![]() ![]() It may take some time to find the best medication, dosage, and schedule for your child. Which ADHD medication is best for my child? Your doctor or pharmacist can proside you with important safety information for the products listed. Products are mentioned for informational purposes only and do not imply an endorsement by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Intermediate-acting methylphenidate stimulantsĮxtended-release methylphenidate (skin patch)Įxtended-release methylphenidate (liquid) Methylphenidate (tablet, liquid, and chewable tablets) Non-stimulant ADHD medication can be tried when stimulant medications don't work or cause bothersome side effects. However, extended-release capsules that are made up of beads can be opened and sprinkled onto food for children who have difficulties swallowing tablets or capsules. It is important not to chew or crush extended-release capsules or tablets. Children who take extended-release forms of stimulants can avoid taking medication at school or after school. Extended-release medications usually are taken once in the morning.Įxtended-release (intermediate-acting and long-acting) medications are usually taken once in the morning. They are the cheapest of the medications. Immediate-release (short-acting) medications usually are taken every 4 hours, when needed. Studies show that about 80% of children with ADHD who are treated with stimulants improve a great deal once the right medication and dose are determined. Stimulants may be used alone or combined with behavior therapy to treat children with ADHD. This makes them more able to pay attention and control their behavior. As glasses help people focus their eyes to see, these medications help children with ADHD focus their thoughts better and ignore distractions. The tablets help him to focus on studying but also, he feels, to manage his day-to-day life and emotions.For most children, stimulant medications are a safe and effective way to relieve ADHD symptoms. He is about to turn 18 and plans to start university in the autumn. He now takes 40mg of Medkinet XL every morning, with an immediate release afternoon top-up of 20mg. He was doing well and, even more importantly, he was enjoying learning and being at school. Jack reported being able to concentrate much better in lessons. The slow process of monitoring and tweaking the dose felt reassuring. His dose was gradually increased, settling at 30mg of Medikinet XL (a modified-release format, meaning the medication is delivered gradually, in this case with the effect lasting around eight hours). The psychiatrist reviewed Jack regularly and both we and his teachers answered questionnaires about his mood, focus and behaviour. We made sure he ate a really good breakfast before his tablet and filled up on energy-rich foods in the evening. But he soon began tolerating the tablets better and we learnt ways around the issues. We did notice common side effects: anger when the tablets wore off difficulty falling asleep (already a problem as it is for many children with ADHD) and reduced appetite. (I had to sellotape the tablet blister to his sandwich so he remembered it.) He took one tablet after breakfast, with the effect lasting around four hours, and a second after lunch. Jack was prescribed 5mg of Medikinet IR (an immediate release format, giving one dose, straight away). We tried to think of this as like meeting any other of his needs. If Jack had eyesight problems we wouldn’t hesitate to get him glasses, we reasoned. He would stop if it wasn’t helping, or if the side effects were too much. We – with Jack very much involved – decided to try it. Another boy was coping much better at school. One said that it allowed them to enjoy activities together that they couldn’t before (like going to the playground or visiting friends). I knew parents with children taking ADHD medication so I talked it over with them. But at the same time, he wasn’t keen on numbing all his feelings or becoming, as he put it, “a zombie”. He was sick of being in trouble and feeling anxious. He was finding it almost impossible to concentrate at school. They warned of over-prescription, of parents using tablets in place of boundaries, of students abusing medication to pass exams. The internet was awash with opinions, many very negative and quite sensationalist. Would medication change Jack’s personality? Was it addictive? Would he be able to sleep? And so on, and on. ![]()
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