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New ADHD drug launched in UK

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Here's all the info ...

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3767313.stm

 

Anyone with ADHD, or parents of someone with it, planning to start using this medication, or at least look into it?

 

(This doesn't affect me personally - I'm just trying to get a bit of discussion going if it's relevant to anyone! :whistle:)

 

James

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hi james

 

I was offered Ritalin for my son but I refused. Drugs mask the symptoms not help it and they can have serious side effects when taken long term.

 

Now for myself I take whatever is going but for my kids I would go down the diet route!

 

The use of drugs is a choice that each parent or person must make. I know in USA ritalin is widely used and I have heard that schools suggesting to parents to try it.

 

It would be a last resort for me to consider giving drugs to my children - only if I felt I had no alternative.

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hi all

I agree with carol ,stuation like mine.

But thanks for the link :D

hubby came home yesterday heard it on the radio and wanted to know if i knew any thing about it.

from vastsarah

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Hi all,

thought i would add my thoughts of this one as it is very close to home.

 

Daniels was finally given a formal DX on wednesday, he has got Aspergers's ( no shock there) but he also has ADHD ( bit of a bigger shock there as i thought he only showed ADHD trats)

 

so i have everyone and there dog phoneing me up about the new of a new medican that can help ADHD children. I was offerd retalin a few years ago for Dan's and turned it down flat, i think they have enough to cope with without having to cope with a drug that masks what they are feeling. I also feel the same about the new drug thats come out, i think they are better ways of helping your child than filling them up with drugs.

 

So i for one will just stick to the age old ways of herbal and banging my head againt a brick wall :wallbash: when things get bad, rather than doping him up with pills.

 

Karen x

 

P.s. as an after thought i better add that dan's does not show the voilant trats that a lot ADHD children show he fall into the figgeting and hyperactive side, so its easier for me to say what i have.

If i had a child that had temper tantrums i might feel very differnt. this has got to be one of those choices that if it works for you then take it.

 

Karen x

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Hello Everyone, I like most of you dread the thought of having to give drugs such as ritalin to our son, and up until now we have not needed to, BUT!

Now don't come down on me like a ton of bricks here but i feel that any medication I may have to give to my son in the future would wholly be for his benefit, not to make life easier for us, his school or anyone else but himself

 

I know that there is a lot of stigma attached to using drugs to correct what most people see as just bad behaviour At the moment we are pursuing a dietry approach, gluten free, with a little success. While the worst behaviours are bearable at least we shall continue this way. If our boy was to develop violent tendencies to others and himself i would have to reconsider I think.

 

There are alternatives to Ritalin of course but you have to be wary as most sites regarding them are the manufacturers own and they are bound to paint a good picture of them.

 

I might be ablke to visit a couple of sites of certainly Asperger sufferers(i hate using that word) to see if any of them have needed to try any of these treatments.

 

Now as I said don't start throwing things at me it's only my opinion >:D<<'> MIKE

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The OASIS message board in the US is a good place to read opinions on different medicaation as medication seems to be much more routine over there.

 

Personally I agree woth most of the other posters. I would never be comfortable about medication, but I wouldn't rule it out absolutely if the situation was serious enough, e.g. medication needed to control violence.

 

Simon

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Oooh dear, tricky one this! :hypno:

 

My son has ADHD as well as Aspergers.

 

From the age of about 6 he became increasingly violent, with literally no sense of danger...he would run across roads!

 

I could write at length about the things he did (but I won't!!). Suffice to say that at 8 he very nearly dislocated Jester's shoulder!!

 

And he was not happy in himself, not at all!!!

 

When he was 8 he was prescribed Ritalin by the specialist centre where he had been diagnosed (Harper House...anyone know it?). This was used in conjunction with very intensive behavioural therapy, which lasted for years.

 

We found that for the first time, with Ritalin, he had a 'mental breathing space' to allow him to take in the behavioural therapy and hence to allow it to work! I can't possibly describe to you the difference that the combination of medication and therapy made to my son, and to the rest of us. He got his life back, really. When he was about 13 he decided himself to reduce his dosage gradually, and has been off it for nearly a year...and none of the severe ADHD traits have reappeared.

