it is impossible to know how long his medication should be lasting. typically ritalin tablets last about 4 hours ritalin sr tablets last about 6 hours ritalin la capsules last about 8 hours focalin xr capsules last about 10 hours and concerta caplets last about 12 hours. of course these are just averages and there is considerable variability among children. if you think the medication has worn off you can ask your doctor about either changing the morning medicine to something that would last longer or you could ask about adding a short-acting pill in the afternoon on an as-needed basis. (if your child has difficulty swallowing pills they also make a lqiuid and chewable form of short-acting ritalin formulation called methylin. .
my 6 year old takes medication for adhd but has some negative behaviors in the evening. has the ritalin worn off?