I have found Focalin XR to work very well for me. I have only been recently diagnosed with ADD as a middle-aged woman and use only a 5 mg XR dose daily, often supplemented with a 2.5 regular Focalin in the afternoon if I know I’m going to have a long evening or it’s been an unusually stressful day. Sometimes, if I have to get up very early and know I will have to be up late, I will take an additional 5 mg ER in early afternoon.

From the first dose, there was a clarity and quietness of mind that I had never experienced before. I tried Vyvanse and found that it made me feel jittery and gave me a “roller coaster effect” of feeling odd then better.

Higher doses of Focalin XR make me feel a little hyper and talky. For well over 6 months now, I’ve done just fine.

I do have some hypertension which is medicated. The Focalin increases my diastolic rate mildly and my doctor has speculated that the combination of various meds I take may make me sensitive to the Focalin, which is why I have been able to sustain such a relatively low dose.

The first ADD medication we tried for my daughter was Vyvanse.  Her concentration was better, but her emotions were right on the surface and she would frequently burst into tears for the most insignificant things.  We switched her to Focalin XR and had much better (less emotional) results, but by the time we got to homework the medication had worn off and it took 90 minutes to complete 2 workbook pages.  Because she’s already so petite her doctor didn’t want to add a booster dose.  We have switched to Intuniv over the summer, we will see how she does once school starts.

Meds are so individual, it makes it very hard to do all the experimenting needed.

You said your doctor was concerned about a booster dose, but I’m wondering if the 2.5 Focalin (non-XR) taken as soon as possible after school get her through the early evening and wear off by bedtime. The 2.5 is really a small dose and apparently isn’t used by very many people. My pharmacy doesn’t keep it in stock—I have to allow a couple of extra days for them to get it sent in.

I also wonder if the 2.5 Focalin dose could be cut with a pill splitter since it’s a tablet.

I find any non-XR Focalin dose higher than 2.5 overstimulating—but the 2.5 is just enough to keep me alert but not jittery and definitely wears off in 3-4 hours.

I have been a Focalin fan for several year, but suddenly have an issue and wonder if anyone else has experienced it.  My 13 year old son has been on Focaline, 30 mgs., for probably about 3 years and has done awesome.  This medication seemed to have the least impact on his appetite in comparision to all of the others that we tried. He doesn’t take meds over the weekend or on school breaks.  He gained 30 lbs and 5 inches over this past year and looks great.  Since school started though, he quickly dropped 10 pounds as he runs out the door at 6:30 refusing to eat or drink breakfast, and has no appetite until nearly 7pm. He’s very active and plays sports afterschool.  He’s been in a huge funk lately and I was really scared.  He’s moody, irritable, overly senstive to peer issues and lethargic.  I wondered if this was teen hormones?  He finally realized yesterday, that he is hungry and tired.  It occured to me that he’s falling apart since he’s not eating.  I get the same way if I just eat a late dinner.  I get cranky and emotional and misinterpret things at time. I’m puzzled as he’s never had this reaction to the meds before.  His doctor doesn’t think that his body would react so differently to the same medication, but I really wonder.  I don’t think it’s depression as he perks back up when he’s off his meds and can eat. Thoughts please?

I have not experienced this so I can’t speak to it directly. But from my experience with my teenage son (who takes Vyvanse), there are so many changes in adolescence, it can be very challenging to keep kids on track.

From what I’ve read, it seems that teens often need medication adjustments. My prescribing physician has said that tolerance and biochemical changes are very common.

My son was severely underweight and a poor eater before he was diagnosed with ADD. It’s actually been easier to get him into an eating routine since he began taking meds, but there are certainly rough patches and he is still extremely underweight.

From my own experience with Focalin, my appetite is low on some days and better on others. As you recognize the effect of your eating patterns, you may have to make sure your son is aware of his own patterns and have some foods that are easy and tasty to eat that might catch his fancy at those moments when he’s sinking.

This is easier said than done, I know, but my son is starting to recognize and take action, but this didn’t happen over night.

My 13 year switched to focalin last year from concerta which was on since he was 6. His doctor switched him because even though the concerta worked fine, he had horrible insomnia and the doctor said the side effects were better with focalin. So far it’s been great. One pill at 630am last till about 4:00. He takes 15mg XR. I write this because if you are having insomnia, try focalin.

We are new to this…

My son is 6 and just recently diagnosed. He has been on Focalin for 1 1/2 months now and the 15 mg doesn’t seem to be working. Should I have his doctor increase the dosage or leave things as is?

HELP !

I have no experience with children that young, but I know that my own and my 14 year old’s experience has been that a lot of experimentation is sometimes required to get good results.

I would definitely suggest that you talk to his doctor. It may be that a different drug is needed or an increased dose. It can take a while to get a good balance.

It’s hard and frustrating. If you can join a support group in your area it will really help you. It’s hard on moms too.

NICOLASMOM….my son is 13 and on 15mg of XR Folcalin. I don’t know if your son is on the XR or regular but it seems very high amount to me. If it’s too high/large, the child will become sleepy.

Monalisa, have you tried 5 mg Focalin XR? I finally settled on that after trying the 10 mg Focalin XR, which was just too much for me. I take my medicine in the morning and, if I’ve had a good night’s sleep and a “normal day” (ha ha), I’m usually fine without significant side effects.

If I’m having a particularly stressful day which requires great attention, I also take a 2.5 mg Focalin (not an XR) in the afternoon, sort of like a booster.

This combination doesn’t give me significant dry mouth, excessive urination or the jitters/anxiety.

Caffeine can have an effect, especially if you use a lot of it. I definitely used caffeine for focus before I started medication. To me, the 2.5 Focalin is probably about like having a large cup of coffee, so, if you decide to go with a lower dose of Focalin, you might find that you could supplement with some caffeine, using it judiciously, somewhat like medication.

I have definitely experienced and seen that sometimes dosage has as much impact as the type of drug you’re using, so definitely discuss this with your doctor. Everyone is different.