Crimson Wife Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Does anyone have their child taking Intuniv for ADHD and/or working memory issues? Due to some life circumstances, there's a real possibility we may need to stop HS for a time and put my older two in PS :( so that I can resume FT employment. DS was recently diagnosed by our pediatric neurologist with ADHD-combined and anxiety. Oldest DD is suspected of possibly having ADD and/or working memory issues plus she definitely also has some anxiety. At home, I've been able to work around these issues but in a PS environment, I know they're going to need medication to function :( In researching options for pharmaceutical treatment of ADHD, I came across Intuniv. WebMD claims that it helps with working memory improvement, distractibility reduction, response inhibition improvement, attention control, and anxiety. Those sound like exactly the areas where my kids would most need the help. Anybody have experience with Intuniv? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) Does anyone have their child taking Intuniv for ADHD and/or working memory issues? Due to some life circumstances, there's a real possibility we may need to stop HS for a time and put my older two in PS :( so that I can resume FT employment. DS was recently diagnosed by our pediatric neurologist with ADHD-combined and anxiety. Oldest DD is suspected of possibly having ADD and/or working memory issues plus she definitely also has some anxiety. At home, I've been able to work around these issues but in a PS environment, I know they're going to need medication to function :( In researching options for pharmaceutical treatment of ADHD, I came across Intuniv. WebMD claims that it helps with working memory improvement, distractibility reduction, response inhibition improvement, attention control, and anxiety. Those sound like exactly the areas where my kids would most need the help. Anybody have experience with Intuniv? It was effective for anxiety and controlled distractibility. It took awhile to get past the initial downer effect. Ds slept a lot at first. It became apparent that he needed the highest dose for full functionality, but could not handle it. His blood pressure dropped too low. I think if he could have handled it, it would have been a better option than the stimulant he is on now. ETA: If you want Intuniv on board for school, I would start it now or at least soon. I think it takes longer to adjust to and get the dosage right on Intuniv than most other ADHD meds. That is my experience after acclimating ds to various ADHD meds. Edited July 11, 2012 by jewellsmommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Intuniv is the long acting version of Guanficine. We found Guanficine to be a wonder drug for our dd who has ADHD combined (severe). It really worked with the impulsive sensory side of her. We just started Intuniv because she may be going to PS Full-day Kinder and we need something that won't wear off. I haven't noticed a difference yet but we are only a week into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Our pediatrician is out of town and the soonest appointment we could get is the 20th. Assuming she is willing to write a trial prescription without requiring a referral to a NP or behavioral pediatrician, that would give the kids 5 weeks to adjust to Intuniv before PS starts. I'm praying that we will be able to continue HS but everything's in such flux right now that we simply do not know at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessAriel Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 NT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnlvr Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 My ds10 took this med for a few years. We tried MANY meds before finding it.... 1. It was the best thing we could find for him that allowed him to manage in a classroom situation. 2. He was on a sub-therapeutic dose and it worked great. His "dose" was to be 4mg, but as we ramped it up week-by-week and he seemed to be best (lowest side effects, highest therapeutic value) at 2mg. We got him down to 1mg and when he came home for good, we weaned him off. 3. *He took it as soon as he got home from school*. (330pm). He was REALLY tired at bedtime, slept all night, and awoke refreshed and happy. With med already on board, he could do his day at school and not be drooling/tired, etc. I was told to give it in the morning, but then he was worthless from lunchtime on and even fell asleep on the bus. 4. Did I mention that mornings were GREAT?! "Good morning, mama, I love you...." And I didn't have to "get him ready"....he could get ready for school on his own (a miracle in itself). I would use this medication again if ds needed to go to ps for some reason. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaT Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 We tried it but couldn't get past day five I think. My DD7 had a completely flat affect and nothing to say. It made me want to cry every time I looked at her. It took care of the ADHD I guess, but it pretty much took all of her energy and her entire personality away. I knew it was supposed to take quite a while to see the true results but I had to take her off it. I wish it had worked for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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