Guanfacine for ADHD User Reviews (Page 2)

• Stres...
• November 20, 2011

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I have to say, I am ALL FOR INTUNIV. My husband and I tried EVERYTHING for my stepson's ADHD. He had a history of seizures, but we still tried the medicines that cause them. This is how desperate we were. My stepson is 7 years old and was suspended from school. He hit, kicked, screamed, cried, etc. My husband was called to get him from school countless times. It was exhausting. His school finally told us, in no uncertain terms, he was not welcome at the school unless we got his behavior under control. We switched his schools, and his new school rated a child's behavior with colors every day. Green, purple, yellow, and red. Obviously, my stepson brought home yellow and red every day. One day my husband got a call to come get him from school. He had thrown a fit and run in front of a car trying to escape his teacher. My husband finally said enough was enough and brought him back to the doctor. He was put on Intuniv. Here comes the miracle! Within two weeks he was like a different child! Green card EVERY day! Helpful, polite, CONTENT! I can't believe it. He is, granted, still a 7-year-old boy. But his ADHD is FINALLY under control!"

• Yvett...
• February 2, 2015

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I notice that my daughter was having problems in fifth grade. She would not sit still and would always be getting up to throw paper out, and she would notice who was the last one that went to the restroom. I spoke to the teacher and told them to please evaluate my daughter because it seems like she has ADHD. They said she was fine. When I started to see her grades dropping, I immediately took her to Miami Children's Hospital to see the neurologist. They tested her, filled out some papers, and yes, she has ADHD. I've tried Concerta, Strattera, Vyvanse, and Adderall, but the best medicine that has worked for my daughter is Intuniv! She had all F's, and now at 15 years old and her first year of high school, she has all A's and B's. Thank you, Intuniv!"

• kayka...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My 7-year-old grandson has been on Intuniv for 16 days. He had been on 40 mg Vyvanse alone, with it wearing off totally after 5 hours. We were reevaluated because of this and Dx changed from ADD to ADHD. Intuniv was added to his regimen. We started out at 1 mg and upped to 2 mg after 7 days. We give it to him around 7 pm, and by his 8 pm bedtime, he is calming down and is able to fall asleep within 5-10 minutes. I have seen a tremendous improvement in his attitude, ability to focus, and coping skills. He was unable to sleep well while on the Vyvanse alone. This is allowing him the ability to get the much-needed deep sleep, and this also is helping him out. One good thing: Medicaid started covering it on 10/1/12."

• Lyd
• February 25, 2017

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I started my son on guanfacine 1mg at night. He was 7. This is after trying a Prozac/clonidine mix to treat his ADHD, which I hated because all my kid did was sleep. With the guanfacine, which is the generic for Intuniv, he is doing great! The 1mg at night didn't work well though. After all the adjustments I made, I ended up giving him 1 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night. This combo works great and my kid does not sleep all day. In fact, he hardly naps, he has made friends in school and is doing great!"

• kmackay
• October 8, 2010

Intuniv (guanfacine) "It's has been a miracle. My son is 7 and on 1 mg for 8 weeks. He has PDD and ADHD. His impulsiveness and odd behavior last year was so bad that they took him out of the classroom and put him full time in an autistic support room. They pulled all academics from him and were just trying to finish the year without him hurting any other kids. It was bad. I was looking at outpatient facilities for him in case we barely made it through the year. In summer, we tried many medicines, all not effective. The last one was Intuniv. He was so tired for 3 weeks. Week 4 was when the miracle happened. His anger was gone, impulsiveness less. School started and things were great. He is back in the classroom. There have been no incidences of aggression. It has saved him."

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2010

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

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

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I would like to share my experience with Intuniv for those specifically w/ comorbid ADHD/Bipolar. It initally 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 w/ stims. It also created depersonalization. Finally, it caused a unique mixed episode w/ grandiosity and irritabilility, but psychomotor retardation and grumpiness. Think increased prefrontal, decreased limbic. Bipolars BEWARE. We are different than strict ADHD cases."

• Nesre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2019

"Thought I would leave a review to help others that suffer from both ADHD (inattentive) and anxiety. This medicine guanfacine has truly changed me for the better. If you suffer from both conditions this may help you. My focus improved greatly. I became calmer and less agitated. Thoughts are more clear and precise. Anxiety-wise it was a massive improvement. I suffer from agoraphobia, social phobia, panic disorder and this medicine allows me to handle these issues more rationally/logically instead of just sedating me like benzodiazepines. For people whom flush easily this medicine helps greatly too. I take the immediate release version, 0.5mg 3 x day every 5 hours."

• lilyt
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 31, 2016

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 3, 2014

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My son has been on med since he was 5 for ADHD. He is 8 now. They started him on methylphenidate (Adderall). He didn't gain weight or grow at all, hardly. He is now on Intuniv, and we love it. He eats the house down. It's not a stimulant, so that's wonderful."

• jane...
• February 16, 2016

Intuniv (guanfacine) "The best medicine for my child. Insurance will no longer pay for it so it costs $374.00 for 30 pills. Sadly, we cannot afford this, so my child is going to have to suffer. Life is going to be very hard. The drug companies and their price gouging need to be investigated."

• Mommo
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 5, 2019

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My 11 year old son has ADHD & ASD. After bad experiences with stimulants we tried Straterra. He was on it for 3 years but it was not the best for him. Finally the doctor and we decided to trial him on Intuniv. We weaned him off the Straterra over 6 months as we were also titrating the Intuniv. He is now off the Straterra mad and on Intuniv, 2mg twice a day. (am & pm). It works great. He is a model student and finally calm enough to handle school to his full potential. He is compliant and agreeable... In control, no longer hyper... But the drawback is the weight gain. He already had a weight issue but now it is out of control. Up 10 pounds from August to December. I feel terrible for him."

