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Post by AmyJean on Sept 6, 2004 5:22:33 GMT -5
Mayleng, thanks for your advice. I tried the full dose (28mg) in the morning, instead of splitting it, and he immediately did much better! I am really down in the dumps about this. After 4 great days, things went downhill again. He has been extremely mopey and tired - almost depressed, which is totally out of character for him - in the mornings and then back to hyper and impulsive in the afternoons. It's been 3 weeks on 28 mg's, his target dose. 9 weeks total. (A 9 week roller coaster ride - the details of doses and timing are in a note above). It seems everytime we make a change or intitially begin a dose he does well and then quickly "adjusts" to the med and it stops working. Kindergarten starts tomorrow. Is there anyone out there who thinks I should continue this experiment another week? I can't even think clearly about it anymore. Thanks for your input.
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Post by Mayleng on Sept 6, 2004 9:25:03 GMT -5
I am really down in the dumps about this. After 4 great days, things went downhill again. He has been extremely mopey and tired - almost depressed, which is totally out of character for him - in the mornings and then back to hyper and impulsive in the afternoons. It's been 3 weeks on 28 mg's, his target dose. 9 weeks total. (A 9 week roller coaster ride - the details of doses and timing are in a note above). It seems everytime we make a change or intitially begin a dose he does well and then quickly "adjusts" to the med and it stops working. Kindergarten starts tomorrow. Is there anyone out there who thinks I should continue this experiment another week? I can't even think clearly about it anymore. Thanks for your input. Is there a possibility of changing his dose to his max of 30mgs and splitting it 20mgs morning and 10mgs afternoon (to help with the hyper/impulsiveness). It is worth a shot before you give up. Buf if you don't think this is working then you might consider trying Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Concerta, Metadate or Focalin. These are a different family from Adderall so hopefully you will not have the rebound issues.
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Post by Camlynsmama on Sept 7, 2004 10:40:12 GMT -5
I love this site!! My 9 year old daughter has been on stim medication for a few years for her ADHD, and it has really made a difference for her. However, she does have significant motor tics (most probably Tourette's), and we decided that the time had come to try Straterra.
We started with 10mg at night for a week, moved up to 25 at night for a week, and then went to the 25 in the morning. Her tics totally went away, her hyperactivity and impulsiveness were well controlled, but the poor child became a basket case!! She has an anxiety disorder, and her fear and anxiety just went out of control. We kept trying to reassure her that when her body got used to the new medication, her fear would calm down. Finally, during the 4th week of Strattera, she threw a few of the pills out of the window in the morning, and started sobbing, saying that she couldn't stand being so afraid of everything. I just held her and told her that we were finished trying the medication.
After speaking with her therapist and psychiatrist, we all agreed that she should go off the Strattera and go back to her 18mg of Concerta. Her anxiety lessened over the next few days, and she was much happier. And, of course, the tics are back.
This poor, most beloved child has faced so many challenges in her 9 years, and I had so hoped that this med would help her. She battles anxiety every day, and is on 5mg of Celexa for it. But she was essentially terrified of everything on the Straterra.
Is anyone else experiencing this with kids who have anxiety issues? Thanks for any input or help!
Sarah
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Post by Mayleng on Sept 7, 2004 13:02:36 GMT -5
Welcome Sarah, I am glad you like this site.
What is your dd's weight? I have a feeling that she might have been on too low a dose which could aggravate the anxiety. If anything Strattera should help the anxiety as it has Anti-D qualities. Strattera is very weight dependent and on too low or too high a dose can cause alot of mood issues. To calculate the right dosage ranges take the weight divided by 2.2 multiply by 1.2 = minimum dose, weight divided by 2.2 multiply by 1.8 = maximum dose.
I feel bad for your daughter and hope that you will find the right meds for her. It is hard having to go through life with all these disabilities. Good Luck with the medication and stick around. We have some very supportive and knowledgeable parents on this board to share the journey with.