 

A year or so before he started on Ritalin my son was put on an exclusion diet by his hospital specialist. I followed it religiously for a about a year, and can honestly say it had very little effect, plus my son was very miserable on it!

 

So, I would say that if diet changes work for your child that is great. Equally, if behavioural therapy on its own works...brilliant! But there are some children, like my son, whose ADHD is so severe that he simply could not 'access' the behavioural therapy without medication.

 

I get very cross with the media for the sensational stories about 'chemical coshes', etc, etc... Some children have very severe, complex special needs with multiple diagnoses. Life is hard enough for them and their families without the kind of ill-informed articles that appear every so often.

 

Sorry! :tearful:

 

Rant over!! :angry:

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Bid

 

My son has been helped greatly by medication. He has Aspergers with increasingly violent behaviours - which have been reduced and made more manageable by a low dose of risperidone.

 

I also feel that this medication has given him a window of opportunity to learn other ways of behaving, and simply to be a happier less distressed person.

 

Your views about the media's attitude are spot on.

 

I would advise other parents to resist the fear which surrounds the very thought of medication, a fear that I also share. Its so important to take a rational approach, to take advice from professionals, and to consider a wide range of things for your child - behavioural training, lifestyle changes, diet modification and, with due caution, medication.

 

Elanor

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Elanor,

 

My mum. bless her, said to me when the whole issue of medication was raised...if he was diabetic or epileptic , you wouldn't hesitate to use meds.

 

She was quite right!

 

Unless you have been there, I don't think you can understand the point you get to where you accept meds.

 

If it wasn't for this kind of intervention, we would not be together as a family.

 

Nuff said!

 

Bid :wacko:

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Hi all!

Caghal's psychiatrist has told us she doesn't think Caghal displays ADHD traits, but I remain very sceptical on that front!!! Not that I WANT him to have it, but honestly, he is becoming ever more ...hyper is the only word I can think of that fits, really!!! Now he has started to throw things around in a rage when he's upset, and he does things that I KNOW he realises are unacceptable...It's honestly like he's possessed!!! He just can't seem to help himself. I think I'm going to have a chat with his new teachers and get their view on this. If they agree with me, then I'll ask them to write their experiences with Caghal down so I can present it to the Doc.

The point in revelance to this topic is that I certainly don't see medication as a first line of action, but if all else failed, I would give it a go. Our GP had a chat with me regarding medication, and he seems to have a healthy attitude to it. He certainly wouldn't let Caghal go about zombified from meds, anyway. I know a few families who have found medication a great boon, and their children seem far happier than before. They're getting on better at home, school.....

Obviously, meds are not for everyone and are not without problems, but it's a choice that has to be made. I don't think anyone here would disapprove of another's decision to try Ritalin or such, even if it's not for them. I don't, at any rate!! :D

Esther x

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Oooh dear, tricky one this! :hypno:

 

My son has ADHD as well as Aspergers.

 

From the age of about 6 he became increasingly violent, with literally no sense of danger...he would run across roads!

 

I could write at length about the things he did (but I won't!!). Suffice to say that at 8 he very nearly dislocated Jester's shoulder!!

 

And he was not happy in himself, not at all!!!

 

When he was 8 he was prescribed Ritalin by the specialist centre where he had been diagnosed (Harper House...anyone know it?). This was used in conjunction with very intensive behavioural therapy, which lasted for years.

 

We found that for the first time, with Ritalin, he had a 'mental breathing space' to allow him to take in the behavioural therapy and hence to allow it to work! I can't possibly describe to you the difference that the combination of medication and therapy made to my son, and to the rest of us. He got his life back, really. When he was about 13 he decided himself to reduce his dosage gradually, and has been off it for nearly a year...and none of the severe ADHD traits have reappeared.

 

A year or so before he started on Ritalin my son was put on an exclusion diet by his hospital specialist. I followed it religiously for a about a year, and can honestly say it had very little effect, plus my son was very miserable on it!

