Hi everyone,
This is my 2nd post.
My 6 yo son has ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder.
The Metadate was increasing his anxiety and when he started kindergarten, he began running out of the classroom as if he needed to use the bathroom, but he didn't really need to go that many times per day. The teacher said he finally stopped running to the bathroom and instead, started picking his skin.
The doctor started him on Zoloft to try to counter this, and that only lasted 5 days. The first day, although he was in his bed at 8:30 p.m., he didn't go to sleep until 11 p.m. His appetite also disappeared, not just at lunch, but later in the day, too. So the Zoloft was having the opposite effect and hyping him up.
We finished the school year, stopped the Metadate and now the neurologist is having us start Strattera, but he said it takes 6 weeks approx. to work. In the meantime, he told us to try Focolin, which is supposed to be a purer version of Metadate. If he was staying home, we'd just do the Strattera, but he starts a summer camp soon.
If anyone has experience with any of these meds, or these types of side effects, especially in a six yo child, I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks in advance!
Val
My son was on strattera, along with his concerta and guanfacine, when he was 8. Strattera stays in your system 24/7, the others leave the body. My son is very HHHHHHHHHHH so he needs a med at all times.
Unfortunately, one of strattera's side effects is depression, which my son came down with, he wanted to kill himself and die he told me. I stopped the med IMMEDIATELY!
I just kept the concerta and guanfacine and dealt with the HHHHHHHHHH when the meds weren't in his system (mornings) and it has NEVER happened again. He is 10!
It is also for those who are inattentive, not so much hyper and impulsive, like my son. It is to be slowly vamped up, increased, and will build up in the blood system over time. You are to wean them off of it by dosing down if you stop. We didn't do that due to what he said and he was fine, never noticed anything, but again it is not what you are to do and I am NOT a doctor.
Regards,
Beth
Zoloft increases the blood level of methylphedinate. WE just had the exact same thing happen to my daughter. She is older, but same scenario. We added Zoloft to Concerta and she started picking her skin. She also had terrible tics. We lowered the Zoloft and it got better. We ended up stopping the stimulants altogether. The stimulants can casue anxiety increase. For us they all do, but otheres seem to be able to handle some. I bet you'll be ok on the Focalin without the Zoloft.