| Name: Tito Rodriguez | Date: Oct 6th, 2009 3:37 PM |
| Your son should get initial blood pressures and thereafter probably in a week to see how is he reacting to the medication and to make sure hypotension won't present. It is a medication used usually in combination with psychostimulants whenever oppossitional defiant disorder is present or questioned..it wont help as psychostimulants in reference to the control of focusing. ↑ |
| Name: M.Flores | Date: Nov 25th, 2009 5:49 PM |
| my son was prescribed this medication by his doctor , was provided with samples of the medication, started him on 1 mg of the Intuniv, for 1 week, then was supposed to increase it to 2 mgs the second week, but he became more hyper and was even more impulsive with this medication after the first week. ↑ |
| Name: Laura | Date: Dec 4th, 2009 5:04 PM |
My nine year old son with a dual dx HFA and ADHD has been on guanfacine for about six months. He takes no other meds. His main issue is attention. He also tends to go around singing much of the time, in an absentminded way. (He actually has a great voice and sings songs we all know and like - top 40 stuff - but it gets annoying after a while!) This is probably a form of a verbal self-stimulation. I am not autistic, but I remember that my family used to tease me as a child because I used to go around singing all the time also.
As much as we would remind him to stop singing because it annoyed us, he could not seem to control it. He said he couldn't help it. He needed to do it.
The meds seem to help the attention somewhat. But where we have really seen the effect is in the singing. When he is on the meds, he does virtually no absent-minded singing.
Laura ↑ |
| Name: lora | Date: Jan 29th, 2010 8:17 AM |
| Yes, my daugther recently began taking guanfacine for ADHD. It is her second medication with this condition, she was started on vyvance, which we saw an immediate increased anxiousness in her, so that first trial only lasted three days, it was a failed trial. Children who are diagonosed with ADHD and an anxiety disorder, as my daughter was, some times have increase anxiety when they take a stimulant, which is what happened with the failed trial. she is 10 years old, and has been on guanfacine for 4 weeks now. I have been pleased with the results so far. NO increased anxiousness for starters, but she has also expressed an increased ability to focus on one task at school. I do see the reflection of that in her grades as well. She is reading through the whole question before answering, and she seems to have a greater ability to control some of her impulsive behavior as well. So all in all, we will hope this helps her and other children like your son too. I do not see her being listess or experiencing any dizziness/lightheadedness that may accompany a low BP, but if you have any concerns, you would probably be able to take him in to his Dr. to have them periodically check his pressure to see if it has changed. As far as anyother side effects, I have not seen any in my daughter. This medicine is supposed to have a sedative effect, so we give her her medicine at bedtime. Just a thought, hope this helped. I understand and empathize with your concerns. It is hard as a parent to administer this type of medication with 100% positive thoughts not clouded with at least a little doubt or concern of doing right by them. I suppose I am doing it for her future, if she learns better and learns self control now, than I am helping her future too. ↑ |
| Name: Barb | Date: Feb 2nd, 2010 4:00 PM |
| My daughter (8) was just started on it yesterday. She has tried several stimulants and nonstimulants and we can't seem to find a happy medium. I wish I could give you more ansewers. If you would like to keep in touch, I would be happy to share any info I get and also let you know how things are going with my daughter. ↑ |
| Name: Amy | Date: Feb 2nd, 2010 5:40 PM |
| My son is 10 and started taking Guanfacine 3 years ago in combination with Adderall XR, a stimulant. The Guanfacine was first prescribed to counteract and lesson the tics that my son had developed from the use of stimulants. About 3 months ago we switched from the Guanfacine to Intuniv which is an extended release formula of Guanfacine to help with mood swings. My son's blood pressure, height and weight were and are well monitored by our treating physician. Good luck! ↑ |
| Name: Melissa | Date: Feb 6th, 2010 11:47 PM |
| Hey Chris I am starting my daughter on this tonite for the first time. She has some stuff going on nervousness,ect. The neurologist suggested trying this. Of course, with any new meds. I am a little leary about it. ↑ |
| Name: tzarcone71 | Date: Feb 10th, 2010 4:10 PM |
| My 7 year old with autism , was just diagnosed also by neuro/psych with adhd. He demonstrates poor ability to focus with severe impulsive aggression and anxiety in addition to severe sensory issues. Symtoms seem to worsen in a cyclical pattern. We have just started him on guanfacine and I like the fact that it is non narcotic and less cardiac side effects so I think it is a good place to start. Very hopeful for improvement in symptoms. Our ultimate goal is to help him manage his symptoms. It was heartbreaking when he told me "he needed to take a break from living for a little while." That and his aggression was what made me seek medical attention for his behavior. I can completely understand Chris's concern about blood pressure dropping- this is primarily a hypertensive. I plan to monitor his Aiden's weekly- but compared to the other meds available- this meds profile looks safer to me. Best wishes to you Chris ↑ |
| Name: Roxanne | Date: Mar 3rd, 2010 7:58 PM |
| My son is 12 and his dr just put him on Guanfacine and he also takes 25 mg of adderall he just started it today so i dont know but if you hear of anything please let me know [email protected] ↑ |
| Name: kim | Date: Mar 16th, 2010 12:44 AM |
| my 12 year old son has autism ,bipolar, and adhd. he was put on guanfacine with abilify an d topamax for hitting episodes .my child is on another bp med and his bp is not to low. ↑ |
| Name: katie | Date: Apr 5th, 2010 5:53 PM |
I'm 33 and just got diagnosed with adult ADHD for symptoms I have tried to deal with all my life. I was put on Guanfacine. For all you concerned parents it brings quietness. I quit absent-minded singing like Laura's son, I had to do it to concentrate. My brain races several different directions at the same time all the time, day and night (I don't sleep much 3-4 hours a night). The singing was a distraction, without enough distractions it is hard to focus on one thing. I barley graduated high school and didn't make it to college because of the effects ADHD had on my life. If you are concerned about if it is right for them, hang out with them, one on one, no tv game system or cell phones... just you and them and find out how they are and how they feel, what they think about it. There are 5 different receptors in the brain this med stimulates one labled "a2". Through a chain reaction it helps increase nero firing and better concentration. . . if "a2" is where your problem with ADHD is. There is not one med that will help with ADHD because there are different causes of ADHD. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go
v/pmc/articles/PMC2526381/
has a lot of information about it.