 

So, I would say that if diet changes work for your child that is great. Equally, if behavioural therapy on its own works...brilliant! But there are some children, like my son, whose ADHD is so severe that he simply could not 'access' the behavioural therapy without medication.

 

I get very cross with the media for the sensational stories about 'chemical coshes', etc, etc... Some children have very severe, complex special needs with multiple diagnoses. Life is hard enough for them and their families without the kind of ill-informed articles that appear every so often.

 

Sorry! :tearful:

 

Rant over!! :angry:

 

 

This is an old post worth bumping about ADHD. I could have written this myself Bid >:D<<'>

 

What I would like to add, when you read the news clip is that they say that the drug could lead to depression.

I belonged to a support group for about 5 years and talked to many parents whose children were on the severe end and tried diet and behavioural programs allergy tests the whole kit and caboodle, that just didnt work.

 

My concern with the drug 'Strattera' I believe it is a newly hashed recreation of a drug that used to be called 'Dexamphetamine' many parents were claiming it made their kids very depressed and suicidal, thats where these drugs got a bad name in the first place. When Ritalin came along with my sons specialist and the support group, Ritalin was the one considered the best back then because it didnt contain the amount of amphetamine that was causing these side affects and noted in this article.

 

Just sharing that with parents in this situation where meds are a MUST, not for parents that are weighing up the pro's and cons, that havent tried every other therapy and diet first. Medication should be the very last resort. These days Concerta has my sons doctors stamp of approval. Just for the record. But close contact with your doctor is essential before you reach a decision if meds is a must.

IMHO >:D<<'>

 

Fxx :(

Edited by Frangipani

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Atomoxetine is I believe related to the SSRI group of antidepressants. It was originally developed as an anti-d but found to help ADHD. As a result it works in a different way to ritalin and takes longer to have it's effect. Some believe it is more appropriate for children with joint ASD and ADHD as ritalin can often make the autistic features worse whereas atomoxetine is less likely to do this. The concern is that SSRIs in general can only be prescribed to under-18yr olds by a specialist because of the theoretical risk on increased suicidal behaviour and this could be true with atomoxetine, it's not been out that long for the long term effects to be known.

 

I was talking to a friend whose son has AS/ADHD at the weekend and his life has been revolutionised by ritalin. He is happier, he is now doing well as school and he is learning. His autistic traits are not so predominant and for the first time ever he is showing concern for her and developing empathy and theory of mind. It was like his brain was sped up too fast before for him to process anything

 

Lx

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Hi, My son R who is 8 was on this drug 2 years ago, it did not help at all and caused him to react very badly at the beginning- he tried to run out in front of a car and constantly said he wanted to die it was a horrible time and I can quite honestly say the worse few months I have ever had with him. R has ASD ADHD OCD and torrettes (only ticks at the moment) I had him off medication for a year but 8 months ago relented and agreed to him trying Rispodone it has changed our lifes! I was very reluctant as at first he had very bad weight gain and was constantly eating-he would even steal food but over the last 2 months he has lost loads of weight and looks better than he ever has done. I cant obviously say what is best for your child but be very wary of amoxotine!!

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My son is on Atomoxetine / Strattera, he's been on it for nearly two months now, & although the school has seen a difference in him, i don't see it cos as soon as he finishes school it wears off & he is totally hyper, demanding & all over the place. When he is on it at school it is making him calmer but very moody & he doesn't do as he's told & tends to argue. His teacher told me the other day that he was head banging his desk when it was his time to go out of the lesson for extra support. He doesn't like to be singled out from his peers, especially now he's the bottom of the juniors!

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My ds2 (adhd/asd) was describe this but to be honest it did not work for him,when i spoke to the professer @ gosh(he sees my son ) he felt this drug was more for adhd rather tha my child with duel dx and asd children.He belives he will be better on respondone.I dont like drugs but feel that in ds2 case it would benefit him in his quality of life and hasnt been an easy decision to make.

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