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DS has been on concerta but is having terrible tics and bedtime is still a nightmare since the dose has worn off by then. I'm interested in who has switched from a stim to a non-stim (Intuniv) and had success? was the focus still improved, did tics go away, any worrisome side effects like the blood pressure?
did you end up having to add a stimulant back in because non-stim wasn't cutting it in all areas? thanks! |
| We tried two nonstimulants. First was Straterra. It did nothing. Second was Intuniv. That caused my son to become violent - think like police come and take your child away violent. We went back to stimulants. |
jesus, i'm so sorry. what stimulant works for him? does it cause tics? -OP |
Thanks. Vyvanse is what he takes. I think there may have been side effects - he had been picking and scratching his face until the entire face was scabs. He underwent some med changes and it stopped. I was concerned that it had been Vyvanse but when he went back on, that did not start again. So I don’t really know. It all feels like such a crapshoot. Good luck. |
| we switched to Intuniv about 3 months ago - couldnt tolerate Stim Side Effects. DC is definitely a lot more chill and eats/sleeps so much better. Dont know yet if academically it will be enough but it has been so good for DC to get off stims. |
can you share what the stim side effects were? -OP |
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Watch their weight on Intuniv. It causes weight gain.
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This was us. Intuniv worked amazing for a few months but I think it slowed my DS’s metabolism and made him hungry. The change was subtle at first, but after a while, his face was chubby and the weight gain was apparent. Psychiatrist said he’s never heard of Intuniv to cause side effects, but the doctor has his head in the clouds regarding “side effects” in general. After a while, my son became sluggish and tired so we weaned off. But, my friend’s son is skinny as a rail and takes Intuniv in addition to his stimulant. They say it helps. We tried so many stimulants and combinations to find success, which still wasn’t the magic solution I thought it would be. The trial and error can be really difficult. |
Ugh these psychiatrists. Mine tried to say Lexapro doesn't cause weight gain even though my DD gained 15lbs in less than 3 months. Looked online and anywhere and EVERYWHERE it says it causes weight gain. Same with Intuniv. It's so frustrating. |
It is frustrating and SSRIs are notorious for weight gain! Our doctor is so adamant that side effects don’t frequently happen (he said stimulant tolerance is a myth, stimulants don’t really worsen anxiety) that I dread even talking to him about this stuff. He acts as if my child is the only one who took some trial and error. |
Get a new doctor! |