Strattera information

[mbrown]

My almost 13 year old boy has just been prescribed atrattera. 25mg per day. As with all meds I am concerned about all of the adverse side effects which always seem to outweigh the good.

 

I would just like an update from everyone that has used or is currently using this drug - basically looking to get my fears relieved rathe rthan realised ,LOL.

 

Any experiences or advice would be most welcome.

 

Mike

[carrieq]

Ds was on Strattera just over a year ago. He took it alongside his ritalin at a time when he was going through a very low anxious period. He was prescribed Stattera because it is also an anti-anxiety medication. It didn't work for us. Ds has always been prone to shouting out random words but it seemed to get worse while he was on Strattera. He stopped taking it and the shouting out went back to how it was before.

Carrie

[LittleRae]

DS is on 40mg. I haven't noticed any improvement at home since he's been on it - about 4 months now. Huge improvements in school work though. He also talks a lot in his sleep, which he didn't do previously, but I'm told it's unrelated. It's supposed to be better than ritalin as it doesn't affect appetite/growth.

Edited July 31, 2007 by LittleRae

[mbrown]

Hello Everyone, Here is an update on my son's straterra prescription and a warning.

 

The 25mg dose mentioned in my first message was merely a 'tester' dose, just to see if there were any advers side effects. As there were none the psychiatrist wanted to put him on 80mg per day by 2 x 40mg capsules at an 8 or 9 hour interval in between.

 

I agreed reluctantly because it seemed like a huge hike to me. In the month inbetween psych' appointments things went well, and in particular the last two weeks were probably his best ever at school. I didn't attend thenext meeting, but I was astonished that the doctor, despite my son doing well, hinted that there was scope to increase the dosage further(???).

 

The doc persuaded my wife to agree to give the 80mg in one dose - with the explanation that they were slow release(!!!)

 

The following two days were a disaster. Sent home from school on day one, excluded on day two.

 

I know that 'nightmare' is an often used expression but this truly was a living nightmare fo rus, and almost completely disintegrated us as a family over the following days. On the second day I took him off straterra completely and after almost a week and a half my boy is back to 'normal' - still a pest and a half but more recognosable than the monster of a few days ago.

 

We called the psychiatrist two weeks ago to tell her of our problems and our plans to stop the medication and she hasn't even bothered to respond.

 

After discussing this with a few friends and the odd professional, it seems that straterra had produced almost exactly the same reaction with their children.

 

I am rather disillusioned at the moment. I had been asking for behavioural therapy for overa year to help overcome my son's problems but the only thing we were offered was the meds.

 

I know that everyone is different but I couldnever recommend the use of this drug.

 

Mike

[clintess]

I to am dispondent with this medication.I spoke to ds2 doctor (proffesor)@ gosh today,he told me if there hasnt been an improvement since ds2 been on it since august then there wont be and will be writting to ds2 paeditrition to stop the medication and he be prescribing respondone.He says the strattera is more for ADHD children rather than ASD children even though ds2 has a duel dx.

[JsMum]

Sorry to hear your situation with Strattera, it sounded very scarey how your son turned for the worse when he went on 80mg which is a massive dose, I have been researching this medication as our psychiatrist wants to put J on this drug, however after reading so many articles like yours and news headlines with drugs may cause suicide and psychosis it has disturbed me, I read also that it actually isnt intended to treat Anxiety, and if a child has Anxiety it can cause it to be come worse.

 

I am relieved to hear that you have the real monster back, its a good feeling that, though we have a challenge it doesnt relate to the one when they dont respond to medication, I am appauled that your psychiatrist didnt even contact you when this medication caused problems, that in itself is disgraceful.

 

I wonder what path your going to take now, does your child have ADHD that will need treating? and is there anyway you could let school know that the behaviour could of been related to a type of psychosis caused by the medication, and try and get something sorted out so he can return.

 

Does he have a statement?

 

We payed privatly to have psychologist do some work with J, they did some art therapy and I had to do some behaviour monitoring.

 

We are waiting to go on a course for ADHD issues, and J just has had an assessment and programme from a institute so we are continuing with this process for now which is a combination of behavioural, diet, social and communication interventions and though it is difficult with limited support, but we do have some.

 

Let us know how your son gets on.

 

 

JsMum

[mbrown]

Clintess & JsMum, thank you fo ryour replies. Clintess , I hope that you get your boy's neds sorted out. I am not anti-meds in general. I believe that there is a place for them and that they should only be used when it is established that they are indeed the only way to go. Good Luck.

 

I might have forgotten to mention that my lad has Asperger's, and only recently diagnosed with ADHD (by my not very favourite psychiatrist).

 

JsMum, my boy is back at school , albeit with a very selective curriculum - his choices basically. It is working well at the moment, but school really does need to do a lot more fo rhim. At the moment it is more to do with prevention of outbursts rathe rthan containment and dealing with them as they arise.

 

We are all working together on this. My boy has an IEP.

 

I am hoping that some behavioural therapy may be done to help[ him.

 

What is the ADHD related course that you are doing? What institute are you referring to?

 

I don't know exactly what direction to take just now. At the moment I am just trying to get our family life back on track. The past couple fo weeks have been a real strain, nothing like what we have had to deal with in the past.

 

I'll be glad to let you know how things develop.

 

Mike

[LittleRae]

Hi

 

You should query that dosage. My DS is 11 and on 40 mg. It all depends on weight. He is 33 kilos and if he can put on more weight the consultant will increase his dosage. Also, if giving such a high dosage, it should go up by smaller amounts - that's way too big a jump. DS has been on it 9 months. He's fab at school but I have to say I don't notice any difference at all at home.