Metadate cd

[missy]

Hello. My 12 yr old takes metadate cd 40 mgs and it helps him a lot to focus in school. For the summer we decided to try a break since he needs to eat more and gain some weight. My question is I plan to start him again with the meds in late August however do I just start him again on the 40mgs?? They aren't tablets so can't be cut in half. Anyone? Thank you.

[healthy11]

Hello missy, and welcome to Millermom's forum. My son is now in his 20's, but when he was younger, he took summer medication breaks from his Adderall, and we were able to gradually "ramp back up" to his extended release dosage by starting with short acting tablet amounts. I'm hoping other parents of children who use Metadate CD will see your question and be able to answer you with first-hand experience.

In the meantime, can I ask how long your son has been taking metadate CD? Did he try other meds before that? How long did it take to determine that 40 mgs Metadate CD was the optimal amount? Have you spoken to his Dr. and asked what he'd recommend? I'm wondering if his Dr. might do as my son's psych did, which was to write a prescription for either a smaller dosage of Metadate CD (ie, 10 or 20 mg., so you could start with one capsule, and then increase) or might your son be able to "ramp up" by starting with Metadate ER or another med?

[hsmom]

I'm coming to this question late. I'm sorry, but I haven,t been on the forum much.

My son took Metadate CD starting when he was 10 years old until about 16 years old. He started at 30 mg, but quickly went up to 40 mg which worked well until the end. His doctor told him that he had to eat lunch even if he wasn't hungry - half a sandwich, piece of fruit, and a glass of milk. 

With your son, I would start him back again at 40 mg if that was the dose that was working for him.

My son was at a boarding school and I got bi-weekly (every two weeks) reports on how he was doing in classes and during other activities. When I was seeing that he was often not focusing on his work, I asked his doctor for a prescription for 40 mg. The teachers noticed the chnge very quickly, although they hadn't been informed of the dosage change.

At age 16, my son noticed that there wasn't much difference when he was on or off medication, and his teachers' reports confirmed that. Thus, he stopped taking the medication. That summer he had a neuropsych evaluation, and his psychologist noticed some inattention and lack of focus, but not as much as she did when he was 12. And, he still has add, though milder. She told my son that he might want to consider going back on medication if college-level work beomes a struggle and hard to manage.