I just last night realized that my 8 year old son has tics. He is on Adderall XR 10mg
I found this message board looking for some information about this. Doesn't look like I can do anything about it from what everyone is saying :(
For the first time since medicating my son I am scared to death that I am giving him something that is going to cause some sort of damage to him later in life. I certainly hope not though. I wish there were better answers for ADHD... it makes me angry sometimes to think about how little is understood yet it is so common.
My son was just off meds for about a month because he had started with tics of his head,shoulders,& neck.He was on risperdal(which helped with his mood) & datrayna which didnt seem to do anything for the hyperness.Now he is on clonodine which was just started a week ago & seems to be helping with his hyperness a little bit but i have noticed the tics are not there as much.It helps him fall asleep at night which was a big problem without any meds.That's a plus but now I'm in need for something for his violent behavior.Hopefully the psychiatrist I'm taking hm to see monday will have more answers for his mood.It's very bad at home right now with his moods.I hope you can find a med that will help the tics.maybe your doctor will consider CLONODINE.Hope everything works out for you. helpmom32139455.4582638889Andalusia don't be too upset just yet. Ask around your family. After I noticed my 9 year old had tics, we happened to be visiting DH's family. His mother and aunt told me that my husband had a tic for more than year around the same age. The family got so use to him coughing and clearing his throat that they had forgotten about it until I told them about DS.You also may want to be sure the stims are causing the tics and not that he's developing tics anyway. My son started tics around 5 or 6, before we started stims. Thats the usual age they first appear.
He still had tics on Ritalin, but they were much worse on Adderall. We just ended up putting up with a few tics here and there and stayed with the Ritalin, because it helped so much.
momofgirls, for the majority of people the plus to Strattera is that is does NOT increase tics. Obviously there's exceptions to eery rule. I have to tell you, it has been the best as far as tics go for us. Dont' rule it out completely, especially if your child is mainly inattentive. My daughter did have tics on Daytrana, but they were minimal and we could live with them.
Pay close attention to the time of tics. My boys have tics but the medicine (concerta and vyvanse) actually reduces them during the day. If you give him the medicine and send him off to school the tics may be getting worse because the medicine is wearing off.
Thanks for your response Diane V. I probably will give Strattera a try eventually. I guess my reasoning is that if the stims work so well, because Strattera works differently, it therefore won't be as effective. I've also done a lot of reading on-line, studies where they've compared Strattera to stims, and for the majority, stims are more effective. I know each case is individual so I won't rule it out. I wish I heard more positive comments about Strattera -- thanks for your input.
[QUOTE=hawks2921]He still had tics on Ritalin, but they were much worse on Adderall. We just ended up putting up with a few tics here and there and stayed with the Ritalin, because it helped so much.
[/QUOTE]
same here, sally is back on concerta 18mg after been taken off due to haveing severe trouettes the doctor reckon it could of being caused throu a virual infection as she did clam down after a few months. as i said she is back on it and does have tic's, but sally had tic's before she was medicated so i put it down to being part of the adhd, I do tend to ingore when she is ticing away as too much attention only make's it worse unless she is distrssted.
I am also dealing with the tic issue, just started about 3 days ago. My son is 11 and been of medication about 3 years. We started with focalin, but he hates swallowing a pill so he is much happier with the Daytrana patch. Unfortunately, he has very sensitive skin and has a red welt every day after he takes it off but so far we are managing as he is willing to deal with this so he doesn't have to swallow a pill. I am very concerned about the tic but I think I'll watch it for awhile before contacting the doctor as maybe he's just feeling a lot of stress right now. Even through we are on vacation from school, he can get anxious whenever our routine changes. We recently switched to a higher dose of the patch and I am reading here in posts that sometimes a dose change can effect the tics. Good luck with this decision, it may be trial and error to find the right medication and dose for your son. [QUOTE=momofgirls]
Thanks for your response Diane V. I probably will give Strattera a try eventually. I guess my reasoning is that if the stims work so well, because Strattera works differently, it therefore won't be as effective. I've also done a lot of reading on-line, studies where they've compared Strattera to stims, and for the majority, stims are more effective. I know each case is individual so I won't rule it out. I wish I heard more positive comments about Strattera -- thanks for your input.
[/QUOTE]
It's NOT the same as a stimulant. That, however, does not mean it is not effective. You won't see that dramatic change like with stims. For us, and this is a big for us, she just seems "normal" to me. She doesnt seem "medicated". She is pretty much the same all day/evening. She is still talkative and has to be reminded to be on task, BUT, I used to go from a girl who couldnt get out of her own way, walked in circles, poked you if she walked by you, interrupted everyone, had to be first (you get it) to some one hyperfocused and quiet, but also "nerved up" and "ticcy" and wouldnt eat.
Everyone is different.