Can I sprinkle ADHD meds in milkshake for son?

[Ricecakesaremyjam]

About to start 5mg dosage of Methylphenidate for my ASD/ADHD diagnosed little boy tomorrow - planning on hiding this is yoghurt as he is too young to swallow the capsule. If he refuses the yoghurt (PDA profile) can I sprinkle it into a milkshake??? Will this work? Thanks in advance. He so desperately needs to start taking this, I just need to work out how to get it into him if the yoghurt idea fails.

And be prepared for 5mg to do nothing. Although the day my DS came home from his first day on 10mg his teacher was in tears and showed me a whole page of A4 writing he’d done - when he’d never written more than a few paragraphs before.

Nobody is going to give anyone liquid methylphenidate in a month of Sundays I’m afraid - it’s just too easy to misuse and will have a massive illegal street value. It’s hard enough to get them to prescribe non-slow-release tablets because they have a street value too.

Hi, me again!
as many said, 5mg isn’t doing anything other than keeping him awake for hours every night. Paediatrician has told me to go up to 10mg from tomorrow. Does anyone have any advice on whether the disturbed sleep is a side effect while he’s settling into the meds or whether this will be ongoing and needs Melatonin etc??? How have you guys managed this side effect? Him receiving meds to calm the hyperactivity isn’t actually any help if he’s awake all night and in a foul mood refusing to engage in anything because he’s so tired 😫 SOS 😑

Yes, it is a stimulant and known to affect sleep. Ideally take as early in the morning as you can. How is bedtime usually for you? I'd try and double down on whatever bedtime routine works for you, but yes, your doctor might consider melatonin. There's lots of ways you can naturally boost melatonin, give it a Google. (Although if you've always had sleep issues this won't be new to you, sorry if that's patronising advice lol)

Sorry, misread your post. It may settle in time as his body adjusts or it may not. A bit like caffeine, some people are very sensitive and some people can build up a tolerance really quickly and not feel the effects so much.

Hello! Just to say we had more success on Elvanse in terms of the sleeping thing.

Ingesting I have two things to say.

1. if he likes any cereals the trick is to put it on the first spoon as it rests in the bowl.

2. or if you need to keep to the milkshake put a little bit aside, medication in it, suck it up the straw until liquid reaches the top then put it back in the glass. The volume in the glass should keep the milkshake and medication in the straw.

Lastly yes, the PDA has got better as DD15 has got older. Way less spikes and meltdowns too but the early years were hard.

I think that starting ADHD meds is a bit of a process so it's something you have to stick with for a while. The sleep thing sounds odd as if you're giving meds in the morning they should have well worn off by the evening, but it might be that you have to shift things around a bit. A friend's DD actually gets MORE tired as her meds wear off and needs a more rigid bed time. DS always had terrible sleep but he's slowly finding that he can recognise sleep needs more and is, at least sometimes, actively taking himself to bed at a time that means he actually doesn't get overtired.

Glad to hear you’ve managed to get DS to take the 5mg!

In terms of sleep, DS won’t swallow Melatonin tablets either. I buy the drops from an online retailer called Piping Rock recommended by a MN’er and they work pretty well.

Hi OP, I think you’re sorted in terms of getting the meds into DS now. I promised to post an update after DS appointment with the consultant.

There are no liquid options for Methylphenidate in the UK - it’s tablets or capsules only, private or NHS, apparently. I explained DS’ issues with swallowing and she smiled and shrugged! 🤷🏻‍♀️ But she increased the dose to 10mg and gave us a month of XR to try.

So I’m back to scouring the supermarket looking for something tempting to disguise it in. Virtually impossible when he only eats beige.

oh well, we’ll keep trying!

@Vinvertebrate Thanks for the update ❤️
if he eats beige food would hiding it in something like Biscoff spread work?
as other posters suggested, have managed to disguise the meds in Nutella, his Medikinet prescription runs out tomorrow and the pharmacist has given me a different brand of methalphyindate called Elysam - does anyone know if there is any difference in side effects etc? Thankyou all so much for your replies during what’s been a stressful time xx

Equasym not Elysam 😂👍🏻

Same here. Absolutely very young children can be taught. There is also so gel you can buy that is specifically for swallowing tablets. I think it's called glo up. It tasted really nice.

The absorption of some medications is impaired by taking them with calcium rich foods. My thyroid meds are an example of this.

you think. you don’t know yet until he’s in ‘the future’ plenty of experience of ADHD here since you’re the gatekeeper of this thread lol

Not all children are willing to try. My DS has sensory issues and PDA autistic profile - it’s not a mechanical/swallowing issue, he simply refuses.

He is nearly 19 and perfectly able to articulate how helpful they were/are for him. In fact I heard him do just that in his adult adhd review just last week.

As does my DH who is 55 and also perfectly able to articulate the difference between being and adult with ADHD both undiagnosed/and diagnosed and with/without methylphenidate

Does anyone have a link to the aforementioned straw?
Thanks!

I had a look @Mrburnshound and could only find US resellers.

The gel stuff is on Amazon UK but looks grim.

All my hopes are now pinned on Lotus spread!!

Ah thanks

question - those of you whose DC went from having the tablet opened to swallowing whole - did that make a difference to their behaviour?

DS had decided today that he can swallow tablets, but we are changing from 10mg XL to 2 x IR 5mg so im feeling confused now as i only have 7 of the XL tablets left.

Sorry to post on a zombie thread. The Biscoff spread didn’t work and DS still refused to swallow methylphenidate tablets or eat anything containing their innards! However, we have finally persuaded the pediatrician to prescribe liquid ADHD medication, although it’s not methylphenidate. However, she was highly reluctant to do it and I had to promise to try the tablet contents sprinkled in a custard cream first. 🙄

Meanwhile, in the US, children can get their methylphenidate via patches without a 45 minute debate about the NICE guidelines!

Just wanted to update the thread in case a future MN’er is struggling with tablet swallowing.

He's too young to swallow it though,