Focalin XR User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• mat...
• December 6, 2014

For ADHD "I'm an adult who has taken this off and on for 4 years. I've always had trouble concentrating, and Focalin is an effective fix. I do think there are minor side effects, though. It makes me feel much more focused and less worried/panicked about what I need to do. Unlike others, though, I would not say it calms me down, I feel like it actually stresses me out more. When I take this, I'm more serious and easily annoyed, and I can't relax. I have also found that my appetite drops off and that I don't sleep very deeply. Overall, a great medicine, but for me and many ADHD people, our symptoms are brought out due to simply a lack of strenuous physical exercise (1 hr) every day. When on a regular exercise and sleep schedule, I do not need it."

• Mac...
• August 19, 2015

For ADHD "My son was diagnosed with ADHD about 6 months ago, he is 7 years old. This medicine works great. He's not zombified. Helps him to really focus and helps with school. The only side effect I noticed is he doesn't have an appetite, and it wears off about 4 pm, and he eats like crazy then. No mood swings. Very satisfied with this medication."

• Bla...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 6, 2015

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was about 5, and my experience overall has been amazing. I've been on it for 12 years now. I take 40 mg once in the morning and in the afternoon, and by like 6 pm it wears off (by the way, I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 225 lb thanks to this medication). The only bad parts or symptoms I'm having are that caffeine has no effect on me anymore (probably built up a tolerance thanks to the Focalin), I don't always sleep too well, and ever since I turned like 14, my appetite went from non-existent to out of control (don't know why...). I'm 17 now and am an A- student, whereas I was an F student before. I definitely recommend this, but I should warn you all it's not for everyone. There are alternatives."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 13, 2023

For ADHD "“I don’t care what anyone else says about this medication, it is the WORST for kids. I started taking this when I was 10 years old, and it was a nightmare. This medication gave me anxiety attacks to the point that I would just sit on my bed and stare at the wall, all zoned out for sometimes even 30 minutes. Focalin XR caused me to act like a zombie, and every day when I was trying to focus in class, I would not be able to listen to the teacher. It would make my eyes feel very heavy and tired, but when I tried to take naps, I could not. Every day, unwanted thoughts would crowd my mind and would make it very hard to function. Once I was sitting down on the gym floor waiting to be picked up, and I started to continuously zone out, and one of the teachers watching everyone asked if I was okay. Whenever I would walk down my school hall, I would almost bump into people because my brain could not process where I was going. DO NOT GET THIS, PLEASE. No one believes me about this."

• Anonymous
• June 25, 2011

For ADHD "Our 11-year-old son is diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type and has been on this medicine for 14 months now. It made a big difference for him. He is on 15 mg Focalin XR. If he doesn't take it for a day, the teacher can really tell the difference. He can focus now and became a part of the class, contributes to the conversation, and also has an easier time with his social life. He doesn't hate school anymore. We don't see any behavioral issues at home when it wears off. He has appetite loss, so he eats a big breakfast before he takes the medication. He also got used to eating sandwiches at school even if he is not hungry. It became a part of his routine."

• Bob...
• February 19, 2013

For ADHD "I am loving all these comments about this medication, and I thought I was the only one in the world who had these same issues. My 1 lb 13 oz daughter had to have a tracheotomy in for 4 years, got it removed, and immediately began acting out, which led to ODD and ADHD. Went through all the medicines, I am a nurse by the way. I found this, and I am sticking to it. It does have an appetite suppression effect and only lasts 6 hours peak time. After 3 pm after school, it wears off, and let me tell you it's on until I give her clonidine 0.1 mg tab at night (helps to sleep). I don't know where to go from here. Luck and God bless you all."

• 25w...
• May 3, 2008

For ADHD "I had a lot of success with Focalin. I felt like my brain got turned off, which was a good thing! I could sit through my classes and actually get stuff done. I stopped losing things, and I got things done faster and with ease. I lost weight, which was pretty cool. I didn't have too many side effects that I can recall, except for the lack of appetite."

• Jon...
• January 18, 2013

For ADHD "I got diagnosed with ADHD, and this is my first medicine. It helps me focus, but the side effects make me miserable. I'm starving right now, but I don't want to eat, and my throat is dry. I can't sleep, and this side effect makes it worse because I have asthma and severe allergies. So, I can't sleep, and I have twitches bad. I twitch my left shoulder blade a lot now, and sometimes it won't stop."

