My son has been on Focalin XR (dexmethylphenidate) for about two
years. He is 17 and thinking of joining the military but needs
to get off his medication to enlist. Is this unhealthy? He
claims he gets tired if he misses a dose.  — Rachel, Arkansas
Each branch of the military determines the thresholds for
psychiatric medications for new recruits. The requirements
change frequently. Unfortunately, many branches of the military
prohibit new recruits from having taken psychiatric medications
in at least the previous year. Your son needs to talk to the
recruiter for the specific branch of military service he is
interested in. I would not recommend that he stop taking his
medicine if without it he experiences significant impairments in
his ability to perform activities of everyday life, such as
being a careful driver. He should not experience fatigue when he
misses a dose. My suspicion is that he may use the stimulant to
substitute for insufficient sleep. This does not mean he does
not have ADHD, just that the st