Post by jfla on Jul 9, 2008 23:09:41 GMT -5
We had the second visit with the new psychiatrist today. This visit seemed better than the first.
He is concerned about the high dosage of Ritalin LA that my son takes. The apparent lack of equivalence between two short and one long acting dose is cause for much confusion. To get the same effect as simple short acting ritalin, long acting meds are much higher.
In the past I had called his previous doc on a number of occasions to please explain again why the LA dose of methylphenidate is so much higher than the short acting dose. The general bottom line seemed to be that obviously his body is not absorbing all of the Ritalin in the LA and that he is probably peeing the rest out. To get the same effect as the short acting, the LA has to be much higher. Like other meds, we started low and titrated up to a therapeutic dose.
Recently, his previous doc also suggested that his short acting dose (about 16.25mg) that he sometimes would take in the evening would probably not suffice as a morning dose.
We recently tried the short acting first thing in the morning to test and see just what would happen. He tried 20mg. Later, when he seemed unusually quiet I asked how it was going, he said he thought it was a bit too much. So we are guessing that his normal 16.25 dose is about right (haven't tried it in the morning yet.) He has been on this dose since about fifth grade or middle school.
He has been on Concerta, Ritalin LA and Daytrana; I don't think any of his doses of those meds matched the conversion tables for his methylphenidate (shortacting Ritalin) dose of 16.25.
Daytrana 30mg for studying and 25 for sports, driving etc
Ritalin LA 2capsules of 30mg twice a day for long days of school work and study. This summer he takes it just once in the early morning and he is fine for the whole work day.
So we have Rxs for a number of tests. EKG, echocardiogram and a bunch more for liver and kidneys. I'm glad the tests will be performed, yet am a great worrier and fear the unknown.
He is supposed to be very good...voted by the Consumers' Research Council of America as one of the Top Psychiatrists in America for ADHD & Mood Disorders
He is concerned about the high dosage of Ritalin LA that my son takes. The apparent lack of equivalence between two short and one long acting dose is cause for much confusion. To get the same effect as simple short acting ritalin, long acting meds are much higher.
In the past I had called his previous doc on a number of occasions to please explain again why the LA dose of methylphenidate is so much higher than the short acting dose. The general bottom line seemed to be that obviously his body is not absorbing all of the Ritalin in the LA and that he is probably peeing the rest out. To get the same effect as the short acting, the LA has to be much higher. Like other meds, we started low and titrated up to a therapeutic dose.
Recently, his previous doc also suggested that his short acting dose (about 16.25mg) that he sometimes would take in the evening would probably not suffice as a morning dose.
We recently tried the short acting first thing in the morning to test and see just what would happen. He tried 20mg. Later, when he seemed unusually quiet I asked how it was going, he said he thought it was a bit too much. So we are guessing that his normal 16.25 dose is about right (haven't tried it in the morning yet.) He has been on this dose since about fifth grade or middle school.
He has been on Concerta, Ritalin LA and Daytrana; I don't think any of his doses of those meds matched the conversion tables for his methylphenidate (shortacting Ritalin) dose of 16.25.
Daytrana 30mg for studying and 25 for sports, driving etc
Ritalin LA 2capsules of 30mg twice a day for long days of school work and study. This summer he takes it just once in the early morning and he is fine for the whole work day.
So we have Rxs for a number of tests. EKG, echocardiogram and a bunch more for liver and kidneys. I'm glad the tests will be performed, yet am a great worrier and fear the unknown.
He is supposed to be very good...voted by the Consumers' Research Council of America as one of the Top Psychiatrists in America for ADHD & Mood Disorders
