my son charlie age 9 was diagnosed with adhd 2yrs ago.at present he is taking 36mg of concerta xl [ritalin] o?

Question

charlie has no appetite at all,he is losing weight and not looking well.i have contacted doctors and we have appointment next week.does anyone have any tips to encourage eating or know of any vitamin drinks he may like? lynnetta

Answer 1

my son is almost 7 he has adhd and he takes 27 mg of concerta,he started out on 18mg in the first 2 weeks he's appetite wasn't good but than it came back and it was fine, I'm not a doctor but that seems like to much medicine (36mg concerta plus ritalin)my son's doctor wanted to keep my son on 18 mg and just add ritalin 5mg at night but i don't want him on ritalin cause I've heard to many things about it.concerta has helped my son alot he is able to focus at school at lot better,also try not giving it to him everyday i give my son his medicine only on school days not on weekends or holidays,try Pediasure my mother swears by the stuff they have drinks and snack bars and when he does get hungry make him a big meal I had to do that in the mornings with my son,hope this helps good luck

Answer 2

Speaking as a college student who has ADD I can give you a better perspective, from the other side.
I take Concerta 36mg. In high school I took 56mg maybe 62mg. not too sure. However, It was tough. Somedays I really didn't want to be on medication anymore. At school I was mellow, too serious, and not very hungry. But thinking back on how the medication helped, it was worth it. When not on my medication I couldn't follow along with the teacher, so I'd fall asleep or do other things then when homework time came I had no clue what to do. Essays were even worse! Try organizing your thoughts then getting it down on paper when there are a millions things going on in your head.
I recommend, working close with your son. Try out the options. My mom changed my diet, got me extra help in school, taught me to organize, and most importantly my doctor and mom asked me my opinion.(all before we tried medication) We tried everything before giving me medication. I actually started the meds. in 3rd grade then stopped in Jr. High to see how I would cope then my doctor asked me how I thought I was doing and if school was okay. Make sure you always include your son and regularly monitor the ADHD, sometimes it can be a phase, other problem, or disappear with age or coping.

As far as food goes, give it some time usually you adjust. For him maybe try pediasure or pedialite or fun snacks like fruit snacks or PB&J cut with fun cookie cutters. Vitamin Water is also good. Tons of vitamins and no juice. It is in the water section of your grocery store. Also feed him right after he takes his concerta, pack him lunch and include some fun snacks, then once his medication wears give him a hearty dinner.

Also take the meds only when needed, like only for school, You don't want him to feel he needs the medication to function. Encourage him to work hard and help him do things without Medication. In high school I realized That I am not always going to get special attention and I can't be on Medication my whole life so I just worked harder than everyone else. I spent more time on my homework but the fact that I did it on my own was worth it. Slowly I am weaning off the meds.
**** LUCK!

Answer 3

My little girl had the same problem, She's on Adderall XR. What I do is allow her to eat as much as she want an hour before she takes her med. Normally that's around 6 am, during the day she allowed to snack if she wants but she wont eat a regular lunch. Her meds start to wear off around 7 or 8 and that when she eats dinner. Most of the meds they have for ADHD suppress hunger. There is a new one I believe its call flosolex, Its not suppose to have any side effects. If he is not looking well the best thing to do is to see his doctor.

Answer 4

Hello,
I am so sorry your son is suffering from this illness, it can't be a pleasant thing for you, him or any member of you family, I am not sure that any medication that can be prescribed for him is really going to work, because most of what is prescribed for people with this illness today is usually some kind of 'downer' I remember 25 years ago, when my son was prescribed a medication called 'Melloril', Wow what a let down that was, it was supposed to calm him down, and I would much rather have had him running around the rooftops, screaming and swearing all over the neighbourhood. So, I took the time myself to spend a lot of time with my young John, and talked him through all his troubles, and he really and honestly did grow out of it, and today he is a small business man in Galway in Ireland, and I am so proud of him.....
It would sewem to me just from my own ability to love and talk to him more, each and every day that an improvement is at the light at the end of a very long and equally dark tunnel, catch him now, and you will save him later, so he can live a lovingly long and even more, productive life, and he will of course love you back for it.....But my dear friend You are going to need an awful lot of patience, love and maybe some of us caring people on this wonderful Yahoo site can offer a little help for you, from time to time.....Finally diet is important so keep the E NUMBERS out of his diet, "no additives or preservatives are better for him, so offer pure fruit juices, and plenty of really fresh foods too, this way you are contributing wisely to his early recovery. Good luck with your youngster, Tony M...

Answer 5

My son Austin was diagnosed w/ ADHD and ODD when he was 7 years old. He is now 12 and we have run through different drugs to find the perfect one. We tried Concerta at one point and he had slight weight loss but our biggest concern was loss of sleep. I worked overnights and he would call me at work at 5 am and tell me he couldn't sleep but he had to be up for school at 7 am.

We also tried Strattera as it is a non narcotic but that had NO effect on him what so ever. We also tried Adderall XR ( time release) but that wore out of his system before school was over.
Now we have him on straight Adderall ( max dose for his weight 40 mg) and it works wonderful. His appetite is like any other teen, when he is busy he has none, but at dinner time he eats like normal.

Hope that answers your question, and as for others who say you shouldn't put your child on any meds, well tell them to deal w/ a child w/ ADD, ADHD, ODD, BIPOLAR, ETC. and see if they don't change their minds. I would rather have my son an a med that will help him to focus and succeed rather than give him none at all and watch him fail. If Austin wouldn't take his meds , then at school he would fall so far behind, because the meds help him to focus, they are for him NOT for the teachers and others that would have to deal w/ the hyperness.

Wish you the best of luck!!
From a mom who's been there- Soul

Answer 6

My son is on it too and has lost weight. I was told by the paediatrician that it does not stay in the system so I have come to a sort of compromise. On school days he takes it as life is too difficult for him without it. We skip the evening and weekend tabs unless we have something on where he needs to concentrate etc. It has affected his growth but without it he wouldn't manage. I know people say its bad etc, but think of how he would be without it at all. Its not just him coping, its all that are around him that have to cope and understand. Talk to the doctor.

Answer 7

My advice is a completely different medication. Ritalin is often referred to as "kiddie coke" because that's essentially what it is. Low grade cocaine. Adderall is the same way. When you give children mind controlling drugs to help them with their conditions there is usually always some sort of side effect. Try a different med and see if it helps. Good luck

Answer 8

you need to take him off of that poison. my dad used to work in mental health care, and he's told me of a whole lot of youngsters that the state or city put on that medicine, and it usually makes them act all strange, like a robot or something. You should take him off of it for a while, and take him to the doctor to find out what exactly is going on.

Answer 9

My youngest daughters have micophalcey and have to drink fortsip which doesn,t taste to great but there is a powder shake(not sure what the name is)that your doctors can prescribe that tastes great~My girls love it.Try asking your doctor..I wish you lots of luck & love