taking son off of Straterra | ADHD Information
Thank you all for your comments.. We made it through a week with no drugs... only 3 kinda bad days at school, and 2 really good days .. and we just got back from a family birthday party with 15 kids, and Liam did FANTASTIC.. no problems at all..
I am stopping the Strattera after over a year of being on it. Why? I can't find the benefit anymore. When we first tried it... it was supposed to take the place of Ritalan. But, he needed it anyway. The only thing we noticed right away was he seemed less emotional and he was more focused at home, but not enough.
Metadate works great, but it ( Ritalin of any kind ) aggravate his Tics.
I am giving very serious thought to TRYING alternatives to the drugs.. just to see if he would benefit.
I know many ADHD kids doing wonderfully on Straterra. Your kid must be another one it benefits. Don't worry. Any med can cause trouble in some kids.
My son has been on Strattera just shy of a year now, and for us it has been great, no problems to speak of. I have nothing to compare it to since this is the first and only med he's been on, but it helps greatly with Thomas' focus and impulsivity But honestly seeing everything that you guys say scares me to death.
I know every child reacts differently and he may be one of the lucky ones with no adverse reactions, but I will most certainly be watching him more closely than ever.
I wish you all the best of luck
Tryan92038794.8292939815[QUOTE=SmallMom]What kind of doctor is currently treating him? You might want to find a board-certified child psychiatrist -- they have cutting-edge knowledge of psychopharmacology.
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He has been seeing a psychiatrist. she works with kids and adults. we talked about taking him off,and she thought it was a good idea.. I just don't know how long we should wait before considering a different drug. i guess when the calls from his teacher get more frequent and more severe. we are lucky that he has a wonderful 1st grade teacher that really likes him.. she's a troooper.
heidibrown--check out the Alternatives board to explore drug free options.not yet.. we really want to try and find a drug free way.. but if we can't, we are not totaly against it.. It just breaks my heart to see him all drugged up! Maybe other drugs are different, but he just felt sick and tired on Strattera. I think we need to find a new doctor or a therapist for him..What kind of doctor is currently treating him? You might want to find a board-certified child psychiatrist -- they have cutting-edge knowledge of psychopharmacology.
We did after eating. We stopped cause he cryed more and anger was worse. This boys seems to react opposite than what the drug claims to say to do. Our son. He slept to much also. We saw little grades improvement. This must be given daily unlike stims. He is going to a NP before we do anything else. Supplements are helping some also. His main issue in school is his Reading comprehension/ language disorder. He gets ST and OT at school also. I am hoping the NP will help us get a better iep in place. RN
I agree Straterra did wonders for Liam the first 2 years.. I just noticed that since he has been off of it, he seems a lot happier, and finally eats ! We are going to a new child psychologist next week.. We will see what he says.. we are hoping to try getting through without drugs, but if they help, then that's what we will do..
Strattera has to be taken every day 
not allowed to skip days on this one.....
Good thing you are stopping
Yes, Stattera is a daily, you should not start and stop it like that!
My dd's doc says he hasn't had any success using Strattera alone, but it's a good med in combo with a stimulant.
My dd was on a Strattera/Concerta combination for about a year. It worked very well for her, and the Strattera had a very positive effect on her mood. She was taken off it when the doc switched her stimulant to Adderall though...he prefers a different combination with Adderall. But we never had any problems with the Strattera.
Any drug can cause problems with some people. That's why there are so many options, everybody is different. But I wouldn't say Strattera is a "bad" drug to have your child on. As with any medication, you need to watch for adverse reactions and side effects.
No, I think Strattera is a fairly good drug, but I don't think it is working as it should or that it isn't needed anymore. Reasoning... because we are all so forgetfull........ it has taken 2 months to almost finish a bottle. LOL
Heidi, welcome! You know, one of the major side effects of Strattera is mood swings. Have you considered trying any other ADHD meds?
Hi.. I am new to this message board. My son (7years old) has been on Strattera for about 3 years.. we noticed a difference right away.. He was doing great.. But then he kept getting the spurts of anger and sadness.. We decided to take him off. We notice he is much happier and listens fine at home, but school is different. He is back to not listening, making bad choices and making noises. I know most of this is being a kid, but any suggestions? My son is 7 and he has been on concerta for 3 years. For a little while during that period we did a low dose concerta and 10mg strattera. While on both of them he developed nervous habits and we had to take the strattera away. I am going through the same thing you are right now. Garrett has been off of Concerta for 3 weeks. He is doing great at home, but having some trouble at school. His 1st grade teacher said that she will work with us, but I am really not sure that they mean that. They may not beleive it, but our children have already been labeled. This week he had 2 great days at school, the other 3 were okay. On thursday one of the toilets overflowed. Garrett happened to be in the bathroom and guess who they said stuffed it with paper towels?? He swares he did not do it. Anyway, I have discussed natural remidies with my pediatrician and his psych. and they do not think that they are a good idea. Hang in there, if he can do good at home, he can do good at school. We decided to try Garrett off of his med for 6 weeks. It is a learning process for him and us, but I believe it is weel worth it. I hate the drugs and will do anything to keep him off of it. My son has been on strattera for 1 year now, and he goes to a neuro-psych, who is wonderful! He has put my son on a low dose of strattera, and a low dose of concerta, and my son doesn't look drugged up anymore, he still has energy, and he is happy! He noticed a change, and even said something. The first day that he was on those two medications, he passed a math test, and when I picked him up, and goes mommy, mommy, I passed a math test, I'm not dumb anymore. I about cried. I asked Garrett who said he was dumb, and some kids in school, had been making fun of him.my son was on strattera too and it just did not seem to be helping much after the 3rd month, then the doc put him on a combo of strattera and concerta and that was not great either ( grumpy), finally we put him on adderall and slowly pulled the strattera....everything is much better his focus is great, grades are great but he still has some chatty behavior at school ( I think he is just a chatty kid) but this I can live with...,