Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD User Reviews (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• October 4, 2011

"I'm not impressed with this medication. My daughter was having some issues with Vyvanse, so her doctor put her on this. Unfortunately, she's back to her old self, completely out of control, taking hours to do a 15-minute assignment, playing with her paper, staring off into space, not focusing, etc. First thing tomorrow, I'm calling her doctor and putting her back on Vyvanse. The last thing I want is for her grades to slip, she's already struggling enough as it is to keep them up. The nail biting from Vyvanse is just a minor side effect that we can deal with for now, otherwise, she'll fail 3rd grade entirely."

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

"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."

• A k...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2017

"I just started taking it for two days, and I hate it. The first day, I started twitching and shaking, and my stomach felt so uncomfortable. The second day, it felt worse. I had a dry throat, uncomfortable stomach, less twitching, and I felt so useless. The worst thing about it was it was supposed to make me focus, and it does not even help. I just hate how I have to lie about how I feel - I say I'm okay, but I'm so far from being okay."

• Tex...
• October 6, 2009

"My 9-year-old son who has ADHD and ODD has been on Focalin XR for roughly 5 months now after going through 3 other different medicines for his ADHD that produced a lot of side effects. He dropped down to 42 lbs. VERY SCARY, and he would refuse to eat, period. He also takes 1 mg of Risperdal at night. He has a very high tolerance and is given 40 mg of Focalin XR daily. This is the only drug I have found that does not affect his appetite. He eats nonstop when he gets home from school until he goes to bed at night. It has calmed him down, but it seems to wear off after 6 hours. Other than that, this medication is GREAT, and I will continue to give it to my son."

• Ric...
• December 1, 2015

"I love how it makes you more focused on one thing. But it has too many bad things to it. First, you have loss of hunger for a longer period of time. Then you get this bad stomach feeling like barely fainting or puking. Your muscles start to twitch, and you feel annoying and hostile. I also feel like crying at random points, and it is pretty embarrassing."

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

"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."

• pre...
• January 19, 2018

"The doctor started me off with 10 mg. It seemed to never 'fully' kick in, I would feel some effects, mostly just staring out into space and daydreaming. I told my doctor this, and he just said I needed to refocus my focus. (He's a hippie, y'all.) Then when I finally convinced him to up it to see if I would actually feel anything more, it just amps my anxiety and makes me extremely tired. You can forget about taking a second extended-release capsule after that one wears off, it just makes you more tired and amps your anxiety more, makes you jittery and really on edge, and also makes your heart beat incredibly fast. Would not recommend."

• Anonymous
• November 3, 2010

"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."

• Nan...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 2, 2022

"I've taken Focalin XR for 15 years and started in the 1st grade. It worked well when I was a kid because it would turn my brain on for the school day, then I'd go back to my normal self by dinner. Now that I'm an adult, this window of useful brain time is less effective, but a longer-lasting dose gives me insomnia. The feeling of being on or off gets very stressful and isn't great for my relationships. When the medication wears off, I get exhausted and crash. I loved my meds as a kid when it felt like I had a school mode and a play mode, but as an adult, I'm leaning more towards more subtle non-stimulant options."

• Mom...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 18, 2018

"I hate giving my child medicine. Absolutely hate it. My son was doing so poorly in school, though, without it. With it, his grades are so much better. I tried stopping it for two months and had to give it to him again because grades and behavior took a nosedive."

• Anonymous
• January 28, 2018

"My 13-year-old daughter was switched to Focalin. After a few days, the feelings of sadness, anxiety, and sleeplessness caused her not to be able to deal with it, and she tried to commit suicide. If you read up on this medicine, the FDA is asking for that to become one of the side effect warnings for this medication. My daughter was placed in a behavioral center that could help her, and she has not taken any more ADHD medication since that day. She told me (her mom), 'I will never do that again, but that medicine made me feel so sad, and my thoughts weren't my own.' Never again will my daughter take this medication or anything for ADHD!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 2, 2012

"My son has been on Focalin XR for a few years, and we started at 15 mg once a day, and he seemed to do fine for a while, and then teachers noticed some problems with attention. We have never had behavior problems, and he has always seemed happy in school and at home. We increased to 20 mg a day about 6-9 months ago, and he just now told me that he is having suicidal thoughts and has been for a while, so will be talking to his doctor about cutting it back to 15 mg a day and see if this helps."

• TJ ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2022

"Well, I've been on Focalin for over a month now, and I can honestly ask, is this normal for most people? I never wanted to take any drugs for my autism and ADHD, but after it almost costing me my marriage, spending time with my daughter, almost losing my career, and losing my car keys, lol, I decided to take a pharmaceutical approach. I have felt the rush and energy, but I feel more calm and collected. I can actually understand more social situations now, and I don't have a lot of my autism tics when I'm on Focalin. I feel calm, relaxed, and focused. My anxiety is gone now, and my depression has subsided because it was autism-oriented. I have gone from almost losing my job to being someone my company doesn't want to lose. My marriage rebounded, and we are doing great again after therapy, of course, but we are doing great again. I enjoy every second with my daughter without my ADHD, anxiety, or depression kicking in. I have a little withdrawal from it since I only take it 5 to 6 days a week as needed."

• nat...
• April 12, 2016

"I have struggled with ADHD for 10 years, and finally my doc did something about it. :) However, I did have sleeping problems for the first few weeks, but that was expected with it being a stimulant. But after a month or so, my sleeping is back to normal and my mind is not spinning out of control, so thanks, doc!"

