Strattera vs. conceta | ADHD Information

oh so it is dosed by symptoms. thanks i think i finally have it straight now. i asked that a while back, but i worded it a little differently, maybe it was hard to understand (guess it's time to search through my threads..)

doesn't that mean that if your symptoms are more severe, you will most likely need a higher dose? I don't notice much effect with 36 mg. concerta but I don't see the doc for another 2-3 weeks so I'm kind of waiting around for his OK. sorry for sorta butting in on the convo, it's just taking me awhile to grasp the fact that me not responding to low-moderate doses may mean I have more severe inattention. thanks for clearing that up.He weighs 41 lbs. Infact you did the calculations for me and I asked my Dr and he agreed. Cool, glad it worked for you!

Straterra has a half life of 5.2 hours, so that is why it "seems" to some to not be a 24 hour med. Some people also metabolize quicker, so the meds do not seem to last as long.

What is your sons weight? I am curious because you really can only"up" the Strat dose if it is in the 1.2-1.8mgs per kilo range.

My son who is on strattera started back into some behavior (mostly late in the day) and I asked the Dr to up the dose. He was on 20 and we went to 28 just last week. The other thing we did was give part of the dose in the afternoon. The info on the medication says it is 24 hrs but my dr said many parents get better results with dividing the dose.
Ebson or anyone have an idea about that?
Having mild, moderate, severe symptoms doesnt really decide dose. It all depends on metabolism and just your make up. My daughter has "moderate ADHD" for whatever that term is worth, but she is super sensitive to meds so she has never gone more than one or two increments above the lowest does of any med,. There is absolutely no way to know until you start treating, You start low and keep building until symptoms begin to subside without side effects. Except for Straterra which is weight based. All stimulants you start low and slowly work your way up.While I'm in a concerta thread:

I'm taking concerta now 27 mg. the first day it seemed like it just took the edge off,very slightly, and for the next few days after that I really haven't noticed anything significant. I'm wondering if, since I'm getting virtually no effect on this dose, is the med even going to work when I increase it? I never hear people here saying a fairly low dose doesn't do anything. I hear a lot about how it has a lot of side effects but not much benefit. But I don't have side effects or any effects at all. I don't even know how long it's lasting for me because I can't tell when it wears off. except the first day I got a headache in the evening, but I get headaches once in a while so that might've been coincidental.

I was so overwhelmed by my schoolwork (unmedicated then) that I just decided I couldn't do it anymore and withdrew myself for the rest of the year (february through june). So now I'm in summer school and I don't want that to be happening again, but if this med doesn't work I'll be right back in the same situation again.

sorry for rambling I'm just feeling very pressured about the fact that I may have to start doing 5 hours of homework a day again. I'm not giving up yet, but to plan on the safe side, I'm going to ask my doc what he knows about vyvanse the next time I see him.

Edbson,

You wrote:

Strattera is a 24 hour med, but is very stricly dosed by weight, unlike Concerta which is dosed by symptoms. The side effects we saw were drowsiness, appetite increase, and calmer moods. We did stop using it after 2 years because DD developed a facial tic.

Which one are you talking about? The strattera or the Concerta?

My sons therapist has suggested a change in my sons meds....he is on concerta now for the past 2 years.....and now he thinks he would be better on strattera. My son has impulstivity and ODD ....not ADHD . The therapist thinks the sides effects are less on strattera (I notice at night a coming down from the med. fidgetting and such)....any pros or cons? Thanks in advance.Strattera is a non stimulant (though some people find some stimulating effects) that needs to build up in the system. It was originally developed as an antidepressant (antidepressants are used as a second line treatment for ADHD). If anxiety (which can be increased by stimulants) is coming out as defiance, this med may be a good choice. It is all very individual. Good luck.Strattera works on 50% of the people, and stimulants work on 90% of the people.

Hey vickie,

Have a question for you! The psy that ds is seeing suggested the stratera and I think we have had the best of luck in the beginning with the concerta.

What is the diffrence between the two regarding the area of the brain that they stimulate?

Thanks in advance!

Strattera is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, Concerta (methylphenidate) is a CNS stimulant. Methylphenidate is thought to block the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine.

Thanks ebson, for getting that information up for meli quickly.Be sure to watch his behaviors/moods even more closely than you already do now. Strattera made my daughter extremely whiny, serious mood meltdowns, and very confrontational (she was 5 1/2 at the time and had the talking back down like she was 16!)

For me and my daughter Strattera had a lot more side effects. But.. that doesn't mean that your Son will be the same way. Good Luck!

LOL thanks Vickie, I just happened upon it, stuck home battling food poisoning.......