Adhd but Can't Take stimulants....does Strattera Work?

J.,

My son is 19 years old now, my daughter is 14. My son is biological child, my daugher adopted. They are both ADHD. In addition to ADHD my son is bi-polar. We started working with meds when he was 4 years old and when she was 5 years old. for my son Ritilan worked well for a few years then just stopped working,We switched to Adderall XL so that he did nto have take meds at school, he did not like having to go to the office to take them. WE put his sister directely on Adderall XL. It has worked well for both of them. My son took Adderall until he was 14 years old, when we switched him over to meds to treat the bi-polar as it was a much bigger issue. my daughter is on Concerta now. You have to try the meds and give them at least 2-3 weeks to see if they are working or not. Don't be afraid to try them and don't let people make you feel like you are doing the wrong thing by giving meds. If you child had diabetes or some other illness people would be yelling if you did not medicate. I do home daycare and one of the children I have kept is ADHD he takes Vyvanse<sp> it is a newer med, non stimulant and seems to work great for him. I keep monsly children with issuses as I have 20 years exp. working with children with disablites.
My only piece of advice on what you should or should not try is if you use meds, find a physcartist who works with children as they are more knowledgeable about the meds you will be using.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or just need some moral support. I used to run a local support group.

hugs,
A.

Please be aware that ADHD and similar issues can not be diagnosed with an EEG. You may need a second opinion if someone suggested this. Also that Feingold and similar diet strategies have been roundly debunked. Not that there can not be improvement to anyone's manner and nature by removing foods and sources of allergic-type responses. Sugars of course provide for rapid highs and lows. Deciding to treat ADHD/ADD with medication is a very difficult and individual decision. We had two boys so diagnosed, and who nearly drove our household to disaster, but only one was clearly helped by medication. As with another writer, the med was Adderall XR very low dose. So too with yet another writer, we decided to wait out the other boy's early manner when reactions to the usual meds were not what we envisioned and his entire personality seemed to change when taking them (yes, quiescent but not wholly normal) and we felt rigorous behavior mod strategies would serve him best (it is likely he has high functioning Aspergers and this can muddy observations). Most people do not realize that there is NOT a dose relationship for these stimulant rx. This means that as you age and grow, the dosing should not be assumed to be by kg as with other classes of meds. So the lowest which works is what is to be desired. Not all of them have attentuation properties. These meds change brain chemicals and you do not likely revert to baseline if you ever stop them. This is a large consideration for long-term dosing plans. Only your own situation can guide you, along with good medical advice. Wellbutrin has different issues and was licensed as an antidepressant. It has the effect of lowering seizure threshold and you mentioned your son having had an EEG. If the EEG was ordered for any seizure-related reason, please seek special input before allowing him to try Wellbutrin. Be CERTAIN this is well-explained to you before trying that class of meds. Finding the right medication is typically a very long process; close observation and patience will guide you to know if you have found one which is better than behavioral measures and slow maturation on your son's part. Please remember that with age, kids find adaptive strategies to help themselves in school and in other social situations----it just takes an awfully long time and you will need to be inordinately present in aspects of their younger lives (through highschool) to make it work well....but it will. I wish you the best of luck along the way!