• ADD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2015

"I have no insurance and am currently back in school for counseling, social work.... let's say Human Resources. I am 34 years old, can't get insurance with parents, I'm way over 25! I clean homes and babysit to get extra cash for gas and needs, and thankfully my parents have extra rooms. Also, luckily, I have no kids. I was getting my 70 mg Vyvanse meds all paid for with a card, but after renewing, I was denied due to being unable to read the doctor's last name and having no proof of income... I have none. I was currently taking 30 mg Adderall 2x per day, the doctor wanted to try this and luckily it was about the same price. Now the Adderall is now half as much, so I must sacrifice. This medicine is by far the best medication I have found for my condition. I may just have to pay more for this, best!!!"

• AJa...
• August 2, 2020

"My 7-year-old was on 5 mg of Focalin XR for 2 months. A lot of his quirky behavior went away, but not all. He was up until 10 or 11 pm every night and told us he had too much energy. Per the advice of the doctor, we took a 4-day break, and he went to bed at 9:30 all nights. We are day one of 10 mg, hoping that more of his quirky behavior goes away. It’s now 11:30 pm, and he’s wide awake. My son is perky and his same silly self - I can’t identify with other reviews that said it makes kids zombie-like. I did not have that experience at all. Hoping things get better soon, though. Also, it has not affected appetite either. He eats well, thank God."

• Anonymous
• December 10, 2011

"I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 7. I started with Concerta to treat it, but as time went on, the side effects and the dosage being 135 mg was getting annoying. I have noticed that Focalin XR has fewer side effects than Concerta. Also, I eat a good deal more, and I can sleep when taking it. I also read in the comments that the maximum dosage is 20 mg? I take 35 mg and will probably up my dose. Other than that, it is a very good medication."

• 17...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2019

"I see a lot of negative reviews, however, Focalin XR is doing very well for me and my ADHD! I have been taking medications since I was in the first grade, and I can definitely tell the difference when I’m on this medication. I think my dose still needs to be messed with a little, but I feel a lot better. The only problem is that I’m losing a little bit of weight. Not a bad thing, but something to keep an eye on."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 22, 2015

"My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 years old. He is now 7. Before finding Focalin, his doctor started him on Ritalin, he was only on it for 3 days because it made him zombified and depressive with many mood swings. Then he started Vyvanse for a few weeks, but it gave him some kind of allergic reaction in his throat. Finally, he was put on Focalin 10ml, and for the last 3 years, it has been doing him great. He does awesome in school, and also at home he can focus and he is happy. The only bad part is he has absolutely no appetite from 10 minutes after he takes the pill to 6 hours later. He drinks cyproheptadine syrup 2mg to help boost his appetite while on the Focalin."

• Nea...
• December 8, 2016

"My son takes Focalin XR for his ADHD. I like the medicine, but my only complaint is a side effect that is not listed anywhere when I research Focalin. The side effect my son experiences is digging in the ear or the sensation of something in his ear that he needs to get out. The higher the dosage, the worse the digging is. I have talked to the doctors, had his ears checked, and put on allergy medicines, he still digs in his ears. He does really well with the medicine in school and activities outside of school. I have not seen any other side effect for this medication."

• adh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2019

"I switched to Focalin after taking Adderall XR for about 5 years. Adderall XR worked, but I thought that there must be something better, so my doctor put me on Focalin. Today has been my third day on the new medication, and I feel awful. As someone who has acid reflux, Focalin worsened my heartburn and caused me to gag every 10 minutes for no reason. Focalin barely helped me focus during my class, and I couldn't drive because of how weak I was and how much I shook. This medicine has given me diarrhea and constant headaches. Needless to say, I will be going back to Adderall XR."

• Geo...
• September 26, 2015

"I'm a 17-year-old girl, and Focalin was the first medication I ever used to treat my ADHD. It was the worst! Like many others, I felt extremely anxious. I also constantly felt unattached to the world. Even worse, it didn't even help me focus! I was too busy having overwhelming feelings of anxiety to be focused. However, I wouldn't say you shouldn't try this medication, as it seems to work for others. I just know that if you feel any sense of anxiety, it's abnormal. I'm on Vyvanse now, and I have no problems with anxiety. Just a few minor symptoms, but it works great."

• Ame...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 4, 2016

"I've been taking 20 mg of Focalin XR for the past 2 years and have experienced great improvement in mental function and all-around health. Focalin has allowed me to focus and be aware of a situation. I have been more efficient at work, more aware of my health and well-being, and able to process situations more appropriately. My biggest complaint has been with sleep patterns. Some nights I can sleep 6 hours, or I can sleep for 14, and I cannot fall asleep right away. My FitBit has mixed reports, but they are questionable. This is something I have tried to 'tweak' with my doctor, but we have not had any success. My second complaint is nausea, but that we have been able to tweak with food consumption and timing."

• Max...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 28, 2019

"Long story short, I was previously on Vyvanse 40 mg a day, and I decided I wanted to try Focalin XR. Before that, I was on Concerta and absolutely hated it. When I was a kid, I apparently did very well on it, but not anymore. So I decided to give Focalin XR a try, and it works very well! The only two issues I have are the questionable quality of the release beads among certain generic manufacturers and the severity of the crash."

• 44f...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2023

"Prescribed 20 mg. Gives me terrible nausea and lasts about 3 hours before a huge crash that renders me even worse than before taking it. I really wish my doctor would just fill my old prescription of Dexedrine, but she refuses because “there are better medicines out there.” Been on Strattera, Vyvanse, Adderall, Intuniv, and now this, and nothing has come close to working as well as Dexedrine."