Intuniv and Side Effects for ADHD Children

Updated on August 13, 2013
A.D. asks from Denair, CA
8 answers

My son is 6 1/2 and going to be in second grade. At the end of his first grade year, we started him on Straterra to help his focus issues in school. It worked really well, but made him aggressive with others. We took a medication vacation during the summer and now the Psychiatrist wants to start him on Intuniv. I have done a lot of reading up on this med, the side effects seem very drastic to me, and it seems that most children take it with a stimulant. Are there any parents out there giving their children only Intuniv? If so, have you seen any drastic side effects? How long has your child been taking it?

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your responses. After getting a few other doctors opinions and consulting with other social workers, we decided to go ahead and try it. He is on his third day of 1 mg. Definate reponse is sleepiness. Tried the first day giving it to him at night thinking the sleeiness would help him sleep better. Was out cold at 10:00 am the next morning. Gave it to him in the morning the next time and he was awake all day with no problem. Haven't really seen any behavior changes as of yet but are only on our third day.

More Answers

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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

Don't research ADHD meds online is my first tip. There's a lot of garbage and misinformation out there. Honestly, you could look up Tylenol online and be scared.

Intuniv is just Tenex. Our son was put on that when he was three and showing strong signs of ADHD. It was considered extremely safe, which is why we even considered it. Only common side effect is drowsiness. We never saw that with our son. It didn't do anything remotely to help with his ADHD.

The big drawback is that you have to taper down with it if you decide to take your child off of it. So, if it doesn't work or you don't like it, you can't just pull your child off of it like the stimulants. Sounds like you have some reasons for not using stimulants if your son is on Straterra so you may be used to the tapering anyway.

Good luck!

ETA: Don't waste your time on dietary changes. There is no scientific data supporting any remote link between diet and ADHD. ADHD is a brain disorder. Meds have been used to treat this condition for decades, so plenty of solid research on the benefits. Please go to ADHD boards or talk to your child's medical specialist for the best information.

3 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Hartford on

Well, first off Intuniv is not for hyperactivity so it wouldn't be given to kids with ADHD. It's given to kids with ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder who are lacking the hyperactivity. Intuniv doesn't have a stimulant in it, which is what ADHD often need to help them.

My daughter (who is 8 and has Autism) is taking it for ADD for a few months now and we saw an immediate improvement in her attention at school and it's continuing improvement which we can tell (since she attends summer school). We haven't had any side effects at all.

Our neurologist chose Intuniv because she's also on Lamictal SR for seizure disorder and to help with her migraines and some of her Autistic behaviors (off label use).

In our specific case I have nothing but praise for it so far. The longer she takes it the more benefits we're finding. I'm having an easier time with certain behaviors at home. She tells me that she feels better taking it. After a week or two, she said to me, "Is that what you mean when you say 'focus?' I can focus now!" She couldn't focus before so when we asked her to focus, she had no idea what we were talking about. Now that she can do it, she's amazing herself at school. She's not getting up and wandering out of class. She's not losing her temper with her school work. She's finishing more of her work. She's paying more attention in class and retaining more.

EDIT: Since there are a couple of VERY judgmental answers assuming that it's all about diet, I'm going to add that certain things in foods can trigger certain behaviors.

High fructose corn syrup, Red 40, as well as green yellow, and blue, can mimic ADHD and ADD. It's because those things are toxic to the brain and they can't be metabolized. We already disallow those things in my daughters' diets (all of my daughters) and my ADD daughter STILL HAS ADD. She STILL HAS AUTISM. We even removed dairy and discovered she's lactose intolerant. Her behaviors improved by removing all of these things because HFCS and food dyes can make these symptoms in ADHD/ADD and other neurological disorders worse. They don't just always mimic those disorders. They can make symptoms worse.

So I would say to try the Feingold Diet or a variation of it, but if you still see ADD/ADHD behaviors then you'll know that those foods were contributors to making the symptoms worse and that your child does indeed have ADD/ADHD.

Take if from a mother who knows and has done all of the research.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.A.

answers from Chico on

HI there,
There are natural ways to help children with ADHD to focus and become more relaxed and stable.

Some of the factors that contribute to the problem can be even the cleaners you use around the house and to care for clothes. Some of these cleaners have neuro-toxins in them and there is no requirement to list them on the labels.

Air fresheners, and other spray products can also contribute. Pesticides and herbicides add to the mix. The list goes on. I have lots more.

Food allergies can also be at fault. Some of the most common ones are milk, eggs, and wheat, (gluten). Most of the time, these are not true allergies, but imbalances and can be reduced or eliminated when the body is balanced.

Please research the natural alternatives to medications. If you want some help in where to look, let me know.

S. A.
____@____.com

1 mom found this helpful
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V.B.

answers from San Francisco on

My son was on Straterra and had heart palpatations while on the medication, needless to say we no longer are taking medications. My son refuses to take any medications after being on meds for years. The one thing I can say that helped me with my highly energetic son was to take walks in the evening. After work I would change and we would take a walk. It was time for him to chatter without interruptions from his sisters and get some much needed time to run around. I hope you are able to take some time out of your busy day and take a walk or playtime with your son. This helped a small bit and offered some much needed destress time. Good luck!

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S.B.

answers from Washington DC on

My son is 13, he has been only on Intuniv for 2yrs now. It made a great difference. His focus improved drastically. I keep regular Pediatrition appts. there are side effects, as with any meds, and we keep watch on that.
But, there have been no issues at all. No stomach pains, no dizziness, no fatigue, no low blood pressure. Ive heard two others saying their happy with Intunive too for same reasons....my son has ADHD...I recommend it over the others.

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A.B.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Before putting your child on meds, I strongly recommend that you look at the Feingold diet and make changes there first. MOST ADHD children are eating things - namely artificial ingredients, food dyes and preservatives - that cause their bodies to act this way. You will notice a drastic change in your child's behavior if you educate yourself on this and strive to eliminate problem foods and subsequently, problems with behavior and focus.

EVERY single med out there will have side effects and ADHD meds are relatively new, so we do not know the long-term ramifications on our children's health, fertility, growth and wellness. It's not worth it!! I'm not saying that some help isn't needed sometimes but diet and exercise are HUGE.

I'm sorry to preach when I don't know your whole situation, but as a teacher, it grieves me that so many kids - mostly boys - are on meds for this. They are BOYS who have needs for nutrition and high activity. If the school environment isn't providing it, they need to get it at home. I encourage you to try every else before meds if you can.

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C.H.

answers from Mansfield on

My grandson has been taking Intuniv for about 2 years. Recentley (6months) he was started on Straterra. Ive noticed he likes to fight alot since taking the Straterra, but the grades have improved. Soooo Im not quite sure if we will stay on the Straterra

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V.J.

answers from San Francisco on

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-home-remedies
I know this is hard work and not as easy as a quick fix magic full of long term I'll side effects and only effective for a short time PILL but seriously think of your Childs lifelong health and wellbeing you obviously adore your child and want the best for them so pit in the hard work and spend lots of quality time, cut out the TV and all the processed food that contributes to ADHD follow thoroughly for a month drug free and then and only then tell me if your precious child really needs medication.

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