It is working wonders for me and i love being able to concentrat on one thing at a time which is difficult sometimes because i am use to taking it all in and going 5 directions at once it is an interesting change but i like it. It brings quietness and peacefulness that I have never known internally. It also helps me sleep at night. I take mine before bed so i can sleep. It made me tired all the time at first so they had me cut my pills in half and its great! Hope you all find what helps! ↑ |
| Name: lgb66 | Date: Apr 20th, 2010 11:53 AM |
Thanks everyone for posting. We started my 10yo son on guanfacine this past week. He has ADHD inattentive type. Even tho guanfacine is reported to work better on ADHD impulsive type, I would like to get him off Adderrall XR because of its extreme appetite suppressant-ness. (Interestingly, his fraternal twin who has ADHD impulsive type has done wonderfully on Adderrall XR. No appetite issues and his behavior issues have improved 100%.)
Anyway, my son is *very* sleepy and headachy on the guanfacine. We are giving it to him at night. Still working our way thru the 7-day 1mg dose. I hope as his body adjusts, the side effects will diminish. Has anyone had side effects that went away over time?
@Laura with 9yo son . . . had to laugh about the singing boy. We have one of those, too. Lovely voice, but after a while it does get on your nerves! ↑ |
| Name: mary | Date: Apr 24th, 2010 9:28 PM |
my 6yr old son has been on ADHD meds since 3.5yrs of age. we've tried it all. some worked for awhile and then stopped. some didn't have any effect at all, like strattera. we've done Ritalin, Focalin, Adderall, Vyvance, etc. we are back on just plain ole Adderall due to major sleep issues!! not going to sleep til midnight. ugh!
coupled with some agitation this sleep thing was a deal breaker for the Vyvanse, which started out working fine for him a few months back.
yesterday doctor suggested the Intuniv as an option to start this summer...(schools out in 1 month). she didn't feel it would be beneficial to start now just due to bp monitoring, etc.
i've read all the posts regarding this medicine and it really seems like there's no real consistency on why some are sleepy vs those who aren't when they take it. trial and error.
so, in about a month i'll be starting this as a solo medicine for my son. might find it needs to be combined with his Adderall, but that will be decided later after we can see how this medicine will effect him.
thanks for all the posts...it's very helpful as a parent to be able to read this kind of information from those who are on it and just starting out. ↑ |
| Name: Crystal | Date: May 21st, 2010 1:29 PM |
| My daughter was just prescribed a medication called guanfacine for her adhd would you recommend this medication she is three yrs old. ↑ |
| Name: Theresa | Date: Jul 15th, 2010 10:21 PM |
| That doesn't work. they had my 4 yr old son on it for almost a year...its the generic of tennex. ↑ |
| Name: lisa | Date: Jul 22nd, 2010 4:17 PM |
| does Guanfacine feel like adderal in adults ↑ |
| Name: kim | Date: Jul 25th, 2010 1:22 AM |
| my 12 year old son is off of abilifyand now on guanfacine for bipolar and autism He still has hitting episodes,pacing and anxiety. ↑ |
| Name: Sarah | Date: Sep 25th, 2010 10:35 PM |
| My 7 year old daughter who has autism and adhd has been on Guanfacine for a little over 2 weeks now. I have seen it really work for her! She is able to sleep thorugh the night and her concentration and impulsivity is much better. I was very nervious for her to try it but am glad she did. Her school reports her doing well too! ↑ |
| Name: Gaylen | Date: Oct 2nd, 2010 9:08 PM |
| I'm an adult with ADHD,I have a very bad temper and have problems controlling my temper. My Doctor just prescribed me Guanfacine, stating that this medication will help me control my temper and help me stay calm? I'm hoping for the best, I have been on several meds and nothing has worked. ↑ |
| Name: Colleen | Date: Oct 7th, 2010 1:44 AM |
| My 10 year old son takes 1.5 ml. of guanfacine twice a day plus 5 mg. of focalin xr once in the morning for ADHD. He also just recently started taking 1 mg. of focalin xr at lunch time. Since the 1 mg. increase of focalin xr, we've noticed around 5:00 in the evening when it's time to do homework, he's out of control and can't concentrate whereas when he was just taking the 5 mg. of focalin xr, he didn't seem to be quite as agitated. Can such a small increase of 1 mg. cause this kind of effect? ↑ |
| Name: Astrid | Date: Oct 9th, 2010 2:19 AM |
| my son has adhd and the doctor perscribed him guanfazine is it to help him sleep? ↑ |
| Name: Mommy2Faith | Date: Oct 17th, 2010 10:55 PM |
The doctor just started my 10YO daughter on "intuniv" which is the time released form of guanfacine for add/adhd. She is having a terrible time staying on task at school, getting the work done, and so on. These posts have been very helpful....I also noticed that she does the singing ALL the time ,,,,now I get a better picture as to why.
