Strattera and Emotional Side Effects

[cgmom]

Hi all,

I'm new to the Board. My son is 8 years old and has been diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. He cannot take stimulants because they trigger a transient motor tic he had when he was younger. We started Strattera (very low dose of 7.5 mg a day) 10 days ago and over the last week, he has become incredibly emotional. He is very clingy and cries telling us he just wants to be with us and he misses us. He's not depressed or lethargic or anything else. Just clingy/emotional. I know it takes some time to get used to Strattera and we're willing to wait. But we are curious whether any of you have seen this particular side effect and if it is one of the ones that goes away with time and once he reaches his target dose. My husband and I are discussing to schools of thought - 1) his dose is low and he's not yet where he needs to be and increasing it will help with these symptoms or 2) this is the kind of side effect that won't go away and we should look into other medications. 

We are consulting with his doctors but we'd like to see if any of you have this experience.

Thanks!

[healthy11]

Cgmom, first, let me welcome you to Millermom's forum. My son has ADHD and uses a stimulant, so we don't have personal experience with Strattera, but I know how difficult it can be to struggle with the initial decision to try medication, and struggle some more in determining whether the effects are overall beneficial, or if it would be better to try a different one.

Based on past discussions, I know that some other parents HAVE seen an emotional reaction when their child was taking Strattera. For example, "jw" in this thread, talks about it: millermom.proboards.com/thread/8629/described-flat

I wish there was a clear answer to your question about whether your son is experiencing a temporary side effect that will eventually resolve itself as he acclimates to the Strattera, or if it's apt to be a longer term concern. Unfortunately, every child is different, and at least at this point in time, it's impossible to know in advance. Can I ask whether your son's prescribing doctor is a regular pediatrician, or a psychiatrist or some other mental health specialist? Has your son been seeing this doctor for awhile? When is your next appointment scheduled?

Hopefully, some other parents who do have personal experience with Strattera will see your post and respond, but if you haven't already read through the following discussion, it may also give you more insights: millermom.proboards.com/thread/1051/wanted-strattera

[heathermomster]

My DS used Straterra under the supervision of a child psych for about 5 months. DS was a 10th grader at the time, and he became extremely emotional. The doc administered a TOVA to determine whether the med was actually helping him, and son's attention was worse. DS quit the med and is now unwilling to try anything else. DS currently works with a CBT to help address his inattention and executive function issues.

[melvinhoward]

How is your son now? Did the side effects reduce?