Guanfacine and Irritability: What Users Say

• Kri...
• February 10, 2014

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son is 8 and was diagnosed with ADHD recently. This is the first medication he has taken. We started at 1mg, working our way up to 3mg, and it's taken in the evening around 5pm. Once at 3mg, my son was extremely sleepy, even falling asleep in class and on the bus ride home. He was emotional about everything, even looking for toys, he would cry. He also experienced terrible tummy aches. He became very irritable, I'm guessing because he was sleepy. I had his doctor lower the dosage to 2mg, and he is becoming that little guy I know again! He's still kind of sleepy but not as bad, and his teacher is noticing a big improvement in his focus at school. We are still working out the kinks, but I am hopeful! Best of luck to you all!"

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2010

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son is halfway through his fourth week of Intuniv. We became concerned when he began this last week, when he started taking the highest dose he will be on. For two days, he could hardly get out of bed, was very cranky, and slept for nearly 8 hours on a drive home from school vacation (very unusual for him.) I called his doctor on Monday morning and she said to stick it out a few days. See how he did at school, and with getting up in the morning. The last two days have been problem free. He is MUCH more agreeable than ever. He is less emotional (a good thing), less cranky. He is remembering all the things he should. Overall his behavior is better. We have tried many different medications and so far this is the most effective."

• lce...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 23, 2017

Guanfacine for ADHD "I would like to share my experience with Intuniv for those specifically with comorbid ADHD/Bipolar. It initially improved working memory (easier to take time to perform tasks such as not jumping ahead while reading), then, as it works on 2A receptors, created a DECREASED DESIRE to perform the tasks. Essentially, it lowers NE. So, lower motivation, which nearly completely negates the easier task performance. THIS IS A COMMON THREAD. Therefore, works better in conjunction with stims. It also created depersonalization. Finally, it caused a unique mixed episode with grandiosity and irritability, but psychomotor retardation and grumpiness. Think increased prefrontal, decreased limbic. Bipolars BEWARE. We are different than strict ADHD cases."

• spe...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 13, 2020

Guanfacine for ADHD "While Intuniv didn't help me focus as well as Vyvanse or Ritalin, it still helps a fair amount with staying focused without any of the irritability. It also takes quite a while to start working. Overall, I'd give it a try; I've been on it for roughly 10 years now."

• jms...
• October 30, 2016

Guanfacine for ADHD "Our son has been on Intuniv for 3 years. We started in kindergarten when he was diagnosed with ADHD. He is very impulsive, not easily compliant, with underlying anxiety. The behavioral issues in school were challenging, so we began at 1mg. A BIG NOTE HERE: I have read reviews, and I'm surprised a doctor prescribes this medication to a patient at a higher dosage! Always start at 1mg and increase as time goes on, if needed. My son was on 1mg for a year, then we increased to 2mg in October. By the following summer, I reduced back to 1mg. However, had to raise it again one month into school. We were able to get through that school year on 2mg. Now, in Year 3, we increased to 3mg 3 days ago. Does anyone have experience with 3mg with their 8-year-old? He is very sleepy as he adjusts and irritable, takes naps, wakes up, and seems happy again."

• Jan...
• September 27, 2017

Guanfacine for ADHD "My eight-year-old started this medication after a failed trial of stimulants. Prior to that, he had extensive behavioral therapy. In addition to ADHD, he has a tic disorder and sleep onset disorder. The stimulants exacerbated his tic, causing muscle strain and pain. This medication has helped with all of the above and takes the edge off of his difficult personality. He will now sit still and read a book. He is still irritable at times, but this has always been a problem for him; I don't feel this medication has made it any worse. Last year, his standardized test showed below-basic comprehension. The school feels this was due to his lack of impulse control on multiple-choice tests more than a lack of knowledge. We've got high hopes for a better school year."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2018

Guanfacine for ADHD "My 8-year-old daughter started this medication to help her behavior in school along with her other stimulant medication she takes for ADHD. This medication increased her irritability, aggression, and changed her happy, sweet self. It did not help her, it made her symptoms worse. Took her off of it as it didn't improve anything besides making her overly tired and grumpy. Increasing her bad behavior. Stimulants work best, but will try more behavioral therapy along with her current medication that helps, as Intuniv didn't help any behavior issues and being impulsive in my daughter."

• Van...
• April 14, 2017

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son took generic for about 6 months. His Dr. actually prescribed it to him to help him sleep. He has ADHD combined type with emotion dysregulation. I actually can't believe it was prescribed to help control ADHD behaviors. My son was taking Vyvanse during the day, then Guanfacine at night. It made him extremely irritable and tired. I took him off both of the meds. He's hyper but a whole lot less frustrated, that's for sure."

