Quillivant XR started for 6 yr old

[Meddyteddy]

Our 6 yr old daughter (ADHD A/ASD level 1) started Quillivant XR liquid last week. This is her second trial run with a stimulant. She start Focalin short acting 1 month ago, and was complaining that she was tired, unable to remember things, and didn't feel normal. We were giving it twice daily. With Quillivant xr , she seems very tired at lunch time and complains she's too tired to wat. Unsure if this is an indication of appetite loss, which she's never experienced since she has always had a great appetite. We will see what comes back home from school lunch and snacks. Now that she's started school.

In addition, my assessment is that she seems more quiet, less fidgety, but not her sparky,happy self. I noticed this also with short act Focalin, but more since starting Quillivant XR. She seems more short fused with frustration than previously (noted with both Focalin and Quillivant XR. )

When these concerns were mentioned to the psychiatrist, she switched from Focalin to Quillivant XR. (It became difficult to administer a crushed pill, even hidden in the sweetest things). Also, she mentioned being tired was never a side effect that was reported to her. Anyone else experienced those symptoms above?

Any insight as to personal experiences with these medications? I read it's lots of trial and error. Thank so much!

[Aspen797]

Our child has ASD/anxiety/ADD. We started Focalin in elementary school and it helped with impulsivity and attention—the behaviors that were disruptive to others. About three years in our child developed motor tics. We added guanfacine which made a huge difference. The guanfacine helped with emotional regulation and executive functioning skills which meant a calmer, happier child! Quick to upset, not able to hear the explanation for the change in routine, tearful, impatient—-managed with guanfacine. Around that same time, our pediatrician ordered genesight testing to figure out the best medications with the least side effects. It revealed a lot of good info. One thing it revealed was that our kiddo does not process folic acid well—less than 30% of what he takes in. Folic acid is not able to be effectively processed —methylfolate is. When we started supplementing with a B-complex that had methylfolate and methycobalamin amazing things happened. Within 5 months our child was engaging more, interacting more, initiating more, seeking out feedback more. Huge, huge, huge for being on the spectrum. There is a lot of info out there about folate and autism but a good overview is here: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I will also say that my child was not able to articulate until now how meds made him feel. He now says that the Focalin helps him focus on what he needs to work on, but it also causes an inward focus—which can be a double edged sword. It may be that your child saying she feels tired is because she is unable to articulate the emotion/sensation that the medication is causing. Or she may be tired!

[Meddyteddy in reply to Aspen797]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm hoping we find the right combo as well.

[GreenBlue22 in reply to Aspen797]

Yes!! Methylation issues are an issue amongst Neurodivergent individuals. I’m an ADHD mom, with ADHD son and a toddler. I didn’t learn about MTHFR mutations until functional medicine told me about my symptoms of it and now 2 autoimmune conditions on top of ADHD etc.. kids are sensitive. NAC, glutathione, iron, and supporting methylation definitely helps.