Guanfacine and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 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."

• mcm...
• October 21, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "My 7-year-old son has ADHD and has been on medicines since 3.5 years old. Right now, he's got two days left on his first week of 1 mg Intuniv before we go up a dose. The first few days, he was tired a bit, and all seemed to be improving on his defiance and irritation. We are on day 5, and at this point, I'm anxious to get going on the 2 mg dose as he seems to have simply gotten 'used to' the 1 mg dose. Update...started the 2 mg a few days ago and did not seem to have many issues. A bit sluggish, but nothing concerning. School called today, and he had THREE seizures. My son has no medical issues other than ADHD. Seizures are a very rare side effect of this medicine. Intuniv is definitely NOT for my son. Obviously."

• Tan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

Guanfacine for ADHD "Well, I was taking Ritalin just by itself, which has helped immensely, but I needed something to make it last longer, as I would get mild comedowns between doses and need to take another dose before the 3-hour mark. Roughly about 2 hours and 40 minutes, I would feel the comedown, so I've started Intuniv with it. 1mg has been amazing, making it stretch out longer without having to also deal with the comedown and faster heart, etc. Now that I've started on 2mg, I notice I get really slow and tired, also sometimes a faster heart rate, but oxygen levels are still good. I think 2mg for me is too much, I might stick to 1mg. Overall, I think it's great, but yeah, for me, 2mg makes me feel like rubbish."

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

Guanfacine 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."

• Anonymous
• January 24, 2012

Guanfacine for ADHD "My 13-year-old son has ADHD and oppositional defiance disorder. He takes Adderall for his ADHD, and 4 months ago, we added Intuniv. He complains of being tired, and he is only on 1 mg of the Intuniv. I have concerns because he is becoming increasingly aggressive and emotional. I do not know if this is a side effect of Intuniv. I'll be taking him back to the doctor, and I don't think we'll be continuing the Intuniv."

• 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."

• Jod...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 8, 2020

Guanfacine for ADHD "My son was on Ritalin for ADHD, and it was no good for him. Then he tried Ritalin LA, which was worse, but Intuniv helped him settle down and focus. Recently, he has been very lethargic, and he's not eating much at all. He's nearly 13, and that shows to teens. Oh, the wonder years, lol."

• Bad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2015

Guanfacine for ADHD "I took this for tics and ADHD. I went up to 3 mg a day and felt horrible. Very tired and body aches. It helps somewhat with nervous tics but not that great, and side effects were bad. I quit it after 1 week at 3 mg. And I am a 200 lb man, and it still was too much for me. The 1 mg and 2 mg doses didn't really do anything positive or negative."

• 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
• October 15, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "After being diagnosed with PDD/ADHD, it was suggested that my son (then 5) try Intuniv. Initially, he was extremely lethargic, not being able to get out of bed. This was only a day or two. We noticed a difference within days and a completely focused child! However, after a few weeks, he was becoming extremely obsessed with germs, constantly washing his hands. We counted 14 times in a 15 min span! His poor little hands were raw and chafed a bright red. It didn't matter, he kept washing. Our pediatrician referred us to a psychiatrist (as he had never experienced this side effect), and the psych said that it was due to the PDD. We took him off. If it hadn't been for the side effects, the Intuniv worked quite well."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2020

For ADHD "My son started guanfacine 2 weeks ago. He is 7 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD. For the first week, he took 1/2 tab in the morning and 1/2 tab in the evening. I saw a change the first week in his hyperactivity, but it was minimal. Week two, we were to increase the dosage to 1 tab in the morning and 1 tab in the evening. I usually give it around 8 am/8 pm. I have noticed since increasing that impulsivity and hyperactivity tendencies are down; however, he has trouble sleeping. I also noticed he gets a look that he is extremely tired (bags under his eyes and zoned out); he says things that are incoherent, and he can be running on 2 to 3 hours of sleep and then be up another 18-20 before 'crashing'."

• gec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2023

Guanfacine for High Blood Pressure "Been on it a week. NOT lowering my blood pressure. ER, which I did not know when I got it. Went to 2 mg. Still 165 in the morning. Was taking 12.5 amitriptyline, and I see it decreases the effects of Tenex. Have tried fosinopril, amlodipine, etc. No luck. I have Chinese pills that have clonidine, and they come from Hong Kong. Take 30 days, but they work with NO side effects. This Tenex causes me dry mouth, constipation, and extreme tiredness. I go back to bed at noon, then only feel normal after 2 pm."

• 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."

• wel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 28, 2012

For High Blood Pressure "I have been on this 1.5 weeks, it works fantastic for high blood pressure. Much quicker than 3 previous meds I've tried. I have serious bladder issues, and this has had the unexpected side effect of slowing down my need to visit the loo constantly. I sleep really well with this medicine, but it makes me tired during the day and hope that will subside soon. I have nodded off at my desk at work several times this week. Finally, it has increased my appetite, and I really want that side effect to go away."

• Ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 1, 2020

For ADHD "20-year-old male with ADHD. I started taking guanfacine (extended release) about 4 weeks ago. Halfway through, I got it upped to 2 mg. Unfortunately, the medication makes me very tired. I noticed a calmness and clarity that I didn't have before. I really was wanting to avoid stimulants, so my doctor suggested this. The only issue is I will be falling asleep by 5 pm now, and if I take it the night before to try and curb this, I'd be having the same side effect at around 12 pm. It really did help me feel not so frayed in my thoughts. I didn't even realize I'd be thinking about multiple things at once in my head and not really focused on anything before taking this medication, and I felt this help in that regard-not entirely, but it took the edge off, it felt. This is much better than the alternative 'Strattera,' which my doctor is now trying to get me to take. Admittedly, after doing some research, I'm worried to take it because of the serious side effects: insomnia, extreme appetite loss, weight loss."

• 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."

• Eha...
• November 19, 2020

For ADHD "This medication, guanfacine, made me more angry, made me unmotivated instead of helping me focus, didn’t help my anxiety at all, and made me very tired. I slept for 17 hours yesterday! And every time I stood up, I got so lightheaded my ears would ring."

• 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."

• AB ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2016

For ADHD "My 5-year-old started on this for hyperactivity related to ADHD. This drug is NOT a narcotic, as some mention. There are side effects of making someone tired and drowsy. For my son, those subsided quickly and he became the child I always knew he could be-nearly perfect but still his spunky self. Of course, I should have known it would be too good to be true because after 4-6 weeks the positive effects have subsided. He's back to losing everything, fussing about everything and just generally not listening. The doctor says it's a placebo effect, but I don't buy that. His behavior and sleep are back to the way they were pre-medication. It's worth a try for ADHD overall though."

• Anonymous
• August 23, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "My 7-year-old son has been on Intuniv for 5 weeks. He was on Vyvanse, but he was getting so crabby and angry all the time we decided to stop having him use it. He also had to be pressured to eat anything. He is now in the first week of 3 mg of Intuniv. He is eating so much I have to stop him! However, he is very tired and sleeps in very late. His moodiness is gone, but he is still a bit more hyperactive than we would prefer, but if he stays this way, we will stay only on the Intuniv. We love having our son's personality back and his appetite."

• Tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2019

Guanfacine for ADHD "I don't recommend taking this drug, Intuniv. 18 male, 63 kg, 170 cm. Was prescribed for my ADHD and anxiety, 2 mg. All the way, first 2 weeks only tired, but concentration improved. 3rd week was real bad, I got extremely anxious, random panic attacks all the time, heart pain, dark thoughts, started crying every other hour, was exhausted and irritated, also lost control of my emotions, got angry out of nowhere. And worst of it was that I forgot who I was sometimes, panicked because I couldn’t remember my parents. Please don’t take this drug, look for something else, stimulants or whatever, but Intuniv can destroy your life or make it much worse."

• Tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2019

Guanfacine for ADHD "I don't recommend taking this drug, Intuniv. 18 male, 63 kg, 170 cm. Was prescribed for my ADHD and anxiety, 2 mg. All the way, first 2 weeks only tired, but concentration improved. 3rd week was real bad, I got extremely anxious, random panic attacks all the time, heart pain, dark thoughts, started crying every other hour, was exhausted and irritated, also lost control of my emotions, got angry out of nowhere. And worst of it was that I forgot who I was sometimes, panicked because I couldn’t remember my parents. Please don’t take this drug, look for something else, stimulants or whatever, but Intuniv can destroy your life or make it much worse."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2020

For ADHD "12-year-old son with anxiety and inattentive ADHD. Tried Intuniv because of anxiety and previous eating issues, and the main concern was emotional dysregulation. 1 mg did not do much, 2 mg made him noticeably calmer. However, 5 months later, decreased to 1 mg due to massive rapid weight gain, onset of pimples, complaints of tiredness and sluggishness. Another month discontinued because the kid who used to run to school felt breathless, had a rapid heartbeat, and stopped for breaks while walking. A week after stopping meds, this has also stopped. Seems more irritable but less anxious. Also never helped with attention."

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 18, 2017

For ADHD "My 7-year-old, who is autistic, has ADHD and epilepsy, has taken guanfacine for about 3 years now. Since 12/6/2016, she has been taking 1 mg ER, and we just increased to 2 mg ER on 1/7/2017. My girl is a new child, can focus more, is learning more, and is getting much better daily reports from school. She is tired by the end of the day, but I think it's due to her still adjusting to the dosage. I am extremely happy with our results!"

• 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."