Talk to me about starting Medikinet...

[noideaoffuturenow]

My 10 DS starts tomorrow. Interested in hearing positive, negative experiences from anyone at all! I know DS experience will be unique. Am praying it helps....selfishly I'm hoping it works for my own sanity as much as for him.

I can mainly help you with my own experience, as my DS didn't take ADHD medication for very long.

How has he got on so far? I found that it felt very strange for the first day or so, but after a few days, my body seemed to get used to it and it just feels like me but more in control.

It's important to keep eating but he might not feel like eating very much, small regular meals can help.

If he gets a headache, you can give him calpol/paracetamol for it. This should stop within a few days but totally harmless to treat in the meantime.

I found it useful to take notes/keep a diary to take back to the doctor because I wasn't sure if I'd know what I was looking for day to day. You might also want to look up something like an ADHD rating scale to fill in generally for the last 6 months and then compare to 2 weeks on a specific dose of medication.

Or another thing is if you're looking for the medication to help with specific behaviours try keeping a diary specifically about those things and see what patterns you see.

If you are noticing side effects, note when they occur - if they are happening shortly after the medicine takes effect then report to your doctor as side effects. Whereas if they are happening when the medication is expected to wear off (instant release lasts about 3-4 hours, whereas extended release lasts about 6-8 hours) this could be what they call stimulant rebound, which is a very intense resurgence of symptoms and can be unpleasant. Personally when I get this, I experience extreme tiredness (like moving through treacle) and I am also irritable and snappy. This is something you'd want to speak to his doctor about if it persists past the first few days.

I can share some resources if you're interested in the brain science side/how the medication actually works? Some people like this and some aren't interested - it doesn't really matter but for me personally I found it quite useful.

Bertie-thank you so much. I'd definitely like the info-I like to read as much as possible to understand. Did your son not have a good experience on meds? Do you think your meds have helped you in general?
DS felt very tired when he first took it this morning, says he doesn't really feel hungry-but has eaten like a horse TBF. The thing I'm most concerned about is his pulse; it's gone up from low 80s to 130. And he is aware of it, but seems fine-not short of breath, no palpitations. I know some of these things may recede after a few days so will watch closely. He is much calmer, he's definitely been more relaxed.My eldest has just remarked that there hasn't been a single aegument.🙌 Good idea re rating scale.

For DS it is more like - he is also prescribed glasses, but he has a very weak prescription and he can see everything without them, just slightly more clearly with glasses. He chooses not to wear the glasses, because he finds them more annoying (Steaming up, fingerprints, having to make sure he doesn't lose them etc) than the benefits for him.

He seems to feel similarly about ADHD medication. He's 15 so I can't really force him on either point and TBH I am happy for him to make his own decision.

For me I have found them hugely helpful although medikinet didn't work that well for me, I take Elvanse now and that is better. Apparently they tend to find the methylphenidate types slightly better in children, whereas adults tend to find the amphetamine-based medications slightly better. It took a while to settle on the right dose and wasn't a smooth process. I also get issues if I miss a dose or take it too late in the day. But overall, really helpful and I'm happy it's an option.

I don't know what a concerning heart rate would be in children - you could potentially try to find an open pharmacy and ask their opinion. Or just keep an eye over the next couple of days.

Thx Bertie. HR settled-he must have been active before that reading. I'm a nurse; not hugely worried-I'll know if it's an issue & I intend to stay within arm's reach for the next few days. He had a blow-up 30 mins after 8hrs in. I'm guessing he got 8 hrs of effect. He wasn't fussed on how he felt, said food tasted funny. So we chatted about what to do today & he's suggested taking it at lunch-time; he wanted to enjoy his Easter egg this morning! We're meeting family later so it'll be interesting to see effect in group situation-which I'll miss at school.

Oh yes and for sure to see a high excitement setting like an Easter meet up. My 5yo was a bit wild today. We don't know yet if he has ADHD but he definitely struggles with behaviour at times.