We have had a horrible run with medications lately for my 7 year old son.
We switched him from Adderall XR to biphentin because he was having abdominal pain, but it increased his anxiety. We then switched him back to Adderall and his anxiety continued to increase and escalated in to panic attacks last week.
We have now taken him off all medication, and within 4 days, the anxiety has COMPLETELY subsided. I have my happy boy back again. However, things are going downhill at school very quickly and he is unable to focus at all.
I have been doing a lot of reading on Straterra, which is a non-stimulant medication for ADHD. I think it might be a good option for my son.
Has anyone had any experience with this drug???
My profession is in scientific research, so I have ready several research papers on this medication and think its a good choice. But its always better to hear from anyone who has tried it.
I am trying to gather as much information as I can before we meet with our doctor to discuss what to do next.
I have been posting a lot lately. Thanks so much to everyone for being supportive!
we tried strattera with my then 8 year old last year, after being on stimulants that the effects wore off. strattera was not a good choice for her, it didn't seem like she was on anything, her behavior at school got worse and it made her really tired. But I know others that do benefit from non-stimulants. My daughter has ADHD due to a brain injury (AVM bleed) and not because it was inherited, and her doctor said medications typically aren't as effective w/her type of ADHD. We manage it at school with a detailed IEP, extra support and this year a behavior reward chart, which has helped tremendously!
Some recent studies (in 2015) are showing that Straterra is only effective in 40% of kids after a few weeks, but that jumps up to 86% after 12 weeks. So I am thinking that this might be a good time to try the medication since we will be heading in to the summer months soon, and it gives us time to evaluate it.
I have just started discuss modifications for my son at school with the principal. Unfortunately, this year his teacher is not very patient in the classroom and has offered very little assistance to us.
Other than fatigue, did you see any other side effects of the Straterra?
I just looked it up, and the problem is that it is still in the stimulant class. My son is experiencing a lot of anxiety and we are concerned that the stimulants are what is causing it. His father is bipolar and there is a strong family history of anxiety, so I am really hoping to get away from anything that is a stimulant, since they help the ADHD symtptoms, but can increase anxiety.
Missy O. said:
I do not know anything about Straterra but have you tried Vyvanse? My daughter has been on it for 2 years & done fairly well.
I don't recall many other side effects for our daughter on straterra, mainly remember that it didn't help with her ADHD! :) But I will share that what worked best for her was Vyvanse and Metadate CD. The first stimulant we tried at age 4 was Adderall and it was horrible--huge mood swings, emotional, crying a lot, down on herself...but the Vyvance and Metadate didn't have those affects on her. It was just an appetite suppressant and made her tummy hurt. She wouldn't talk much while on it, either. :(
Nic MacJay said:
Thanks for your response. :-)
Some recent studies (in 2015) are showing that Straterra is only effective in 40% of kids after a few weeks, but that jumps up to 86% after 12 weeks. So I am thinking that this might be a good time to try the medication since we will be heading in to the summer months soon, and it gives us time to evaluate it.
I have just started discuss modifications for my son at school with the principal. Unfortunately, this year his teacher is not very patient in the classroom and has offered very little assistance to us.
Other than fatigue, did you see any other side effects of the Straterra?
I just filled a prescription for Stratera. My son was starting to develop tics with Adderall (picking at fingers, clothes, etc.). I’m curious too what people’s experiences are on this medication. Thank you!
My psychiatrist is thinking of trying Intuniv for my almost 6 year old son. Biphentin and Vyvanse caused tics to become evident and risperadone 9 which he is on now) is causing him to be tired all the time so he behaves like an overtired 2 year old! Strattera has never been mentioned to us...
My son tried Straterra for approximately a year, and although it’s reported to be excellent for some sadly it was the wrong medication for him. I felt the medication dos nothing to reduce his ADHD symptoms and he experienced some weight loss. Talk it through with your physician/psychiatrist. Good luck
We met with our pediatrician this past week and have decided to start my son on Straterra. We don't expect to see any quick changes like you do with the stimulant medications, but are hoping to see some improvement in ADHD symptoms by the beginning of the next school year (September).
Every child's brain chemistry is a little different, which explains why stimulants meds work so well for some children, but caused anxiety in my son. So I am sure Straterra isn't the right choice for everyone. The stimulant meds worked well for my son's ADHD, and we would have kept him on them if the anxiety had not become a problem.
If anyone is interested in a update on the Straterra in a couple of months, send me a message and we can stay in touch. :-)