Hello J.,
I know you must be very frustrated and want to do the best for your son. I agree with Natalie and Jenni regarding diet. My son had behavior issues and sleep issues and it turned out that the diet needed to be changed because he showed intolerances (different from allergies) on saliva tests. Intolerances can cause behavior issues, sleep disturbances and emotional issues as well. Doctors are not trained in nutrition so the first thing they reach for when symptoms arise is a medication instead of looking at the foods and the environment. This only covers up the symptoms and does not treat the cause of the problem. Your son may need amino acids Maybe he is lacking in neurotransmitters due to food intolerances. There are a lot of causes for this diagnosis but it is usually food related or nutrient deficiencies. Maybe you should find a good nutritionist and discuss a new diet.
We also removed chemicals from the home and now use vinegar and water which, surprisingly enough, worked better than the chemical products I was using. My son is now more adjusted and listens so much better. He is able to focus but there comes a time when you need to also look at your behavior with your child and what type of emotions and behaviors you are projecting.
I say this from experience because recently I noticed that when I am high strung and edgy then he mimics my behavior in his own way. Then a vicious circle ensues until I realize I am the root of hte problem due to my personal frustrations with other things.
when I am mindful of my actions and the way I talk to him and handle his behavior it makes all the difference in the world with him (and with me as well).
I hope you find what works for your family but please consider alternatives to the harsh medications that are prescibed. You can look into homeopathic medicaine. My son was on a remedy called silicea and it worked miracles in the first dose.
Research as much as you can about any medication you are considering and don't be afraid to be your child's advocate in his health. My niece was on Adderal for a few years and now is being tested for issues with her liver and possible kidneys and she gained a lot of weight after stopping. Her mother said it suppressed her appetite and I can only assume it had to do with the brain chemicals being altered with the medication so now she does not know when she is full.plus now that she is off of hte medication she still has a lot of the same complaints.
Of course, this is just one experience with the medication but always go with your gut and listen to your mommy voice deep inside even when the doctor is pushing you around.

Good Luck. Keep us posted.

Hi--Just wanted to chime in and second a couple of things:
1. You can't diagnose ADHD with an EEG. It can only be diagnosed with a complete neuropsychiatric evaluation, which is a day-long series of tests. Children's Hospital in DC and Kennedy Krieger in Baltimore are both excellent places to get this done. Getting a good evaluation done by professionals who know what they're doing is really crucial. Most insurance now covers this.
2. I would be leery of Strattera. My youngest daughter (both my girls have ADHD) was on it briefly and at first seemed to respond well, and then started having severe mood swings. Very scary. Her pediatrician put her on it. I'd taken her to the ped. because the psychiatrist I wanted her to see (who has treated my older daughter) had a two-month waiting list. By the time we got in to see the psychiatrist, he told me that dr's who have had a lot of experience prescribing Strattera (which pediatricians usually don't) have been disappointed with its results in children. It seems to work okay for many adults but in children it does not live up to its packaging. It's also notorious for causing stomach pain in kids (which my daughter had also).
I also asked about neurofeedback and did a lot of looking in to it. In the end, I was not convinced that it was much more than a gimmick, although at first I was really enthusiastic. The place i looked in to was Learning Rx in SEverna Park. The folks there were really nice but when I asked them for some kind of peer-reviewed research showing that their program actually worked, all they could send me was a one-page summary written by some academic person in California (don't remember university) who'd been paid by THEM to evaluate THEIR program. I haven't found any independent research that shows this stuff works (and I'm a journalist, looking for stuff is how I earn a living). I'm not saying it's not there, just that I haven't been able to find it.
As for diets: somebody out there always has a diet that will cure whatever ails you. There is some research about a few things that really do help--fish oil is one, Vitamin D is another--but anybody who tells you their diet will work wonders is just blowin' smoke.
Finally: this is all trial and error for all of us. The important thing is to get good doctors, and to work with them. I have the name of a good child psychiatrist and an excellent therapist if you could use any in the Severna Park/Ellicott City area; feel free to e-mail me privately. And hang in there!

Hi J.,

I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I have read the other comments and wanted to add/reiterate a couple of things. 1st, I totally agree with the others who told you that ADHD is not diagnosed with an EEG. Both of my sons have ADHD & the oldest also had childhood epilepsy. He had many EEGs but that is not how the ADHD was diagnosed.

My oldest tried Strattera. It was completely useless for him. Unfortunately, you have to give that medication several weeks to build up in the blood before you know if it works or not. I would highly recommend seeing a child psychiatrist as they are very well versed in the medications you are dealing with and will be able to help you choose the correct therapy for your son (we have a good one in the White Marsh area if you are nearby). Not all stimulant behave the same way in the body, so it is a trial & error process, which can be painful to watch. You will eventually find the right medication/dose for him. I know from experience that the decision to medicate your child for this is agonizing, but ultimately it is a decision between you, your husband & the doctor. Do not let anyone make you feel guilty for medicating your child-you are treating a neuro-behavioral illness which causes disability in the classroom and can impact safety.

