Hi Mamas - first, obviously this is a medical question that I'll be taking to my son's prescribing physician (a psychopharmacologist) but wanted to hear some of your experience on some of the best ways to extend the effects of an ADHD medication.
My oldest son randomly decided last week that he would like to go back on his medication, which was a generic form of Adderall XR. He is 16 now and was diagnosed with AD/HD-inattentive years ago and tried meds 2 years ago. Concerta gave him headaches so we moved to Adderall XR at 10 mg. I thought he did well on it but he didn't like the side effects and felt that it didn't help him, so the last few doses sat in the bottle.
Well he has taken the meds twice now and really notices a difference, but says that by 1 PM (he takes it at 7 AM), he feels it wearing off quickly. He would like to be able to focus until after dinner time so that he could get through the school day (until 2:30) and then focus for homework. He's had a long history of poor sleep and takes melatonin and valerian root for that as needed so we don't want something that will leave him sleepless after 9 PM.
For your kids on an XR medication, what have you found to be an effective booster/extender for the afternoon without interfering with sleep? Or has anyone had success in prolonging the effects in terms of hours by increasing the dosage? I don't know if more in his system would make him last longer or if it would just feel like more medication for the same duration? Do kids take an afternoon dose of something short-acting like Ritalin anymore? Or are there better solutions?
Thanks for any experience or recommendations you can share!
If it's the same dosage from 2 years ago it might be too light. Between 14 - 16 typically boys add quite a bit of weight and development, might need to adjust the dose.
My daughter took the short acting Adderall at 2:00, worked like a charm. Taking a second XR at noon made it impossible to sleep. Increasing the dose doesn't make it last longer. If the dose he is on works, stick with it. Just know for what ever reason the short acting has a kick. Don't know if I can explain it well but it doesn't ramp up slowly like the extended does.
Talk to his Dr about vyvance. My son was on the adderall xr. It was great when he was younger. When he hit about 13 it was just not working. A second dose made him wide awake when he needed sleep, constipation and a bad nervous jittery feeling all the time. Vyvance was a miracle for us. He takes it in the morning and it lasts about 10-12 hours. It was a good send during school. Now he works full time and goes to school at the local community college he's doing great.
What time does school star? 7 am sounds very early. Does he need to take it that early? Our school starts at 8:30, so I would probably give the meds at 8:00 or 8:10. That would give him another hour. Something to consider.
I agree that it is possible his meds have lost some potency if they are old. Expired meds do lose some of their effectiveness.
I disagree that "Generic meds have less of the original dose available in the med." that's simply not true. Generics are required by law to have the same active ingredients as the name brand in order to be approved.
Talking to your doctor really is your best bet. Good luck!!!
It's possible that the 10 mg dose isn't the appropriate amount for his body anymore.
Additionally, the shelf life of properly stored (cool, dark, dry) Adderall XR is 2 years for top potency. It is possible that his old pills are not at full strength anymore.
I wouldn't make any assumptions about needing a second dose at this point, because you don't have a good baseline to start from. Too much time has passed. I recommend that he stop taking the old pills until after he sees the doctor.
XR medications are made to past for 12 hours. If he's only taken it twice I suggest the effect may be different once his body adjusts.
There are meds that are not off/on now, but rather are consistent in the system. One of these is Inntuniv (not sure I spelled that right), which one of my sons takes in conjunction with therapy. Good luck.
To clarify: he's taking 2 year old meds, and 10 mg at 7am?
Possibilities: it's a common pharmacology fact that drugs expire, especially generic forms. Generic meds have less of the original dose available in the med, plus with it being expired, it could be weaker, so is being absorbed faster and excreted faster.
Plus he's grown a lot in 2 years. The dose doesn't sound effective.
Having an afternoon crash is common and taking a 2nd 1/2 dose between noon and 2pm is recommended to avoid the crash. Even a cup of strong coffee or other caffeinated beverage would help with the crash.
Probably a good idea to renew your sons' prescription.
I strongly recommend that you make him an appointment with his doctor. Get him on an appropriate medication and dose for his weight.
Vyvanse lasts a lot longer than Adderall XR, and we've had good results with it. Also, Intuniv is added to help in the evenings and with sleep overnight. No, increasing the dose will not make it last any longer. But the bottom line is that you need to quit experimenting with old meds and go talk to his doctor. Kids (and many adults) with ADHD try a number of different meds before they settle on the one or combo that works best for them...but that should be done under the supervision of a doctor.
1) could need an adjustment in dose.
2) have him take it with something lke milk.. the base neutralizes stomach acid and gets more of the med.
3) perhaps a booster dose of ir adderall at lunch? xr doesn't last long for me either so i took 2 xr's a day, but i had no sleep problems..
