OT (Strattera)

[Mita 2]

I am thinking of have my childs Dr prescribe Strattera for my 7 yr old. Can anyone tell me personally what they think this medication??

[Neicy 0]

My son-in-law has been taking it for a couple of weeks now, and he has seen a significant improvement in his ADD. He, is quite a bit older than your son, I'm sure, but he says he hasn't noticed any negative side effects. Good Luck!

[vinesqueen 2]

my son was on this for a while and it helped greatly. He is older now, and has been much more mellow for the last few years.

He did not like taking the meds, however.

[paula 4]

Mary, From what I understand its the only ADD/ADHD med that is not a narcotic (non-addictive). For a better 'feeling' about it, talk with your pharmicist. They are the ones that get the good and bad opinions on all of this stuff (I used to work in a pharmacy )

I have a 9yr old - and I would give this med to him!

[QWINNER 0]

Hi Mary, I personally take it for adult add and it is wonderful. You may have to play around with the dosage abit and expect some tiredness the first couple of weeks but after that, it is great. Also, keep in mind that it does take 2-4 weeks to begin working fully.

[paula 4]

Hi Mary, I personally take it for adult add and it is wonderful. You may have to play around with the dosage abit and expect some tiredness the first couple of weeks but after that, it is great. Also, keep in mind that it does take 2-4 weeks to begin working fully.

Just wondering... as an adult, does it suppress your appetite as well as help the ADD?

[Mita 2]

Thank you all - We have a Dr's appt to talk about what we are going to do with him vs medication. He is such a good child and so smart but when he gets to school he is all over the place..

Thanks again

[Guest jumapele]

Hi--

I'm an infrequent poster so sorry for butting in but I have some experience with Strattera in a 7 year old. Here's more info than you probably asked for, but I'll share our experience:

My son takes it for inattentive ADD; like your son he's fine at home (the sweetest most laid back kid ever) but at school he zones out and can't stay focused on his school work. Since the Strattera he's done a lot better in school. His handwriting has gone from unreadable to downright perfect and he's actually participating in class. He's also jumped a full grade level in reading; (he does have a way to go to get to the 2nd grade level) more importantly he's got a lot more confidence in himself now.

Now for the side effects: It's really affected his appetite. Foods he used to love before make him sick (eggs for example) so he's turned into a bit of a picky eater. His appetite has also decreased; since July he's lost 3lbs so we're currently using Protein supplements and giving into his pickiness to keep his appetite up. He used to take the strattera in the morning and that made him throw up a few times a week so we switched to taking in the evening after dinner and he's been fine since then.

I've noticed a little more moodiness with him since he's been on it but nothing we can't manage. For now, the benefits outweigh the side effects but if his weight drops any lower we will have to consider stopping it since he really can't afford to lose any more weight. (He's just over 4ft tall and weighs 52 lbs)

Sorry for the long post, if you have any other questions, please let me know. Good luck to you and your son; getting this all figured out is so hard, isn't it?

Leslie

banded on 11/10/04

on my 2nd fill and down 16lbs (boo hoo)

[Mita 2]

Thank you Leslie,

That is one of my questions how will it affect his appetite right now I make him Breakfast before he goes to school then he eats breakfast again at school and at night he eats his dinner then Snacks for awhile now he is not chunky pretty slim if you as me. But for him to loose weight would be quite noticeable. Anyway when you say your son gets sick in the mornings was it just the time a day? or on an empty stomach.

I need all the information I can get because I have not mentioned it to his Dad yet and I need to show him and prove that we need to do something to get him back on track.

[QWINNER 0]

Paula,

It helps with the appetite absolutely, especially with the impulsivity to eat on a whim. That is what I am finding. I've only been on it for a month and I really like it. Makes a big difference.

[Mita 2]

Well today my husband called me after 4pm School wanted me to come in. Needless to say they had a guest Speaker and he was all over the place making noises. Talked with the Principal for awhile and explained that he shows none of those signs at home just is beyond me. But I did mention the appt to his Dad at least.

Now does Strattara come only in a pill or a tablet that disolves?

Thanks Paula at least I need not worry in the eating dept but I guess just like my band we will learn as we go.

[Guest jumapele]

Mary--To answer your questions about appetite and throwing up in the morning. He used to take his pill right after Breakfast on a full stomach. We never did figure out a pattern as to when he got sick sometimes it was after a heavy Protein breakfast and other times it was after a high carb (like pancakes) breakfast. SOme weeks he threw up 4 times and then he'd be fine for a couple of weeks.

Since Friday, he's started throwing up at night now so we've taken him completely off of the straterra. This was such a hard decision because we saw the benefits of the drug but to have him be violently ill so often isn't worth it. Plus he's lost another 2 lbs which puts him completely off of the growth charts for his age.

Our doctor did say that this side effect is very very rare so I don't want to discourage you from trying it. He said most kids take it and never feel even an upset stomach. I wish it would have worked out for Justin. I'm not sure what we're going to do next.

From your last post, your son sounds so much like mine--all over the place at school and completely in control at home. It's so confusing isn't it? Let me know if you need more info; I'd be happy to share anything.

Leslie

[Mita 2]

Thank You Leslie,

Hope your son is doing better. Is there something else he can try? Non stimulant out there?? I hope everything works out for him. Of course you do not want him becoming so ill with the pill and I hear you about him losing weight and not being on the charts, I have a 3 yr old who is 28 pounds but he is on his own chart Healthy as a bear.

Will keep everyone posted to the out come of our visit tommorrow with the Doc.

[paula 4]

Mary, please keep us informed.

God bless you and all of us parents that have all of these trials to deal with. Someone told me that when they are little, that its little problems and when they are big, its BIG problems!

Kids... does anyone have an original copy of their handbook?? mine didnt come with one.

[Guest jumapele]

I'm still looking for that handbook.

In all seriousness, as hard as the ADD stuff is to deal with, Justin is just the best kid. He's smart, creative and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. Being easily distracted is part of what makes him him and I wouldn't change a thing. I gotta keep telling myself this when his teacher emails me for the third time in a week about Justin's lack of attention.

Good Luck tomorrow, Mary!

Leslie