Can ADHD medication last through the evening?

[partyorwork]

DS is on medication that wears off each day about 4pm so he is tired and irritable 4-6pm, then after that he gets no benefits from the medication as it seems to be out of his system. He feels great on medication every day until 4pm and wants to feel like that all the time. Do some people have medication that lasts into the evening or is the fear it will prevent sleep? He is in 6th form so evenings are important either for potential study or for not doing impulsive things when out.

You could speak to you consultant/prescriber about changes the times of the doses or, depending on the medication the doses could be split.

Yes thank you I plan to speak to the doctor but I want to know what other people have found best. Currently on 40mg at 7am so we could split into 20 and then 20 a few hours later for example but have people then found there is not enough focus in the morning or cant sleep in evening. I would prefer to try the option most people have had success with first rather than lots of trial and error as there is less than 2 months until mocks. Alternatively is there a slow release drug so it is in his body constantly or is that not used for ADHD?

My son used to take a slow release version of the medication that he was on and then circadin at bed time to sleep. It would be worth speaking to his consultant .

My ds has a top up microdose that he can take when he has homework to do.
He uses melatonin if he is really struggling to get to sleep.

He might need the slow release version. My son has to take this as he gets really irritated and violent when he comes of the fast release ones.

Thankyou.

Fallakes - would he just take an extra 10mg for example just before doing homework or would he need to take it a certain amount of time in advance?

Fundays - my son is very irritable as he comes off it too. How have you found slow release ones for sleep. Do you take them every day or do you have breaks in holidays for example?

When my DS was prescribed medication we were given the choice to try 8 or 12 hour release.
We were told if at any point something wasn't working for us to go back as they have lots of options for you to try until you find the right thing.
It doesn't effect my DSs sleep as long he takes them before 10am (teen with 10:00 - 1030 bedtime).

DD had a slow release dose (equasym XL) that was meant to last 10 hours and then a mini-top-up dose if she had to do work or a performance/rehearsal in the evening.

Tbh I think you should go back to speak to your son’s doctor rather than change his medication regime based on what works for other folks kids. ADHD medication affects different folk in different ways my son for example wasn’t able to tolerate “ Ritalin” at all he was aggressive hyper emotional and didn’t want to eat at all after only a few days. Melatonin is good but does not necessarily work magic on every child helping them sleep. From attending ADHD parent groups I have been amazed by hearing how different medication works on different kids.

Should have said my son did much better on other ADHD medication I am not some mad anti medication zealot.

He takes his top up dose 30 minutes to an hour before he needs it.
It often takes one to school and then takes it at the end of the school day if he thinks he is going to need it.

But this was all discussed and agreed with his doctor as he has two prescriptions.
But he was struggling to get through homework sometimes and this was the doctor's solution. ( along with melatonin as needed)

My DD has Equasym XL for maintenance but also has a short acting version for top ups and short boosts as and when she needs them. She has the inattentive type of ADHD so sometimes doesn’t take her medication if she’s on holiday or having downtime at home.

@itmustbemyage I have absolutely no intention of changing dose, type of drug or timings without authority from our doctor and certainly not without a prescription!! I am just trying to be prepared as appointments are short and I want to have all my questions ready in an email and to be aware of all options so I dont have to waste valuable NHS time asking for an appointment when perhaps he cant sleep for example. It seems a very sensible approach to me. Not sure how I could change to slow release without contacting the doctor anyway.

@falllakes that is very helpful. My son has both types of ADHD so may not be appropriate for him but I will explain the issue and ask doctor if a slow release drug would work or a top up for evenings or split dose or if there are any other options. At least I will then understand what some of the options are in advance and be more prepared as this is all new to me. thank you

I have combined type ADHD and take 60mg of Elvanse at 7 or 8am (depending on whether I’m working from home or the office). I don’t notice any sort of crash or drop-off but I know someone who takes a small dose of a different medication in the afternoon because she definitely does crash badly on Elvanse.

I haven’t tried any other ADHD medication though so I can’t compare. I refused to start off on Concerta because I’d heard it could be a rough ride and I’m autistic, so I struggle enough with emotional dysregulation without adding that to the mix

can he delay the initial dose? Does he need to be concentrating before 8am
would it be better to take it around 8 or 9 and get an extra 1-2 hours at the end of the day for homework?
taking it too late can make sleep harder and that’s not ideal either
hope he finds a solution that works for him!

Ds has both types.
He also often doesn't take anything during weekends or breaks.
Although he starts a few days before school goes back during long breaks because there can be an adjustment phase.

There is fair bit of trial and error in getting everything working ( then they have a growth spurt!)

It depends what medication he's on, but I'll share my experience in case it's useful.

I'm currently pregnant so off medication, but I usually take Elvanse for my ADHD – 40mg in the morning and 20mg in the middle of the day. Elvanse is supposed to last all day, but I always noticed a drop-off in the afternoon and struggled to keep my focus at work. A split dose is not the typical way to have Elvanse prescribed (other medications might be different) and it was a bit tricky for me to get this set-up, but it works for me.

There might be Facebook groups where you could get some advice or stories from people in similar situations? I'm in a group for women with ADHD which is v helpful, though maybe not the right group for you. Good luck!

Thank you. He is on equasym xl. He isnt always having it at 7am but we were told to have it before breakfast so he is having it as soon as he wakes which on most college days is 7am as he needs to eat breakfast and leave by 8am. He could have it later if he could eat breakfast first as he doesnt need it to be effective until 9am.