Help with ADHD meds.?

My son is 11 ys. old, he has ADHD, last Dr.'s apt. he weighed 59 lbs. The Dr. says its because of the medicine he is taking that decreases his appetite. He is getting so skinny I dont know what to do. And the only reason I put him the meds. is because he failed 2 grades before he was put on them, I can't have him failing school every year. But at the same time he needs to gain weight. Does anyone know of any other meds. that he can use that will not be as harmful? Or anything else I can try?

My son is 11 as well. He has been on Adderall XR for about 3 yrs now. I read how much your son weighed and gasped! But, that is because my 11 yr old is over 5 ft tall and weighs 120. Sounds big, but he plays football and is very athletic (thank the Lord, that expels a lot of his energy, lol) But, my other son is 50lbs, but he is 8. So, wow, your son sounds so tiny! Anyway... my 11 yr old had a couple of meds that caused him to loose weight. Ritalin XR was one of them. Concerta made him 'sad' after a while. Adderall has worked best for my son. There is also Daytrana and Stratera.
It really depends on the kid. How your son metabolizes the medicine. There are thankfully a lot of medications on the market now for this. When my son was first diagnosed it was pretty much the Ritalin.. and XR meds hadn't even come out yet so you had to give medication 3-4 times a day... ugh that sucked.
My second son who is 8 has a problem with being under weight, but that isn't an ADHD thing it is a super high metabolism thing. We gave him pediasure drinks (when he was about 6) and now he drinks a protein shake once a day. We just went to GNC and got a protein shake for him that he would like. I would double check with your doctor on doing that, but that is a way to help them gain a lil weight. And then it is healthy weight, not fatty weight.
If your current doc is not satisfying your desire to switch meds, change docs. Find one who will give you all the options because there are a ton out there now. Good Luck to you!! :) I hope this helped some.

im not sure about what meds he's taking but my younger brother has ADHD too and he also had lost weight and is skinny now but has muscle. i think it goes for most ADHD meds. my brother says that the pill makes him not want to eat but through the years he's gotten used to it. im sure your son is not in extreme danger but if you see that he's gettin sick and not eating at all then you should take him to the docs immediately. but God forbid that happen, im sure he'll be fine.

if you need more info i would suggest talking more to his doctor and requesting another med if possible. my mom was worried as much as you were but everything turned out fine=)

all the best of luck to you and your son.

Maybe you should consider another doctor who can help you work on controlling his ADHD without meds.

This weight loss happened with a friend of mine's son. She finally stopped the meds and worked with a doctor to use other approaches to helping him.

It's not easy at all, but it can be done and is worth it. I know I could not stand to watch my child waste away if there are other options no matter how much harder those other options are.

My youngest son is almost 11 and is taking Concerta. Yes at first he was loosing weight and he has adjusted well. he is gaining normal now and having a normal appetite. How long has your son been on this medication and what kind is he taking?

MY SON HAS ADHD I PUT HIM ON 3 DIFF MEDS UNTIL I FOUND THE RIGHT ONE 1ST MADE HIME LOSE TO MUCH WIEGHT 2ND DID NOTHING 3RD I LOVE AND WORKS GREAT ON HIM ,IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW IT FITS YOUR SON GO TO THE DOCTOR AND TELL HIM YOU WANT A DIFFERENT MEDICATION