How Intuniv Can Help Children With ADHD

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIntuniv for ADHDIntuniv DosageSide Effects of IntunivIntuniv WarningsShould Your Child Try It?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Intuniv for ADHD

Intuniv Dosage

Side Effects of Intuniv

Intuniv Warnings

Should Your Child Try It?

What is the most important information I should know about Intuniv?Caution should be used if your child:has certain health conditions such as low heart rate, low blood pressure, or syncope; oris taking certain medications such as CNS depressants, antihypertensive drugs, valproic acid, or ketoconazole.

What is the most important information I should know about Intuniv?

Caution should be used if your child:has certain health conditions such as low heart rate, low blood pressure, or syncope; oris taking certain medications such as CNS depressants, antihypertensive drugs, valproic acid, or ketoconazole.

Caution should be used if your child:

Intuniv is a non-stimulant treatment forattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is a long-acting form of guanfacine, which had previously been used to treat high blood pressure.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication in September 2009.It was initially approved as a once-a-day treatment for children and adolescents 6 to 17 years old with ADHD. Before its approval, Guanfacine had already been used off-label to treat children with ADHD who also havetics, sleep problems, oraggression.

In 2011, Intuniv received a new indication for use as adjunctive therapy for ADHD.This meant that it could be used with astimulant ADHD medicinesuch as Concerta, Focalin, Adderall XR, or Vyvanse. It may also be used alone (monotherapy) to treat ADHD.

Important factors to consider about taking Intuniv include:

Vyvanse for Treating ADHD in Children

Intuniv is available in four dosage strengths:

Keep in mind that since you may have to increase the dosage, it could take three or four weeks to see an improvement in your child’sADHD symptomsonce they start to take Intuniv.

In 2014, the FDA allowed more weight-based, flexible pediatric dosing, with maximum doses up to 7 milligrams for older teens. Weight-based target doses range from 0.05 to 0.12 milligram/kilogram/day.

Side effects of Intuniv most commonly include:

Although somnolence occurs in many children when they start taking Intuniv, it seems to get better as they continue to take it. This is a benefit for some children as it helps them fall asleep if given their dose at bedtime. (Intuniv can either be given in the morning or the evening.)

Warnings about Intuniv include:

Should Your Child With ADHD Try Intuniv?

Intuniv may be an especially good option if your child’s current medication simply isn’t working well, they haven’t been able to tolerate other stimulants because ofside effects, or if you have been wary of putting them on a stimulant.

Non-Stimulant ADHD Medication

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Department of Health and Human Services.Pediatric postmarketing pharmacovigilance and drug utilization review.Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Intuniv (guanfacine) extended-release tablets, for oral use.MedlinePlus.Guanfacine. Revised August 15, 2018.Food and Drug Administration.Pediatric focused safety review Intuniv® (guanfacine ER) pediatric advisory committee meeting. Published September 20, 2018.Cincinnati Children’s.Tics, Tourette syndrome and medications. Updated July 2018.Additional ReadingChildress AC.Guanfacine extended release as adjunctive therapy to psychostimulants in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Adv Therapy. 2012;29(5):385-400. doi:10.1007/s12325-012-0020-1Elbe D, Reddy D.Focus on guanfacine extended-release: a review of its use in child and adolescent psychiatry.J Can AcadChild Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;23(1):48-60.Food and Drug Administration.Intuniv highlights of prescribing information. Revised August 2020.Huss M, Dirks B, Gu J, Robertson B, Newcorn JH, Ramos-Quiroga JA.Long-term safety and efficacy of guanfacine extended release in children and adolescents with ADHD.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018;27(10):1283-1294. doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1113-4

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Department of Health and Human Services.Pediatric postmarketing pharmacovigilance and drug utilization review.Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Intuniv (guanfacine) extended-release tablets, for oral use.MedlinePlus.Guanfacine. Revised August 15, 2018.Food and Drug Administration.Pediatric focused safety review Intuniv® (guanfacine ER) pediatric advisory committee meeting. Published September 20, 2018.Cincinnati Children’s.Tics, Tourette syndrome and medications. Updated July 2018.Additional ReadingChildress AC.Guanfacine extended release as adjunctive therapy to psychostimulants in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Adv Therapy. 2012;29(5):385-400. doi:10.1007/s12325-012-0020-1Elbe D, Reddy D.Focus on guanfacine extended-release: a review of its use in child and adolescent psychiatry.J Can AcadChild Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;23(1):48-60.Food and Drug Administration.Intuniv highlights of prescribing information. Revised August 2020.Huss M, Dirks B, Gu J, Robertson B, Newcorn JH, Ramos-Quiroga JA.Long-term safety and efficacy of guanfacine extended release in children and adolescents with ADHD.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018;27(10):1283-1294. doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1113-4

Department of Health and Human Services.Pediatric postmarketing pharmacovigilance and drug utilization review.Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Intuniv (guanfacine) extended-release tablets, for oral use.MedlinePlus.Guanfacine. Revised August 15, 2018.Food and Drug Administration.Pediatric focused safety review Intuniv® (guanfacine ER) pediatric advisory committee meeting. Published September 20, 2018.Cincinnati Children’s.Tics, Tourette syndrome and medications. Updated July 2018.

Department of Health and Human Services.Pediatric postmarketing pharmacovigilance and drug utilization review.

Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Intuniv (guanfacine) extended-release tablets, for oral use.

MedlinePlus.Guanfacine. Revised August 15, 2018.

Food and Drug Administration.Pediatric focused safety review Intuniv® (guanfacine ER) pediatric advisory committee meeting. Published September 20, 2018.

Cincinnati Children’s.Tics, Tourette syndrome and medications. Updated July 2018.

Childress AC.Guanfacine extended release as adjunctive therapy to psychostimulants in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Adv Therapy. 2012;29(5):385-400. doi:10.1007/s12325-012-0020-1Elbe D, Reddy D.Focus on guanfacine extended-release: a review of its use in child and adolescent psychiatry.J Can AcadChild Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;23(1):48-60.Food and Drug Administration.Intuniv highlights of prescribing information. Revised August 2020.Huss M, Dirks B, Gu J, Robertson B, Newcorn JH, Ramos-Quiroga JA.Long-term safety and efficacy of guanfacine extended release in children and adolescents with ADHD.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018;27(10):1283-1294. doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1113-4

Elbe D, Reddy D.Focus on guanfacine extended-release: a review of its use in child and adolescent psychiatry.J Can AcadChild Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;23(1):48-60.

Food and Drug Administration.Intuniv highlights of prescribing information. Revised August 2020.

Huss M, Dirks B, Gu J, Robertson B, Newcorn JH, Ramos-Quiroga JA.Long-term safety and efficacy of guanfacine extended release in children and adolescents with ADHD.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018;27(10):1283-1294. doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1113-4

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What is the most important information I should know about Intuniv?#

Should Your Child With ADHD Try Intuniv?#

What is the most important information I should know about Intuniv?

Should Your Child With ADHD Try Intuniv?