Anyway, she started at 1mg for a week, and then will increase to 2mg for a week and then 3 and reevaluate. She takes at bedtime so that if she gets the dizzy & drowsiness, etc. it will be at night. Dose is based on weight. ↑ |
| Name: Lisa | Date: Oct 25th, 2010 10:45 PM |
| My daughter is 6 1/2 and she is also taken Guanfacine to help her adhd. It has been a positive as far as the adhd is concerned. Her academics have improved in school (she takes this twice daily) along with Concerta. Emotionally she is having some issues but I am assured it has nothing to do with the medication. Is there anyone out there whose child is experiencing any emotional side effects from Tenex? ↑ |
| Name: Heather | Date: Jan 9th, 2011 10:48 PM |
| My son Justin is 11yrs old was currently taking vvanyse wasnt affective doctor wants him to start Guanfacine my concern is my son falling to sleep in class also blood pressue. was thinking he could take Guanfacine at bedtime. ↑ |
| Name: christinatony | Date: Feb 10th, 2011 3:47 AM |
| The doctors gave this to my son who is 10 and it is not good please take your son off of this. My son was not acting himself with this and yes it does lower there blood pressure. My son was also on concerta whcih we took him off. He was diagnosed when he was 4 which he is now 10. We have tried almost all meds on the market and I was sick and tired on them acting like my son was a ginnea pig. We now have him on all herbs which of course the insurance don't cover. If you need more info please contact me. ↑ |
| Name: mary ann | Date: Feb 13th, 2011 4:32 AM |
| my 13 year old son has been on 1 mg 3 nights. He is hearing as he says weird noises in his head. I am very opened to medications having 2 boys with disabilities but this drug is to new for me. Im not going to stick with it. Im afraid he will be somewhere and his blood pressure will drop. themn what he do. to risky for me im moving on good luck ↑ |
| Name: Renee | Date: Mar 20th, 2011 3:32 PM |
| My son is now taking it. He is 4 and weighs 25.5 pounds. First dose was scary. Gave at 7pm (before bed) and he was not awake until 2:10 the next day. Yes, he woke up to use the bathroom, take a drink ect but went right back to sleep. I called the dr immediatel and he said to decrease dose and he is doing well. Time to increase to 2x day tomorrow. Little nervous about it. He has had a little bit of complaigning of stomache aches and a few loose stools but thats about it. ↑ |
| Name: Amy | Date: Apr 6th, 2011 5:30 PM |
My son is 11 and he was put on Guanfacine (tenex) for a tic disorder several years ago.
I had the same concern regarding blood pressure, however that was never an issue for him.
As for treatment in ADHD I did not make a connection as to how well Gusnfacine worked for impulse control and focus until we decided to take him off of the medication as his tics were not being changed by the meds. We are now in the process of starting him on it again and are hopeful that it helps him to feel better.
If you are really concerned you can always purchase an inexpensive blood pressure monitor and check it regularly.
Best of luck. ↑ |
| Name: Mom | Date: Apr 9th, 2011 12:05 AM |
| I am very confused about this drug. We started our son on Adderoll 3 months ago and he he been doing a little better in school. (he is 6 about to turn 7 in June and in kindergarden.) It was recommendend by our ped. last last week that we start him on Guanfacine to even out the highs and lows. I am so scared about this medication. I understand the thought process behind it, but now I've gone from no meds to two - any thoughts? PleASE HELP. ↑ |
| Name: Rachel | Date: Apr 17th, 2011 1:07 AM |
| I take Tenex (guanfacine) currently. My dose was as high as 2mg and is currently 1mg (taken at night). It was prescribed to be to try to manage bipolar disorder. I'm trying to get off of it since even at 1mg, it makes me dizzy. I have low blood pressure even without the med, so I'm sure that's what's going on. ↑ |
| Name: Anne | Date: Apr 19th, 2011 12:51 PM |
| My son is on Guanfacine, and has been since November. He has had no drop in blood pressure. They told me it does not have this effect on children, and they're right! We have found no side effects except marked sleepiness in the beginning that will definitely go away. ↑ |
|
|
