Guanfacine for ADHD User Reviews (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2015

Intuniv (guanfacine) "No side effects on my six-year-old the first two weeks except for a tummy ache. The last two nights she has woke up screaming, completely tripping, throwing pillows, scratching her head, hallucinating, and seeing stuff. I do not recommend this pill to anyone, especially a kid. She is on the lowest dose, 1 mg. She won't be taking it anymore!"

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

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I DONT RECOMMEND TAKING THIS DRUG Intuniv 18male 63kg 170cm Was prescribed for my ADHD and anxiety 2mg 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 , were exhausted and irritated also lost control of my emotions got angry out of nowhere And worst of it was that I forgot who I were sometimes panicked because I couldn’t remember my parents. Pls don’t take this drug look for something else stimulates or whatever but inutniv can destroy your life or make it much worse."

• caused...
• September 23, 2015

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My 8-year-old son was prescribed 2 mg in the morning. He has been on it for two weeks. At first, it helped him concentrate in school, but he was still aggressive with his sister and others. In week two, he now cries almost every day at school and at home. He constantly talks about death. He keeps asking me if I will wait for him in heaven when I die. It is awful to see my innocent little boy go through this. I took him off of it right away. Vyvanse worked for him a lot better at the lowest dosage."

• hahaha
• May 3, 2017

Intuniv (guanfacine) "Great medication. I was originally prescribed this medication in a treatment center to help me sleep and with anxiety when I got off of amphetamines (Adderall, other amphetamines). I was taking it at bedtime. I found that it helps more with my focus, and it wears off during the day. I take 3 mg once daily. However, I still have some strong ADHD symptoms. Intuniv just helps me... stay less scattered. Oh, and insurance is rubbish, it can be difficult to get this medication even with insurance."

• Anonymous
• April 1, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "Intuniv has made a huge change in my son's attitude. After being on Strattera for 1.5 years, it stopped working. It may have been due to a growth spurt, but the sudden change was awful. Intuniv has made a tremendous change and is working. Intuniv is time-released and 1 mg/day does the trick. I am having to play the insurance game to get it approved and currently have a discount card that sells it for $63. It works great for my son and is worth every dollar it cost."

• Anonymous
• April 17, 2011

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

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

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

• Champ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2020

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I'd give this NEGATIVE stars if I could. It caused me to pass out when I got up to use the bathroom one night. I lost my sense of self, felt more tired than normal, had worse anxiety. I would not recommend this garbage drug."

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

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I have been using Intuniv 2mg alongside Adderall IR 30-40mg/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 it's 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 has 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 is very much turned down. The effects of both seem to last all day. I am also sleeping better. Amazing"

• Miko
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2019

"My teenage daughter started twitching after starting school again this year. They had to send her home. She would also roll around on the floor at home when she'd go to her room. Very bizarre behavior, and I was very frustrated because I didn't know what was going on. Her neurologist prescribed this, and the twitching went away immediately. She has ADHD, and I feel like her twitching was just a problem with impulse control because it didn't look like normal tics or Tourette syndrome that I've seen in others. I had to take her off of ADHD stimulants because she was having bad reactions to them. I'm happy that she is able to take a non-stimulant and is able to at least get through a school day. No drowsiness or negative side effects at the moment."

• Medic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 20, 2017

Intuniv (guanfacine) "Have been on Intuniv for about a month now. I feel like I have been crawling out of my skin and emotionally very upset. I feel at times I could break down in tears over a commercial, or when my kids hug me and tell me they love me. I am normally an emotionally reserved man and keep them in check because of my line of work. I really do feel like I am going nuts on this medication. I have officially stopped taking the medication until I can talk with my doctor."

• lions
• July 31, 2016

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I started Intuniv when I was 11, almost 12, and those first 6 months were hell. I would sleep from the time I got home from school, so 3 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, and was still tired! I would fall asleep in class or on the bus, it was miserable. We told the doctor, and she said, 'Well, just push through it and push through the tiredness.' Might I add, if you were ever on this medicine, it is not a tiredness you can just push through. But I tried to anyway for the next year or so, and I would not sleep every day as much, but there were some days when I would sleep the entire days away! It did get better, but I would still fall asleep in class and be exhausted constantly! Finally, when I was 15, the doctor took me off of that, and it's been so wonderful!"

• MommaOF
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2020

"My goodness, this medication guanfacine was terrible for my daughter. It gave her awful hallucinations, and it broke my heart to see her that way. She would wake up out of her sleep screaming, 'Spiders are on me.' Then I thought she just had a bad dream. Nope. While she was awake, she jumped up and started screaming, jumping around and pointing at her arms, saying, 'Spiders.' My baby was torn to pieces. Then another time, we were all watching a cartoon movie, 'Trolls,' and she did it again. She jumped up crying so bad, saying, 'Mommy, please help me, they are going to get me. I'm scared.' She insisted they were really there and didn't understand why we couldn't see them. Knowing that really hurt her feelings and her self-esteem. I wouldn't try this on younger kids like my daughter, who is 7 years old, for ADHD. In sensitive kids, it is hard to restore that self-esteem they once had. It's a long road ahead of us, but that's my job as a mother to make sure she gets help, so I wish you all good luck."

• Missm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2015

Intuniv (guanfacine) "Hey, my 6-year-old was on this medication for about 7 weeks when he began to hallucinate (2 mg). So we had switched to something else, which actually made him worse than he was without any meds. So we put him back on Intuniv and started back at 1 mg. This was about 2 weeks ago, and he has been doing fantastic!"

