My son who is on the way to being 9,has combined ADHD,and up until 7/5, had been medicated on various dosages of Ritalin, for approximately 2 1/2 years.He was diagnosed at just turned 4 1/2.His last dosage regimen was Ritalin ER 20mg one tablet in the morning @ about 630am, and Ritalin 5mg two tablets in the afternoon@ about 3 to 4 pm, making for a daily total of 30mg.
Up until then there had been no real problems with the Ritalin, and he had tolerated it well, with the occasional niggly headache/crabbiness but nothing major.
His pediatrician is extremely thorough, at each medication review, and we have a good relationship.
For the past 10 days to 2 weeks, I had noticed my son becoming more amd more crabby and there were instances of severe meltdowns, and he was getting tired towards the end of the day.There was one occasion , when he seemed to have a rapid heartbeat[last Thursday], and it was following that I made the decision to stop his Ritalin completely.Apart from the rapid heartbeat, there was no other symptoms.
I do not want to run the risk of this medication harming him in anyway, and 72 hours after stopping it, he is like a completely new child, more like his old self,granted we now have the overexcitedness and being busy +++, but thats a small price to pay I feel.
I had made him an apt for his annual physical for 7/23[so 2 weeks away] but wanted to know if Dr B, felt there was any reason, to bring this apt forward in anyway.
I,m researching into the possibility of maybe a non stimulant medication like Strattera, if the need should arise, for when he starts in 4th grade in August.
Thank you,
Maggie Scott

Hi,

This sounds like the dose became too high. You frequently have to make adjustments on the doses with these meds as the children get older. I'd either go down on the dose or try a new med. If you go to non-stimulant, you have to take it every day and it takes a month to kick in. I prefer stimulants where you can skip days and it doesn't make a differentce.

Thanks Dr B,
But there shouldn,t be any long term effects, from the dose maybe being too high should there? Over the past few days[since hes been off Ritalin] its like a cloud has been lifted from him!
Hes energetic,bubbly and his old happy self!! Thanks.

Hi,

No side effects from stopping the medicine or from the dose being high.