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Original poster

Anyone else taking equasym XL for ADHD

29 replies

paranoid2 · 24/08/2008 15:05

My Ds just started taking this on Friday. I have noticed a slight change but not anything dramatic. He is not a whirlwind , just fidgety and restless, his main problem is his inattentiveness. I have noticed that he seems to be able to process instructions better and he seems to be a bit less impulsive but the change is not major. He is only on 10mg. This seems to be a pretty small dosage from what i have read on the internet. Am i expecting too much too quickly but I had thought the effect eas pretty immediate. Anyone elses Dc taking this and if so did you have results quickly. Also what dosage are they on? I am seeing the paed in another month or so and it seems a long time to be doing a trial. Would it be awful if I gave him 20mg to see if it made any difference? Apparantly the max dosage is 60mg a day ? Are 2 10mg tablets the same as 1 20mg tablet? Any experience welcome. TIA

OP posts:
lottiejenkins · 24/08/2008 15:51

Hi my ds started on equasym xl 10mg capsule but we had to change it because he was awake till about 11.30pm every night! he is on equasym now a 5mg tablet in the morning and one at lunchtime. He is much calmer now and a totally different child. I also monitor what food he eats ie no aspartame and limited e numbers, he is also on fish oil tablets which have helped him with his concentration too.

Original poster
paranoid2 · 24/08/2008 19:39

Thanks Lottie. So its the quick release ones that you use now? Its hard to know if sleeping will be effected when he goes back to school but its ok for now as he stays up late atm

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dragonbaby · 24/08/2008 19:50

my dd takes this medication 7.5mg in the morning 5mg at 12pm 7.5mg at 3.30 pm but i wouldnt increase dose as it goes on childs weight,age etc you will notice a difference i also thought it made no difference untill after about 6 weeks i forgot to give her medication and she drove me mad!!!

dragonbaby · 24/08/2008 19:54

she cant sleep either the hospital put her on melatonin 3mg x2 to help her relax but they dont help she is still up untill12am then wakes up at3am causeing mayhem

dragonbaby · 24/08/2008 19:57

sorry she has high functioning a.d.h.d query asbergas

Original poster
paranoid2 · 24/08/2008 22:43

Thanks Dragonbaby. waking at 3am is something I could do without!

I assume your DD is on Equasym as opposed to Equasym XL ?

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cariboo · 27/08/2008 15:22

Just wondering - how old are your dc? I'm almost positive my ds(5) has ADHD but reluctant to put him on meds so soon. On the other hand, he's soooo hard to manage & it's especially hard on him because he's big for his age. New school year starting & am so worried that we'll have a repeat of last year's troubles with teacher & classmates.

Original poster
paranoid2 · 27/08/2008 20:54

My Ds is 7. I know that equasym XL is only used on children older than 6 but i'm not sure about other meds. I dont have an issue trying the meds for a while as i think it highlights whether he has got true ADHD or not, ie if he does have a chemical imbalance then they should have an impact. I think the general view at the moment amongst doctors is to medicate first and then when a child has stableised use other behavoural therapies. However am new to all this so not sure about any of it

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cariboo · 27/08/2008 21:22

Yes, I can well imagine that meds might come before behavioral therapy. We live overseas & through dh's job are lucky to have relatively inexpensive private health care. But pedopsychiatry costs a bomb & having reached the yearly limit, are having to pay for it ourselves. If I could give ds a pill that would help him & help us all, it would be a miracle. tbh!

Original poster
paranoid2 · 27/08/2008 22:50

yes I could do with a pill or two myself at times!My Ds is not very hyperactive, he is fidgety and restless but not a whirlwind. His concentration at school is his main problem. He is back tomorrow so it will be interesting to see if there is any improvement. I knew not to expect miracles with the medication but there was still a bit inside of me that was hoping for an immediate transformation. Ah well hes still a delightful boy as is his twin brother. (no concentration issues and as bright as a button but even more hard work with his cheeky teenage attitude!)

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daisy5678 · 28/08/2008 00:06

We tried it and saw some good effects pretty quickly, but it had such bad effects on his eating and wore off so quickly that it was pointless.

I wouldn't change the dosage without consulting the consultant - if they're having no effect, you should let them know that and then they'll put up the dose.

Docs tend to start with small doses and then up them gradually - J's always has too, jsut to see how the system tolerate them, I guess.

cariboo · 28/08/2008 14:06

It's not something my RL friends know about me, but I was diagnosed with ADD (no hyperactivity with me!) almost a year ago. I've been on Ritalin SR & the improvement in my concentration, organisation and moods is remarkable. It's not commonly diagnosed or treated in adults but thank goodness for the progressive attitude of my therapist.

We saw a new pedo-psychiatrist for ds this morning who was appalled to hear that no tests have yet been done on him. So even if he's as yet too young for meds, at least we can find out more about his behavior & what we can do to help him!

