Focalin (dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride) Side Effects, Uses Dosages
Side Effects for Focalin (dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride)
Periods of Priapism.. recent trip.to beach on 85°day, he was cold, shivering ,teeth chattering, skin color grey, no appetite...lasted 20-30 min. His appetite is much decreased, eats in evening after effects wear off. Sometimes zombie like., an hour or less after taking. I am the grandmother, and opposed him taking meds. The Dr.prescibed after ONE appt with him. The psych dr that prescribed does not monitor him ..im afraid his blood pressure or heart rate is being affected..or perhaps his thyroid output..hence temperature regulation is affected?? My daughter doesnt think its an issue.. but not sure how I can address it since I only have visits or overnights about 1-2 times per week...HELP? ADVICE?
I experienced intense muscle pain the first couple of weeks, but that eventually went away. I also had nausea (especially in the morning) and just recently began experiencing swelling in my feet at night.
The medicine worked to keep my son calm and he did focus better and finished schoolwork. However, he started recently about a week ago to have abnormal side effects. First, he had trouble sleeping. Then, he became deathly afraid of his grandmas kitten, would scream about how scared he was and needed to lock self in closet/another room. Then he became deathly afraid again later this week and had like a panic attack/paranoia about a fly that was in our kitchen. Never was afraid of flies in the past but now he couldn't handle it all of a sudden. Needed to take him outside for a walk and to calm down. Saw a neighbors dog and wanted to pet it and he did a good job. So not sure why he could pet dog and be friendly with that vs panic attacks about fly
We are going to stop medication immediately and try another medication. He seems like himself so far after one day of not taking it
Constant ringing in my ears & blurred vision.
I was on Focalin xr prior to being on the immediate release that I'm on now. The xr worked better for me, but it barely lasted a few hours. So my doctor switched me to the immediate version hoping this one would work better. Maybe I just have severe ADHD because I still have a really bad memory & still can't concentrate on things. I'm starting a new job soon & am very concerned about being able to focus, concentrate & remember things! I was on Vyvanse before this which worked VERY well for me, but my insurance now refuses to cover it even after my doctor going through months of prior authorizations with them :(
This drug has seriously saved my sons life. He is very impulsive and was failing school. He has a high iq and just couldn’t get through the day. This has helped his learning, friendships and he is overall much happier. He is able to go to school and activities full day when he could not before. We are blessed to have found focalin.
I gave my son this medication on Saturday for the first time ever. After an hour of taking it, he began to become very hyper and then start screaming of a headache. After about 10 minutes of that my son became unresponsive. I took him to the ER and he was still unresponsive and began having seizures. I will NEVER give this to him again.
Most annoying side effects: stomach discomfort and upset at times, burred vision, fast heart beat, excessive talking, euphoria that compromises good judgement (I'll commit to doing something that I don't want to follow thru on when drug wears off), effectiveness of name brand wears off after a few years. I went to generic, then took a break from drug. Effectiveness came back even on generic after a month break. Insomnia if I took too late in day.
It works just fine, and I can think clearly, stay on task for hours.
headaches, migranes, anxiety, pounding heart, decreased appetite, weight loss, no libido
This medication helped me somewhat but by the time I stopped taking it I had become very anxious and was getting extremely severe headaches.
It worked very well throughout the day but once I got home I experienced a headache felt like I was having a panic attack wouldn't recommend to anybody.
Very, very anxious! Jittery, short of breath, very rapid heartbeat, fatigued when wears off and headache/stiff neck. Bad idea!
Without Focalin, I probably wouldn't be passing any of my classes. I'be been taking the medication for about 6 years now. I've tested days without it and it absolutely screws up my day. I don't do any work in school and then come home and have issues focusing on homework. My doctor has prescribed me many different medications between Kindergarten and 3rd grade. Focal in was the only thing that worked.
Very effective as far as attentivness and alertness and lasts pretty much the whole day.It has also helped with my memory and processing information more in depth with less impulsive decision making on tests homework etc.Side effects- makes me shaky and weak. Doesn't really address restlessness in class but it is still manageable most of the time.A noticeable increase in anxiety and elevated heart rate especially with small amounts of activity even just walking to class.
Still have issues putting thoughts into words.Loss of appetite but not particularly concerning having started the medication so recently.I also feel much more social and engaged in conversation.I haven't experienced any mood swings and actually keeps me pretty positive/motivated.Being the first medication I've tried it is definitely an improvement apposed to nothing but it comes with the trade offs.My doctor is concerned about the anxiety and increased heart rate so i am going to explore some other options within the coming weeks.
