<human>: Hello, I m a clinical psychologist and I conducted an eval with a 9 year old client who is diagnosed with ADHD, and currently taking Focalin - I don t have the dosage. He was not on his medication at the time of the evaluation, and I noticed no symptoms of hyperactivity or inattention over a two hour timeframe in the middle of the day. How long with the medication stay in his system? I believed it to be short lasting. His guardian indicates his dosage is effective for remediating symptoms at home and at school. Global question: Does Focalin help kids, mediate symptoms, who do not have ADHD?
<bot>: Hello there, Thank you for your question and welcome to Chat Doctor. To answer your question about Focal in, the half life is about 8 hours. It also depends on how long the child has been on the medication. If the child has been on it for several years, it will take a longer amount of time to be fully out of his system. If he was on it for 6 months or less, he should be clean after about 16 hours. You are correct about it being short-acting. Hopefully this answers your question. Have a good day!