My son is 5 years old. I was told in April that he has ADHD. So I have tried everything exept putting him on med. Until now. Due to nothing has changed in his behavor. The Dr has started him on focalin xr 5mgs. How fast should I see a diffrence or change???
I am just wondering if it start right away or if it takes a couple of hours or days
It has been my experience with most ADHD drugs, to allow two full weeks for it to do what it is supposed to do, if you do not like the results, make sure you are giving it as prescribed, and wait the full two weeks, then go in and tell them this is/is not working. hope this helps.
You should see results right away. It works really fast, within an hour, at least. It lasts about 8 hours, but the last hour is not at calm as the first, obviously, since it's wearing off. But it does help them focus tons more. It DOES curb their appetite, though. I don't know if you already saw that; so, I like to give it right after they've eaten, rather than before. That way, they eat a good meal before going without the next one.
My son has ADHD and we started him on Adderall XR 10 mgs (which would be equal to 5 mgs of Focalin, when he was seven years old. As soon as the medicine was in his system (about 20 minutes) we could see a change in his behavior. He would calm down and be much more cooperative. Most of the teachers commented on the change within the first day or two at school. His grades went up to straight A's in the first six weeks and more unbelievable he went from many X's in conduct to straight checks. We switched him to Focalin XR 10 mgs when he was 12 years old. Again, the change was almost immediate. It is my understanding that with these types of medicine, the effect is obvious within 30 minutes and wears off after 6-8 hours. There is no long term effect. It only works while the medicine is in his system. This is true with all of the stimulants - Focalin, Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, etc. If you are not seeing a noticable change the first few days, then he may need to try a higher dosage or a different medicine.
There are some other types of medications, like Strattera, that take a month or two to work. We also tried this when he was about 7 or 8, but it only seemed to make him drowsy and obstinate. We kept him on it for a month, then went back to Adderall.
Not every child reacts the same to each medication. Some kids do better on one kind than another. But you really should see a significant difference the very first week.
I too have ADHD and have tried Focalin XR 5 mgs and It did not work for me. Please be aware of the side effects. It made me graugy, loss of appetite, irritable. Ritalin and Adderall did the same as well.
I typically takes about 2 wks but you will know sooner if if going to works for him.
I hope this helps.
M.
K.,
For my son, the medicine took exactly 1 hour to work.
Jen
