ATOMOXETINE

[millyz]

Hi all.

I see there are a few people here whose kids have a diagnosis of ADHD alongside ASD. Was wondering if anyone has any info they can share on the drug Atomoxetine?

My 7 year old daughter is undergoing assessment and diagnosis. ADHD has been confirmed but the psychologist says that she needs to start ADHD meds before they reassess the other behaviours (ASD/Aspergers). Kids can display signs of ASD if the ADHD is untreated. If the meds work, she will hopefully be in a better position to interact socially and some of the skills she lacks, that point to ASD, may actually improve. So he doesn't want to dx ASD or Aspergers until she has had a chance with the meds.

Does anyone else have experience of this when diagnosing ADHD and ASD?

 

Thanks x

[kazzdt]

Hi millyz

 

 

I can't help regarding the drug you mentioned, only to say that when my son was dx ADHD, at 9 I was told that they usually start with methylphendiate (Ritalin or Equasym). Maybe each clinic has its own guidelines.

 

Just for the record I always suspected AS and was told I was wrong and dx ADHD. Struggled to get a reassessement and at 11 he was dx AS also. Their explanation for this was similar to the reasons you were told.

 

Sorry can't be of more help.

 

Kazzdt x

[millyz]

Thanks for your reply kazzdt.

 

I also thought Ritalin would be the obvious med to start with. When we did the Conners last year, the paed mentioned it immediately. But then, he didn't have any interest in her heart condition or epilepsy. If I had followed his advice and put her on the Ritalin, she wouldn't have had the necessary ECG's, blood tests, EEG's and other investigations to make sure it will be safe.

Maybe Atomoxetine is being recommended because it might be safer for her.

 

I believe she does have ASD but am prepared to give the docs the chance to work with the ADHD first. I can see the reasoning behind it. I was however given the impression that it wouldn't take too long to see any benefits and the ASD would be reassessed and if necessary, diagnosed sooner rather than later.

 

I hope it doesn't go on and on for another couple of years. I feel like we have struggled for the last 7.5 years and still don't have the full picture of my daughter.

Every time I feel I've done all I can, something else crops up.

At birth, it was the heart defect. At 1 it was cerebral palsy. At 3 it was absences. Then eye problems.At 5 it was epilepsy. And since about age 4 it's been behaviour at an increasingly unmanageable rate.

Sometimes I think 'okay,that's enough for one kid - can we stop there and have a chance to live our lives outside hospitals'

 

You say it took you 2 years. What meds have you used? What affect did it have on the ADHD or ASD?

Hope everything is going well now - and thanks for your advice

 

Millyz x

[kazzdt]

You poor things really have been through the mill,

 

Sam started on Equasym and the change was instant. He was a lot calmer, and it just took the 'edge' of of his bad behaviour. The main area that improved was his concentration. The first day he took medication was the first time I got him to do his homework without him throwing his pen and getting under the table!! It really had the wow! factor. He really needs this to help him concentrate and has helped him at school immensely! He is now on Concerta which is a slow release capsule which works even better for him.

 

However he has huge social problems (though improving all the time) and the medication hasn't really helped this, apart from maybe curbing his impulsiveness, a bit, and this is obviously due to his AS.

 

I did read recently on another thread, (can't find it now) that ADHD medication can make the AS more apparent. I'd be interested to hear more if anyone has heard this, it had never been mentioned to me.

 

Good luck

 

 

Kazzdt

[loulou]

Hi Kazzdt and Millyz,

 

My son is 6 1/2 and has been dx with ADHD. He is waiting for an assessment of AS too.

 

He's been on Ritalin for 5 months, and like Sam, he calmed down within about 40 minutes of the first dose!

 

Overall, he is much less "hyper" and less "reckless", ie when riding his bike.

 

I noticed within a few weeks that his AS symptoms were much more apparent. He became much more obsessive about things.

 

I spoke to his psychiatrist about this who said that it is common for this to happen. These AS symptoms were present before, but because he was always tearing about like a maniac, it was harder to see.

 

His concentration is better, but that has made him concentrate even more on his obsessions!

 

I haven't heard of Atomoxetine, so i can't help. I would speak to the paediatrican about it.

 

All the best, Loulou x

[huskyaddict]

Is Atomoxetine licensed yet? We were offered this as a possible alternative to Ritalin as our Sam doesn't eat on Ritalin?? It sounded like a potentially useful drug with less side effects but at that time we were told it was still at the trialling stage?

R

[sel]

hiya,

 

ditto,

we have the same prob. our son doesn't eat on ritalin either we have tried methylphenidate but its the same.

[huskyaddict]

You can read more about this drug here:

 

http://www.momtomomchat.com/articles/strattera.html

 

R

[Rachelp2]

Hi,

 

Just reading the posts here and thought i'd add too (Hope you don't mind!?)

 

I'm an adult on Equasym/Ritalin, been back on it for a month now, I only take 15mg twice per day and yes I have a problem with not feeling like eating! Today I got up at 7.45am and my first morsel of food was at 4pm! I couldn't stomach much so I just had a bowl of Ricicles!

 

The thing is I put on 2 stone recently because I stopped smoking, I'm now back on the fags so that was a wasted effort and now back on the Ritalin I don't feel like eating but i'm going to have to make myself eat more, I really just do not feel hungry!

 

Best Wishes,

Rach x