Ritalin side effects

[Isabellarose]

My son recently diagnosed ADHD was put on Ritalin (short acting) once a day at 10mg it’s only been around 3-4 weeks since he started however I’ve noticed really bad smelling farts and constant urination. Has anyone else experienced similar? I’m not sure if I should be concerned about these side effects or not! I was told to wait 6 weeks before going back to review the meds 🤷‍♀️

Also I have not seen much improvement in his focus and attention at all, and only a slight improvement in his impulsive behavior. So I am tempted to just stop the meds

[MomOfSuperheroes]

Would it help to call the doctor's office and explain you're concerned about what you think may be side effects? Ritalin effectiveness is an on/off thing, so imo you should know by now how well it's working for your child. They may need a higher dose or (more likely given the perceived side effects) a different drug. It can take a while to dial in the right dose/medication. I hope you can get a quick response from the doc.

[CHADDMOM]

I can only make non medical suggestions about the gastrointestinal symptoms. Has he been eating more of one type of food, maybe more milk or other dairy? As a whole medication can help with the symptoms of ADHD, however the functional impairments that they cause might take a while for him to develop new workarounds. Focus is the main outcome of the medication. Making sure that he has one on one help to navigate through the things he needs, can be helpful in developing new patterns. He is going to need help, where he is and when he is doing it, and anything away from this point will not help.

[MomofADHDBoy6]

my son takes Ritalin. I noticed some changes in his gastro stuff for sure. I found that it helps him a lot if he eats first. I used to give it to him right before he ate but I noticed his stomach was hurting and him having to run to the bathroom. But if he takes it right after eating he doesn’t have that issue. I definitely notice a difference in focus, however when the medicine wears off around 4-5 hours later it seems that he goes back to having a hard time. While he’s on it though we see a big change. I just figured as long as it helps him when he’s in school then that’s good. Also, he started on two 5 mg doses but he still has problems concentrating. When we increased it slowly over a few weeks to 10 and 10 that’s when we noticed it was a good dose for him. The dosage was really stressful for us to find that wasn’t too strong and also helped with the focus. Glad you reached out! Hope some of this relates to you or helps in some way.

[Isabellarose in reply to MomofADHDBoy6]

thanks so much I will definitely try after food.

I have noticed a definite improvement in his impulsiveness; however focus is still off and not great (He still won’t or can’t join in any group activity at pre k that requires sitting or concentrating for even short periods eg story time) he just wants to play outside and so that’s what he does.

He is only on one dose a day at 10mg and we have noticed an increase in his behaviors (worse than before we started meds) once the meds wear off. I think I’ll stick with it until his 6 week review and then maybe ask for an extended release concerta or similar. See if that helps.

[MomofADHDBoy6 in reply to Isabellarose]

he’s in pre-k? My boy is in kindergarten! That’s awesome that you started trying to help him so young! I advocate for that as it gives them such a better chance at being able to learn during these crucial years. I am sure you will find what is the best fit for your son. good luck mama on your journey! It does get easier as you figure out what works best for your family.

[Isabellarose]

He just turned 5 we started meds 3 weeks ago. I was apprehensive at first and his psychiatrist was pushing for it for a while due to his behavior causing him to be excluded from certain activities and almost kicked out of pre school. He was getting several incident reports a day for scratching, hitting, pushing of children and educators (I’m just so thankful he was never a biter)

So I knew I had to do something to help calm his world and his little mind, but to also help the poor other children that he would lash out at daily. Since starting meds he has had no incidents.

We have also been told recently that he is meeting a lot of autistic markers, so we are in the process of following up that assessment to try and help as best we can before kindergarten. Which I’m already so scared and nervous about he struggles with any type of change.

[Mamamichl]

the reason they say wait 6 weeks is because they don’t actually say whether or not it works until then. Many side effects are temporary, and as long as they aren’t life threatening, they stick it out. You can take a gene sight test if you’re concerned about side effects.