Meds: Covering the School Day
Q:
"My son takes a small dose of Focalin each morning before school. His teacher says that he is a model student until around noon - then he starts to get "silly." What's going on?"
A:
Focalin tablets typically last about four hours, so, odds are, it's simply a matter of his morning dose wearing off. Ask the doctor if your son should take a second dose around noon, or should switch to a long-acting stimulant medication that would cover the entire school day. If you decide on a noontime dose, your son should go to the nurse's office to take it.
Larry Silver, M.D., is the author of Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on AD/HD and The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
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