Intuniv and Blood Pressure: What Users Say

• lil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 31, 2016

For ADHD "My 18-year-old ADHD plus anxiety daughter takes this med at bedtime. It has changed her life. You do have to start at the lowest dose and advance up to the therapeutic dose. You do have to stay well-hydrated to avoid constipation and low blood pressure. The trade-off in the loss of almost all of her anxiety behaviors and her eagerness to now seek out activities and social interaction outside the house is amazing. We could not have achieved this without the close monitoring of her pediatrician. Our insurance does cover the generic at a very reasonable co-pay."

• con...
• November 30, 2011

For ADHD "My daughter did well at the 2mg dose of Intuniv for about 2 months, then they upped her to 3 mg and shortly after she went for a weekend visit and the medicines were not given to her. Monday morning she was dosed and around 9 am she fell asleep at school. The staff was unable to wake her. She was rushed to the ER where they found that her blood pressure was extremely low. She was taken off Intuniv. POINT OF STORY: If you miss doses, don't start back at the top dosage. Gradually reintroduce it to their systems from a lower dose."

• mom...
• February 29, 2012

For ADHD "My son is 9 years old and was officially diagnosed a year ago. He was on Focalin for 2 months, then started Concerta 18mg for 6 months. The Concerta was going great, however, he developed odd behaviors like making noises and zoning out. He started Intuniv a month ago. His blood pressure dropped really low, which attributed to him being very tired. We gave it to him at night, and he still woke up groggy and very sleepy. Throughout school, he was dazed and tired. He didn't find anything to laugh about and seemed out of it. During the third week (the 3mg dosage), his therapist took him off. Within 3 days, he was laughing and getting back to normal. I heard great things about Intuniv and wish all of you the best of luck."

• cla...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 13, 2024

For ADHD "I've been on Intuniv for the second time for a year. The first time I took this drug was in combination with a stimulant (Adderall) for many years, but now I take it alone because of stimulants causing me to have manic episodes. The effect of this drug on ADD is subtle, but I do believe that it works. I can't tell that it is helping me until I sit down and do my schoolwork (I'm working on my second degree), and I notice that I'm able to sit down and focus for several hours without getting up many times/fidgeting. The side effect of calmness is an added bonus. I take this drug 2 mg twice a day to cut back on how much it lowers my blood pressure at one time because I do experience dizziness and orthostatic hypotension with it. The effects are definitely not as noticeable as stimulants, but it's so much better for ADD than nothing at all. It also especially helps cut down on impulsivity. I would recommend trying this drug as an adult, but don't expect an overnight miracle from it."

• CSL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2015

For ADHD "My 8-year-old daughter has been taking the medication for 4 months now, and although we have seen a good improvement in her behavior, the weight gain has been substantial. She has gained over 10 lbs in 4 months, which is incredibly unhealthy. Her blood pressure has also been on the very low side. Unfortunately for us, we can't risk the bad side effects even though we have seen a positive behavior change."

• sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2022

For ADHD "Intuniv worked terribly for me. I was prescribed it for ADHD, and it caused so many issues and fixed absolutely none. Dry mouth, low blood pressure (and in turn, dizziness and confusion), extreme tiredness no matter how much sleep I got, constipation, ear pain upon standing, painful dry eye, etc. I wouldn’t recommend."

• ADH...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 30, 2023

For ADHD "I have found Intuniv (guanfacine ER) to be a tremendously helpful medication. I take it with Vyvanse, 60 mg/day. The primary reason I started Intuniv was because I was having issues with jitters and anxiety on the Vyvanse. It was frustrating because I absolutely had moments where I felt great and had brilliant focus, but I would sometimes get stuck in these rumination loops, anxieties, etc. CBT therapy helped a little, but I saw Dr. Russell Barkley talk about how Intuniv can be taken with a stimulant to help with emotional control, so I asked my psychiatrist about it, and he knew all about Intuniv. I eventually settled on 4 mg/day. I am way more 'chill' these days, yet still very much me. I just feel more level-headed. The only downside is this drug can make you tired, and it can have a bit of a notorious hypotension side effect. Occasionally, I would be tired and winded, which was not dangerous but from low blood pressure. Taking the medication at night has helped this completely."

• Mar...
• December 10, 2015

For ADHD "My son was 6 when diagnosed. Adderall finally came to our rescue. Eventually, it did not work long enough, so we give him a wake-up dose of 5 mg IR, an 8 am XR dose, then a 3 pm IR dose to help with aftercare and homework. This has continued to work for 3 years. We tried Intuniv because his ODD and impulsivity were leading to threats of suspending him from school. After 2 days, we realized his BP was lower (too low), but he didn't pass out. After 2 weeks, his reacting to people was no longer on the calm side, he was emotional about everything, more impulsive, and more defiant, not him at all. We decided to take him off. At least we can say that we tried, but it just did not work for my son, but it may for others."

• Abc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 11, 2022

For ADHD "I'm an 18-year-old taking this alongside Concerta for my ADHD. I was put on Intuniv because of high blood pressure and tics from the main stimulant, but I can't say that I noticed a real positive difference. I kept crashing in the middle of the day and couldn't continue working until I took a nap, but I still even felt tired after that. Constantly dizzy and nauseous in the afternoons while taking anything above 1 mg. I even started experiencing anxiety, which has never been an issue before. 1 mg is working fine for me right now, but I got up to 4 mg, which was definitely way too high. I might've been better off just asking to switch the main stimulant rather than taking 2 ADHD medications at once. I will say this definitely helped my tics, but I ended up having low blood pressure and felt tired all the time despite being naturally high energy. It just kind of took the life out of me. I can see why this would be good for a child if you don't like stimulants, but it's just not for me."