hi my 4 yr old is on adderall he weighs 34 lbs and has been on this med for almost 2 weeks now i am worried about his eating i know one of the sideeffects is loss of appetite but today all he ate was breakfast before he got his first dose of the day should i wai a little longer before i call the dr or should i call tomorrw sometime he usaully is a good eater but he just keeps saying that he is not hungry I was against meds but i agreed to try it for my son now i feel that i made a bad mistake please any advice what be helpfull thank you

The anorexic effect is worse at the beginning, but it doesn't completely go away. I'd try to get him to eat a big breakfast and then see if you can get him to eat his favorite foods during the day, when the Adderall is working, and then a big dinner when the drug wears off? Probably not a bad idea to talk to the doctor too.

That's a totally normal side effect. I personally have been on Adderall for a month and have lost over 10 lbs in that time. Since I'm 24 years old and was slightly overweight to begin with, it's no big deal for me - but it could be a problem for a kid or someone who's underweight to begin with.

The thing with the lack of appetite is that not only do you not feel hungry much, but food really seems repulsive even when you do feel hungry. I literally have to force myself to eat even when I'm lightheaded from not eating all day. Obviously, as an adult, I know I have to eat something and so I do. But for a little kid, you will have to pay more attention to his nutrition.

I like Gregster's advice to get a good breakfast into him before he takes his meds. Give him as much healthy food as he will eat, and don't worry about whether or not he's eating "breakfast" foods. He might prefer to eat leftovers from last night's dinner, or something else that's totally not what we'd think of as breakfast. But that's okay as long as what he's eating is healthy.

You also might try to figure out how long the meds last for him. His appetite might come back when the meds wear off. Delaying the second dose by 1/2 hour might give you a window where you can get another meal into him. The only problem here is that he might not be able to sleep at his normal bedtime, but if you're fine with his being up a little later then it shouldn't be a problem. The other thing you can do is see if you can get him to eat shortly before bedtime. And make sure he takes his vitamins.

You also might be able to get him to drink food if he's not into eating. You can make smoothies with fruit, for instance. Another thing is to leave food within easy reach. For instance, you can leave a plate of apple slices spread with peanut butter on the coffee table in the living room. He probably won't eat a ton but he will probably munch a slice or two.

It would be a good idea to call the doctor and tell him/her about your concerns. S/he will probably have some helpful advice and will probably help you modify his medication schedule so he's able to eat more normally.

I have the appetite suppression thing too with Adderall. I also have resorted to making sure I eat a good breakfast before taking my first dose, because after that I can't eat. I do drink nutrition drinks though, as those don't seem to be a problem, and I snack when I can on nutritious foods (peanuts, nutrition bars) and make sure I take a super multi vitamin. I also lost quite some weight intially, but have stabilized now. I have to go in for a weigh in every month to monitor my weight, so my doctor is aware if it would get out of hand.
It's impossible to swallow whole food at times, though, so know that some of us understand your frustration. But I try and make up for it as often as possible.
Good luck!
Nova

hi my 4 yr old is on adderall he weighs 34 lbs and has been on this med for almost 2 weeks now i am worried about his eating i know one of the sideeffects is loss of appetite but today all he ate was breakfast before he got his first dose of the day should i wai a little longer before i call the dr or should i call tomorrw sometime he usaully is a good eater but he just keeps saying that he is not hungry I was against meds but i agreed to try it for my son now i feel that i made a bad mistake please any advice what be helpfull thank you

It's a side effect that should wear off. During this time Koda's doc had us give him Ensure shakes and protein bars made especially for children usually found in the baby food isle so that he got the proper nutrients for the day.

WARNING!!
When the effect slows and wears off be sure and have an ample food suppy. Koda went three weeks without eating very well on Adderall and then for almost a week that kid was cramming something in his mouth. :D

I've been taking Adderall for a few months now, and have lost about 20 pounds. if you look at my little sketch of myself above, it's pretty accurate--in other words, I was at an ideal to begin with; now I'm bordering on "underweight". You all say it goes away but I haven't found that to be the case--although I've been tweaking my dosage quite a bit to find the one that's "just enough" to work, while not being too much (which for me means even less appetite, irritability, libido crashing, etc.)

Any tips? I'm currently on 10mg at 7AM, 15mg at noon, and 10mg at 5PM. Having a high metabolism isn't helping the weight issue, plus it means I metabolize teh Adderall more quickly and require more frequent dosing. 5mg is almost enough, but not quite there; I'm debating 7.5 mg 3x a day (30 mg tab /2 /2). I don't mind being thin -- Hey, I lost the gut-- but this is starting to worry me.

Thanks guys!

I'd honestly say that if the side effect didn't wear off after two weeks tops speak with your health care provider about another choice in meds. There are a ton out there and one will do the work without long term side effects I'd hope anyways.

