

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My 7 yr old son was on Intuniv for 2 months and we had one nice week at school. His violent episodes increased slowly, until the school felt it necessary to home tutor him. We took him off of the Intuniv for a week and saw no aggressivness until the 6th day, and then he was only slightly aggressive. His doctor put him on Focalin XR for the days and prozac at night. I kinda liked having my animated, curious, and energetic son back for the week and am apprehensive about putting him on yet another medicine. I liked the Intuniv because it wasn't a stimulant, but it really made him tired and irritable which, I feel, increased the anger. He did wet the bed once when we increased his dosage. He gained some weight. Was very down on himself and everything around him. I am currently using the Nurtured Heart Approach, which is praising him for ANYTHING he does well or right. I admit that at first it was hard for me to find anything to praise, but after doing it for a week, he has begun to show signs of not wanting to break the rules. I feel he has gotten so much negative feedback from his teachers and peers, siblings, virtually everyone he has come in contact with that he needs a boost of esteem. I cannot say if the intuniv has "helped" him feel negative but I must say that I def saw a difference when he was off it for a week.

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My five and a half year old has been on Intuniv for 2 1/2 weeks now. we are on 2 mg. I have noticed that his appetite has decreased and he has become very emotional. He cries very easily and gets sad about things. This is totally not like him at all. He has also begun having very angry/emotional outbursts that are unpredictable. It might be over not wanting to do a chore, or building a tower that didn't go quite right, or not being able to draw a picture quite the way he wants it. He will start by crying then switches to a screaming, yelling, shouting episode where I have to physically remove him to his room and let him yell until he is done (maybe 10-15 minutes) and then go talk to him. He does it at preschool as well and when he is in one of these episodes, he is unreasonable no matter what you tell him or what choice you offer him. anyone else seen this sort of a change since starting intuniv?

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I've been reading everyone's postings about Intuniv. My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5 and we've tried every medication there is (that I know of). He has been on Vyvanse for over a year now, but has always had trouble sleeping and isn't growing and/or gaining weight. He has also been on Remron (an anti-depressant that is also used to stimulate appetitie and help him sleep), since August. We started him on Intuiv (along with the vyvanse) almost a month ago, and I was really hoping it would be the answer for us. Unfortunately, as I e-mailed the doctor today, he is more sensitive, has had meltdowns almost every single day (crying, banging his head against things, etc.), and is much more irritable. I'm so dissappointed because we really wanted to get him off of the stimulants. He's also ticking pretty badly on the vyvanse (verbal tics, facial grimaces). We have an appointment with the doc next week. Has anyone else had a similar experience with Intuniv? Maybe it's because he's taking it with the Vyvanse? Help!

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stressedmom- We experienced all the things you listed. Just with all the other drugs it works for some and it doesn't for the others. Sad because it would be wonderful to get them off the stimulants. Best of luck! Kevsmom-we started doing the same thing, a ton of praise and it is working slowly. Since we started we've seen more good choices, fewer meltdowns, and our happy boy back some of the time. Don't get me wrong we still deal with issues everyday, but every once and awhile he surprises us with a "normal" (whatever that means) reaction to situations.

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Hi Everyone, I am so glad I found this site. I have an awesome 8 yo daughter who was diagnosed with ADHD a little over a year ago. She was given Adderall XR and took that for a year before it just didn't work anymore. Then she took Vyvanse for 6 weeks. I should have called the doctor after 4 weeks. It seems the Vyvanse didn't change anything at all until about the 3rd or 4th week and then it was absolutely horrible. My daughter's grades went way down, her focus was gone, she was extremely moody, uncooperative, and everything I said or asked her to do was up for argument. My girl turned into this mean, nasty girl that I knew was not her. Then came the Intuniv. Unfortunately, Sydney's doctor doesn't explain a lot about any new medicines so I have to do the research myself, which is fine, I'm comfortable with that. I was really nervous about giving it to her, and I'm still pretty nervous since it has only been a few days, but I wanted to share my experience so far....

Day 1 started this past Saturday and I immediately got my happy little girl back. I haven't seen that happiness in over a year. Ever since she started taking ADHD medicine, the happiness was gone. I always felt stuck between having a happy child who struggled in school, or a sad child who was doing better in school. Now, she is such a joy to be around. The first 2 days she was very hyper, couldn't sit still, but it wasn't fidgety type behavior. It was more of a normal 8 yo child wanting to play and run around and have a good time. And her appetite went through the roof! I thought Saturday she was going to eat everything in the house! Her appetite is still really good, but not until she's been awake for a couple of hours. Monday, she was a little less hyper, able to sit down and eat an entire meal at the table, but still happy! She went back to school on Tuesday and I sent a note to her teacher explaining the change, but there have been no negative reports from the teacher. One of my biggest concerns is the sleeping. She does not get sleepy during the day but by 7pm, she is out. I can wake her to get her in the tub and all the normal bedtime things that have to be done, but she does go right back to sleep after that. She sleeps all night until I get her up for school. Right now that's about 10 hours. On the other meds, it was extremely difficult to get her to sleep. I'm hoping that will wear off. I would be comfortable with 9 hours of sleep for her. So far, the only things she has complained about were some stomach pain and she had a headache all day on Tuesday.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! This has been so helpful for me!