• SF100
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2020

"I have bipolar 2 and ADD inattentive type. Bipolar is well controlled with meds, but social anxiety, mental fuzziness, and my ability to recall things I know have stayed the same or gotten worse even though I take Dex. Just over a month ago, I started guanfacine 2 mg at bedtime and 1 mg on arising. Memory and mental sharpness have improved. I now use PRN Xanax rarely instead of daily and finally feel comfortable being myself on social occasions. Dr. Dodson at ADDitude magazine says the drug is a miracle for 1 in 3 patients. I feel lucky."

• Anonymous
• February 20, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My 12-year-old son has been on 3 mg Intuniv for a year, and it works great for him. He weighs about 120 lbs. It hasn't changed his personality at all, he's still funny and social. He's had no side effects. His focus has been great but might be getting a little off. But he's gained a lot of weight since going to 3 mg, and I think he needs to be upped to 4 mg. Going to the doctor next week, and we'll get the prescription then. But Intuniv has been great!"

• Whoar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2020

Intuniv (guanfacine) "43 years old male ADHD and anxiety. I'm also on dexadrine 10mgs twice a day. This medication is definitely not for me. At week 2 I couldn't take my stimulants anymore, had the D/T's, massive anxiety attacks. I tried to ride it out for a month but I just got more anxiety depression and insomnia. I will stop this med and am not looking forward to the rebound hypertension and whatever else nasty happens. Not a good option for me."

• hopef...
• December 11, 2010

Intuniv (guanfacine) "After many family problems, and added to this, my daughter had ADHD. I was at the end of my rope as far as patience goes. Last year in school was terrible, with my daughter acting out due to all the bad things happening in her life. She was placed on a behavior program, and her grades were reflecting the issues she is dealing with. After some sessions with a counselor, I was referred to a pediatrician who recommended Intuniv. The first week was a bit rough because my daughter was extremely tired and cranky, however, we stuck with it as the doctor advised, and I have been nothing short of amazed. Grades and attitude are outstanding now. Miraculous."

• mommy...
• February 29, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My son is 9 years old and was officially diagnosed a year ago. He was on Focalin for 2 months, then started Concerta 18mg for 6 months. The Concerta was going great, however, he developed odd behaviors like making noises and zoning out. He started Intuniv a month ago. His blood pressure dropped really low, which attributed to him being very tired. We gave it to him at night, and he still woke up groggy and very sleepy. Throughout school, he was dazed and tired. He didn't find anything to laugh about and seemed out of it. During the third week (the 3mg dosage), his therapist took him off. Within 3 days, he was laughing and getting back to normal. I heard great things about Intuniv and wish all of you the best of luck."

• yey
• January 19, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My 9-year-old is now taking Intuniv for three weeks. At the beginning, he was very sleepy and tired. So I decided to give him the pill at bedtime, he's been much better. This medication was a miracle for my son, his mood is better, he is happier, less emotional, and finishing his school tasks. Before, he was on Concerta for 6 months, it made his personality change. He started to bite his clothes and pick on his nose. It was bad. He could focus, but the side effects were worth it. I also tried Strattera with similar side effects. My son is doing great on Intuniv. I hope it will continue to work for him."

• jessi...
• February 3, 2012

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My son is 6 years old and has sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and maybe Asperger's. He has been on it for 2 months now and recently has been very sleepy and more awake at night. I got a call from his school saying he fell asleep cold on the computer and went to the nurse, where he slept for an hour. He is now home today and sleeping again. I am very concerned about this and made him an appointment. He is starting 2mg instead of 3 tonight. I have seen behavioral improvement in him and my 9-year-old who has no side effects. Good luck to all you parents out there. Hope this was helpful."

• Anonymous
• January 20, 2010

Intuniv (guanfacine) "I agree with the other reviewer that this drug has minimal side effects. However, my 7-year-old son has a significant rash, which doctors suspect may be from the Intuniv. The rash is not itchy, just unattractive and widespread. We have been using the Intuniv for 2 1/2 weeks but may have to stop due to the rash. Here are the results we've seen on this medication: better moods, less aggression, only minimal improvement with attentional/focus issues, and slight improvement in impulsivity. Sleepiness has not been an issue, even though I had read many reviews and the label that said it might be. My son has taken every ADHD drug out there except two (literally), and this one is very gentle on the body in comparison (except for the rash)."

• Sukatra
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 11, 2014

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My adopted 13-year-old son has fetal alcohol syndrome, causing severe ADHD and failure to thrive. Has been on Concerta for four years. For years, his special education teachers let him run around in the halls to tire him out and lessen the hyperactivity. Even with the Concerta at 36 mg, he was extremely hyper. He started Intuniv about a year ago, takes 3 mg per day plus a reduced Concerta dose (18 mg). No side effects of note. He seems to be doing better hyperactivity-wise in school, but I have not noticed a big difference at home. I also still have big problems with him homework-wise too. At 10 years old, he weighed 60 lbs, with the reduction in Concerta dose, he's finally gaining weight (13 years old, 91 lbs), so that's the trade-off we're making."

• JodyKay
• January 5, 2016

Intuniv (guanfacine) "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."

• JNiss
• February 1, 2013

Intuniv (guanfacine) "My 7-year-old son has ADHD/ODD. His doctor has him on 10 mg Prozac and 30 mg of Vyvanse in the morning, and 3 mg of Intuniv before bedtime (she just upped it from 1 mg). Unfortunately, for the two days he's been on the increased Intuniv, each day he's gone to the nurse's office twice because he can't stay awake in class. Getting it reduced to 2 mg today and hoping he becomes less zombie-like."