Well, I started off trying concerta, and it had no effect except to make me nauseas and tired, plus I've been on about every variation of AntiDepressant known to man; they did nothing for my ADD which Adderall does address very well. That would leave, generally speaking, Dexedrine in the stimulants... I know there are the non-stimulants, but as I said, I've been on those types of meds for years with no help to my ADD... So what does that leave? (I've heard Dexedrine is a pain to prescribe).

Are you able to reduce your dose on some days, like on the weekend? Also, are you actually underweight for your height? Your weight may stabilize naturally.

I've been on Adderall for a month now and the anorexia has not worn off yet. I'm not complaining about the weight loss (as I said, I was a little overweight before), but it is somewhat annoying that eating has become another chore to be scheduled instead of something that just comes naturally. However, for me it's a small price to pay for a brain that actually functions!

Well, according to professional figures (numeric, not body), I was in the ideal range for my height, and now I'm just at that borderline between ideal and underweight--I was very underweight as a teen and only gained weight when I joined the Army Reserves for while.

My pdoc recommended I try cutting back to taking Adderall 2 times a day vs. 3, as I'd been doing. That was yesterday so it'll a while before I know if that works... It is a pain though, as I get SO much benefit from the medication, even at home after work where all I have to do is read and work on projects! Yesterday was the first day w/out my evening dose, and i noticed that it already makes a huge difference.

I'm not sure how this is going to work out...

Hopefully, it will work out better then you sound like you expect. hehe does that make sense? Make sure and take your doses when at high function hours if that makes any more sense then before. lmbo OK OK I'm admitting defeit and going to bed. Night all

yah, that makes sense :).

The only problem is that I ALWAYS want to be high-functioning... I get SO much done compared to the unmedicated me. *sigh* I'll just look at the no PM doses as a temporary thing.

[QUOTE=typogenerator]

The only problem is that I ALWAYS want to be high-functioning... QUOTE]

I can completely relate to that. I am an overachiever by nature (and an underachiever by ADHD) and I LOVE that I can actually get things done while on meds. I'm sometimes very tempted to take a dose late in the evening to stay up half the night and work - even though I know I need sleep too.

TAke your morning and afternoon doses. The afternoon dose should still be with you into part of your evening at least and you'll be sleeping the rest of the time. hmmm how ya gonna eat? sleep eating? this is far more confusing then I had thought it would be. Ignore me I've just lost myself.

Well, i've gone two days without my evening dose. I can't say I don't notice it, but hey, instead of organizing the garage and my study, I got to catch up on some TV shows I haven't cared to watch for a few months! Found out that there are new episodes of CSI in syndication! That was a nice surprise as my wife and I had thought we'd seen all the syndicated episodes...

My biggest concern, seriuosly though, is that my wife just left for a 2 week vacation with her extended family to a wedding and tour of India. She left yesterday, and is still up in the air (literally). It's harder to deal with these things when I'm not medicated, if you know what I mean. Last night was a b*****, but this AM, I'm doing okay and staying rational.

rational thought is totally out of my reach today and probably for a few days i'm in full blown panic attack stage...I had to post about it in the anxiety forum I just couldn't sit still I'm going nuts.

Is your "nutsyness" medication or situation related?

I'm having a bit of that myself, but it's better now that my wife called to tell me she was safe in India... except for the fact she called at around 2:30 in the morning, and I woke up in a panic. I couldn't remember if I'd written down the information she'd given me or just dreamt I was writing it down. Fortunately, there was a piece of paper with stuff on it, so I guess I didn't dream it. :)

So Nucking, what's raising your anxiety? How are you dealing?

hey typogenerator:
have you considered changing your diet in a way that stabilizes your weight loss? hell, obesity is a problem in this country!!! there should be no problem finding ways to keep some weight on...(just me being jovial)
i would guess that you could go see a nutritionist and figure out what foods have the density to impact your body in a way that would offset your weight loss and maintain a healthy weight for you...
by density: i mean with the right amount of fats/proteins blah blah..b/c
obviously when your appetite is reduced to nil : the idea of food is all of a sudden so...mechanical

I went from 216 lbs to 184 lbs in 6 weeks. I used to eat all night long. Now I eat a bagel for breakfast every day. 50% of the time I manage lunch and dinner portions are much smaller. Don't feel like snacking.

I'm not complaining. I went from a size 38 waist to 34. 6'2" and 185. It's been 13 years since I've been this weight. Junior year in highschool.

hey typogenerator:
have you considered changing your diet in a way that stabilizes your weight loss? hell, obesity is a problem in this country!!!
Actually yeah, I thought back to the days when I used to, well, smoke happy little green leaves, *cough* and to what I really enjoyed eating then. Turns out, I still enjoy the same things; plus I switched from 2% milk back to whole milk, and since my first post in this thread, I've actually put on nearly 10 pounds, which puts me back near average. Wait, that' sounds self-deprecating ... Now I'm almost back to my ideal weight.
;)

Is your "nutsyness" medication or situation related?

