If your kid took ADHD meds...

[IvyInFlorida]

...about how often over the years did the dose need to be increased?  My almost 10 year old son has been on Focalin XR for about 2 years.  10mg was the starting dose, about 9 months later needed 15 mg, about 9 months ago needed to add a short-acting 5 mg dose in the afternoon.  Now he is showing the signs that he needs another increase (very easily distracted, massive amounts of loud random noise, being bossy/controlling, blurting out random stuff, taking greater physical risks, etc.).  Is it normal to have to up it so often?  Will it continue like this?

By the way, he gets TONS of physical exertion (trampoline, martial arts), eats a healthy homemade diet, and has a structured, stable home life.

Thanks!

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

It could be that you are still settling into the right dose. That can take time. Your doctor may have started small and inching up until you get right fit.  Each individual metabolizes the medication differently.  All my adhd’ers take a long acting, and have short acting as needed when the long acting wears off. 

Most of our changes in dosing occurred after significant growth changes.  It’s more effective if I am providing sufficient scaffolding and skill building. It’s a long game but after years the progress is visible. Mine are older teens now. 

[wendyroo]

All three of my boys have gone on Focalin (not XR) just before they turned 6. They all started at 10mg, but only for a couple weeks because we were told that was a very low dose. My third son started at 10 mg in March, moved up to 20 mg in April, and the doctor told me to just let her know if/when I want to bump him up to 25. That is the dose the older boys take - 10mg early in the morning, 10 more late in the morning and 5 more mid afternoon. They then take a non-stimulant med in the early evening to help them stay calm enough to fall asleep. 

Wendy

[Lady Florida.]

12 hours ago, PinkyandtheBrains. said:

 

It could be that you are still settling into the right dose. That can take time. Your doctor may have started small and inching up until you get right fit.  Each individual metabolizes the medication differently.  All my adhd’ers take a long acting, and have short acting as needed when the long acting wears off. 

Most of our changes in dosing occurred after significant growth changes.  It’s more effective if I am providing sufficient scaffolding and skill building. It’s a long game but after years the progress is visible. Mine are older teens now. 

Yes to this. Re the first paragraph: Doctors will usually try to start out with the lowest effective dose and the only way to know if it's effective is to prescribe it. It's not uncommon to change doses at first until hitting on the one that works. It's also not uncommon to try different medications since they are all a bit different and individuals react differently to each type. FWIW, Focalin didn't work at all for ds.

As for changing doses once he was settled in to what worked, it happened for ds just as Pinky describes. As he got older (bigger) that's when most of our dose (and sometimes medication) changes came. Mine is 21 now and has been taking Adderall since his late teens. He finished growing a long time ago and his dose hasn't changed since I think he was 16 or 17. 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Lady Florida.

[mumto2]

I just saw this thread which sort of matches a post I made over on General Ed this morning.  Quoting myself in case it helps someone here.  It’s supposed to be a FutureLearn free course about all the latest ADHD research.

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

I thought I would post a link here in case someone finds it useful.  It’s from King’s College London.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/understanding-adhd