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Post by Eliserose on Sept 7, 2004 13:52:30 GMT -5
AmyJean, Your story sounds a bit similiar to our Strat trial. We have a dd 8 years old who is ADHD with both attention and hyperactive issues. We started Strat this summer and found that overall it helped with her mood, but did nothing for attention and really made her worse in terms of being in a fog. SHe just seemed zoned out the whole time she was on it. We too got very frustrated because we would see improvement at certain doses which would last a few days then back to the same hyperness. We tried for 8 weeks or so, many different doses, high and low, split etc, and finally gave up when school started becasue she really needed to be able to focus and think clearly. I totally understand your frustration level, this drug for us was very difficult to deal with because we could never count on any consistency with it. We wanted it to work so badly becasue she was really a nice kid on it, but the bottom line was that it wasnt helping in ways that were important. Have you tried any stimulants with your son? If not, it may be worth a trial. In the case of the stimulants you see very quickly whether it helps or not, my daughter takes Ritalin or Concerta and while it is not perfect, it is a whole lot easier to figure out how to take, dosing, etc. Good luck, I just wanted you to know that we went through the same ordeal with Strat you are not alone..... Nancy
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Post by AmyJean on Sept 8, 2004 8:39:47 GMT -5
AmyJean, Your story sounds a bit similiar to our Strat trial.... you are not alone..... Nancy Elisrose- Thanks for sharing your story. It helps to know others have gone through the same thing. This summer was a nightmare for us, I'm glad we finally pulled the plug on Strattera, although sad it didn't work. We are back on Adderall XR. This works great during the day to control his hyperactivity and impulsivity, but the big downsides are 1) occasional total meltdowns and 2) mornings/evenings before/after the med kicks in are incredibly hard. We just got a scrip for short acting Adderall to try in the afternoons in combo with the XR to get us through the evenings. We'll keep working on it! Good luck!
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Post by mrsheartbuzz on Sept 16, 2004 11:35:38 GMT -5
Hello everyone! I'm new to the boards and boy have I gotten an eye opener with this thread. My son is 10 and is 65pounds. He has tried every medication under the sun for his ADHD since he was 6. Some history... He was diagnosed at 5. Started meds at 6. Every stimulant gave him tics. Adderall giving him the worst Dexedrine the least. 2nd grade, diagnosed with learning disorder in written expression. He is dyslexic, however, the school doesn't recognize dyslexia as a disability he has a "processing disorder" Currently... Taking Stratetera 60mg. with imipramine50mg at bedtime. As I see it, He is being overdosed with his strattera and probably doesn't need imipramine. I can't wait to talk to his doctor!! Maybe a change to the morning and a dosage change will get his moodiness and anger under control and get him to stay focused long enough to finish homework in less than 3 hours without a fight!!! We have tons of school issues too, but thats for another thread. I'll keep y'all posted .
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Post by Mayleng on Sept 17, 2004 18:46:29 GMT -5
Welcome mrsheartbuzz. Cute name. Hope you will visit and share your experiences etc.
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Post by ryguymom on Sept 19, 2004 18:50:45 GMT -5
First post here> My son was overmedicated with Straterra, because I did not know the formula and silly me assumed my doctor knew what he was doing.... My son, ADHD, is nearly 10 and weighs 70 lbs. He was on 120 mg..for at least two months.That is more than double what he should have been at .......During that time he developed a horrible habit of constantly wringing his fingers and cracking his knuckles. We have switched doctors are gradually increasing Concerta (which I thought he had grown a tolerance too and decreasing the St >:(raterra until he is off it. He is down to one pill, 40 mgs.
Our plans are to try gradually get him off strattera and see how he does on Concerata again. We need to try and stop this hand behavior.
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Post by Mayleng on Sept 19, 2004 19:32:55 GMT -5
Welcome ryguymom, sorry to hear that your doctor was over dosing your son with Strattera. Good luck with the Concerta. If there is one thing I have learn it's that I have to be more informative about the medications my son could possibly be on, and not to totally trust that the Doctors know everything. You have learnt a valuable lesson.
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Post by Mayleng on Sept 19, 2004 19:33:48 GMT -5
Welcome ryguymom, sorry to hear that your doctor was over dosing your son with Strattera. Good luck with the Concerta. If there is one thing I have learn it's that I have to be more informative about the medications my son could possibly be on, and not to totally trust that the Doctors know everything. You have learnt a valuable lesson.
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Post by Raven on Oct 1, 2004 19:40:37 GMT -5
Hello
This board has been very helpful to me my 6yr old daughter was just diagnoised with ADHD. The Dr. started her out on Strattera 18mg for 4 days then 25mg. It surprized me to see results the first day. I was told that stomach ache was one of the main side effects of so I was giving her the med with breakfast. Since this is the first week off her taking it I spoke with her teacher, who says my daughter has been complaining of her stomach aching. After reading this tommorrow we will skip taking it with breakfast and see how it work with taking it with dinner. Thanks for all the infomation here.
