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Let your child’s doctor know if anyone in your family has: You and/or your child’s teachers might be asked to fill out questionnaires to identify what symptoms to treat and to monitor your child’s response to the medication. These can be tracked at future visits to make sure there are no problems with the medication. Measure height, weight and “vital signs” (blood pressure and pulse).Do a physical exam to check whether there is any reason your child should not take one of these medications.Review your child’s medical information, including what strategies have already been tried.If your child is 6 years or older, here’s what you can expect your child’s doctor to do before suggesting medication: Your doctor will recommend behavioural interventions first. If your child is under 6 years old, medications are not the first line of treatment. These medications should only be used after other medications for ADHD have been tried and were not effective. They may be used for children with serious disruptive behaviour and aggression, but need medical monitoring (exam and blood tests) because they have more side effects. Alpha-agonist medications such as clonidine (Dixarit, Catapres) and extended release guanfacine (Intuniv XR) may be good choices for children with tics, severe impulsivity or impulsive aggression.Ītypical anti-psychotic medications like risperidone (Risperdal) are NOT RECOMMENDED for “uncomplicated” ADHD because they don’t help attention that much.
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It needs to be taken for a while (up to two months) to see if it is effective for your child.
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There are other medications that can be used for ADHD if stimulants are not effective or not tolerated: The medications can be stopped if they are not helpful, or if there are side effects that don’t go away even after the dose or timing of medication has been changed.
#ADHD MEDICATION TRIAL#
Stimulant medications are usually prescribed for a trial period (often three weeks) to see if they are right for your child. Your child’s doctor will choose a medication based on your child’s symptoms, other health conditions, sleeping and eating habits, and ability to swallow medicine. The active ingredient is the same but the form that it comes in (tablet, capsule) and the way it is released in the body are different. They come in shorter and longer acting forms.
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