Has anyone ever tried using Strattera with Intuniv? My 8 year old daughter with ADHD tried both individually and had different positives with each one. She is now taking both meds at the same time. You usually hear about kids taking one or the other. She is currently taking 40 mg Strattera and 1 mg Intuniv (which may increase).
By the way, she can't take stimulants because of side effects.
Any thoughts or experiences?
Dls23,
Just read your post & would be very interested to hear an update as to how that combo has worked for your daughter. My daughter is 10, and has taken Strattera (40mg/AM & 40mg/PM) with very good results in the ADHD symptoms. However, it completely gave her insomnia issues (trouble falling asleep, up for hours in middle of night.) We switched her to Intuniv, and got up to 3mg- also with good ADHD coverage. But then she was too sleepy, all day long! So, we split the Intuniv dose to 1mg/AM & 2mg/PM.
That works better, but we seem to be experiencing what I'm told is a rare reaction- my daughter is putting on an alarming amount of weight on the Intuniv. The Strattera had caused a severe decrease in her appetite, which was a good thing for her. Not only did the Intuniv put an and to that, but she has gained 16lbs in about 4 months- while eating very healthy & working out at the gym!
So now, the dr suggests adding Ritalin to her Intuniv, to decrease her appetite. I am extremely hesitant to use a stimulant, because she already takes Zoloft for anxiety. But it never would have even occurred to me to try the Intuniv, with the Strattera instead. Maybe a lower dose of each, combined, would be enough to help the ADHD- but without either side effect. Very interested in that idea now! How have the two worked out together for you?
Hello. I would love to give you some amazing news about the combination of Strattera and Intuniv, but I'm still on the fence. When my daughter was on the stimulants, she did much better with her ADHD symptoms. However, the side effects were just too severe. The Strattera didn't do as good of a job, but it was better than nothing. She was tested, and her attention and focus were not wonderful on the Strattera (40 mg. total), but they were better than the baseline without the meds. We tried Intuniv alone, and it took the edge off her impulsivity but did nothing for her attention and focus. (We tried from 1 to 3 mg.- the 3mg putting her to sleep every afternoon.) We then thought we could try to get the best from both drugs, the Strattera for attention and Intuniv for the impulsivity. We still do the Strattera at 40 mg. and just 1 mg. of the Intuniv. I would love to try something that might have more conclusive results, but there is nothing else we can try that isn't a stimulant. I've resigned myself to having approx. 70% success and no major side effects. As far as weight, my daughter lost 16 lbs. while on the stimulants- which was good for her also. However, as soon as she went off the stimulants, the weight crept back on. She maintained a bit when she was on the Strattera alone, but gained the weight back when the two drugs were combined. I'm sorry it took me a bit to respond, but I'd love to chat more if you have any other questions.
It's a case-by-case issue. Nonetheless, consult your doctor before mixing meds.My 12 yr old son has been on 18mg of strattera since he was 7. This is his first year in middle school. He is getting A's & B's. He is hyper and has become more implulsive, so much so, that I am taking him back to a specialist. He has been suspended 4 times since the beginning of the school year. My family Doctor has prescribed Intuniv (just finishing 1mg & moving on to 2mg) and the Strattera together until I go see the specialist in March. I am so stressed. I work full time, I am a single (widowed) woman raising my son alone since his Dad passed away in 2005. I just get very anxious about another drug and then taking different drugs together. Any encouraging words??
My daughter has had no problem taking the two meds together. However, I cannot tell you that I've been overly impressed with the results. As it turns out, I also went to a specialist for further evaluation. The result is that my daughter has a huge amount of anxiety that has gone undiagnosed and untreated. So, I'm not even sure those two medications are even really targeting the correct thing. My point being, they might have been more effective if her problem was solely ADHD. Also, I was told that children are rarely only ADHD. In fact, I heard the number was something like 90% that kids usually have ADHD along with something else.
Basically, I think it's great that you're pursuing this further and going to see a specialist. The fact that your son is having disciplinary issues may point toward another problem. If another problem is found, the medications may change again.
I wouldn't be anxious about taking the two medications. I was assured they were a safe combination. Keep up with your plans, though, to get more information.
I'd love to hear back when you find out more. Take care and good luck.