• Lime
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2019

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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 heart beat (and I thought Intuniv was supposed to subdue you), an extremely dry mouth, and sooo much anxiety. I haven’t even noticed any positive changes in my ability to focus, since I’m constantly disoriented or asleep."

• conce...
• November 30, 2011

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

• Brit
• August 16, 2016

"Truly a family-saving, life-saving medication. Our son had a near-psychotic reaction to stimulants when he was 10. He had been kicked out of 2 schools for 'not listening' behaviors and aggression. Didn't make sports teams because of his reputation of not listening and doing repetitive behaviors during practice. Our marriage was in trouble over handling him. Within a week of starting guanfacine 1 mg at bedtime, he was over the tiredness. We only had to make one upward dose adjustment, and again the tiredness went away after a couple of days. He became the kid we thought he was - insightful, thoughtful, and curious. He is a highly successful HS student now, an excellent athlete, and a leader both on the field and in the classroom."

• StSte...
• February 17, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "Our son is 15 now. He was never really hyper, but very easily distracted. Doctors diagnosed him with ADD. We never had him on any meds since his only problems were his lack of attention. But it was hard on us as we had to sit with him constantly to get his homework done and basically had to reteach everything he had 'learned' in school. We took him out of the public school and put him into a private school for kids with learning disabilities. We still had to reteach and sit with him. We put him on INTUNIV as it is clearly non-stimulant. What a difference! He can do his work on his own, his grades are good and the side effects have been non-existent. I read that at his dose, 2mg, side effects are almost zero."

• Sam
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2020

"Guanfacine is incredible. I have the kind of ADHD in which a million different things are going on in my mind at once, and Guanfacine really calms my brain down so it can focus on one thing at a time with ease. Your mileage may vary but I would certainly recommend asking your doctor about this. It’s been just a month and I already feel like the condition is cured."

• Kraut
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 26, 2018

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I would rate Intuniv an 11 if possible. My son is Autistic & ADHD, began taking Intuniv at age 10. The 1st week he took it was 1st time in his life he slept thru the night for an entire week. He must take in AM, not PM. Now age 18, just returned to brand, as generic was a disaster. Intuniv = miracle."

• KyleK...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 24, 2021

"I've been on guanfacine since I was a child. I have also had severe anxiety, depression, suicidality and other fun stuff when I hit puberty. It got worse and worse and worse. I was never happy. I was always scared. Nothing I did, no drug I was put on ever made a single difference at all and I thought I was irrevocably unable to get better. I never thought it was the guanfacine until I couldn't afford all my meds so I couldn't fill it that month. And then I got better. Significantly better. I was genuinely happy. My anxiety decreased dramatically. I actually felt like I was living life. Eventually I figured it out. It was the guanfacine. That was the only change in my life that could account for that I looked closely at the website for it and I found out that it was a depressant. They try to avoid outright saying it but if you research it enough, and know what to look for you find out it is. It literally gave me depression I didn't have. I was miserable for nine years."

• Anonymous
• November 30, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

• Rb1983
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2023

Intuniv (guanfacine) "Day 2 and I already feel my mood is better, it’s helping my anxiety. I feel calm, most of all happy, it just makes you feel so happy. I’m laughing and enjoying my day. I was compelled to leave a review because it’s working so well. I have anxiety, OCD, depression, and ADHD. This med is amazing."

• turtl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 10, 2015

Intuniv (guanfacine) "At 7 yrs old my son was diagnosed with ADHD. We tried a few medications like Concerta & Vyvanse. Both were terrible & either made him a zombie or completely took his appetite away. I discussed with his doctor my concerns about his lack of weight gain & she suggested Intuniv. We started at 1mg, increased to 2mg & finally settled on 3 mg. He's done wonderful with this dose for almost 2 & 1/2 years. Since last Christmas things have taken a downfall & so now we're looking at increasing to 4mg. It makes me nervous. I just hope I'm making the right decision for him."

• catin...
• March 20, 2017

Intuniv (guanfacine) "We started my 5 yr old on this, the 1 worked for him for a few weeks, then we noted an increase in aggression and hyperactivity. They upped him to 2 mg and now he has not slept in days no more than 4 hours a night and then he wakes and starts kicking the door to his room and screams at the top of his lungs until we get him up, he has trashed his bedroom and said he noticed curtains moving when there are no movement. He is loud and violent and swearing, I called the DR right away after the first night of him saying his curtain rod was moving, so they said take it at night instead, but then waking up for a week at 3 am has been a nightmare. We are so stressed and over whelmed with this behavior he is out of control."

• special
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 13, 2020

Intuniv (guanfacine) "While intuniv didn't help me focus as well as vyvance 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."

• 31...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2024

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I've got to say that being on Guanfacine HCL ER (Generic Intuniv) for 30 days now has been a game changer. Hard to believe him when my doctor says it has not even kicked in all the way yet. As an otherwise healthy 31 y/o male, I used to be on Strattera for over 6 yrs, so have had good results with non-stimulant medications, but the nausea was terrible - would literally puke every day. Tried then being on Qelbree, max dose - headaches and no benefit after over 6 mo. So, here's the deal: He started me on 1mg/day of this in the evenings. Then titrated every five days by 1mg until we got up to 4mg, where I am holding steady now. Just filled my second supply of 4mg tablets. Mental clarity, precision, focus, more work friends, and IMPULSE CONTROL (no pornography now) are the biggest +'s - all things I liked about Strattera; it made me a better person, vs. stimulants that just make me grind. Hope to quit vaping next. Armodafinil in AM & Intuniv w/ Journay/Lexapro in PM has done the trick."