Thoughts on ADHD meds only on school days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD only takes Concerta on school days. She adjusts fine. Vyvanse made her mean.

Same boat here.

[Anonymous]

MY DS takes his on weekends too and it helps with focus for reading, sports, dinner table, etc. I feel like it's good for him to be consistent.

[Anonymous]

I give ds his meds every day. I also let him eat whenever he's hungry - even if it means he's eating very late at night. Our kitchen is always open for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS1, who had ADHD-Inattentive, takes meds only for school and homework. DS2, who has ADHD-Combined, takes them every day, because the impulsivity interferes with social and familial functioning. DS2's psychiatrist pointed out that while he has learned enough self-control strategies to function on a lower dose on weekends, it's unfair to expect him to function well with no meds at all.

This is the case for our 2 kids. DC1 takes concerta only on school days because he's inattentive and had no behavioral issues. DC2 takes it everyday because she is so impulsive and short fused and the concerta really helps with that. She is happier and more pleasant on the medicine. For DC1, concerta hasn't affected appetite but it's been an issue for DC2. He is significantly underweight so even with concerta only on weekdays, his weight is a big concern. We try to do a big breakfast and dinner but that really is just enough to maintain his weight. We tried boost and ensure and he hated it. I started making a snack bar with nuts, peanut butter, dates and honey as a supplement because it was high calorie and nutrient dense and that helped a little but not enough so we are now thinking of stopping the meds entirely. The doctors warned against using unhealthy foods to help him bulk up so we're out of options. For him, it will mean school is a little harder but not impossible. I describe it as A- vs A+. But if we were in this boat with DC1, we'd have huge issues with functioning and would probably resort to a milkshake a day.

[Anonymous]

40 mg seems awfully high. At what age do they take medication in this high of a dose?

[Anonymous]

My DS 10 and half just moved up to 40 mg.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:40 mg seems awfully high. At what age do they take medication in this high of a dose?

My DD's dr. increased her dose to 40 mg Vyvanse right around her 10th birthday. 30 mg was starting to wear off before school got out, and was completely worn off during homework.