need all of your imput.... | ADHD Information

what you said is exactly what I was thinking.  I focus beeter and can do more when i am doing physical activities.  and I am not on meds.  so I make myself work hard each day to amke the day go better.

Cheryl has been working at the farm since Feb. and it has helped her be a better child.  she does her chores at home without nagging, she has bonded with the horses in a good way and it has helped me bond with her too.

Thanks for your imput, you put into words that were my thoughts.

Lynnann, I've heard that some kids take Strattera in two doses -- for example, 20 mg in the am and 20 mg in the pm.  I've also heard of kids who take the full dose at bedtime to minimize side effects.  I'm wondering if either of these options would work for your DD.

But I also fully agree with lowering the dose in the summer.

 

 

dd, 12, is on 40mgs of strattera.   She gets sleepy around 2-3pm daily.

over spring break she worked at a horse farm, start her day our 7:30- 8:00, but around 2pm she would go into slow motion and would need to come home.  some days she could hang in and stay till 6pm.  all of this was her choice.

now one day i forgot the meds as we were rushing, that day she did great, a l ittle off, but no tiredness.

here is my question, over the summer i was thnking of reducing her meds so that she still had some in her body, but not enough to make her sleep, The real problem when she crashes she sleeps a good 3-4 hours and it messes up her night time sleep. 

anyone got a suggestion, idea or answer

i am only answering cos i have the time (as opposed to the knowledge or experience) lynnann. 

but i would say if she is doing some hard physical work, that she loves, like working on a horse farm then why not reduce her meds.  there is a lot of therapeutic benefit from simply physically exhausting oneself --- as an adult ADDer i always feel better mentally simply from doing physical exercise --- and if she loves the work that will help her focus too.

having said that - i was still as 'off' on all sort of memory-related/responsibility things like remembering to shut the gate etc. etc. regardless of how much i loved what i was doing.  i was simply TOO dreamy to remember or focus on things like gates or whatever.  but still and what?   it didn't hamper me that much.  a couple of slaps round the head for being a dipstick and "what the hell is inside your head?  cotton wool????". 

but perhaps i was lucky.  i do remember losing the spare/skeleton keys to my entire university hall block and that day there was a fire alarm (luckily false) but in my dippiness i could have caused the deaths of an untold number of people because the firemen wouldn't have had as quick access to the hall and rooms...

but that is a kinda extreme example so - why not?  it is probably helpful to take a break. 

then again, if she will just be hanging around, doing nothing or having to do intellectual type stuff - rather than the horse farm - then keep her on it.

We tried these both ways when our son was on strattera. He said it made him ill and dizzy. He also was angry more on this. This is why we quit it.

Some meds side effects are sleepyness!Our son slept 4 hrs in afternoon daily. Another reason stopped it also.

oldtimer38831.7014583333hey lynnann
just to add --- i would DEFINITELY discuss it with your doctor first. 

because a lot of adult ADDers have posted that they had the most horrific withdrawal symptoms from strattera --- and i know you are only considering lowering the dose not stopping it but i would check first if any of those withdrawal symptoms are likely to occur anyhow.  these SNRIs are kinda new and i don't think they are the same as the meth/dex stimulants in being easy to come off or get out of your system so quick.

good luck!

I'm about to post the most ignorant post on this board.....so be warned....

I thought that Strattera was a stimulant?  Is the Strattera preventing her from sleeping well at night, is that why she's sleeping so much during the day?  Or, is the Strattera taking away her appetite so she doesn't have enough energy?  Just some ignorant thoughts from a clueless mom...lol. 

My son is on straterra and I was told that it evens itself off with continual dosages. It's not like steroids where they can come off of them on weekends, it has to be maintained at the correct levels or side effects can occur.

Please check with your dr first, this meds acts like no other.

Lynnann Brandon takes Ritalin. He is off it on weeekends and all summer. He drives me crazy sometimes. I try to keep him active which is difficult if the weather is bad. Brandon is much happier when off meds. I agree that his Ritalin is to help him focus at school. He has never needed to sleep in the afternoons. I hope reducing her dose helps her to not need the naps.

I would also lower the dosage in the summer.  Tiff takes Concerta not strattera, but this is what I have discovered on my own and with everyone here.  She is taking the medication during the week.  I haven't been giving it to her on the weekends since the December break.  At times like Sheri said she drives me bonkers, but she is so happy on the weekend.  She does so many physical things on the weekends that her sleep isn't suffering.  I have never had the crashing in the afternoon resulting in sleep, hope trying options above it'll work out for her on the lower dosage.

Small mom thanks for the imput.  I am going to talk to the doctor in may and discuss those options.

Oldtimer.   the sleeping is what I am worried about. Last summer she slept the summer away and I don't want that again.  so am want to try those other options.  Strattera has been the best meds. so far.  no meltsdowns, like we had on adderall.  She is herself.  so I don't want to really change again.  I can't go through that again and I don't want her to go through it.

thanks all for your advice.

lynnann, when sarah was taking her meds she only took them during school and then about 2 weeks before school started she went back on her meds....the way i always looked at it was the meds were only to help her focus at school...she drove all of us crazy during the summer but we just deal with it... 

to answer the sleepy question, she sleeps fine at night but if she sleeps for 3 hours in the afternoon, she can't get to sleep at a decent hour and will stay awake till midnight, but then have to get up around 7 or 8 doesn't work.

I just don't want her to sleep the summer away. 

you all gave excellent advice, but like I said I want to discuss with doc first, but I want to have some background info goin into the docs office. 

I would like to add that I hate the stimulants, the ups and downs cheryl had were very waring on the family and were causing huge problems with dh.

 

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Imac,

OOOPS My ADHD is in full swing today, writing faster then the fingers and brain can catch up, thanks for the correction!

Thanks smallmom, that's what I was (in a round about way) trying to say.

Hi,

My son takes a dose in the morning and a dose of Strattera at night - he had too many side effects when all was taken at one time.  You may want to try it or talk to your doctor.

Good Luck,

Diane

 

Strattera is NOT a stimulant.  It is an antidepressant in the SNRI family, and it is used to treat ADHD.  Common side effects include headache, stomachache, fatigue and mood swings.  Strattera must be taken every day (no med holidays), or withdrawal symptoms can occur.  What Lynnann was asking about is REDUCING her daughter's dose over the summer, and I'm sure she's going to ask her doctor about it.

 

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