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Post by Mayleng on Oct 1, 2004 19:48:20 GMT -5
Hello This board has been very helpful to me my 6yr old daughter was just diagnoised with ADHD. The Dr. started her out on Strattera 18mg for 4 days then 25mg. It surprized me to see results the first day. I was told that stomach ache was one of the main side effects of so I was giving her the med with breakfast. Since this is the first week off her taking it I spoke with her teacher, who says my daughter has been complaining of her stomach aching. After reading this tommorrow we will skip taking it with breakfast and see how it work with taking it with dinner. Thanks for all the infomation here. Raven, yes it is a better idea to give the meds at dinner time during the ramping up period until her system gets used to it. and keep us updated.
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Post by mattsmom on Oct 30, 2004 11:18:30 GMT -5
h*lp
We are looking into putting my son on meds. He is dyslexic and every meeting it's he can't stay focused. I'm sure he is add. A few years back we had him on concerta. THe dyslexia school made us take him off as they did not work with children on an altered mind. Later on we tried Adderall and saw a change in his behavior for the worse. THe doctor told us to take him off. SOo here we are again looking for some help. Yes, I have procrastinated putting him on anything. Hate the thought but he needs it.
?? Children who have been on other meds are parents finding this one better??
Matt is 14 165 lbs. He is a freshman and in a new school this year and I want the best for him. OUr old school denied him any help refused a 504 and the new school can accomodate him so success is a very important to us.
THanks for any help.
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Post by Mayleng on Oct 30, 2004 13:16:09 GMT -5
We are looking into putting my son on meds. He is dyslexic and every meeting it's he can't stay focused. I'm sure he is add. A few years back we had him on concerta. THe dyslexia school made us take him off as they did not work with children on an altered mind. Later on we tried Adderall and saw a change in his behavior for the worse. THe doctor told us to take him off. SOo here we are again looking for some help. Yes, I have procrastinated putting him on anything. Hate the thought but he needs it. ?? Children who have been on other meds are parents finding this one better?? Matt is 14 165 lbs. He is a freshman and in a new school this year and I want the best for him. OUr old school denied him any help refused a 504 and the new school can accomodate him so success is a very important to us. THanks for any help. Welcome Mattsmom. Some people find strattera helps but others don't. It is a very individual thing. If you were going to try strattera, it is best to try it during vacations. The side effects during the ramp up can be brutal for a teenager ie. tiredness. You said he tried Concerta a few years back, how did he do then? Some kids do well on concerta (which is in the methyphenidate family as is Ritalin, Metadate, Focalin) whilst others do well on Adderall. So if your child did not do well on Adderall, it doesn't mean he will not do well on any of the meds in the Methyphenidate family. My son did not do well on Adderall (had side effects but great focus) or Concerta (no improvement on focus but had side effects). He is now doing very well on Ritalin LA. My son did so so on Strattera, he was on it for 9 months. If you are interested in strattera, pls read the first post on this thread. It is all the important info you need to make it as painless and successful as possible. Good luck and
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Post by CHANGEME on Nov 5, 2004 18:15:44 GMT -5
Hello I 'm brand new to this board but have been reading about Stattera here. I have to say it had done wonders for my son. He was on Adderall XR for about a year and we had to take him off of it becuase of the side affects. Strattera has helped him in school at home and socially. I also want to add I think this board is great.
Cyndi
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Post by Mayleng on Nov 5, 2004 18:20:43 GMT -5
Cyndi, glad to hear your son is doing well on strattera.
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Post by mattandchris on Nov 5, 2004 23:23:41 GMT -5
Hi, Cyndi Strattera is the only medication we have tried. It has done wonders for my son (especially when he has been on the right dose) Iam happy it is also working well for your son p*ace
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 18, 2004 8:48:31 GMT -5
VAmom contributed this:
Strattera to Get New Risk Label Associated Press Saturday, December 18, 2004; Page A10
Strattera, used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, is getting an updated label to highlight the risk the drug might contribute to severe liver problems in some patients.
The government said yesterday the warning says the medication should be discontinued in patients who develop jaundice or laboratory evidence of liver injury.
