ADHD / ADD Support Group

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are more common than you might think. It is a syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility. Join others who suffer from these conditions and share your experiences.

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rajaga402 10/08/2013

My son is 9, and has been on Concerta for the past 4 years. I took him off it for the summer for he was losing weight and not sleeping at night. He immediately gained weight and slept well, but then school was starting, so his doctor prescribed Adderall that was only suppose to last 4 hours after each dose, but he is once again not eating, and struggling to sleep at night.
Is there anything out there that last for 8 hours to get him through school, and doesn't affect his eating and sleeping disorders? This has been a very frustrating couple of months.

nikigirl 10/10/2013

I take Concerta twice daily, but had been on Vyvanse which has a long acting effect, but, I became quite anorexic on it. Otherwise I had no negative side effects from it.

CAWriterMom 10/10/2013

All stimulants can affect appetite. Our son is recovering from an eating disorder and it's a real struggle for him now because we had to up his Concerta dosage when he gained weight. He's just not hungry. However, the benefits of Concerta outweigh the appetite issues (we have enough training now to get him to eat).

As far as sleep, our son couldn't fall asleep on his own long before medication. Just too much energy to relax himself. He takes 1.5 mg of melatonin to fall asleep. Pretty much everyone I know with a child with ADHD uses melatonin, which is available over the counter. You might ask your son's doctor what he/she thinks of this option.

rajaga402 10/11/2013

So how do you get him to eat?

CAWriterMom 10/12/2013

Our son went through the threat of a feeding tube and heard the description from the doctor. So, we remind him of that.

We also tie in his video game time to his eating. If he eats what he's supposed to eat, he earns time. Someone sits with him while he eats to witness him eating and remind him to take bites.

Pack in the calories when he's hungry when the medication isn't active. In our son's situation, we were told to lose our focus on nutrition and focus instead on calories. So, if he eats seven minidonuts and two pieces of bacon for breakfast, that's considered great because it's jampacked with calories. Nutrition is always important, but with kids with eating disorders, the calories are far more important than anything else.

If you can get your son to drink instead of eat when he's not hungry, pack smoothies with protein powder, whole milk, ice cream, along with the fruit.

deleted_user 10/14/2013

I had a client who took concerta and he was given additional medicine in the evening to help him sleep. Personally I take concerta 54mg. and have never had trouble sleeping.

Have you tried a quiet bedtime ritual to help settle him down?

nikigirl 10/14/2013

I take 72 mg. of concerta, 36 mg. twice before noontime. I have never had any problems sleeping either. It also does not affect my appetite, although I know it can have this side effect. I cannot gain any weight, but, I am able to eat small meals and maintain my weight.

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