• HLS...
• March 19, 2012

For ADHD "Overall, this medication has been absolutely wonderful. Our 12-year-old son was diagnosed at age 7 with ADHD. We did try another medicine, but it stopped working after about 2 years. We have been on the Focalin XR since. Our son takes 25 mg, 2 times daily about 6 hours apart. It has helped a ton. He does have the appetite issue, but we are sustaining it, and when it wears off at night, he eats great. The mornings are the worst part before the medicine kicks in. Our son has improved so much in school and in his extracurricular activities. He is a total joy when the medication is working. We do try and give him 'drug vacations' on the weekends and during the summer, which helps maintain his weight."

• Joh...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 12, 2016

For ADHD "My son has been on this for 8 years, and it is a huge help. Takes 1st thing in the morning and lasts all day. No problem eating dinner and has kept a healthy weight. With the coupon, we pay zero out of pocket."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 8, 2015

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Type at age 20, in my junior year of college (about 2.5 years ago). I started on Focalin XR 10 mg, and while it took me a while to get used to how to work around the meds (I had to change from doing schoolwork late at night to early in the morning), it has done nothing but help me. The only thing I found was that when I interned and now that I've been working for a year, it doesn't help me (I'm on the phone a lot and it makes me have some issues bouncing around a conversation - too focused on one thing). Cons: absolutely no appetite from about half an hour after taking it, 6/7 hours later, really stiff neck, crazy distracted/hungry/drained when it wears off."

• Mom...
• September 24, 2017

For ADHD "Ok, I have been reading up on the side effects and reviews of this medication. My 6-year-old had tried 2 or 3 other ADHD medications from a clinic he stayed in for about a month. He is on XR 20 mg, and it, to me, has honestly done wonders. My son is able to focus, learn, sit still, and get his schoolwork done. He is so much happier that he is learning and can focus on one subject at a time rather than racing through his brain. I like it, and the only concern is he can hold better conversations, but his answers to questions are very short: 'How was your day?' 'Good...'. You have to ask him more questions to get more answers. Then you have to repeat or either give him one instruction at a time for him to complete. I'm concerned about the long-term side effects."

• mot...
• May 14, 2011

For ADHD "My 6-year-old son started showing signs of ADHD a year ago. He is in kindergarten, and he has 3 types of days: green - good, yellow - not the best, red - bad day. Every week, he was coming home with 2 yellow days a week for calling out and being disruptive for the last 7 months. He started taking Focalin XR 10 mg and has a green day every day since he started the medication. His teachers say how much better he has been at school, and he doesn't run amok through the house anymore. I'm so happy we found Focalin."

• Djg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2013

For Auditory Processing Disorder "My son is 9 and was diagnosed with a central auditory processing disorder. He is/was also showing symptoms of ADHD. In trouble in school, refusing to do his work, he was even switched to an emotional support classroom, and after all the tests, we found out that his brain couldn't process what he was hearing, which caused the ADHD-like symptoms. We were offered to try Focalin XR...started on 5 mg but just switched to 10 mg because my son said it wasn't making much of a difference. He eats well, even on the medication, and has been coming home with almost perfect daily behavior charts at school. This medicine is definitely working out good for us. Side effects are very minimal. My son takes 1 mg of melatonin at night for sleep."

• Rea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 8, 2018

For ADHD "My wife and I adopted. At the time of birth, doctors told us he was born addicted to crack cocaine and also might not learn or express himself in a standard way. Our son is now 8 years old, in the third grade Omega Prodigy program. He started taking Focalin and guanfacine at 6 years old, helped tremendously. It took 2 months to start working over the summer. It's not a miracle drug, it just helps keep him focused. I have not seen any side effects, and no, we are not rich or private school boot camp people. We just have him read 45 minutes a day and let him be a kid. Good luck."

• chr...
• January 21, 2013

For ADHD "My son just started this 2.5 weeks ago. He is 9 with ADHD and ODD. The medication works fine for symptoms. Yet I'm concerned because he has developed a tic where he constantly taps his legs and sometimes hits them with his fists pretty hard and twitches his eyes. We are going back to the doctor for management."