Ali7 · 07/10/2009 15:26

Can anyone provide advice on appropriate dosage for equasym xl? My 12 tyear old son started this treatment a month ago, and it seems to be helping, but the 10 mg wears off too soon. I was trying to find out whether there are guidelines for age/weight. also if anyone has tried taking 20 mg in the morning or if it is better to take another 10mg at lunchtime (his bedtime is 9 pm).

we are under a doctor's care, but quite frankly I now know more than he does.

any advice out there?

borderslass · 07/10/2009 16:38

my dd was on equasym xl she was actually given it by mistake at the pharmacy but it worked better than Ritalin she was on it from about the age of 11 until earlier this year she's now on concerta which suits her better as shes in S3 (year 10) if you think the dosage isn't high enough you need to get back in touch with your doctor mine were only ever given a trial of a week and if it didn't work it was upped within that first week.

sickofsocalledexperts · 07/10/2009 17:46

does anyone have any experience of combining drugs - eg concerta and strattera. Concerta xl is making my son's concentration better, but he is also having very volatile moods, whereas strattera gave him 2 hours of calm for the school pm? Any advice most welcome

Original poster
paranoid2 · 07/10/2009 18:45

My Dt2 started on 10mg ( I think they always start at the low dose) and then it was increased to 20mg. Its meant to last 6 to 8 hours with a portion of the dosage being released after about 4 hours. I doubt that a paed would recommend a further xl dosage in the day as that is the whole point of XL, ie give it all in 1 go but the impact is spread. DT2 was prescribed 5mg of the immediate release XL after school to help with homework as the XL would just about have worn off by then. My paed said that the dosage of equasym required is not determined by height/weight etc, unlike some of the others and that there is no science as to how much will help. Some children with seemingly severe ADHD will only require a small doage whereas someone else with similiar symtoms may require more to make the same difference . I dont think taking 20mg in the morning will make the effect last longer, it could impact more but not for a longer period of time. AS I said I would think another dose of immediate release might do the trick.

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punkysue · 15/12/2009 17:48

My son is 11 and he was started on 20mg for the first time 6 weeks ago, and he has bad trouble getting to sleep,2.30am last night...In a way he has changed,he seems alot calmer,and can calm himself down quicker. we ran out for 2 days and they were the worst 2 days ever!Equaysm xl are slow release and supposed to last nearly 24hrs. He gets alot of headaches now though. But is still having trouble at school,hes not a bully or aggresive just doesnt or cant stick to rules at school. He has had 23 exclusons since september, school only allowed to give 5 per term, excluded for stupid things like talking back,not doing hiswork quick enough and having the odd fallout with kids in his class-who wind him up on purpose.i am at the end of my tether now with his junior school and meeting after meeting do not help? Any advice out there, his dyslexic test was 0.5 ?

millstreammum · 14/08/2010 17:58

Hi
My little boy is currently supposed to be taking equasym xl which we managed to get him to eat stirred into baked beans at breakfast. Now that we are holiday (despite it being the same place every year) he knows things are a bit different and has responded to it by stopping eating a few foods including the beans. He is so restricted on foods (only about 5 or 6 foods at the moment) that we dont want to mess about with any other food and wonder - can you get equasym or indeed any meds for adhd in suppository form. This could solve one problem althought not the food one. The meds are calming him so I need to get him to take them, but not make anything worse food wise. has anyone got any advice for me - I would be so grateful!

Doubleg · 13/09/2010 10:34

Hi,my son started Equasym xl 5 months ago. He started on 10mg and is now on 20mg. I have noticed that around the time when it is wearing off he becomes quite aggresive and frustrated with things. Has anyone else experienced this with their chid? This is out of character for my son and as much as I see the positives of the drug I don't like this aggresion.

ouryve · 13/09/2010 12:31

Agitation as a dose wears off is quite common and can manifest in many ways. I'd talk to whoever prescribes it as soon as you can.

mariagoretti · 14/09/2010 06:35

The usual dose per day for methlphenidate is 0.5-2mg per kilo of body weight, using the minimum effective dose within that range. So DS (27kg) was on 10mg equasym xl which wasn't quite enough & then changed to 18mg concerta. The main differences between bands are price and slower v faster release.

Like paranoid2's dc this is sometimes topped up with a bit of short acting in the evening eg 5mg Ritalin if we have something on eg a bday party. Otherwise the aggressive wearoff phase would cause problems.

At home straight after school I keep his ds away, don't try to speak to him for a while and let him play on his DS for 30 min. This usu keeps him occupied calm & content during the meds wearoff slot!

mariagoretti · 14/09/2010 06:42

ds meaning dd1 ie winds him up, not to be confused with the electronic game DS which does the opposite!

Oh, if you call the consultant & explain they may be ok with you increasing the meds before the next appt. Some like to get a BP & pulse rate between changes, but hopefully that could be arranged somehow.

swishy86 · 06/08/2014 09:46

My son is 12 and just started equasym XL.He is having mood swings. He's always been volitile but is even worse now. These are the Second meds he's been given as the first made him depressed.
Has anyone else experienced these problems? Should I ride it through till he gets used to them?

LOUMARIE85 · 24/03/2019 10:56

Hi there everyone, I'm new on here. Just wanted some advice really. My 9 year old son has ASD/ADHD and just recently started on 10 mg of Equasym XL. Just wondered how long does it normally take to see a difference and do any parents find it effective. My son is well behaved at home, but as soon as we go outside he becomes a danger to himself. He threatens to run in the road and he screams on public transport, kicks dogs in the street and runs away from me. Can anyone relate to this?? I feel like I'm failing as a parent and I really want to be good for my son and regain control. We are on the waiting list for behaviour therapy, but its a bit of a wait. Any feedback would be much appreciated. :)

TSCmum · 01/08/2019 09:24

Hello Swishy86
I just wondered how you we’re getting on? My son has just started Equaysm XL - first dose this morning. Concentration and focus are hugely improved but he’s had 2 severe mood swings. He is also volatile emotionally but these swings were extreme. Slamming doors, throwing toys at walls and uncontrollable sobbing. He did calm quite quickly and is now super engaged in a film he loves. A mixed bag of responses.
Do the side effects lessen as he learns to tolerate the medication, or should we ask to try a different form of methylphenidate?
TIA for any advice