"The labeling warns that severe liver injury may progress to liver failure resulting in death or the need for a liver transplant in a small percentage of patients," the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
The updated labeling follows reports of liver problems in an adult and a teenager who had been treated with Strattera for several months. Both recovered, the FDA said, and it offered no other details of the cases.
Strattera has been dispensed to more than 2 million patients since it went on the market in 2002. No sign of liver problems was seen in the drug's clinical trials, which involved 6,000 patients, the FDA said.
Eli Lilly & Co., the manufacturer, agreed to alert doctors about the risk by sending them a letter, an updated insert for patients in the drug package and a boldface warning on the label, the FDA said. The company confirmed it was taking those actions.
Strattera is among a new generation of attention-deficit drugs that require only a morning dose, a boon to schools where children have had to take second doses of medication in the afternoon. Normally, the main side effects are reduced appetite and growth.
The FDA said the package insert explains some of the signs of possible liver problems, including jaundice, dark urine, unexplained flulike symptoms, upper right-side abdominal tenderness and a form of itchy skin known as pruritus.
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Post by Beverly on Dec 18, 2004 12:27:26 GMT -5
I have not been on this site for several months-I was very pleased with the amount of advice and input I got from those who have been there. My experience with Strattera has not been good. My 12 year old son started it in April (pediatrician ordered) after 5 years of success with Adderall due to weight concerns. Within weeks of the change (which ended up being an addition, since he never went off the Adderal but reduced by half), his behavior was worse than ever!! The child psychiatrist dx with Bipolar disorder as well in September, and now we have Depakote and Zoloft added to the Strattera and Adderall. The psych does not want to hear my opinion that the Strattera was the catalyst-I have no problem accepting the dx-but get rid of the Strattera. I have found many "fringe" sites that link Strattera to the onset of bipolar disorder, but definitely written by someone is a manic state so I cannot take it to heart.
Has anyone else out there found that Strattera immediately proceeding the onset of another dx problem? Since Strattera is along the anti-depressant realm, and anti-dperessants will set an bipolar patient into a manic state, does it not make sense not to give this med to any child with a family history of bipolar disorder???
Things are much better. Instead of the 25 horrible days a month we had from April-September, we have only had 7 since September. Anyone else out there? I am trying to get corroboration to get him off this med-his psych finally agreed much my son started flipping out and then fell into a heap and cried so on it he stayed. The way he describes it, he seems to have really enjoyed the manic state that he was in for those months and enjoys it when it returns occasionally.
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 18, 2004 13:43:49 GMT -5
Beverly, I have not heard that strattera can be the trigger for bi-polar, on the contrary stimulants are the ones which normally aggravate the bi-polar sumptoms. However, I am concerned that your psych is adding so many meds to the mix. Is strattera really necesary when he did well on Adderall for 5 yrs except for the appetite. Now Depakote & Zoloft How is his appetite now, and his focus? Strattera does have mood issues for alot of kids if the dosage is wrong or it just is not suitable for them. I think you are right, if strattera is causing the mood issues, then it should have been stopped instead of adding more meds to compensate for strattera. I would find another psych if I were you. This one seems very med happy, if you know what I mean. I somehow don't think your son is bi-polar if he had been on Adderall for 5 yrs without showing any bi-polar symtoms. He starts strattera and develops these issues, common sense says to stop the strattera and see if the problem goes away before adding more very strong serious meds. Go to this link and printout the prescribing info for Doctors: pi.lilly.com/us/strattera-pi.pdfif you check the clinical Trials you will see the table where some Adverse events were associated with the use of strattera. Under Pyschiatric Disorders are Mood swings, crying and irritability. All these can be mistaken for bipolar. I think you should insist that he stops the strattera and see if he can stop the Depakote & zoloft because he is being treated as bipolar when it could just be the strattera causing the mood swings. In fact if you have an insert that comes with the meds, all that info is contained in there including the table showing the mood swings etc. Pls, please find another psych who is more cautious.
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Post by Beverly on Dec 18, 2004 15:16:36 GMT -5
Part of the psych's worry seems to be that he reacted badly to an attempt to put him on Concerta several years ago-before the Adderall XR came out. He was acting out physically and threatened to kill himself. The pediatrician never seemed concerned but the pych's radar went up regarding that. We are not talking about mood swings here-we are talking about rages. I do thinkI need to put my foot down and say "no more Strattera" and move on from there. I feel that my input as his mother should be more important than the wants of a 12 year old.
