If signs of ADHD start to over come the Drug Should the dose be increased?

[birty]

Does the body get immune to the drugs that controls symtoms of ADHD? If this is the case how often can you increase it? There must be a limit or another drug to try. Advise needed.

hi birty my son had his increased when this happened just contact your paed or gp or whoever deals with the prescription and tell them you need to increase it. Even by another 2.5 mg could be a difference that will work for the child.

Drug dosage needs to be increased in line with weight increase. You must speak to GP or Paediatrician first though.

Hi Birty, as Davros says (Hi Davros!) the dose is dependent on the childs weight. But it must be done with consultation with the paed or consultant, they have to work it out by the milligram.

My ds is due an increase and i'm finally having a telephone consultation on Friday as his meds are now wearing off waaaayyy too soon every evening. The problem is he is 9 but only weighs 4st 2lbs, so they can't increase the dosage too much.

In the past, he has tried several different meds to help with his ADHD, and is now on a combination of 2 drugs, as the one on it's own didn't work well enough.

My sons paediatrition didnt even bother with finding out his weight or anything. At my last visit he asked how son was getting on on his dosage and i was telling him how the equasym was wearing off quicker and he just said to phone his secretary and she would make out a prescription for 7.5mg instead of 5 mg I thinks my sons paed is just being lazy and dishing out medication i havent increased it yet as i feel hes still a bit young.

We've discussed this at length on MN before so sorry to repeat myself!
If you are going to give your child meds and you have gone through the long and emotional process of arriving at that decision, then there is no point in not giving them enough. They need the correct dose whatever that is. There is no benefit in holding back on the amount they really need. I know as I've gone through the process of being unhappy about giving it at all, then trying to keep the dose so low that it doesn't really work and then just accepting that he needs X does.
It does sound like your Paediatrician is being rather negligent though.

this is a difficult one ...my eldest son takes meds for his ADHD (he has AS too)

Davros () is right.... i too have gone through the guilt/reduce dose/seems to be getting better/must not need it anymore/maybe never did/what a bad mum i am for drugging him/ followed soon by some flareup...reminding me that i shouldn't feel guilty/need to increase the dose/he isn't getting 'better'/he does need it still/he always has needed it/and sometimes i remember i am not a bad mum!

however....like you i do think what happens when they reach the top dose? My son is 13...and weighs 8st- so he is on a dose of 54mg long acting dose of methylphenidate but i'm sure he needs more.

on a practical note....
a suggestion....

if your son takes the long acting version of his drug....ask if there's a low dose version of the same drug that you can use on a "as needed" basis to start with....in our case ds3 has often been 'weaned' onto eventually a higher dose of a long acting one by first having several days/weeks of a 'top up 'dose around 3pm....and after a few days of him seeming 'better' and not reacting badly to the increase... we have then converted to a single dose of the log acting one in the morning.
It means you feel a bit more in control- and the short acting drugs tend to wear off in about 4 hours...wereas the long acting is approx 12 hours.... though like chocol8 ( said....i tend to notice that it wears off way b4 that.

so ...hope all makes sense!