Intuniv (Guanfacine) at night — anyone else's kid flat on Saturday morning sport? And now getting big emotions after 4 months?
Hi all, looking for some real-world experience from other parents because I feel like we're going in circles a bit.
My son is 9, diagnosed ADHD combined type, has been on Intuniv (guanfacine ER) for about 4 months now — no stimulants. He takes it at night.
We went the non-stimulant route because we trialled stimulants previously and the rebound when they wore off was really rough — big anger, emotional dysregulation, the works. We felt like we were trading one problem for another. So Intuniv on its own felt like the safer path for him.
For the most part it's helped with the impulsivity and the hyperactivity during the week. But we've hit two issues I'd love to hear if others have experienced:
- Saturday morning sport
He plays sport on Saturday mornings and he is absolutely flat. No energy, no drive, just going through the motions. It's pretty heartbreaking to watch because he normally loves it. Has anyone found a workaround for this? Different timing? A different dose on Fridays? I know I need to talk to his paediatrician but just want to go in armed with other people's real experiences.
- The big emotions are back
Here's the confusing part — the whole reason we avoided stimulants was the emotional rebound. But now, around the 4-month mark on Intuniv, he's started showing those same big emotions plus anxiety and worry to a lot of new things. Has anyone else seen this at the 4-month point? Wondering if it's a tolerance thing?
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's navigated similar. Thanks 🙏