Thanks for the input.
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 19, 2004 9:27:52 GMT -5
Part of the psych's worry seems to be that he reacted badly to an attempt to put him on Concerta several years ago-before the Adderall XR came out. He was acting out physically and threatened to kill himself. The pediatrician never seemed concerned but the pych's radar went up regarding that. We are not talking about mood swings here-we are talking about rages. I do thinkI need to put my foot down and say "no more Strattera" and move on from there. I feel that my input as his mother should be more important than the wants of a 12 year old. Thanks for the input. Beverly, strattera can cause rages. Some just have the whinning stuff (too low) and rages (too high). Maybe his body just does not like strattera thus the rages. , the doctor should listen more to the mothers. I will be praying for your son. I am worried about this situation.
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 19, 2004 10:06:03 GMT -5
This is the official FDA paper: FDA Talk Paper T04-60 December 17, 2004 Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA New Warning for Strattera The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising health care professionals about a new warning for Strattera, a drug approved for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. The labeling is being updated with a bolded warning about the potential for severe liver injury following two reports (a teenager and an adult) in patients who had been treated with Strattera for several months, both of whom recovered. The labeling warns that severe liver injury may progress to liver failure resulting in death or the need for a liver transplant in a small percentage of patients. The labeling also notes that the number of actual cases of severe liver injury is unknown because of under-reporting of post-marketing adverse events. The bolded warning indicates that the medication should be discontinued in patients who developed jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) or laboratory evidence of liver injury. Strattera has been on the market since 2002 and has been used in more than 2 million patients. In clinical trials of 6000 patients, no signal for liver problems (hepatotoxicity) had emerged. FDA has asked the manufacturer to add a bolded warning about severe liver injury to the labeling. Eli Lilly has agreed to alert health care professionals about the new information in a Dear Health Professional letter. The company will also update the patient package insert with information about the signs and symptoms of liver problems, which include: Pruritus (Itchy skin) Jaundice Dark urine Upper right-sided abdominal tenderness Or unexplained “flu-like” symptoms Health care professionals are encouraged to report any unexpected adverse events associated with Strattera directly to Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Ind., at 1800-LillyRx or to the FDA MedWatch program at 1800-FDA-1088. The MedWatch form is available online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/3500.pdf for download by mail (or fax, 1800-FDA-0178) to MedWatch, HFD-410, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. 20857.
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 19, 2004 15:17:12 GMT -5
This one is from the Elly Lily site itself:
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Post by 2pearl on Jan 4, 2005 20:58:47 GMT -5
Beverly, my son became violent on Straterra and began to swear compulsively. Our six weeks on straterra was absolutely horrible. We just tried concerta and it caused equally distrurbing rages and not just as a result of rebound. He has never shown any signs that he could be bi-polar but we are having him evaluated to rule out a possible mood disorder, still I think it's unlikely that he has one. We saw our neuro today and he said that it is not entirely uncommon for some kids to react to the meds in this way. Also interesting was that he told me that he is no longer prescribing Straterra. His reason was based on the new concerns about liver problems and also he felt that it's rarely effective.
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Post by Beverly on Jan 4, 2005 23:06:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the information. I had the same experience with Concerta several years ago, but not to the extent that we had it with the Strattera. Keep me posted, we see the psych again next week and I am hoping to get him OFF it completely. I did recently see a new anti-depressant for adults that was a combination SSRI and NRI (which Strattera is) warning that it is not for use in patients under the age of 18. SInce my son is now taking both Strattera and Zoloft (an SSRI) isn't he taking the same thing???
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Post by edbson on Jan 5, 2005 23:32:24 GMT -5
my DD is 7 and has been on Straterra for over a year. She takes 50 mgs daily, 25 am 25 pm...and it is working. BUT, she is itching and I am seriously considering a visit to her ped. It is scary....
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Post by Mayleng on Jan 5, 2005 23:33:58 GMT -5
my DD is 7 and has been on Straterra for over a year. She takes 50 mgs daily, 25 am 25 pm...and it is working. BUT, she is itching and I am seriously considering a visit to her ped. It is scary.... That's a good idea, just for peace of mind.
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Post by Beverly on Jan 24, 2005 9:57:49 GMT -5
We saw the psych again this week. He refused to take him off Strattera, and argued with me that Strattera was NOT a Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. REad the literature. I think I really need to get away from this psych-Mayleng was right.
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