First headaches, tic (humming non stop), he is an emotional roller coaster ride and is exhibiting bipolar and depression behaviors. The outburst are so intense.
Tics, he is humming non stop, I am tapering him off now. He has been on Stratara for well over a year but he still has no motivation nor could he consintrate so we switched it up. Since starting this medication he is not acting like the son I have always known. He will cry for hours, say he is worthless basically and that his life is horrible and no one understands. Many of the concerns before my comment this hit home. WORST Meds EVER! My poor son is being pulled in so many emotional directions I'm so mad that this crud was approved by the FDA.
Finger tingling/numbness (circulation problems)
This medication worked well for my ADHD but I was taken off of it within a few days due to the potentially harmful side effects.
Sleepy at first then "wake up" and good to go.
Instability. Unpredictable mood swings and occasionally even panic attacks.
Initially, Focalin, broken into 5mg doses worked okay when I couldn't get an Adderall prescription filled, but after about a month- Every time I took it I would get hyperanxiety. Once to the point of auditory hallucinations. I tried one last time earlier today and had a panic attack. Would not recommend this drug to anyone as it has way too unstable a range of effects, both psychologically and physically. I'll be looking into a different medication option, and for reference, I did not experience theses negative effects from adderall.
Makes my daughter very irritable, crabby and emotional. Mood swings and many meltdowns. It also makes her very anxious. Spitting because she thinks bugs are in her mouth, worried about germs etc. It also killed her appetite and she won't drink much either.
It seemed to help the first week or so (minus the spitting) but not longer has much effect. I don't want to increase the dose for rear that it will make her mood and OCD behaviors worse.
Will the tics go aways after a few weeks while still taking med. He wil turn his head side to side and up and down
Since I began taking this drug, as an adult, I always noticed some sort of anxiety, which is what I described it as... I have always constantly kept a blank writing pad next ti me, because as the effect of the medication began, my mind would began to think about all these other things (in my 'to do list') that I had forgotten..., so I would start a to do list as I am trying to study. I never thought this was a negative effect until now, where I believe I am becoming dependent on the focalin. I read how children pick their nails... I do that,,, I cant sit still, yet again, I can focus. Its a very scary feeling, and I find myself 'self prescribing' higher and higher doses, solely to be able to focus, yet again, i think I am becoming even more an anxiety driven.... Im not sure what to do at this point. My education (higher education) depends on me being able to concentrate on classes and this is truly becoming a problem....
FOCALIN (DEXMETHYLPHENIDATE HYDROCHLORIDE): This medication is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - ADHD. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain. Dexmethylphenidate belongs to a class of drugs known as stimulants. It can help increase your ability to pay attention, stay focused on an activity, and control behavior problems. It may also help you to organize your tasks and improve listening skills. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)
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My only option was to go back on this medication. Without it, the symptoms were not going away. I feel I would have eventually ended my life because of the way I felt. I'm still looking for an out from this medication, but I do not see one in sight. Doctors have no idea what they are talking about when they tell you this is a safe drug. I wish I had done my research to see all of the others who have had to deal with this.
After taking Claritin more than one day, it had a subtle, but insidious effect. I had frightening dreams, felt depressed, anxious, agitated, even paranoid. Ended up sobbing uncontrollably, yelling at close friends, and wondering what on earth was wrong with me. All this behavior is out of the ordinary for me. I did not realize it was the drug until it happened on several occasions. (Thank heavens I take it on an "as needed" basis!) No longer need THIS type help. I'd rather wallow in allergic misery.
I had the lime flavored jug & it sucked! When you first gulp it down it's not so bad, but then the after taste get's ya! To me, it has the after taste of milk! BLUGH! It's very strange & disgusting. You can taste the salt, but it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. I consider it a success that I didn't throw up! I'm a bit delirious because I've been at this since 7pm and its 12am & things are just starting to clear up! No one told me that you didn't have to drink the whole jug! :/ It's gonna be a long night! I don't recommend people taking this route. If you can find another doc that will give you another method I'd go with them. Now I understand why people don't want to get this done! BTW - Drink lots of water!
I had him on Focalin XR prior to trying the immediate release. I'm happier with the way the XR worked. It had less of a rebound, less OCD/Hyper-focus response and lasted up to 6 hours. He seemed less zombie-like and more outgoing as well. It did interfere with his sleep more and definitely impacted his appetite and cause him to not gain weight.
loss of libido,stuffy nose, amount of ejaculate decreased
miracle drug- could not live without it!!