Dosing Guanfacine 1mg XR every other day an option?

[Bootsie1]

My daughter has on and off success with Guanfacine 1mg. So…all is fabulous for 4 weeks and then her low mood arises. We’ve tracked her period and it does NOT consistently align with the time right before menstration, which we know can play a role.Higher dosing has caused mild depressive mood and from genetic testing, we know she is a slow metabolizer.

So what we’ve done is stopped her medication for 2 days and then reintroduced it ((bc her impulsivity and overly sensitive reactions are as difficult as the low mood after she is off it for 2 days)) and all goes well again for a few weeks and the cycle of mood restarts.

Finally, my question is, has anyone dosed Guanfacine 1mg XR every other day?

We see her psychiatrist in a couple weeks and of course we’ll get his take. Thanks in advance for any tips or experiences shared

[msm0nster]

With my experience in regards to my kiddo.. I've noticed adhd in my son, his moods fluctuate. Highs and lows.. almost like really angry and grumpy to days of happy chatter and bouncy. I know a lot of these kids often have mood disorders or other things like anxiety etc. My sons guanfacine was great then slowly wasn't enough, bumped him to 2mg of it and I can't see much difference... definitely ask your daughters doctor about skipping doses. It's so hard figuring out what will help or what doesn't work. Poor kiddos, this is all a lot for them. Good luck!

[BVBV in reply to msm0nster]

Is your son still on 2mg? My 9 year old started guanfacine 2 months ago. He started at 1mg on then went up to 2mg and I feel like it’s not helping him anymore. My son cannot tolerate stimulants so I was hoping this would help more.

[msm0nster in reply to BVBV]

hes on 3mg now and has been a lot better. 1mg to 2mg in 7 months, then 2mg to 3mg only a few months later. He's been on 3mg for 6mo now and still doing great. I feel like they grow and need things adjusted. Try upping the dose, you may notice things get easier. Good luck!

[Auggie123]

My son takes 2 mg of guanfacine a day. He still has mood fluctuations but they just aren't as extreme as they used to be, I would definitely ask your psychiatrist. I'm not sure if stopping and starting is OK to do with guanfacine, the impression I got from our psychiatrist is to give it every day. A psychiatrist should be able to tell you if that's safe to do or not. Good luck, I know it can be hard to figure out what is causing all the mood changes with these kiddos! Take care.

[Mommy12579]

We were told that because guanfacine is a blood pressure medicine is is Very Important not to skip a dose.