• Anonymous
• September 18, 2010

For ADHD "My son has been on Focalin XR for 3 years now. We have had nothing but success. He will not go to school without it. He went from a failing student that stayed in trouble to a GT student that LOVES school and a very successful competitive swimmer. Yes, we do have behavior problems in the evening, but it's nothing that we can't handle."

• AQa...
• August 15, 2019

For ADHD "Focalin does the trick in getting you less scatterbrained, and it helps with focus, but be sure you are only ADHD and aren't also autistic and/or have motor tics/nervous tics because it is an amphetamine stimulant drug. There it might make you more fidgety if you fidget or have nervous tics out of anxiety and overstimulation. I'm on the spectrum, and this drug makes my repetitive motor movements worse."

• Bra...
• December 10, 2015

For ADHD "I never had ADD or problems focusing and staying motivated before I had chemotherapy for Ewing's sarcoma at 16-17 years old. I'm now 24 and started being treated for those symptoms with Focalin XR earlier this year. It was a night and day difference for me. I had energy, yes, the first week I was shaky but that stopped. I lost weight gained from continuing to eat like a weightlifting football player but had very little movement at all. I felt great, I can get things done now. Motivation is now just lacking from my lack of trying, but when I get on something, I blaze through it. Negative effects I have experienced are occasional moodiness, especially if I am focused on something and then get interrupted. Caffeine is a no-no."

• Anonymous
• July 28, 2015

For ADHD "My daughter was 6 when she started it, and her schoolwork has improved dramatically. The only side effect is that she is not hungry, and we have to force her to eat. At 5:30 pm when it wears off, she is hungry and distracted."

• Cap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2018

For ADHD "I didn’t get diagnosed till I was 30. I’m 31 now. I was taking Adderall XR 25 mg. I just didn’t feel it working like it should. So my doctor switched me to Focalin XR 30 mg. I read the starting dose is 10 mg for adults, I guess since I took a higher dose of Adderall, my doctor felt it was best to get me going on a higher dose of Focalin. My job is working on the phones, I have to call about 300 people a day. There is no way I would be able to perform my job well if I wasn’t taking this medication. I’m focused and not bored, I’m not daydreaming all day, I’m staying in my seat, I don’t have a messy desk. This stuff works."

• Eva...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 16, 2019

For ADHD "I've had ADHD for a very long time and didn't start taking Focalin until 11th grade. I tried other stimulants in middle school but gave up because I disliked the way they made me feel. Focalin does its job. It helps me focus and get work done, however, I do get shaky and anxious while on the drug. My appetite is also affected. You just have to decide if the side effects are worth the outcome."

• Mam...
• March 10, 2008

For ADHD "My daughter has been taking this for 7 months with almost no side effects. Her reading level increased from 3.1 to 4.5 in 6 months, and her grades overall increased to A's. Our only problem is that we are having behavior problems with her at home as the medication is wearing off and prior to taking it in the morning. We are currently adding another drug to see if it helps with this issue. Her behavior at school has not changed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 29, 2019

For ADHD "I've taken it on and off since I was in high school (I'm 26 now). Generally, 5-10 mg has worked best for me. It helps me a lot when there are tasks I need extra focus on, and a lower dose can help in social situations. I found it to be helpful for school, and more recently at work. The worst side effect for me is a loss of appetite. I find that I have to totally guess how hungry I am and force it down so I don't get brain fog. It relieves anxiety in that I can finally do what I need to, but it raises anxiety in general. I try to take it as little as possible and haven't experienced any issues taking it sporadically. Just keep the dose low."

• Anonymous
• November 3, 2010

For ADHD "I am an adult, recently diagnosed with ADD. Probably had it my whole life, but now I am doing something about it. My doctor prescribed this medication, and at first, I was so focused and improving my error ratios at work. The only thing, even after increasing my dose, it wears off. By 1:00 pm, I am tired and can go to sleep. I think I am going to ask my doctor to give me the non-extended so I can take it in the AM and pm. Other than that, it is a great medicine, and I don't have the non-appetite side effect, in fact, it makes me want to eat more."