Hi,
I am going through the same thing with my 6 yr old. We tried 4 types of stimulant medication and he develops facial tics as well. This past medicine was medadate and the tics were the most severe. The stimulant medication works so well on him too, but he just can't take it anymore. This is his second week off and on Monday the doctor is going to start him on Strattera as well. I'm kind of bummed that you said it didn't work very well, because I am getting so discouraged with all the different medications. I was hoping this would be the one!! I will be very interested to see how your son does with this and compare notes. Good luck and keep us posted.
Worried mom in CT
I have a 7 year old son with severe ADHD who develops serious tics after several months of being on stimulant medication. We've tried them all with same result. The current tic is constant eye blinking. The tics go away when the meds are not taken but the behavior is a big problem. I was wondering if anyone else is, or has had, similar problems with tics and how you handled it.
We are going back to Strattera but it was not very effective the last time we used it year ago. Any suggestions? Help!
-Worried Dad in TX
My son had tics on stims but they weren't that bad, so we kept him on the stims. We finally gave up the stims when his tics got very severe. There are meds to control the tics, my doctor recommended Haldol. I've also heard Clonodine may have beneficial results. You should consult a neurologist who has experience with ADHD meds.
Sueocon: Don't be discouraged. What doesn't work well for one child, just may be the golden key for another. Each drug works entirely different on each child. Go into trying the Straterra with a positive outlook. It worked great for my grand-daughter when she took it. Unfortunately, we had to take her off it and put her on metadate cd, which, incidently, has not caused any tics in her and works great. Good luck and chin up!My 9 yr old son has also developed a strange tic with his eyes: he dips his head down and shoots his eyes up & too the sides, almost like he's trying to refocus, and is completely unaware that he's doing it.
He's on Ritalin in the AM, Metadate in the PM. His doctor said the tic will go away on it's own, but after reading here, I'm not convinced. We tried Adderall, but that did nothing for him.
I'm leery of changing meds because he's doing so much better in school & at home on the doses we have him on. And I hate the thought of adding more meds to what he's taking.
Jon1 and Sueocon, welcome! Three thoughts for you:
First, Strattera with a low dose of a stimulant may help with focus issues without exacerbating tics. That combo is being used with increasing frequency.
Second, Provigil is a new med that will receive approval by the FDA for ADHD treatment this summer. I haven't looked into it, but you might ask your doc if Provigil will bring out tics.
Third, Clonidine does treat tics very well. My 13-year-old son's tics have virtually disappeared on Clonidine. It was prescribed both to help him go to sleep at night and to control his tics. He takes 0.1 mg at night only. Incidentally, his tics come and go regardless of whether he is on stimulants or not. He is on no stimulants right now.