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2022

Guanfacine for ADHD "I have been using Intuniv 2 mg alongside Adderall IR 30-40 mg/day. I have been on the Adderall for many years, and it is very helpful for planning, focus, and following through with things, but it most definitely has some side effects that are related to its stimulant effects: anxiety, restlessness, agitation, etc., which are all pretty normal for stimulants. Lowering the dose of the stimulant can help, but then the positive benefits are not as pronounced, in my experience. After a few months of discussing this with my doctor, we decided to try guanfacine ER (Intuniv). My experiences with this drug combination have been life-changing. If you look up 'guanfacine and stimulants' on PubMed or Google, you will see there are a number of studies that show they synergize very well. I feel as though I have all of the benefits from the Adderall, but now the anxiety and restlessness are very much turned down. The effects of both seem to last all day. I am also sleeping better. Amazing."

• Rem...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 12, 2023

Guanfacine for ADHD "I was 25 when I got my ADHD diagnosis and have been on Intuniv for almost 2 years now. I am currently taking 4 mg a day and not seeing or feeling any positive effects from it. It feels like it just makes me incredibly tired and irritable. It constantly gives me a dry mouth and just doesn't seem to help me at all."

• Lor...
• September 26, 2010

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son is 12 and was on Focalin for about 3 years. It worked OK, but he had problems with appetite, irritability, and mood swings. This summer we started him on Intuniv and completely dropped Focalin. The behavior and personality are great now. He is the sweetest boy when on Intuniv. He grew 3 inches in 3 months and gained weight (which is great for him!). However, huge side effects are sleepiness, tiredness, and headaches (which he never had before). School work or homework remains undone. We have issues at school where teachers are complaining that he just does not care about anything and does not participate in class. We have huge issues with completing homework. I am very frustrated."

• Anonymous
• September 18, 2010

Guanfacine for ADHD "My seven-year-old son has been on Intuniv for three weeks now. His behavior at school and home is finally starting to improve. He is much more focused and less irritable. Although at the end of week one and the beginning of week two of this medicine, he was very cranky and irritable. He is sleepy in the afternoons, but he also takes Clonidine along with this medicine, which also makes him sleepy. So I hope the sleepiness improves. He has started the last week having severe stomach pain. He gets up many times in the night saying his tummy feels funny, and he gets some diarrhea in the night. He also has a harder time staying asleep at night, which is new. Hoping the stomach pain stops so we can continue the medicines, as I feel they are helping him."

• Anonymous
• September 18, 2010

Guanfacine for ADHD "My seven-year-old son has been on Intuniv for three weeks now. His behavior at school and home is finally starting to improve. He is much more focused and less irritable. Although at the end of week one and the beginning of week two of this medicine, he was very cranky and irritable. He is sleepy in the afternoons, but he also takes Clonidine along with this medicine, which also makes him sleepy. So I hope the sleepiness improves. He has started the last week having severe stomach pain. He gets up many times in the night saying his tummy feels funny, and he gets some diarrhea in the night. He also has a harder time staying asleep at night, which is new. Hoping the stomach pain stops so we can continue the medicines, as I feel they are helping him."

• Lis...
• February 11, 2018

For ADHD "I've been taking this medication twice a day, 1 mg, for 9 days. I have never felt more depressed, agitated, and scatterbrained, and the worst tired all day, severe drowsiness. This medication has affected my marriage and relationship with my son. I'm so lethargic and sad. I'm stopping this medication at this moment, I have a gut instinct I'll end up in a psychiatric ward if I don't. I hate this medication."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 9, 2019

For ADHD "My daughter was on guanfacine since July 2018. In those 11 months, her irritability and aggression multiplied tenfold. Long story short, it was not helping her ADHD, and so her doctor kept increasing the dose (she was up to 3 mg). I expressed my concerns, so her doctor put her on Zoloft. I finally found a new doctor, who doesn't agree with Zoloft, we weaned that off. She was just taking guanfacine again, still very aggressive. I decreased to 2 mg, after not being able to take the irritability anymore (the doctor was planning on starting to wean anyway). In the 5 days since I decreased milligrams, I've seen an immediate decrease in irritability. She's finally becoming my daughter again. I've only given 4 because other families I know who are on it like it."

• 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."

