Oh boy, I am so sorry, It can get so...............bad.............please keep reading, you are far from alone...............
Well it definitely sounds like you need different meds. Did this psychiatrist diagnose him? Will he try something new? Every medication is so different. A different stimulant may be all it takes. Getting the right med can change your whole world.
Your husband has not seen him getting any better that is part if his frustrationa nd it is very understandable. It is such a LONG, frustrating road, but it can get better.
My son is almost 8 and has adhd and a splash of Aspergers. He can't tollerate stimulants and has been on adderall, ritalin, tenex and clonodine. He is currently on Strattera and has been at target dose for two weeks. He can focus a little more and he is not as anxious. He has been really angry since he has been off the clonodine. The tenex worked really well on its own for two months. He was like a different person. He stopped hitting and getting so angry and then it stopped. The Doctor said that he has never seen a person do so well n Tenex and he thinks that my son just had a good coulpe of months. I want that boy back. It was actually a really cruel experience. I want the Dr. to give him tenex with the strattera and he said that he wants to find one med. to treat him. The Dr. is really pushing for abilify. I am so scared. My husband is really against meds. I have been saying no to abilify for a year now. What if this is the right med. for him and I am keeping it from him. I really don't see a lot of postitives with strattera. What should I do?
Sorry for the long rant. I am just feeling so lost right now.
Tara
A couple of things. From what I understand about Straterra 2 weeks is not enough time, but you will get better feedback from some of the others.
Tenex and Clonidine are not stimulants, although do help with a lot of ADHD symptoms.
There are a lot more options out there beside Adderall and Ritilan for stimulant choices.
Now, what kind of doctor is doing the prescribing? The ideal person would be a psychopharmocologist. They are not that easy to find, so other options would be a child psychiatrist, developmental pediatrican and child neurologist.
It's important to have some one very familiar with medications and how they act and interact. What did not work with the Adderall and Ritilan?
Otheres here use Abilify so I am sure you can get information from them on this.
My son is seeing a highly recomended psychiatrist. We like him alot. I stopped the stimulants because he was angry and unhappy. He did not want to leave the house and he kept blowing on fingers.
Now, while on the strattera he will leave the house but he is getting really angry if he doesn't get his way and he has been hiding under his bed. This morning out of the blue he told me that he was sad and a little frustrated. I have been giving him small math assignments and he has been able to complete them. So that is a postive. He is starting to hit more and he is so impulsive and he has a really bad temper. His rages have started to last longer.
I want something to help him with his moods and rages. This is torture. He is making us all miserable. My daughter 6 is so stressed out and she is cring all the time and has started to get some tics. She is so stressed out from her brothers behavior. My husband and I disagree on everything about the meds and I do not feel that he supports me enough. This is a very sad place to be.
My son weighs 50 lbs. and he is on 36 mg. I called the Dr. and instead of taking the full amount at night, he wants me to give him 18 in the am. and 18 in the p.m. He was getting really angry when we took him off the clonodine. We have had a long talk with him and he is tired of getting in trouble. He has little impulse control and he has been hittiing. I am going to monitor him closely and give this med two more weeks. Is Strattera suppose to help out with impulse control?
Tara
If he's making comments about him being Sad.. You need to Tell the Dr. Immediately! That is definitely a BAD sign that it's not right for him.. no matter if it's only week 2 after reaching dose or not. I wouldn't want that to continue.Hang in there. Each medication is so different - so what works for one child will not necessarily work for another. We've had violent rages, skin crawling, pacing, crying and being totally doped out. I remember one new years eve being at a huge beach festival and everyone so happy around us. Then our son's blood pressure dropped and he passed out. Others use this med and it's a wonder drug.
Keep careful observations of him so that the doctor can see what is happening. Great for later on when they suggest a medication and you need to remember the effects.
All the best - keep searching - we are all on that same road of discovery!