Guanfacine and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Lim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2019

Guanfacine for ADHD "I’ve been experiencing side effects that make my day-to-day life very difficult. I’m dizzy, I feel like my vision is blacking out when I walk, I’m extremely lethargic, and find myself sleeping all the time. I’ve been having stomach problems, a high heartbeat (and I thought Intuniv was supposed to subdue you), an extremely dry mouth, and so much anxiety. I haven’t even noticed any positive changes in my ability to focus since I’m constantly disoriented or asleep."

• Anonymous
• November 30, 2012

Guanfacine for ADHD "I'm ADHD, no H included. My 11-year-old daughter is also ADHD. Ritalin has always worked just fine for me, however, I decided to try Intuniv after my doctor prescribed it for my daughter, saying that it was better because it wasn't habit-forming and that it wasn't a stimulant. After 2 weeks of feeling extremely tired, I then began to have headaches, feel like I was going to collapse at any given moment, and couldn't even drive due to the extreme comatose state I felt I was in. My vision also became blurred, and I was very dizzy. I can see how this medication might benefit someone with ADHD as it lowers blood pressure and seems to slow the person down, but I don't recommend it for ADHD. It was a miserable nightmare! I took my daughter off it as well."

• Anonymous
• April 17, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son is 11 with ADHD and APD and has tried all the ADHD medicines out there. We had trouble with mood swings, appetite, and overall inconsistent results. We started on the Intuniv in November 2010. He has stopped at the 2 mg level. It was hard at first, but his doctor encouraged us to do the full 12 weeks on the medication to see full results and it has been worth it. He has gained about 8 pounds and grew almost 3 inches. We give it to him between 4-7 pm before bed and with food. He still gets a little dizzy some days, but we also note that if he doesn't drink enough fluids, that seems to be more prevalent. Some of the early side effects we saw were sleepiness. A little caffeine in the afternoon helped. THIS is by far the best we have had with our son ever."

• Jod...
• January 5, 2016

Guanfacine for ADHD "My 17-year-old daughter has been on Ritalin XL for three years, after having tried Concerta and Adderall. The doctor switched her to Intuniv, and it's wreaked havoc on her body. She developed constipation so quickly, we thought she had appendicitis-ended up in the emergency room! To date, she has slept about 18-20 hours per day, has eaten only half a grilled cheese and some blueberries in 24 hours. She's also lightheaded and dizzy. Last night, she thought someone was showering at 4 am. From reading these experiences, I believe Intuniv isn't right for her body. We know many kids it's worked for-unfortunately, not ours."

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

Guanfacine 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."

• Air...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 8, 2017

Guanfacine for ADHD "I've been on Intuniv for about 10 months, and I am in high school. Intuniv has been working for me. I mean, the first few months I was really tired and was falling asleep in band class. But it has been working, I am not as tired anymore, but I get dizzy whenever I stand up, no matter how slow I stand up or drink water. I have been getting really mad lately, though. My mom won't let me change my meds, any ideas?"

• Anonymous
• October 19, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "I am currently taking Vyvanse and Intuniv. I am 16 years old, and I have ADD. I am on week 2 of the Intuniv. I have noticed that every time I get up from sitting down or laying down, I get very dizzy. I haven't felt sleepy or tired, but I think that's just because I am taking the Vyvanse too. I am taking Intuniv to try to cancel out the anxiety side effect of the Vyvanse. I haven't noticed a difference at all. I am just very frustrated at this point. I have tried almost every ADD medicine out there. I still have impulses and still am a perfectionist. I am still hoping that it will improve over time."

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

Guanfacine 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."

• Mag...
• March 16, 2017

For ADHD "I am on this medicine, and it is horrible. I am 23 years old and have ADHD. I just got retested for it to make sure that I hadn't grown out of it. I was put on this medicine because I hated taking Concerta and other stimulants. I couldn't eat anything while taking them, and they made me really crabby. This medicine made me fall over while walking to my kitchen a few days after I started taking it. I couldn't drive my car because I was scared I would get dizzy and crash. I was only put on 1 mg. Whenever I got out of bed, I got so dizzy that my sight would go away, and I would see black for the entire walk to my bathroom and keep seeing black until after I washed my hands and went to the bathroom. I have been on it for 3 weeks. Stopped taking it yesterday."

• am4...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 8, 2014

For Tourette's Syndrome "I started guanfacine around the age of 6 for Tourette's. I have been taking it for years and have had to constantly increase the dosage because my tics have progressively gotten worse. I eventually had to stop because of how bad the side effects were. My main side effects were dizziness, nausea, leg cramps, and digestive disturbances. As for effectiveness, it used to work amazingly. I would not recommend this drug to anyone with severe tics or anyone who already struggles with nausea and dizziness. The side effects are more noticeable in large doses. Pros: - Safe for children - Effective for mild to moderate Tourette's Cons: - Bad side effects - For moderate to severe Tourette's, there are much better options."

• Gui...
• December 20, 2017

For ADHD "I've been taking this medication for about 6 months, and my doctor increased it to 6 mg and now reduced it to 5 mg. I'm finding this drug has the opposite effect that I'm looking for. It has made me very tired, unmotivated, depressed, and cannot concentrate because I'm always tired. I have gained weight, am irritable, dizzy, and I'm actually more scatterbrained. Right now, I'm working on weaning off of it and changing to a different ADHD medication."

• Amr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 25, 2016

For Tourette's Syndrome "I started with this medicine at age 11. I took it for 6 years on and off, always having to up the dosage. The side effects I experienced were dizziness, drowsiness, and lack of energy. It would mellow my tics (eyes, body, and low vocal noises) down to a tolerable level, but if I continuously took it day to day for months, it would seem to stop working as well. Now I don't take anything (21 now) but natural high magnesium doses a few times a week, and it mellows me out just as well. It doesn't stop my tics completely, but it doesn't bother me. I don't recommend it for people attending school or working in a quiet environment."

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

Guanfacine 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."

• ann...
• November 25, 2022

For ADHD "So I've been on this medication for about 6 months (I'm an 18-year-old female if anyone is curious), and I take 4 mg, but was on 3 mg for most of the time. I've been treated with this drug. I have prescribed it because I couldn't deal with the major side effects other medications caused me, and initially, this medication was great and had minimal side effects apart from some stomach issues (nausea, constipation) and dizziness. But now I'm starting to think this might not be the right thing for me either, and there are quite a few reasons why. I'm devastated that I might have to stop this drug too now, because I've basically tried everything else available to me, but I can't go on like this either, I'm afraid. Let me elaborate. So, I recently had a dose increase because the lower dosage stopped doing anything for me and was just making me sleep 14+ hours a day, but since the dose increase, everything's just gotten worse. I'm even more fatigued now and often pass out immediately after school for a good 4 hours."

• Con...
• May 21, 2019

For ADHD "Was on guanfacine for ADHD and had trouble breathing, massive headache, dizziness, confusion, and more depression."

• Wid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "This is like poison. Made me dizzy, hands and feet sweating, legs hurt. This was only taking one 1 mg pill."