• Ang...
• July 6, 2018

For ADHD "I am a 33-year-old female. I have had ADD all my life but wasn't diagnosed until my early 20s. I was on regular Adderall for several years and steadily increased my dosage (became less and less effective). I tried Adderall XR, and that didn't work as well, only lasting several hours. Became very irritable while on it. Started developing issues athletically, and it drastically hindered my performance with fatigue, muscle cramping, and headaches. Was on Vyvanse 40mg this year for a few months, and it worked great...BUT FOR ONLY LASTED 3 hours. My insurance is terrible and wouldn't allow me to take a stimulant similar to Vyvanse that is longer acting. SO...my doc switched me to a Guanfacine and Atomoxetine combination. Starting my second week on these new meds, and I AM AN ANGRY MESS RIGHT NOW."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2018

For ADHD "My son has a lot of symptoms that have been tough to categorize. He’s chronically irritable and has a very short fuse. He is also in his own head a lot. We have been cycling through a lot of medications trying to help him. His reaction to guanfacine was one of the worst we have seen. He became even more irritable and depressed on this medication. He also could not keep his eyes open, even on the lowest dose. He was so tired. We are now seeing fantastic results with him on an anticonvulsant mood stabilizer."

• mad...
• March 7, 2017

For ADHD "We started our son on Tenex (guanfacine, not extended release like Intuniv) when he was 5. We started half (0.5) in the evening because it did make him sleepy. The first year we stepped up to the 0.5 in the morning, then adding 0.5 in the afternoon. Then we graduated to 1 mg in the am, but needed something in the afternoon. By the time he was almost 7, the doctor said we could move to full in the am and full in the pm, but I could step him into it by full in the am and 0.5 in the evening. He's been on this dosage for almost 2 years now. One doctor prescribed Intuniv after years of the Tenex, and he was very irritable, and everything was a crisis or breakdown. I called immediately and asked for the not extended release. He was a completely different child on Intuniv."

• Anonymous
• December 2, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son was diagnosed with ADHD in 4th grade, he's now in 7th. Since that time we've tried many medications. We finally settled on Metadate, and it worked great, but we kept having to up the dosage, until he's now on 60 mg. The doctor recommended adding Intuniv to the Metadate. He was cranky and irritable the first week, but now at week 3 and 2 mg dosage, the crankiness seems to be getting better. What I have seen with Intuniv is that he's very difficult to get up in the mornings. But on a good note, if I miss the Metadate medication, his behavior is still pretty good. He's not bouncing all over the house. When he's on both medications, he's doing really good. I do have hopes to eventually get him off the stimulant altogether."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2016

For ADHD "This drug is terrible. I am a 13-year-old girl, and I was put on guanfacine to treat ADHD (combined). I started on 1 mg, and for the first 3 weeks, it was great, and then all of a sudden, I started to lose energy at 3:00 pm. I would miss out on softball practice because I was so tired. To fix this, they decided to put me on 2 mg. It worked for a week, but then I became really irritable. Then, I would start getting extremely tired in the afternoon, and it was worse than before. I have schizophrenia as well, so of course, I started having hallucinations."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2017

For ADHD "My son is 7. He is currently taking 1 mg at bedtime. He is sleepy all the time, doesn't listen, irritable. He is failing nearly all classes, cannot sit still. He has been on it for nearly 1 month and nothing. He was on a stimulant, he did amazing for a while. I mean, his attitude, his self-confidence went up. We had no trouble until his appetite was suppressed and wouldn't eat at school and would come home sick. So we stopped and started this new medication, which isn't helping his focus or self-confidence. The only good thing is he is gaining weight and eating much better, a lot actually. He is always hungry, so that's a plus. Hopefully, we can find some common ground, or we may have to start homeschool."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2017

For ADHD "I'm a single father of a 9-year-old boy, and I want to warn other parents to stay away from this drug. My son was sleepy and irritable during the day. His teachers could not put up with it, and I had to switch him to another school, which solved nothing. I have learned that ADHD does not define my child, and I expect him to behave and follow his responsibilities because I understand no one else will do this for him. It was tough at the beginning, but over time and taking generic Vyvanse helped him gain independent skills. DO NOT switch your child to this drug."

• Hil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2022

For ADHD "Doesn't work. Have issues with hypercalcemia, which can cause symptoms of anxiety, confusion, irritability, ADHD, depression, mood swings, etc. Doctors don't know the reason, so I did research and discovered soy is not good for calcium absorption. It seems that a lot of products lately are using soy products (soybean oils, canola, vegetable oil), canned foods (tuna, chili, hotdogs, beans (soy), processed meat, cookies, sodas, deli meat, etc.). Try eating fresh or canned fruits and vegetables and meat (fish, liver, beef, chicken). Not saying diet alone will cure anything, nor am I saying to stop meds. I'm just saying try incorporating a soy-free diet for a month or two and see what happens. I am."

• Ato...
• December 10, 2017

Guanfacine for ADHD "Used 3-4 mg dose for autism-related meltdowns during teen years. Made my son very irritable and agitated. Did not notice sleepiness. Just an overall grumpy, agitated attitude towards everything."