My son is 4 years old. He has ODD, OCD and ADHD. He says no to everything you want him to do and yes to everything you don’t want him to do. He started on half a milligram of guanfacine In the morning and half a milligram at night. The doctor said we will notice a difference in two weeks. Well we did but hardly. So she upped his medicines to 1 mg in the morning and 1 at night. Well it’s been a roller coaster from there on. During the day everything is great. A noticeable difference. But when dinner time comes it’s pulling teeth to get him to eat one bite of food. So we get him to eat as much as he can and it’s hardly any. Night time rolls around and it’s time for dose 2. I put him to bed and he keeps getting out of bed saying he sees hair in the air, sometimes dots. I ask him are you OK. He says I don’t know. So I put him in bed again and he falls asleep. The next night he gets up again sweating bad to where I had to change his shirt. He looked petrified and told me he was scared can he sleep in our room. So he did. It broke my heart. So the next day we called the doctor and she lowered the dose to 1mg in the morning and 1/2 at night. Well needless to say the same thing has happened. Please if anyone knows anything about what’s going on with my son please let me know. I’m scared about it and extremely worried. Thanks
Guanfacine - someone please read this ! (a worried dad)
Question posted by Nyjaxry on 21 March 2018
Last updated on 12 July 2023 by UseCommonSense
6 Answers
There's some things I'm curious about. Is this the only ADHD med he takes? This is a non-stimulant that does not work on the typical part of the brain that Ritalin etc. treats. It is a wonderful accompaniment to the area that the stimulant works with. It is hard to find a Doctor that doesn't have a God complex even though they stop researching and learning. I am about to start it, but I have low blood pressure already. It is super long lasting, so my doctor has advised me to take it at night since it causes drowsiness. I'm a little worried about that so I will have hubby watch me closely. I'm wondering what the side effects of low blood pressure are. Listen, you are the ultimate last line of defense for your child. If you have a doctor that won't listen or refuses to learn his trade, you must find a better one.
You want one that is always studying about the issue-one that understands the side effects and is testing your son to make sure his blood pressure is not too low-and one that really understands the medicines and what they work on in the brain. Normally this is only given once a day because it is super long lasting. Be careful with bringing him down or up to fast. I would suggest that he not take it at night. It is one of the longest lasting meds. Also, I'm not sure if this med should be taken by a child so young, but if it works well during the day without bad effects then he just needs monitoring. Did your doctor even mention the blood pressure thing? Did she tell you that you needed to watch his blood pressure and monitor it? One of the side effects of this is hallucinations, but it only happens to a few, so I'm thinking that it's because the higher dose is causing a medical problem. If the dose works well during the day and is only bad at night, then take him off at night. Beside, you want him to be weaning down at night so he has an appetite and can sleep better. Remember you need to allow about 10-14 days for each dosage change. So despite the problem, don't take him down too fast, unless he has dangerously low blood pressure. If they are not making him fall asleep at school then it looks like a winner. Hope this helps. (And always deeply research everything your child takes)
My son had similar side effects to the point if he looked up while standing he would see spots and eventually fall. After a couple weeks they resolved on there own..its a bp thing
I'm sorry love I don't know what you can do but please know that I am praying for you and your son. God bless you both
I hope you got this resolved! I’m currently experiencing the terrible sweating and not sure what to do!
Its originally a blood pressure medicine. He could be experiencing a drop in blood pressure and side effects from that!
I am so sorry that I do not have an answer to your question because I truly wish I did. I just wanted you to know that I will keep you all in my prayers and that you will find some answers soon. This broke my heart and I feel it’s important that you know that there are people that will read this and support you whether it just be with encouraging words, some much needed prayers, or most importantly some answers. Best wishes and sending many prayers your way. {{((HUGS))}} for your sweet boy!
Thanks so much ! I needed that . Have a great day
Have you tried removing foods containing gluten and wheat?
After removing these from my 4 and 5 year old diets, their behavioral issues became almost non existent. This wasn't some thing that happened overnight. And with guanfacine, the behaviors decreased significantly on top of the gluten-free diet.
What I've learned is that gluten negatively influences my children's behaviors and when it's reintroduced, the negative behaviors return. So, with the help of my pediatrician and Elementary School teacher, both children are supported with gluten free foods at school and at home. Good luck to you.
Thank you so much ! We will give that a try .
Related topics
obsessive compulsive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), guanfacine, oppositional defiant disorder
Further information
- Guanfacine uses and safety info
- Guanfacine prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Guanfacine (detailed)
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