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My 17 year old son has OCD, ADHD, and bi-polar depression. He's been on Vyvanse for a few years with great success, but that's petered out lately. He began Intuniv yesterday. So far he's just slept all day and been angry and defiant the few times he's woken up. When did any of you see an improvement? I'm just praying that this works for him.

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My son has been diagnosed with depression, adhd and odd. His meds are still being "tweaked." We saw a new dr. today that wants to try Intuniv. Right now he is on Focalin xr 10mg in the morning and focalin xr 5mg at noon and lexapro 5mg. It seems like this regimen has helped some but by the time the late afternoon or early evening gets here he goes buck wild and becomes very argumentative, difiant and just downright disrespectful.

We are at our wits end. We are also putting him in an anger management group for kids and while he is doing his group they have one for the parents to attend simultaneously. I definitely believe praising a child with ADHD is very important....really for every child, but especially for those children like ours.

Just very frustrated and hopeful Intuniv will work for us. I want my happy, sweet loving little boy back.

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Yay! I am so happy I stumbled upon this site. My daughter is now 7 years of age and was diagnosed at age 4. At age 4 we started seeing a Psychologist for therapy and eventually added a pediatric Psychiatrist closer to age 5 when she was in Pre-K for meds. We too have tried basically every med under the sun never finding the right combination. With Adderal, Strattera, etc. we had bad side effects (very lethargic or very nauseated). In Kindergarten she took Focalin which was increased periodically and worked great until about 3 weeks before school was out. During the summer we tried Vyvanse which was honestly like giving her candy, it was horrible. We revisited the Daytrana patches and she would sneak and peel them off. She started 1st grade with Concerta which worked for a while but it seemed to stop working even after increasing mg. Her pediatric psych. left the practice and went to work for another center but did not take private insurance any longer. I panicked and stressed a bit worrying that we were going to have to start all over and as most of you know, good pediatric pshychiatrists are not in abundance. However, we were able to find a great ped. psych another town over and have been very pleased. This Dr. took my daug. off the Prozac (had been on for moodiness) and Clonidine (BP med that helped her body rest enough to where she could go to sleep at night), left her on her Focalin and just increased the mg. and added the Intuniv 1 mg. My daug is now in her 8th week of Intuniv 3 mg and I have seen some great results, but others not so good. Behavior wise she seems much calmer and not quite as impulsive. The last few weeks she has been very moody, irritable and just pure snappy at everyone; mornings are usually blow ups over teeth brushing, etc. sometimes turning into crying episodes and whining. The sleeping issue has been horrid. About two weeks after the Clonidine was stopped, she started staying up late hours or gets up in the middle of the night and stays awake for several hours(tried Melatonin and it doesn't work for her). The Dr. originally said my daug. could not be on the Intuniv and Clonidine together, but our pharmacist says she can. Help! Can anyone relate to our issues and does anyone have thoughts or suggestions?

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Yes, she can be on both, but you have to decrease the clonodine as you increase the intuniv. We did both for quite awhile, but ended the intuniv because the dose that was effective was putting our son to sleep around 6 pm. He complained of being tired throughout the day, it just wasn't working out. He now takes Focalin (like you we've tried all the others, and this one works the best) then clonodine and resperidol at night. The resperiol is new and he is at a very low dose. It's stll far from perfect, and summer vacation is proving to be very difficult. Good luck, hope you find the balance for your daughter. Jayme

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hi all, i am new to this site and was reading your posts on the intuniv. my 7 year old took clonidine in the evening and sertraline in the am. he suffers from tourettes, ocd, add, anxiety. can have oppositional behavior and is impulsive. first 2 weeks at 1mg behavior was worse. dr. said 1 mg was like taking nothing. went to 2 mg. in evening. day one he was an emotional nightmare. i had to get my 3 year old out of the house. dr. said this is not generally what they see and we could either stop or try a few more days. we went back to 1 mg for the weekend (family in town) then tried 2 mg again last night and he is better this am than the first time we tried 2mg. Dr. says this med. is usually given in am but was just too sedating for him. at the same time however he has a really hard time going to bed after taking it. he yawns but cant stay still. i will post more as the weeks go.

in the meantime, i urge you all to look into food sensitivities. through trial and error and a bloodtest we have found many things he is sensitive to and DRAMATICALLY effect his behavior. food colorings...especially RED 40, milk, whey, sodium benzoate all make him much more agressive. he now can tell me (and will often hand foods back to me) when he feels he is reacting to them. says it feels like he starts to vibrate inside. Try avoiding these one at a time for 5 days. reintorduce on day 6 and see what happens. we did this with milk and when we reintoduced he was throwing our lawn chairs in the back yard in a fit of rage. seems like more and more i see major brands offering all natural no preservatives and colors. just a thought. if you need suggestions i would be ore than happy to help!!!

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