pemoline

Pemoline (Volital)

BEFORE READING THIS

Remember this page is only a rough guide. You should seek the advice of a doctor or specialist (e.g. child psychiatrist or paediatrician), before starting, changing, or stopping any medication.

What Is It?

A tablet used for treating hyperactivity in children.

Does it Work?

Sometimes, it has only been shown to be effective as a short term solution. It is not enough on its own to sort out the hyperactivity once and for all.

How much should the child take?

Generally they start off on 1 tablet (20mg) taken each morning. After a week this should go up to 2 tablets (40mg) each morning. After another week this should go up to 3 tablets (60mg) taken each morning.

If there is no improvement then a maximum of 6 tablets (120mg) is generally considered safe.

Improvements should be seen by about 6 weeks. If there aren't any or the child begins to show signs of side-effects (listed below), then the advice of a doctor should be sought, with a view to reducing or stopping the drug.

The treatment is not recommended for children under the age of 6.

What are the Side-Effects to look out for?

Nervousness
Rapid Heartbeat
Dry Mouth
Stomach ache
headache
feeling/being sick
irritability
excitability
nightmares
anorexia
not being able to sleep (insomnia)

All of these symptoms tend to disappear once the amount of the drug is reduced. It is very rare that the medication has to be stopped all together.

Other Possible Bad Effects

In some cases, there can be some temporary slowing down of the childs' growth (height and weight). This tends to be more common when the child is receiving quite high amounts and should always be looked out for. 'Drug Holidays' (periods of time when the drug is not taken) may be taken, often at the start of school holidays, which allows the parent/teacher/doctor to look out for any changes in growth.

* RECOMMENDED BOOKS *

If you are interested in going into even more depth, the following book(s), sold by Amazon.co.uk, are recommended by us. Each is followed by a rating for ease of reading (1-3).

1=Simple and Easy to comprehend.
2=More Complex but still a good read.
3=Very Complex, only for professionals/those studying to degree level.

British National Formulary (Mehta)

RATING SCORE = 3 This the standard reference book for professionals (nurses, doctors etc) who prescribe and give out medication.

Consumer's Guide To Psychiatric Drugs (Preston et al)

RATING SCORE = 2 Attempts to use straightforward, plain English, despite all the jargon that is around medication. Not a bad job at all!

The Complete Guide To Psychiatric Drugs: Straight Talk For Best Results (Drummond)

RATING SCORE = 2 Another good attempt to simplify medication so that most of us can at least try to understand.

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