I'm having a bit of that myself, but it's better now that my wife called to tell me she was safe in India... except for the fact she called at around 2:30 in the morning, and I woke up in a panic. I couldn't remember if I'd written down the information she'd given me or just dreamt I was writing it down. Fortunately, there was a piece of paper with stuff on it, so I guess I didn't dream it. :)

So Nucking, what's raising your anxiety? How are you dealing?

I feel like it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not sure what it is; but, the more I say it the more I think I may be speaking of me. :( It's just been a really rough two weeks and I can't seem to please anyone, my kids, my husband all seem to have forgotten valentine's day not that I was expecting anything but I just thought maybe they'd do something nice like pick up after themselves once or apologize for breaking a bell that had sentimental value. I don't know, doesn't matter it's all petty anyways. And no I'm not medicated but I don't think it would make a difference...I feel like everyone knows the secret but won't let me in on it cause then they wouldn't be able to point and laugh at me or condemn me and that would be no fun at all.

Adderall, or amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, was first marketed in the 1960s as the diet pill of choice. It is currently classified as a stimulant medication and appetite suppressant and is mostly used to treat both ADD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

I feel like it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not sure what it is; but, the more I say it the more I think I may be speaking of me. :(
Well, for whatever it's worth, I'm having a bout like that now as well... It's not the familiar capital D Depression, but just a new kind of unhappiness. I'm not feeling very valuable to the people in my personal nor work life, not the latter should matter, but it does. It must be lie to Jamie and stab him in the back month.

At home, it's take anything he says and distort it so it's an attack on you month.

Nucking, I'm with you.

To everyone: since I began treatment for ADHD, which has truly been like a religious experience for me, I'm finding that my personal relationships have a whole new range of, how to put this, interaction? Before, I was pretty apathetic about everything, even when not in the pits of a Depression funk, but now, I have an opinion on things, many things, and want to share them. Some of these opinions are, of course, perceived as critical. (These in particular are not new thoughts, it's just I never cared enough about, well, ME, to express them before...)

Anyway, I have what is by most standards, an ideal perfect marriage. But like any relationship, it has it's problems. These problems are some of the things I referred to above, that I was too apathetic to care about either way before treatment.

Now, that I actually care and want to talke about things, and am more bothered by problems, it seems my marriage actually is not so ideal and perfect. Please understand I'm not saying this as well as I wish, and I'm not simply stating the obvious; if anyone understands, please PM or respond here. Or email. I don't care. It just really sucks.

I left work today for similar problems (no respect, etc., plus feeling like I might be getting the flu... I think I'll have a higher fever in the AM....... ) *sigh*

Does anyone get my ramblings? If so, thanks, and, help.

I get them. I've been in control of my ADHD symptoms all week but it's just not enough for some people. And I hate nursing, hate it with a passion and then having to go sit in the clinic for over 5 hours because my dumb *** charge nurse forgot to tell us that a resident has a contagious disease that no med can fight and we all came into contact with her without using PPE's. I"m just mad and nervous and tired of it all. I want out but can't quit because every job I apply for is graveyard...if I'm gonna start over at a lower pay scale I at least want the shift I prefer.

... sit in the clinic for over 5 hours because my dumb *** charge nurse forgot to tell us that a resident has a contagious disease that no med can fight and we all came into contact with her without using PPE's. .
Cherity,
that's scary what disease was it if you can say (or PM me) both my son and I are trying to fight some antibiotic-resistant strep for 2 weeks now! I heard someone on a local radio show talking about it too:(

... I"m just mad and nervous and tired of it all. I want out but can't quit because every job I apply for is graveyard...if I'm gonna start over at a lower pay scale I at least want the shift I prefer.
Stick to your guns woman! That's a great goal, you get same hours as Doug or NO DICE!

Love ya-- hang in there!

It's a form of MERSA that originates in the urine. She had a catheter which we used gloves when emptying or cleaning but it can be airborne and there are always splashes by less careful employees.

Futs
drug resistant staph:
this is totally UNacceptable Isn't it a NORMAL procedure that this patients room + bed should be marked so all will know???!!!!!!!!!!!!
I swear.
Yep for your own health's sake think about another line of work.
IF you find that perfect treating-workers-with-respect place with hours that match Doug's, mmm maybe.
But please, even though this place probably is better than some but it really doesn't seem to care about it's employees as it should.
The scheduling is INhumane, although lots of care givers push themselves over the limit...so it's sorta accepted. But this is such a shoddy slip up to occur, and you're suppose to just accept their 'oops sorry'?:(
Not to mention when you took a couple of days off due to illness the crap they gave you!
Not worth your effort, even though I know you love the people, gotta think of your family first.