God bless you as you struggle to make the right decisions for your child. Sometimes being a parent is the hardest job in the world!

K.

My stepson has taken Strattera in the past. It worked pretty well for him. Unfortunately, his body seems to get accustomed to meds after a while so we have to switch him but no side effects other than a decrease in appetite which he has had with all of his ADHD meds. Also, don't know if this is a stimulant or not but a friend of mine has a son that is quite sensitive to all meds - he metabolizes them too quickly. They have had tremendous luck with Daytrana (might not be spelling it 100% correct). It's a slow release patch. It has been night and day for their son. Might be worth looking into. Good luck.

i have an adult friend on strattera who loves it and could not handle the stimulant because they turned him into the hulk.

Do a google study on the affects of good omega supplement and adhd, you will see this simple supplement can greatly help...might be more of a deficiency!!!
God Bless

Hi J.,

I took Straterra for years, with no side effects ( unless I forgot to take it)- I would get dizzy. My husband takes Welbutrin and has had success as well. If you need to ask any questions of me please do. It is very difficult for a child to explain what they are feeling with ADHD.. perhaps I can provide some insight. Let me know how I can help.

D.

Hi J.,

Medication doesn't need to be the first option in dealing with ADHD. I know of hundreds of families that have helped thier child(ren) by just simply changing thier diet. Go to www.feingold.org to find out more. Our family is on this "diet" and we have seen amazing changes in the behavior and focus of our son. Without this I know that he would have been diagnosed with ADHD at a later age (he's only 3 1/3 now), but I don't think we will have to deal with that at all now. BEST PART ABOUT IT...NO SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL! and a healthier way to eat for everyone. E-mail me if you have any questions. J.

Hi, J. - Good luck trying to figure out what will work best for your little boy. It must be so hard...Forgive me, as this does not directly answer your question, but I've seen many families get results by getting all of the chemicals out of the home, and by giving their children hign quality fish oil supplements. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you'd like more information or testimonials.

We have tried all most all the drugs for our son. He is ADHD and PDD on the spectrum of Autism. My son would crash as he came off all the other short term stimulants and the side effects out weighed the benefits. The only stimulant he could handle was the Adderall XL, longer acting and he only took it once a day. After a few years as things changed we switched to Wellbutrin XL and it is working very well for him. The only side effect that we have noticed is constipation. We tried Strattera twice and it had absolutely no results. I do know some friends that had their children on it and had some good results, but it did nothing for us. Plus it takes so long for it to start working for them. We are pleased with the Wellbutrin.

It is wonderful if a diet change will help your child but there are some kids that need medication to get the benefits they need to be able to focus and learn.

My 8 yr old son is borderline ADD but has anxiety. He has been on strattera for 2 months and the changes are remarkable. He is a happier boy because of the medicine. His appetite has waned while on this med so we really have to push the calories. It does have a tendency to dry him out so we also push fluids as well. To us these side effects have been worth it to see him less anxious.

Best of luck to you and your family

HI. I just wanted to wish you success on your journey to finding the best solution for your son. My son was diagnosed with ADD last year when he was in 2nd grade. We have chosen not to medicate him with the understanding that he doesn't perform to his potential in school and in other areas of life. Good luck to you and your family.

I agree with the diet aspect of your responses. I can only sympathize with your ordeal, I have not experienced it myself. However, the data and reports of articles I have read- the drug side effects can be devastating. I knew someone who had to commit thier child because of the suicidal thoughts and remarks her child made- he was under 12yo! I say, try to make the natural route work-at least give it a good effort before subjecting a child to drugs and reactions they cannot begin to sort out in thier still developing brains. Good luck and much white light to you plight.