Guanfacine and Dry Mouth: What Users Say

• abb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2019

For ADHD "3 full days on 1 mg of Guanfacine for adult ADHD and I am very happy with the results. I cannot take stimulants as they make my heart race, make my anxiety worse, and cause a host of other side effects. I do not feel sleepy, sluggish, or hungover on this medicine. I take it at bedtime and wake up rested, ready for the day. No crash at the end of the day either. I am a 38-year-old female with mainly inattentive ADHD, diagnosed as an adult. Leaving this review because I didn’t see a ton of positive reviews for adults taking this medicine for ADHD. It provides me with enough calm focus to make my life way easier than no medicine. Only noted side effect is dry mouth. Definitely not a big deal. I recommend trying this."

• Lim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2019

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

• Anonymous
• May 29, 2010

Guanfacine for ADHD "I'm a 19-year-old male college student. I've been on Strattera 100 mg (another non-stimulant like Intuniv) for the last 4-5 years, but I wanted to try another drug because Strattera is starting to be less effective. While on Intuniv, I've noticed that it is doing what it's supposed to (decrease in anxiety, hyperactivity, and increase in focus), but the side effects are almost not worth it. I've been on Intuniv for two weeks now, and I've been on the 3 mg capsule for the last few days. But, I don't know if I'll be able to finish out the month due to a number of things. I've experienced extreme dry mouth, headaches, INCREASED appetite, and extreme fatigue at awkward hours. I've also found it impossible to wake up in the mornings."

• mom...
• September 22, 2010

Guanfacine for ADHD "My 9-year-old son was diagnosed with ADHD a year ago and has had OT services for 6 months. We started Intuniv 2 weeks ago. First day on 1 mg, he was super hyper, then seemed unchanged. A week later we went to 2 mg. It's great. He is more focused, less wiggly, finishes tasks in a more timely manner. He still squirms but not as much. His teacher is happy with the improvement. Side effects: sleepy, dry mouth, emotional. We have been giving him the pill in the morning. Around 5 pm, he gets super sleepy. The doctor told me there is no peak in when the drug works but there is a peak in when the side effects occur. They tend to be 8-10 hours after taking the drug. We are going to try giving him the pill at night and see if it helps with drowsiness."

• ant...
• February 21, 2011

Guanfacine for High Blood Pressure "Works fantastic for high blood pressure. Almost made it too low, but it's stabilized now. I've tried three different high blood pressure medicines from three different drug classes, and none work as well as Tenex. The worst side effect I had was dry mouth, but that goes away after a week or two, so don't quit the drug over that."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• January 15, 2011

Guanfacine for ADHD "My daughter is 8. She started on Concerta over a year ago, didn't work long enough. The doctor started her on Intuniv for ADHD and Lexapro for depression. After about 3 weeks, it was working great. She calmed down, started doing her schoolwork and homework. The worst side effect she has is dry mouth. I think if I can get that under control, she will be great."

• gl2...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 30, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "Have been on this med for over six months. I have unstable blood pressure with occasional surges to between 170 and 210 lasting from hours to a few days. This drug tends to control the surge peaks better than any other med to date. Side effects are similar to other posts. Being sleepy and overwhelmingly drowsy during the day is an issue. I can handle the dry mouth, but the sleepy issue is becoming worse with time on the drug, not better. I am a 76-year-old male. The drug keeps my pressure between 130 and 160, which may still be high but A-OK by my history. One other side effect seems to be opposite to one post: I have to go to the BR at least four times each night. I take it between 5 and 6 PM."

• gos...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2015

For ADHD "I'm 22 years old, and I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I didn't originally want to take meds to help manage it because I was unaware that there were non-stimulant options available to treat ADHD. It's helped me focus a little bit more and slowed things down for me, so I can handle situations a little bit better. Aside from the cotton mouth, the worst things are the nausea and the slight sleeplessness. I can't seem to sleep through the night anymore. The nausea is mostly just inconvenient since I can't seem to eat as much as I was, though I'm always hungry, and drinking alcohol while taking them is hit and miss, since sometimes I can drink for hours and other times it's 2 drinks and I feel like I'm going to puke."

• Anonymous
• April 19, 2012

For High Blood Pressure "Works great for blood pressure, but had to stop because of the side effects. Dry mouth and sleepiness day and night. Would forget things. But the worst was the libido and impotence. No interest in sex whatsoever. At 50, that's not a good thing."

• hon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 10, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "Didn't have much impact on my blood pressure, and I had to discontinue due to side effects. Extreme dry mouth, fatigue, and drowsiness. Falling asleep at work and struggling to stay awake while driving."

• Jay...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 4, 2023

For Tourette's Syndrome "I'm 61. Have taken nothing for years and lived with mild tics. Recently, my wife and I built a house, acting as the GC's. There were times the stress was so intense that my tics went ballistic, to what I've been used to. I had been on guanfacine for a couple of years, but increased it to 2 mg. It helped some, but not completely. We moved it up to 3 mg and most of my tics went away, and the sleep at night was so wonderful! However, I started getting really tired and sometimes very weak. It was impacting gym workouts and even walking the dog. Also, my dry mouth got much worse. I've just dropped it down to 2 mg and will be monitoring results."

• shu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2025

For ADHD "I am an adult female diagnosed with ADHD. I did not want to take a stimulant drug, so my psychiatrist put me on guanfacine 1 mg at night. At first, I had a dry mouth, but that went away, and I didn't experience a significant difference. Although, I have nothing to compare it to since it is the only medication I have tried. I had to think about if I saw any improvement when my doctor asked. I realized I was completing tasks promptly. Over time, my ability to focus on a conversation improved. My memory recall improved. Overstimulation decreased, and my patience vastly improved. Over time, I realized I was such a mess before being medicated. I no longer was constantly missing my turn while driving to a location. Amid my new diagnosis and medication, I took a math test, and I felt like I was seeing the world through different eyes. My immediate comprehension, retention, and ability to solve complex problems were something I had never experienced. I was blown away."