My son is only 4 and started Intuniv earlier this year after having to take Tenex 4x a day. Intuniv is a longer acting form of tenex according to how the doctor explained it. It has helped my son calm slightly but not enough to be the only thing he takes. We added methylin 2 months ago .5mg 2x a day and its been just what he needs. He's on 2mg of Intuniv in the morning with .5mg of methylin. He took Vyvance and it really messed him up so we are careful with stimulants. I did see a difference with my son on Intuniv and each child will react differently so it might be worth a try. My son never experienced decreased appetite on either med either.
Intuniv is long acting Guanfacine, a Blood pressure med. I wouldn't start it if there is a family history of BP issues, we stopped Guanfacine years ago due to DD having BP drops.
There are other meds that are not stims, have you considered Stratera?
There are other meds that are not stims, have you considered Stratera?