Breathing and shortness of breath - 15 year old on ADHD stimulant

[Rowdy1617]

HI

My son is complaining of shortness of breath/shallow breathing after starting stimulant meds for ADHD. They work well to help him focus so he does not want to stop, but I was wondering if anyone had experienced breathing issues. He takes 15mg of Focalin. Thanks

[Hidden]

Stimulants can raise heart rate- look in the medication leaflet on ‘side effects’. You might want to get a wrist blood pressure - these are cheap, the good thing is that you can then yourself check your heart rate and BP when you get a wrist device.

You could chat with him and explain that non stimulants manage ADHD symptoms too. He might want to try other medication and if he feels he can’t focus so well, there are a few meds to try. I totally understand that if he now can concentrate he doesn’t want to go back to not being able to focus.

[MaudQ]

I’d go ahead and check in with the doctor. You said your kid just started the Focalin so the side effect could subside as has body gets used to it. But always good to have the medical professional check in …

[Booksmart]

definitely check in with the prescribing MD. I think that side effect would worry me too.

[Rowdy1617]

Thanks for the feedback, we are stopping meds and seeing his regular doctor this week to check him out. We may try adjusting the dosage or a new med altogether....hopefully we can find a positive solution. I'm assuming all stimulants result in the same increase in HR so he may have to come off stimulants altogether.

[MaudQ in reply to Rowdy1617]

I wouldn’t necessarily assume that. My kid had one set of side effects on her first stimulant and no side effects with second. The medications interact differently depending on the person. Dosing and timing make a difference too. I’d wait and see what your prescriber suggests before taking a class of meds off the table. When you find the right one, it’s gold!

[adhdelife]

ADHD: A Guide to Understanding Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Changes Over Time in Children, Adolescents, and Adults bit.ly/3f83BN6