What is Intuniv?
Intuniv works by reducing nerve impulses within your heart and blood vessels. Intuniv relaxes blood vessels to lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. Intuniv, a prescription medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is prescribed for children aged at least six years. Intuniv, a long-acting tablet, is taken daily at the same time, usually in the morning.
Tenex-brand guanfacine can be used to treat hypertension. Sometimes it is given along with other blood-pressure medications.
Warnings
Please carefully read all instructions listed on your medication's package or label before beginning treatment. Inform your healthcare provider about your medical conditions, your allergies, and the medicines you are using.
Avoid overheating and dehydration during exercise in hot weather. Avoid alcohol. Inform your doctor if other medications make you sleepy. Intuniv can cause sleepiness.
Before you take this drug
Intuniv should not be used if you have an allergy to guanfacine.Intuniv has not been approved for anyone younger than six years of age.
Be sure to inform your doctor of any of the following issues:
- Heart problems coronary arterial disease
- A heart rhythm disorder.
- A stroke or heart attack
- High or low blood pressure
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease is a serious condition.
Intuniv is not known to harm unborn babies.Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant. You may not be able to breastfeed your baby while taking this medication. You should ask your doctor if there are any risks.
How to take Intuniv?
Follow your doctor's instructions and take Intuniv as directed. Read all the instructions and directions that come with your prescription. Sometimes your doctor will change the dose. Intuniv can be absorbed too fast if you take it with foods high in fat. Intuniv can help you sleep better at night. Take Intuniv along with a glass of milk, water, or any other liquid.
Do not chew or crush the Intuniv tablets. Tell your doctor about any weight changes in a child who is taking this medication. Guanfacine doses for children are based on their weight. Any changes in your child's weight may change the dose. Intuniv should not be stopped abruptly. If you stop suddenly, your blood pressure can rise, and you may experience unpleasant symptoms.
If you have a stomach ache or nausea (vomiting) and are unable to take your medication as usual, call your doctor. Changes in brand, strength or form of medicines could alter dosage needs; only use what was prescribed by your healthcare provider to avoid medication errors. Regularly, your doctor will check on you. You may also be asked to have your blood pressure and heartbeat checked. Store away from moisture, heat, and light at room temperature.
Details on dosage
The usual pediatric dose for attention deficit disorder:
From 6 to 18 years:
Initial dose: Orally, 1 mg once daily, in the morning or the evening at the same approximate time every day. You may adjust the dosage in 1 mg increments per week.
Target dose recommended: 0.05–0.12 mg/kg/day (total dose daily between 1–7 mg), once per day, depending on clinical response.
Maximum dose: For children aged 6–12 years, dosages above 4 mg/day were not evaluated. Children aged 13–17 years did not receive doses above 7 mg/day.
Comments: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which may require treatment over a long period of time, should be treated for a prolonged period. Healthcare providers must periodically evaluate treatment and adjust dosage as necessary.
Use: Treatment for ADHD can be used as monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy with stimulant medications.
What happens if I miss the dose?
If you are almost due for your next dose, skip the missed one. Never take two doses of the same medicine at once.If you miss two or more doses, call your doctor to get instructions.
What happens if I overdose?
Call 1-800-222-1222 for poison help or seek immediate medical attention.Overdose symptoms include drowsiness and a slow heartbeat. You may also feel like you are about to pass out.
What should be avoided?
Do not drive or engage in hazardous activities until you have determined how the medicine will affect you. You may be unable to react properly. Intuniv can be affected by alcohol.
Side effects of Intuniv
If you experience any of the following: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your lips, face, tongue, or throat, contact an emergency medical professional immediately.
If you experience:
- Anxiety, nervousness;
- Hallucinations, especially in children;
- Severe drowsiness;
- Slow heartbeats
- A feeling of lightheadedness, as if you could pass out.
Stopping Intuniv can cause headaches, confusion, and rapid heartbeats. You may also experience tremors or increased blood pressure. These symptoms, if left untreated, could lead to high blood pressure, vision issues, or seizures.
Intuniv may cause side effects such as:
- Dizziness, drowsiness;
- Low blood pressure and slow heartbeats
- Feeling tired or irritable
- Trouble sleeping
- Dry mouth
- Stomach pain, nausea, and constipation.
There may be other side effects. For medical advice on side effects, call your doctor. The FDA can be contacted at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report side effects.
Interaction with other drug
It is sometimes not safe to take certain medications together. Some drugs may affect the blood levels of drugs that you are taking, causing side effects or making them less effective.
Intuniv can make you more drowsy when taken with other drugs. Before taking an opioid, sleeping pill, muscle relaxant, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures, consult your doctor.
Inform your doctor of all the other medications you are taking. Intuniv may be affected by:
- Ketoconazole;
- A barbiturate such as Phenobarbital
- Blood pressure medication
- Medicine to treat mental illness
- A sedative such as Xanax or Valium
This list is incomplete. Guanfacine may interact with other drugs, such as prescription and OTC medications, vitamins, and herbal products. This list does not include all drug interactions.
