I used to take guanfacine. It works really well for impulsivity. The only side effect I had was that it made me really drowsy. I had to stop taking it because it slowed my heart rate and my heart rate was already low.

My daughter has been on guanfacine or tenex since the age of four. She's five now and it does work. Her teachers said she was less ADHD and could sit down and listen more. I thought maybe she was just developing coping skills or learning more as she ages but no. When I didn't get her Rx filled on time, she became far more hyperactive. One negative side effect is weight gain but my daughter is a little underweight anyway so that, too, is a positive to us.

Drugs get a negative image due to people misusing them or fear of drugging kids because the parents are too lazy to parent. My daughter had her DX when she was three so we didn't turn to guanfacine quickly and it's not really a first step as a doctor has to examine her and prescribe it for her.

My son is on guanfacine - he started on the short acting form (tenex) and recently switched to extended release form (Intuniv). Works pretty well for him with minimal side effects. We actually found that the Zoloft made the biggest difference in him - we realized that anxiety was causing a lot of his behavioral symptoms. We were nervous about the meds but now are really happy we tried them.

Thank you @A MyAutismTeam Member. I'm considering this medication. Weight gain wouldn't be good over here 😒. I'm going to hope that isn't a side effect if I do try it. I told his Neurologist I will think about it and maybe wait until his Spring break to try it. He has very bad allergies so I will have to see how he is doing at that point. If he didn't start with hitting his head I wouldn't be considering meds. But that behavior does really worry me. Thanks again.

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A MyAutis...

Thank you! @A MyAutismTeam Member. I wish my son didn't get so hungry on the Zoloft. I will try in time to get over my fear and try the guanfacine. 😌

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A MyAutis...